USA

Seven marines and one sailor were charged in the death of an Iraqi who was pulled from his home and shot while US troops hunted for insurgents. They could face the death penalty if convicted. All eight also were charged with kidnapping. Other charges include conspiracy, larceny, and providing false official statements.

The Supreme Court affirmed a jury award for a female forklift operator who was transferred to a more physical job after she filed a lawsuit accusing her employer of sexual harassment. By a 9-0 vote, justices said that Sheila White was improperly punished with a suspension for 37 days over a Christmas holiday and a transfer from operating the forklift to doing more physical work as a yard worker.

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits rose by the largest amount in five weeks, suggesting the slowing economy is beginning to show up in a weaker employment market. The Labor Department reported that 308,000 people filed for jobless benefits last week, a bigger than expected increase of 11,000 over the previous week. Analysts, who watch jobless claims as a signal for where the labor market is headed, believe that job growth will weaken in coming months and layoffs will rise as businesses adjust their hiring plans in the face of an expected economic slowdown.

The government said Wednesday it would provide free credit monitoring to millions of veterans whose personal information was stolen last month, and it acknowledged it was not close to catching those responsible. Any of the 17.5 million people known to have had their Social Security numbers compromised will be eligible for one year of credit monitoring. The move is expected to cost millions of dollars.