PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Five jurors have been seated to hear a landmark priest-abuse case in Philadelphia involving two priests charged with rape and a monsignor charged with protecting them. Monsignor William Lynn is accused of endangering children by keeping his co-defendants in ministry. Lynn says he tried to address the priest-abuse issue in 1994, only to have the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (beh-vih-LAH’-kwah) block his efforts. Prosecutors say Lynn is trying to blame the dead. A judge refused his latest... Read more

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jury selection moved surprisingly quickly Monday in a landmark priest abuse case in Philadelphia involving two priests charged with rape and a monsignor charged with protecting them — and failing to protect children. Several jurors were seated for what could be a four-month trial, after assuring the judge they could fairly evaluate the sensitive issues. Meanwhile, Monsignor William Lynn lost a last-minute bid to have his unprecedented child endangerment case throw out based on new evidence found... Read more

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jury selection moved surprisingly quickly Monday in a landmark priest abuse case in Philadelphia involving two priests charged with rape and a monsignor charged with protecting them — and failing to protect children. Several jurors were seated for what could be a four-month trial, after assuring the judge they could fairly evaluate the sensitive issues. Meanwhile, Monsignor William Lynn lost a last-minute bid to have his unprecedented child endangerment case throw out based on new evidence found... Read more

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Three jurors have been seated to hear a landmark priest abuse case in Philadelphia involving two priests charged with rape and a monsignor charged with protecting them — and failing to protect children. Monsignor William Lynn says he has evidence showing the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua was calling the shots. But a judge on Monday refused to throw out his case. Lynn says a newly unearthed memo shows he gave Bevilacqua a list of 35 still-active, accused... Read more

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian court has imposed a four-year sentence for embezzlement and abuse of office on a former interior minister in the government of imprisoned ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko. The verdict and sentence imposed on Yuriy Lutsenko on Monday means he will stay in jail for two years and 10 months, allowing for time already served since his December 2010 arrest. The United States and the European Union have condemned Lutsenko’s trial and the imprisonment of Tymoshenko as... Read more

JERUSALEM (AP) — Ultra-Orthodox parties inside Israel’s government say they will oppose any new law that would apply Israel’s compulsory military draft to ultra-Orthodox men — a stance that bodes ill for the stability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. Last week, Israel’s Supreme Court overturned a law that has helped tens of thousands of religious men avoid military service and pursue state-sponsored religious studies instead. The privilege has created widespread resentment among Israel’s secular majority and encouraged ultra-Orthodox... Read more

CHARDON, Ohio (AP) — The family of a teenager suspected of opening fire in the cafeteria of a suburban Cleveland high school, killing one student and wounding four others, says it is “devastated” by the shootings. In a statement issued to WKYC-TV in Cleveland Monday night, a lawyer representing the family of T.J. Lane offered “their most heartfelt and sincere condolences” to the family of slain student Daniel Parmertor, adding that they are praying for the four other injured students... Read more

CHARDON, Ohio (AP) — The family of a teenager suspected of opening fire in the cafeteria of a suburban Cleveland high school, killing one student and wounding four others, says it is “devastated” by the shootings. In a statement issued to WKYC-TV in Cleveland Monday night ( ), a lawyer representing the family of T.J. Lane offered “their most heartfelt and sincere condolences” to the family of slain student Daniel Parmertor, adding that they are praying for the four other... Read more

JERUSALEM (AP) — A top Roman Catholic official has taken the rare step of asking Israel’s president to help put an end to attacks on Christian holy sites. The custodian of holy places in the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, recalled in his letter sent Sunday to President Shimon Peres that vandals spray-painted “Death to Christians” and “We’ll crucify you” on the Baptist Church in Jerusalem and similar hate graffiti on a Greek Orthodox monastery in the city. Pizzaballa wrote that... Read more

AHMADABAD, India (AP) — Hundreds of survivors of deadly religious riots gathered in western India on Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of the country’s worst sectarian violence in recent years, as rights activists blasted the local government for delaying justice. On Feb. 27, 2002, a train fire in Gujarat state killed 60 Hindu pilgrims. Muslims were blamed for the fire and weeks of rioting followed. More than 1,000 people, almost all Muslim, were killed as Hindu mobs rampaged through... Read more