1. GEORGE ZIMMERMAN CASE GOES TO JURY
The defense and prosecution concluded their closing arguments in the George Zimmerman trial after three weeks of testimony. The six-woman jury must now decide whether to acquit Zimmerman or find him guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter for the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. [CNN]
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2. SNOWDEN REQUESTS ASYLUM IN RUSSIA
Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked U.S. secrets to several newspapers, announced that he is submitting a request for political asylum in Russia, which previously offered it to him on the condition that he refrain from revealing any more confidential information. The 30-year-old Snowden has been stuck in a Moscow airport since June 23. [The Washington Post]
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3. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO RESIGNS
Janet Napolitano, who has served as the head of the Department of Homeland Security since 2009, announced that she is resigning to become the president of the University of California system. The Obama administration has not announced a replacement. [The New York Times]
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4. AL QAEDA-LINKED MILITANTS KILL SYRIAN REBEL LEADER
Gunmen linked to al Qaeda killed Kamal Hamami, the leader of the Free Syrian Army, an opposition group supported by Western powers. The death illustrates the tensions between different rebel factions fighting to overthrow Bashar Assad's regime. [Associated Press]
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5. TRAIN CRASH KILLS 6 NEAR PARIS
A train carrying 385 passengers derailed in the Paris suburb of Bretigny-sur-Orge on Friday afternoon, killing at least six people. More than a dozen people were injured, with half of them in serious condition. Officials fear more casualties as rescue workers search through the wreckage. [NBC News]
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6. BOEING 787 DREAMLINER CATCHES FIRE AT HEATHROW AIRPORT
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner caught fire at Heathrow Airport, causing shares in the aerospace company to fall by as much as 7 percent. Boeing had to ground the advanced new jetliner for three months earlier this year because of overheating batteries. [Reuters]
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7. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE DONATED TO SANDY HOOK FAMILIES
Families of the 26 students killed in the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., will be given $281,000 by a committee responsible for distributing $7.7 million in donated funds. Twelve families of students who survived the shooting will get $20,000. [ABC News]
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8. TEENAGE GIRL IN ASIANA AIRLINES CRASH WAS HIT BY FIRETRUCK
Ye Meng Yuan, one of two Chinese girls who died in the crash-landing of an Asiana Airlines plane in San Francisco, was reportedly hit by a firetruck that was responding to the scene. It is not clear whether or not the accident had anything to do with her death. [NPR]
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9. HULU SALE CALLED OFF
The proposed sale of TV-streaming site Hulu was called off by co-owners 21st Century Fox, NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Company after they decided to infuse the company with $750 million instead. DirecTV was believed to be the frontrunner after it reportedly put in a bid of more than $1 billion. [The Wall Street Journal]
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10. CHINA UNVEILS WORLD'S LARGEST BUILDING
Chinese officials unveiled what they say is the largest building in the world in Chengdu, China. The New Century Global Center — which holds office spaces, an IMAX theater, two hotels, and an artificial beach — measures 5.5 million square feet and is roughly the size of Monaco. [The Huffington Post]
