Republicans try to revive driver licence restrictions
SANTA FE (AP) - A proposal to stop undocumented immigrants from getting driver licenses in New Mexico remains stalled in the Legislature.
Rep. Greg Payne, R-Albuquerque, unsuccessfully tried a parliamentary maneuver Monday to force the Democratic-controlled House to debate the measure. His effort was rejected 42-26.
The legislation has been shelved by a House committee.
Payne said the House should act on the measure because of pending legislation in Congress aimed at stopping states from granting driver licenses to illegal immigrants.
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Bush requests $82 billion for war, reconstruction
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush asked Congress on Monday to provide $81.9 billion more for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for other U.S. efforts overseas, pushing the total price tag for the conflicts and anti-terror fight past $300 billion.
Republicans hope to push the package through Congress by early spring, reflecting both parties' desire to finance U.S. troops in the field and give Iraqis more responsibility following their national elections.
Bush asked lawmakers to pay for the new spending by borrowing the money - which will make huge federal deficits even larger.
Actor sobs as prosecutor closes murder case
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actor Robert Blake collapsed in sobs Monday when the prosecution closed its murder case against him by playing tapes in which he talked about his love for the daughter he had with slain wife Bonny Lee Bakley.
His entire body shaking, Blake was rushed from the courtroom by four attorneys. His sobs resonated from the hallway outside, until he regained composure and returned about three minutes later.
Prosecutor Shellie Samuels rested her case after playing video from a 2003 interview of Blake by ABC's Barbara Walters and audio of Blake talking with an unidentified visitor while he was in jail before being released on bail.
Flu shots for the elderly might not save any lives
CHICAGO (AP) - A new study based on more than three decades of U.S. data suggests that giving flu shots to the elderly has not saved any lives.
Led by National Institutes of Health researchers, the study challenges standard government dogma and is bound to confuse senior citizens. During last fall's flu vaccine shortage, thousands of older Americans, heeding the government's public health message, stood in long lines to get their shots.
Explosion kills former Lebanese prime minister
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - A powerful bomb assassinated a former prime minister Monday, carving a 30-foot hole in a street and turning armored cars into burning wrecks - devastation that harked back to Lebanon's violent past and raised fears of new bloodshed in the bitter dispute over Syria, the country's chief power broker.
The blast wounded 100 people and killed 10, including the main target: Rafik Hariri, a billionaire businessman who helped rebuild Lebanon after its civil war but had recently fallen out with Syria.
Fire in crowded mosque kills 59 worshipers in Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A fire raged through a crowded mosque in Tehran during evening prayers Monday after a female worshipper's veil caught the flames of a kerosene heater, killing at least 59 people, and injuring more than 250, Iran's official news agency reported.
The Arg Mosque was filled with about 400 worshippers, more crowded than usual because this is the Islamic month of Muharram, a holy period for Shiite Muslims.
Leaders in Iraq working to form new government
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A French-educated finance minister and a former London physician emerged Monday as the top candidates to be Iraq's next prime minister, as leaders of the clergy-backed Shiite Muslim alliance launched consultations after failing to get a two-thirds majority in the vote for Iraq's new parliament.
The prominence of urbane, moderate, Western-oriented figures appears designed to counter concern in Washington that Iran's influence will grow in Iraq after a Shiite-dominated government takes power - even though the ultimate decision may rest with a reclusive elderly cleric.
'Baby 81' finally claimed; DNA test verifies parents
KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka (AP) - The 4-month-old boy dubbed "Baby 81" now has a name - Abilass - and a birth date - Oct. 19 - and two loving parents who can't wait to get him back.
A Sri Lankan court, relying on DNA tests, ruled Monday that the baby recovered from tsunami debris belongs to the couple who launched an agonizing court battle to claim him.
Eight other couples also tried to claim the boy in the days after the Dec. 26 tsunami. Only the Jeyarajahs filed a formal claim, but they couldn't document the birth because their records and other possessions were lost when the killer waves battered Kalmunai.
