NEWS BRIEFS
GNJILANE, YUGOSLAVIA
Earthquake rattles Balkans, collapsing mosque minaret and killing one person
Associated Press
An earthquake jolted areas throughout the central Balkans yesterday, killing one and injuring dozens in eastern Kosovo.
The quake's preliminary magnitude was measured at 5.1, with its epicenter some 175 miles south of Belgrade, near the town of Vitina in the southern province of Kosovo, said Slavica Radulovic of the Seismological Institute of Serbia. The earthquake was first felt at 12:50 p.m.
In nearby Gnjilane, one man was killed when a mosque's minaret collapsed, sending debris flying, said U.N. spokesman Andrea Angeli. Family members identified the victim as Isuf Bicku, a 42-year-old barber and father of three.
Angeli said 21 people were hospitalized, including two in serious condition. Many more were injured by flying glass in Gnjilane, one of Kosovo's larger cities and about 20 miles east of the capital, Pristina.
The U.N. Mission reported that moderate to light damage to homes was widespread, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said in New York.
NATO-led peacekeepers and a local emergency organization were setting up tents to provide aid to residents who were evacuated from buildings. Eckhard said there were no U.N. or peacekeeper casualties reported.
NATO has helped administer Kosovo along with the United Nations since 1999, when the alliance waged an air war against Serb forces. The strikes ended a crackdown on ethnic Albanians by troops under former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
CAMBRIDGE, MASS
Software engineer convicted of killing seven co-workers in rampage
Associated Press
A man who gunned down seven co-workers at a software company was convicted of murder yesterday after failing to convince a jury he was so delusional he thought he was killing Adolf Hitler and his henchmen to prevent the Holocaust.
Michael McDermott, a hulking 43-year-old with long, shaggy hair and a bushy black beard, stood impassively as he listened to the verdict that automatically sends him to prison for life without parole. Massachusetts does not have the death penalty.
Prosecutors said McDermott went on his rampage because he was angry about the company's plan to withhold part of his salary to pay $5,600 in back taxes to the IRS. They said he concocted the story of being on a divinely ordered, time-travel mission to prevent the Holocaust after reading up on how to fake mental illness.
During sentencing, McDermott sat at the defense table with his burly arms in front of him and read a Bible without looking up as relatives of the dead took the stand and sorrowfully recalled their loved ones. Some stole glances across the courtroom at McDermott, but he didn't meet their eyes.
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National Park Service issues caution because of low water
Associated Press
Boaters and swimmers are being cautioned about lower water levels at Lake Powell.
People should be aware that rocks that may have been completely submerged last season may now be exposed or just beneath the surface, National Park Service Ranger Phil Hibbs said yesterday.
A Park Service released said the lake is about 54 feet below what it calls "full pool."
There also is a poor forecast for spring runoff. As a result, park officials say the lake is expected to rise only about five feet before resuming its decline through the rest of the year.
