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WASHINGTON – Pluto is finally getting its day in the sun, after being stripped of planetary status by astronomers two years ago. From now on all similar distant bodies in the solar system will be called “plutoids.” That’s the decision by the International Astronomical Union, which met last week in …

DANBURY, Conn. – Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd says the controversy over two loans he received will not compromise his ability to lead Congress’ efforts to ease the subprime mortgage meltdown. Dodd’s comments came before a speech to the local Chamber of Commerce in Danbury on Monday. The Senate Banking Committee …

A Danish cartoonist and ten newspaper editors have reportedly been summoned by Jordan’s public prosecutor on charges of “blasphemy” for reprinting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. According to the Copenhagen Post, prosecutor Hassan Abdullat has subpoenaed the 11 Danes for drawing and reprinting cartoons they say offend Islam, charging them …

TEHRAN, Iran – Human right activists and relatives called for a probe Tuesday into the sudden deaths of two Iranians who were in government custody, rejecting official claims that the two committed suicide. The government has refused to provide additional information about the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Zahra Bani …

TEHRAN, Iran – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant tone Monday on the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, vowing not to slow Iran’s nuclear program and announcing plans to launch more rockets into space as part of its drive to orbit a domestic satellite. Like Iran’s nuclear activities, the …

WASHINGTON – Al Qaeda’s embrace of violence may be undermining the terrorist group’s support in the Muslim world, the nation’s top intelligence official said Thursday. “The question becomes, are we reaching a tipping point to witness the decline of this radical behavior?” said Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell at …

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The parents of Jessica Lunsford, the 9-year-old who was abducted and buried alive in a trash bag by a sex offender, claim the sheriff’s office botched the investigation when it failed to search the convicted murderer’s trailer. Mark Lunsford, Jessica’s father, said Tuesday that he believes his …

WEST GARDINER, Maine – A corporate jet with two people aboard crashed into the woods in a rural area Friday evening shortly after taking off from the Augusta State Airport, police said. Searchers with a local fire department were at the crash site about a mile off of High Street, …

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s incursion against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq should be short and focused, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. But Turkey’s military chief declined to set a timetable for the withdrawal of troops, who have been operating in Iraq for a week. “The United States believes …

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. – Maintenance of city sewer lines is causing quick bursts of water to splash out of residents’ toilets. The problem has affected about 20 of Frankenmuth’s 1,200 households. “It’s just real strange,” City Manager Charles Graham told The Saginaw News for a story Friday. The maintenance usually causes …