Boston
Items owned by gangster 'Whitey' Bulger auctioned
A rat-shaped pencil holder and skull ring were just two of the hundreds of items belonging to gangster James "Whitey" Bulger to hit the auction block on Saturday. The court-ordered auction in Bulger's South Boston hometown was an attempt to raise money for the families of his victims, including 20 people killed by Bulger and his gang. The Boston Globe reported that Bulger's boxing mannequin was the first item up for bid at the auction at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. It sparked a bidding war before selling for $4,900. The rat-shaped mug sold for $3,600. More mundane items were also available, revealing Bulger's domestic life in hiding with his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig. The 86-year-old Bulger is serving a life sentence for a host of charges, including participating in 11 murders. The proceeds — a modest $109,295 — will go to the families of his victims.
Washington
Michelle Obama and daughters plan trip
Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia are leaving today for Africa, where they will promote girls' education in Liberia and Morocco before going to Spain. Their first stop is Liberia, where the first lady will meet with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and have a discussion with local teenage girls, moderated by actor Freida Pinto. Actor Meryl Streep then will accompany Mrs. Obama in Morocco on Tuesday for another conversation with adolescent girls. In Madrid, the first lady on Thursday will speak about the Let Girls Learn initiative, launched by her and President Barack Obama last year to encourage developing nations to educate the more than 62 million girls worldwide who don't attend school. President Obama is also scheduled to visit Spain shortly after the first lady. His trip will focus on security cooperation, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters Friday.
East Orange, N.J.
Boy, 6, playing with gun shoots brother, 4
A 4-year-old boy was fatally shot by his 6-year-old brother Saturday in East Orange, authorities said. The older boy was playing with his mother's gun when he accidentally shot his brother in the head shortly after 11 a.m., Connie Jackson, a city spokeswoman, said. The younger boy died during surgery at University Hospital in Newark, a hospital spokeswoman said. The family members' names were not released.
Memphis
Teen seeks doughnuts, gets over $180,000
A teenager's offer to take groceries to a man's car in exchange for some doughnuts has led to a flood of donations now nearing $200,000. WMC-TV reported that when Chauncy Black, 16, of Memphis approached shopper Matt White last week, the man responded by buying him a whole cart of groceries. White then established a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising $250 to buy the teen a lawn mower so Black could earn money mowing lawns. White said the page "caught fire." As of Saturday morning, donations had reached $180,000. White said a trust is being established to dedicate the money to Black's education and helping his family move into a new house.
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Beijing suspends diplomatic ties with Taiwan
In a sign of growing friction between China and Taiwan, mainland diplomats said Saturday that they had suspended contact with their Taiwanese counterparts because the island's new leader would not endorse the idea of a single Chinese nation. Beijing said it had cut off communication because President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan failed to endorse the idea that Taiwan and the mainland are part of one China, a concept known as the 1992 Consensus. The move was the latest effort by the Chinese government, led by President Xi Jinping, to increase pressure on Tsai, who took office last month and has unsettled Beijing with her reluctance to disavow calls for independence.
Armenia
Pope says don't forget genocide but reconcile
The world should never forget or minimize the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians, Pope Francis declared Saturday in Yerevan, Armenia, even as he urged Armenians to infuse their collective memory with love so they can find peace and reconcile with Turkey. Turkey, though, didn't budge. In its first reaction to Francis' recognition of the 1915 "genocide," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli called the comments "greatly unfortunate.
Times wires