Agitators attack riot police in Athens
ATHENS, Greece, June 15 (UPI) -- Greek police arrested two people and detained 18 others Wednesday in clashes between scores of agitators and riot police in Athens, officials said.
The violence marred nearly two weeks of peaceful demonstrations in central Athens against the government of Prime Minister George Papandreou, the Athens News Agency reported.
Reports said up to 100 self-styled, hood-wearing anarchists who call themselves "The Indignants," tossed gasoline bombs at the Ministry of Finance and fought riot police with rocks and sticks, prompting police to return fire with tear gas. The violence forced tens of thousands of peaceful protesters to retreat into the upper portion of Syntagma Square.
The peaceful demonstrators had planned to form a human shield around the Greek Parliament to block debate on more proposed austerity measures, CNN said. Labor unions in Greece are staging a 24-hour general strike in support of the protests bringing most public services to a halt.
Unemployment in Greece hit 16 percent in May.
Papandreou, in a brief nationally televised address Wednesday evening, announced changes in his government's Cabinet saying he would form a new government and seek a vote of confidence in Parliament, the Athens News Agency said.
Obama: War Powers Act not applicable
WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- The White House said Wednesday the administration has the authority to participate in NATO-led military action in Libya without congressional approval.
The administration argues in materials sent to Congress Wednesday its actions in Libya are not in violation of the War Powers Resolution, The New York Times reported.
"We are acting lawfully," Harold Koh, the State Department legal adviser, told the Times in a joint interview with White House Counsel Robert Bauer. The lawyers argue U.S. forces have not been involved in "hostilities" since NATO took over command of the no-fly zone in Libya April 7 and are only providing a supporting role in the conflict.
"We are not saying the president can take the country into war on his own," Koh said. "We are not saying the War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional or should be scrapped, or that we can refuse to consult Congress. We are saying the limited nature of this particular mission is not the kind of 'hostilities' envisioned by the War Powers Resolution."
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers said Wednesday they are suing President Obama for approving allegedly illegal military action in Libya.
"With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who heads the group of 10 House members along with Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., Politico reported.
"We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies," Kucinich said, adding the suit will contest the Obama administration's "circumvention of Congress and its use of international organizations such as the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to authorize the use of military force abroad."
The Kucinich-Jones coalition also includes Democrats John Conyers of Michigan and Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, and Republicans Howard Coble of North Carolina, John Duncan of Tennessee, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, Ron Paul of Texas, Tim Johnson of Illinois and Dan Burton of Indiana.
The action comes one day after House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, gave Obama an ultimatum to end military action in Libya by Friday, 90 days after operations began.
American identified in Mexico mass graves
MEXICO CITY, June 15 (UPI) -- An American who is believed to have been killed by a drug cartel was found in a mass grave in Mexico, officials said.
Mexican authorities confirmed the body was found in San Fernando among 193 corpses recovered from a mass grave near the border of Texas in April, El Universal reported Wednesday.
Officials said the victim was allegedly killed after being pulled from a bus by the Los Zetas drug gang.
Authorities declined to identify the victim because there has not been authorization from the family.
More than 70 suspects have been charged in the killings, including several police officers who allegedly aided the gang.
Many of the victims buried in mass graves were migrants heading to the United States, officials said.
The Zetas gang is a drug-trafficking organization that recruits migrants to fight rival gulf cartels.
Judge rejects Anthony acquittal motion
ORLANDO, Fla., June 15 (UPI) -- Attorneys for Casey Anthony added a new witness to their list Wednesday after a Florida judge refused to issue a directed verdict of acquittal.
The prosecution rested its case Wednesday, opening the way for the defense to begin presenting evidence in the trial of Anthony, 25, accused of murder in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter.
The defense amended its witness list to include Vasco Thompson, who was convicted of kidnapping in 1988, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The defense contends Thompson and Anthony's father, George, talked by phone. George Anthony's attorney said, however, his client does not know who Thompson is.
The trial was recessed until Thursday.
In denying the defense motion for acquittal, Chief Judge Belvin Perry said the case should go to the jury.
"These are strictly questions for the jury to decide," Perry said in Orlando. "The state has presented substantial competent evidence for this jury … to decide this particular issue."
Prosecutor Linda Burdick told the court all the evidence recovered from the scene of Caylee Anthony's remains and her mother's car and computer indicate premeditation. The computer searches involved chloroform, household weapons and other ways to injure people.
"This was an intentional act by the defendant intended to cause the child's death," Burdick said.
Defense attorney J. Cheney Mason countered: "I don't believe there was any evidence whatsoever of poisoning by chloroform.
"How was this child killed? Where was this child killed? Was this child killed at all? Or was it an accident?" he asked, posing a theory that there was no murder at all.
Board cancels Chicago teacher raises
CHICAGO, June 15 (UPI) -- The Chicago Public Schools Board, facing a $712 million deficit, Wednesday rescinded a scheduled 4 percent raise for city teachers.
"I have the upmost respect and admiration for teachers and all that they do for our children," new public schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said in a statement. "But today's board action was taken in response to the massive financial crisis facing our system."
The board's vote was unanimous.
The school district announced $75 million in cost-cutting earlier this month and plans for a longer school day, the Chicago Tribune said.
The average rank-and-file teacher makes about $69,000 annually, and Chicago teachers will still receive annual increases based on years of service and their level of educational attainment, district officials said.
The teachers' union has not said whether rescinding the annual raise would reopen their contract or break a no-strike provision.
