Denver: Former U.S. justice’s funeral draws crowd, colleagues

Hundreds of mourners, including five U.S. Supreme Court justices, attended the funeral Friday of retired Justice Byron R. White, a tough law-and-order jurist who served 31 years on the high court.

White, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Kennedy in 1962 and retired in 1993, died Monday of complications from pneumonia at age 84.

About 700 mourners packed St. John’s Cathedral for an emotional service that eulogized White as a respected public servant and loving father, husband and grandfather.

Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, David Souter, Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and John Paul Stephens served as honorary pall bearers. White’s ashes were interred at the cathedral.

“He was a hero at a time when we looked for that so desperately. His life reflects the best of our ideals,” Tom Strickland, a former U.S. attorney, said after the service, referring to White’s civil rights work as a deputy attorney general during the early 1960s.

Venezuela: President promises continued flow of oil

President Hugo Chavez Friday promised that oil from America’s third-largest supplier would keep flowing and expressed hope the United States wasn’t involved in last week’s coup attempt.

In an interview with the U.S.-based Telemundo network, Chavez alluded to allegations denied by Washington that the U.S. government had known of or encouraged the uprising against him.

“I pray to God … that all these reports that are emerging are not true,” Chavez said, whose comments were rebroadcast on state television. He said the reports should be treated “with great prudence.”

Citing work commitments and security reasons, Chavez skipped a rally marking the 192nd anniversary of Venezuela’s declaration of independence from Spain.

The rally came a week after military leaders forced Chavez out of power after 16 people died during a massive opposition march on April 11 following a general strike.