Nation, world briefs 7/29/2015

Gadhafi's son gets death sentence

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Moammar Gadhafi's son and onetime heir apparent was convicted and sentenced to death Tuesday by a court in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on charges of murder and inciting genocide during the country's 2011 uprising. But Seif al-Islam Gadhafi is unlikely to face the firing squad anytime soon. The sentence was handed down in absentia because he remains in the hands of a militia in western Libya that has refused to hand him over for the past four years. The same Tripoli court Tuesday also sentenced to death eight other former regime officials, including former Libyan spy chief Abdullah al-Senoussi, who is in custody in the Libyan capital, as well as foreign intelligence chief Abuzed Omar-Dorda and Gadhafi's former prime minister, Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi. The rulings can be appealed.

Chase began over stolen underwear

PHILADELPHIA -- Police say a man who led officers on a two-hour chase spanning two states had been facing charges of stealing $21 worth of underwear from a supermarket. Police records show 54-year-old Robert Ritter was accused of stealing a pack of underwear and a package of T-shirts July 9 from a supermarket in Brooklawn, New Jersey. Authorities say he also shoved a security officer. He faces stalking charges in Gloucester Township, New Jersey. Ritter had two warrants out for his arrest, and police spotted his van Monday night. Ritter drove into Philadelphia, back into New Jersey, then back into Philadelphia. The pursuit ended in Philadelphia when a police car bumped the van, causing it to flip over.

ATM workers forget $150,000 in cash

MAHWAH, N.J. -- Police say a man drove off with a bag containing $150,000 in cash after two employees who were replenishing ATMs mistakenly left it on a lawn. Mahwah police say in a news release the ATM employees had stopped at a business on Industrial Avenue when one of them placed the satchel on the front lawn as he moved items around in their vehicle. They drove off, forgetting the bag. Sometime after 11:15 a.m. Monday, surveillance video shows a passenger in a white van grabbing the bag. The van was seen in other video surveillance pulling into a nearby auto-repair business and pilfering used tires. Police say the ATM employees are cooperating with the investigation.

Snow piles in Buffalo still are melting

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It may be almost August, but dirt-covered snow still hasn't completely melted since being dumped at a defunct Buffalo railroad station after November's record-breaking storm. Two snow piles nearly 10 feet high in some spots still are melting in vacant lots at the Central Terminal on the city's east side. City crews dumped snow in the lots after a lake-effect storm dumped more than 7 feet on parts of Buffalo and the area the week before Thanksgiving. Eight months later, some of it is still there. The two piles resemble earthen berms because the snow is covered with a thick layer of dirt with grass growing on it. Under the dirt, the remaining densely packed snow is melting slowly.

-- From wire reports