Union workers unite to strike against Athens anti-bankruptcy measures
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s beleaguered government is bracing for a 48-hour strike as lawmakers debate a new round of reforms designed to win the country additional rescue loans and avoid bankruptcy.
More than 5,000 police will guard Athens’ city center Tuesday, with union protest rallies due to start at 10:00 a.m. The strike is set to disrupt or halt most public services, with doctors, ambulance drivers, journalists and even actors at a state-funded theatre joining the protest, which is to continue Wednesday.
 
Gadhafi accused of crimes against humanity, arrest warrant issued
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Thousands of jubilant Libyans danced and cheered in the streets of Benghazi after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant Monday for Moammar Gadhafi, accusing him of crimes against humanity for killing civilians who rose up against his rule.
The order raised pressure on the government, already targeted by daily airstrikes. NATO clearly hopes the warrant will encourage allies to abandon Gadhafi. But it also gives him less incentive to accept a peaceful settlement ending his regime.
 
British reporter arrested as suspect in celebrity voicemail hacking case
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Press Association says a reporter has been arrested for her part in a phone hacking scandal. Police say the 34-year-old is suspected of intercepting private communications.
Scotland Yard said Monday that no further details would be released.
The long-running scandal has primarily involved the News of the World tabloid newspaper, which has seen several of its journalists arrested for hacking into the voicemail systems of various celebrities.
 
Blagojevich convicted for attempt to sell Obama’s Illinois Senate seat
CHICAGO (AP) — Rod Blagojevich, who served two terms as Illinois governor, was convicted Monday of a wide range of corruption charges, including the allegation that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
The verdict was a bitter defeat for Blagojevich, who had spent years professing his innocence on reality TV shows and later on the witness stand. His defense team had insisted that hours of FBI wiretap recordings were just the ramblings of a politician who liked to think out loud.
 
Muslim woman fired for wearing her hijab to work at Abercrombie & Fitch
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former stockroom worker for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. sued the clothing retailer Monday, saying she was fired after refusing to remove her Muslim headscarf while on the job.
Hani Khan said a manager at the Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo said it was OK to wear her hijab as long as it was in company colors, Khan said.
Four months later, the 20-year-old says a district manager and human resources manager asked her to remove the hijab, and she was suspended and later fired for refusing.
 
Anti-abortion bills fail to pass at close of state legislative session
(AP) — Most legislation pushed by abortion opponents failed to pass during the Legislature’s just-completed session, but supporters expect similar bills to arise next year.
The Legislature did approve a bill setting up a website with information on abortion alternatives and requiring that abortion clinics post signs with similar information.
But other measures died in committee, including a proposed ban on nearly all abortions, including pregnancies stemming from incest, and a resolution calling on Congress to withdraw funding from the organization Planned Parenthood.
 
Trial begins for 5 New Orleans cops charged in deadly Katrina shooting
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Police officers decided to “shoot first and ask questions later” when they gunned down two people and wounded four others in Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, a prosecutor said Monday.
The jury heard a different account from lawyers for five officers charged in the shootings.
“They didn’t desert,” said Paul Fleming, a lawyer for former officer Robert Faulcon. “They stayed and did the best they could.”
 
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