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MILFORD, Mass. (AP) — Some neighbors of a former mob hit man were shocked to learn about his past during his testimony against James "Whitey" Bulger this week.

BOSTON (AP) — After hearing three days of testimony from a hit man who admitted killing 20 people, jurors in the racketeering trial of James "Whitey" Bulger will soon get to hear from the families of some of those victims.

SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) — It was the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. When the Rana Plaza factory building crashed down in April, 1,129 people were killed. But many others had to sacrifice their limbs to survive.

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A 32-year-old Pennsylvania man with Down syndrome was so severely neglected by his family that his body was covered in scabies and he weighed just 69 pounds when he died, police said in charging his mother and two sisters with murder.

By Abdoulaye Massalatchi NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger's worst power cuts in years have crippled businesses and government offices in the capital Niamey for more than three weeks, raising fears they could harm the fragile economy of one of the world's poorest nations. Niamey and Niger's southwestern provinces of Dosso and Tillaberi have been largely without electricity since May 25 when a storm knocked out power lines to the Kainji hydroelectric dam in western Nigeria. ...

BEIJING (AP) — Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture Thursday from China's orbiting space station that's part of efforts to popularize the space program among young people.

By Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on the main U.N. compound in the Somali capital on Wednesday, dealing a blow to fragile security gains that have allowed a slow return of foreign aid workers and diplomats. The assault, claimed by Islamist group al Shabaab, began before midday when a car bomb exploded outside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) base. Rebel gunmen forced their way into the compound and fought with security guards. ...

BOSTON (AP) — New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez had a connection to a homicide victim found in an industrial park near the athlete's home, but family and officials were mum on the nature of their relationship, two days after police first visited the upscale division.

By Oliver Holmes and Alexander Dziadosz RAQQA, Syria (Reuters) - The Syrian boys looked edgy and awkward. Three months ago their town, the eastern desert city of Raqqa, had fallen to rebel fighters trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad's government. Now the four boys - clad in tight jeans and bright T-shirts - were whitewashing a wall to prepare it for revolutionary graffiti. "We'll make this painting about the role of children in the revolution," one of the boys told two journalists. ...

By Andrew Green JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's government has proposed a 17.33 billion South Sudanese pound budget for the 2013/2014 fiscal year starting next month, a minister said on Wednesday, expecting oil flows to continue despite a row with Sudan. A total of 8 billion pounds would come from oil exports, 1.5 billion from non-oil revenues and the rest from foreign grants and domestic borrowing, Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters. Benjamin said the proposed budget included improvements in health, education, agriculture and infrastructure projects. He gave no ...

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Days after floods killed more than 100 people — possibly many more — Indian officials say rescuers are using helicopters and climbing through mountain paths to reach nearly 4,000 people trapped by landslides in a narrow valley near a Hindu shrine in the northern Himalayas.

SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore urged people to remain indoors amid unprecedented levels of air pollution Thursday as a smoky haze wrought by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia worsened dramatically. Nearby Malaysia closed 200 schools and banned open burning in some areas.

CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio man found guilty in a murder trial that hinged on a paralyzed victim blinking his eyes to identify his shooter is scheduled to be sentenced.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Al-Qaida's Iraq arm is gathering strength in the restive northern city of Mosul, ramping up its fundraising through gangland-style shakedowns and feeding off anti-government anger as it increasingly carries out attacks with impunity, according to residents and officials.

NEW YORK (AP) — James Gandolfini would have hated all this fuss.

TOKYO (AP) — Sony Corp. needs more time to study a key proposal from a U.S. hedge fund to spin off a part of its entertainment unit as a way to propel its fledgling revival, the chief executive told shareholders Thursday.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi state TV says voters have begun casting ballots in two Sunni-dominated provinces amid tight security aimed at thwarting insurgent attempts to disrupt the elections.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Gandolfini's lumbering, brutish mob boss with the tortured psyche will endure as one of TV's indelible characters.

BOSTON (AP) — After struggling for more than 120 minutes to score even once, the Blackhawks beat Boston goalie Tuukka Rask a half-dozen times in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals to send the series back to Chicago tied two games apiece.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted late Wednesday to delay sweeping food safety rules that would require farmers and food companies to be more vigilant about guarding against contamination.