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Social affairs

For Minnesota gay marriage sponsors, it's personal
As a crowd of thousands roared from the lawn of the state Capitol, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill Tuesday that makes gay marriage legal ...
Trio of troubles threatening Obama's second term
President Barack Obama seemed to lose control of his second-term agenda even before he was sworn in, when a school massacre led him to lift gun ...
Chains grapple with how to improve safety
While several more global clothing chains on Tuesday were announcing that they agreed to a historic pact to improve factory conditions in Bangladesh, ...
Holder says he played no role in AP phone subpoena
Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday defended the Justice Department's secret examination of Associated Press phone records though he declared he ...
Wind farms get pass on eagle deaths
Wind farms in this corner of Wyoming have killed more than four dozen golden eagles since 2009, one of the deadliest places in the country of its kind
Va. Tech president retires, reflects on massacre
The president of Virginia Tech announced his retirement Tuesday, satisfied he had elevated the university's reputation and acknowledging that the ...
Bangladesh honors the dead from building collapse
Thousands of mourners gathered Tuesday at the wreckage of a Bangladeshi garment factory building to offer prayers for the souls of the 1,127 people ...
Parents sue SC, hospital over child's sex surgery
A couple filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the state of South Carolina for what they say was an unnecessary sexual assignment surgery performed on a ...
US, Russia and Iran work to save Olympic wrestling
In Iran, Olympic wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs felt like Justin Bieber, LeBron James and Tom Brady all rolled into one. Not so much in his home ...
Attacks against Lebanese Alawites deepen fears
Lebanese members of the Syrian leader's Alawite sect fear their tiny community will be a casualty of the civil war raging in the neighboring country.
Gitmo prisoner: Obama has 'abandoned' detainees
A Guantanamo Bay detainee says he feels abandoned by President Barack Obama and the world after more than 10 years at the U.S. prison. "I believe that ...
PSG City Hall celebrations scrapped after violence
A celebration of Paris Saint-Germain's first league title since 1994 was canceled Tuesday, a day after rioting during festivities in the French ...
Brazilian must register gay unions as marriages
Brazilian notary publics must register same-sex civil unions as marriages if the couple requests it, the country's National Council of Justice said ...
Fitch upgrades Greece's credit rating
Debt-hobbled Greece got a new morale boost Tuesday, with Fitch ratings agency upgrading its sovereign credit grade, a day after the country's European ...
MLB improves diversity among senior administration
While Major League Baseball teams improved racial diversity in hiring senior administrators, the employment of women is still lagging, according to ...
EU court finds Swiss assisted-suicide laws vague
An elderly Swiss woman who would rather end her life now than decline further in health found sympathy Tuesday from the European Court of Human ...
Vatican re-enters art world with Venice Biennale
The Vatican is getting back into its centuries-old tradition of arts patronage with its first-ever exhibit at the Venice Biennale, commissioning a ...
Correction: Somaliland-Rapes story
In a story May 12 about rapes in a region of Somalia known as Somaliland, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Somaliland declared ...
Trace Adkins picks unknown singer for TV duets
"Celebrity Apprentice" finalist Trace Adkins has an apprentice of his own. In the market for a duet partner, Adkins picked out an unknown singer he ...
Gov't probe obtains wide swath of AP phone records
The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news ...
Jerusalem family tattoos pilgrims for centuries
Orthodox Christians visiting the Holy Land often return home with more than just spiritual memories. Many drop by a centuries-old tattoo parlor in ...
Egypt: detained Christian teacher released on bail
An Egyptian Christian teacher detained over charges of insulting Islam has been released on bail on Tuesday, her lawyer said. A history and geography ...
Blatter attacks tiny Roma fine for racism
FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he will protest to Italian soccer authorities over a decision to only fine Roma the equivalent of $65,000 after their ...
German court orders changes to Google search hints
Google Inc. must respect requests to remove autocomplete entries from its search bar in Germany if they are defamatory, a German court ruled Tuesday.
Croatia Airlines goes on strike over pay cuts
Croatia Airlines pilots and flight attendants went on strike Tuesday over planned salary cuts and layoffs that are part of efforts to restructure the ...