New York

Iraq forces battle Basra militias - Heavy fighting has been raging in Basra as thousands of Iraqi troops battle Shia militias in the southern city. At least 30 people have died in the operation, which is being overseen in Basra by Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki, a day after he vowed to "re-impose law".

Supreme Court backs Texas in Houston murder case - President Bush overstepped his authority when he ordered a Texas court to reopen the case of a Mexican on death row for rape and murder in Houston, the Supreme Court said today. In a case that mixes presidential power, international relations and the death penalty, the court sided with Texas 6-3.

Hope and Fear for Zimbabwe Vote - Voters will go to the polls Saturday, with President Robert Mugabe, the iconic leader of a nation enduring catastrophic hardship, trying to retain the power he has held for 28 years. Here in Harare, there is the usual speculation about the political winds. In what provinces is the president’s party strong? Where is it weak? But the more frequent conjecture involves the mechanics of an outcome that is presumed to be rigged.

Appeals court overturns passenger rights law - A federal appeals court Tuesday struck down a state law requiring airlines to give food, water, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers stuck in delayed planes, saying the measure was well-intentioned but stepped on federal authority.

McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout - Drawing a sharp distinction with the Democratic presidential candidates, Senator John McCain, warned Tuesday against hasty government action to solve the mortgage crisis, saying “it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.”

Beijing rebuffs Olympics critics - China's foreign minister has strongly criticised "anti-China forces" he says are determined to politicise this year's Beijing Olympics. In recent weeks human rights groups and a number of Hollywood personalities, including Steven Spielberg, have stepped up criticism of China's record.

Spitzer Resigns, Citing Personal Failings - Gov. Eliot Spitzer, reeling from revelations that he had been a client of a prostitution ring, announced his resignation today, becoming the first governor of New York to be forced from office in nearly a century.

Leaving it all behind, to bike around the world - In 2002, at the ages of 62 and 48, Pat and Catherine Patterson decided to leave it all behind. They sold their real-estate business and their cars, gave their furniture to their children, and put their home up for rent. Strapping their remaining possessions to two bicycles, the couple set off to bike around the world.

Euro tops $1.55 for first time - The euro has set a new record high against the US dollar, passing $1.55 for the first time.

Study: 1 in 4 teen girls has an STD - A virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls aged 14 to 19, while the highest overall prevalence is among black girls -- nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. That rate compared with 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.