Nation, world briefs 3/31/15

Church van crash kills 8, injures 10

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- An overloaded church van ran through a stop sign, crossed all four lanes of a dark rural highway and nose-dived into a canal, killing eight people and injuring 10 early Monday in southwest Florida, authorities said. "They didn't see that stop sign. They shot right through it," Glades County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Duane Pottorff said. "It was a sad evening." The van was heading back to a church in Fort Pierce, north of West Palm Beach on the Atlantic coast, after a weekend convention in Fort Myers, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Indiana lawmakers try to quiet firestorm

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mike Pence called off public appearances Monday, and sports officials planned an "Indy Welcomes All" campaign before this weekend's NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis as lawmakers scrambled to quiet the firestorm over a new law that has much of the country portraying Indiana as a state of intolerance. Republican leaders said they are working on adding language to the religious-objections law to make it clear the measure does not allow discrimination against gays and lesbians. The measure prohibits state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of "person" includes religious institutions, businesses and associations. The efforts fell flat with Democrats, who called for a repeal, and even some Republicans.

Ex-Israeli premier guilty of corruption

JERUSALEM -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was convicted Monday of unlawfully accepting money from a U.S. supporter in a retrial on corruption charges, the latest chapter in the downfall of a man who once hoped to lead the country to a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians. The conviction could land Olmert five years in prison, in addition to a six-year prison sentence he received last year in a separate bribery conviction, all but ensuring the former premier will not return to politics for years to come. A sentencing hearing is slated to take place in May.

Iran nuclear talks approach deadline

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Negotiations over Iran's nuclear program reached a critical phase Monday with diplomats struggling to overcome substantial differences just a day before a deadline for the outline of an agreement. With today's target date for a framework accord hours away, top diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany met with Iran to try to bridge remaining gaps and hammer out an understanding that would serve as the basis for a final accord to be reached by the end of June. "We are working late into the night and obviously into tomorrow," said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been meeting since Thursday in an effort to reach a pact that would curb Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

-- From wire reports