Judge closes hearing on South Carolina church gunman’s competency

U.S. District Court of South Carolina evidence photo of South Carolina church massacre suspect Dylann RoofBy Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) – A judge on Monday barred the public and press from a hearing to determine if Dylann Roof is mentally fit to serve as his own lawyer in the penalty phase of his trial, when the jury will decide whether to give him the death penalty for the 2015 massacre at a South Carolina church.Roof, 22, an avowed white supremacist, shot dead nine people at the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. The same jury found Roof guilty last month of 33 counts of federal hate crimes resulting in death, obstruction of religion and firearms violations. The jury will be seated again to determine whether to put Roof to death but first the judge must decide whether Roof can serve as his own attorney or whether he will be represented by court-appointed lawyers.

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Pope says terrorism casts bloodstain over world, condemns Istanbul attack

Pope Francis leads a mass on New Year's Day at Saint Peter's Basilica at the VaticanBy Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis urged leaders to work together to fight the "plague of terrorism", saying in his New Year&;s address on Sunday that a bloodstain was covering the world as it started 2017. Speaking to some 50,000 people in St. Peter&039;s Square for his traditional noon address, Francis departed from his prepared text to condemn the Istanbul nightclub attack that killed at least 39 people.

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