AP - A federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld the use of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on U.S. currency, rejecting arguments on Thursday that the phrases violate the separation of church and state.
Source:Court upholds 'under God' in Pledge of Allegiance
(AP)
AFP - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly apologised Thursday to US Vice President Joe Biden, hoping to defuse a row over settlements that appeared to scuttle indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.
Source:Israel seeks to patch up row over settlement plans
(AFP)
Reuters - The United States boosted its investigation of tax and other financial crimes by about 10 percent last year, tax authorities reported on Thursday, amid an increased push to pursue wealthy tax cheats.
Source:U.S. boosted financial, tax crime probes in 2009
(Reuters)
AP - An 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student whose school district canceled her senior prom rather than allow her to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo said she got some unfriendly looks from classmates when she reluctantly returned to campus Thursday.
Source:Lesbian teen back at Miss. school after prom flap
(AP)
AP - The DNA tests that revealed how the famed boy-king Tutankhamun most likely died solved another of ancient Egypt’s enduring mysteries — the fate of controversial Pharaoh Akhenaten’s mummy. The discovery could help fill out the picture of a fascinating era more than 3,300 years ago when Akhenaten embarked on history’s first attempt at [...]
AP - The point of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was to show that artistic freedom allows mockery of all religions, including the most sacred symbols of Islam, the Swedish artist who created it said Wednesday.
Source:Swedish artist has no regrets over prophet drawing
(AP)
Reuters - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he believed Britain would maintain its coveted top credit rating and announced a pay freeze for senior civil servants and military officers to help tame a record deficit.
Source:Brown says UK to maintain AAA credit rating
(Reuters)
AP - President Barack Obama denounced waste, inefficiency and downright fraud in the government’s health care system Wednesday as he sought to rally public support for his revamped overhaul plan.
Source:Obama decries waste, fraud in gov't health system
(AP)
Reuters - Initial results from Iraq’s national election are likely to be released by Thursday, Iraqi and U.N. officials said on Wednesday, as further signs emerged of a strong showing for Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Source:Iraq PM said to be ahead on eve of vote results
(Reuters)
Reuters - Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ratcheted up the pressure on health insurance companies on Wednesday, urging them to forgo short-term profits to make coverage more affordable and to stop fighting the Obama administration’s reform effort.
Source:Sebelius piles pressure on insurers
(Reuters)
