Social affairs news and stories by mail.com

Social affairs

International literary festival opens in Myanmar
The latest first for fast-reforming Myanmar — its first international literary festival — is putting the spotlight on dozens of the country's authors, ...
LA archbishop relieves retired cardinal of duties
Retired Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former head of the nation's largest Roman Catholic diocese, was stripped of his duties Thursday by his successor ...
Gay-rights backers await for their Jackie Robinson
Brendon Ayanbadejo has heard from many players who applaud his support of gay marriage — some of them teammates, others from the opposing side of the ...
Republicans face a balancing act on immigration
Republicans face a delicate balancing act as they embrace an unprecedented shift in their views on immigration reform — and no one better exemplifies ...
Hillary Clinton takes a rest, how weird is that?
Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan for 2013 was simple. She'd embark on an epic swansong around the world as secretary of state, a dizzying itinerary of ...
Metal detectors at Ga. school where student shot
A middle school where a 14-year-old boy was shot and wounded in the neck by a fellow student had metal detectors, and school officials were ...
Iraqi president's absence leaves political hole
President Jalal Talabani's unexpected exit from Iraqi politics couldn't have come at a worse time for his nation, threatened by mounting antagonism ...
Endowment returns flat for universities
After two strong years, college and university endowments lost ground slightly during the fiscal year ending last June 30, with their investments ...
Police: Teen shot by fellow student at US school
A student opened fire at his middle school Thursday afternoon, wounding a 14-year-old in the neck before an armed officer working at the school was ...
Mexico vigilantes bring 'charges' against 53
Vigilantes who have taken up arms against drug cartel violence and common crime in southern Mexico announced Thursday they will bring charges ranging ...
Police: Teen shot by fellow student at Ga. school
A student opened fire at his middle school Thursday afternoon, wounding a 14-year-old in the neck before an armed officer working at the school was ...
Freedom returns to the storied city of Timbuktu
On the morning French commandos parachuted onto the sand just north of this storied city and ended 10 months of Islamic rule, Hawi Traore folded up ...
Hispanics to soon surpass whites in California
Hispanics will become the largest ethnic group in the nation's most populous state early next year, the California Department of Finance said ...
Fights have spiked in another shortened NHL season
Wanna fight? If you're an NHL player, you can probably find somebody to drop the gloves. A lockout-delayed and shortened season has created a spike ...
Ark. Senate passes measure to ban most abortions
The Arkansas Senate voted Thursday to prohibit most abortions if a heartbeat is detected, ignoring warnings from opponents that banning the procedure ...
Biden: Gun curbs can't end killings but can help
Curbing guns can't ensure an end to mass slayings like December's killings of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn., but it will reduce firearm deaths, ...
Union agrees to back off Wal-Mart protests
Labor groups say they will end their picketing at Wal-Mart stores for at least 60 days as part of a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board
A map for including disabled students in sports
After a tough 5-1 loss, Jordan Anderson was sweaty, short of breath and sorry he hadn't played stronger defense during the floor hockey game at ...
Evangelical churches refine message on gay issues
The Rev. Robert Jeffress has changed the way he talks about homosexuality from the pulpit. The pastor of the 11,000-member First Baptist Dallas hasn't ...
Arizona lawmakers struggle to stay on priorities
One Republican proposal would ban state enforcement of federal gun laws. Another would require that hospitals check the citizenship of anyone treated ...
Furor over proposed shift in Scouts no-gays policy
The Boy Scouts of America faces intensifying criticism from the left and right over a proposal to move away from a mandatory no-gays membership policy ...
Pfizer disputes suit claiming Zoloft doesn't work
The maker of Zoloft is being sued in an unusual case alleging the popular antidepressant has no more benefit than a dummy pill and that patients who ...
Senate group focuses on border security
A bipartisan group of senators working to craft immigration legislation is focusing on how to define when the border is secure, one of several ...
49ers' Culliver apologizes for anti-gay remarks
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver apologized Thursday for anti-gay comments he made to a comedian during Super Bowl media day, saying ...