Nation in brief

Bryant prosecution: shield hearing

EAGLE, Colo. - In what analysts say is an abrupt shift in strategy, prosecutors in the Kobe Bryant case asked the judge to close at least a portion of the preliminary hearing when it resumes next week.

Prosecutors made the request in private after defense attorneys, during the hearing on Thursday, questioned the sexual history of the woman who accused the NBA star of rape.

Prosecution spokeswoman Krista Flannigan said Friday the request involved a portion of the hearing. She declined to provide additional details.

Tom Kelley, an attorney who represents several media organizations, said he was told prosecutors sought to close the rest of the hearing. "They (prosecutors) got in all the stuff that is harmful to Kobe. When the witness started taking a beating on cross-examination, they move to close," Kelley said.

DURHAM, N.C. - A novelist was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for beating to death his wife, whose body was found at the foot of a staircase. Michael Peterson, 59, will not be eligible for parole. His lawyers plan to appeal.

Peterson maintained his wife, Kathleen, must have fallen down the stairs Dec. 9, 2001, after drinking in celebration of a movie deal for one of his books.

Prosecutors introduced evidence of Peterson's bisexuality and suggested the couple argued when she found e-mail he had sent to a male escort, and he killed her knowing a $1.4-million life insurance would settle their credit card debt.

CONJOINED TWINS: Two-year-old twins from Egypt born joined at the top of their heads will undergo separation surgery today at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. The surgery, expected to last 18 to 24 hours, comes more than a year after the boys arrived in Dallas for an evaluation to determine the risks for separation. Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim arrived in Texas in June 2002. Doctors have said that one or both of the boys may die and if they survive, some brain damage is possible.

MISSOURI ABORTION LAW: A federal judge Friday blocked a Missouri law that would have required a 24-hour wait for abortions. It was to take effect today. The law required physicians to consult with a patient about the procedure's risks a full day before performing an abortion. Planned Parenthood sued to stop the law, contending it was too vague to be enforced.

TEXAS REDISTRICTING: The Texas House approved a new congressional map that would put the delegation in Republican control. The Senate was expected to vote late Friday. If both chambers approve the plan, it would end a six-month battle that sparked three special legislative sessions, two walkouts by Democrats and GOP infighting.

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