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President Barack Obama has signed a US$787 billion stimulus package, entitled the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, into law on Tuesday at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Denver, Colorado. He called the bill “the most sweeping recovery package in our history” at a signing ceremony. Obama signs the ARRA... »

Judd Gregg (R-NH), who was nominated by President Barack Obama as the next United States Secretary of Commerce, withdrew from consideration Thursday, citing “irresolvable conflicts” with Obama over the administration’s proposed stimulus package and the Census. Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Judd Gregg, and President Barack Obama (left-to-right) at Gregg’s nomination on February 3, 2009. Judd... »

173 people have been killed in fires raging through Australia, making this the deadliest bushfire in Australian history. Nearly 815,447 acres (330,000 hectares) have been burned and 750 homes have been burned to the ground. In 1983, 75 people were killed on what was dubbed the Ash Wednesday fires. 71 people were killed in... »

Michael Ray Aquino, a former Philippines National Police officer serving six years imprisonment in McRae, Georgia for espionage could now be eligible for immediate release after a United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit judge panel Friday modified a United States District Court for the District of New Jersey’s judgment, ordering a... »

On February 3, 2009, the Government of Saudi Arabia released a list of 85 most wanted suspected terrorists. In the days that followed, close to a dozen former Guantanamo captives were identified, among those were 85 men and boys. Guantanamo has held 129 Saudi captives. 113 of the Saudi captives have been set free or... »

Tupelo, MS – Television station WSYX in Columbus, Ohio, has delayed a decision on airing a television program produced by American Family Association (AFA). The program, “Speechless …Silencing the Christians,” was scheduled to air Saturday night on the ABC affiliate station. “We were surprised that WSYX agreed to air the program, and then decided... »

U.S. Supreme Court member Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, has underwent surgery for early pancreatic cancer today. The disease was spotted during a routine check-up. She is likely to be hospitalised for ten days. “Justice Ginsburg had no symptoms prior to the incidental discovery of the lesion during a routine annual checkup in late January... »

The United Nations relief agency United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is demanding that Hamas return food and blankets intended for Gaza Strip civilians in Palestine, which was seized by Hamas’ Ministry of Social Affairs. According to UNRWA, the supplies were seized on Tuesday by Hamas police.... »

General Motors NYSE: GM (GM) and Chrysler have both begun to offer layoff packages to their workforces. The automobile manufacturers have been hard hit in the recent economic downturn and have been forced to seek federal aid from the U.S. government. Reports say that GM’s package includes a $20,000 cash payment and a $25,000 new... »

An unnamed 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged with “public order offenses” after he threw a shoe at the Chinese prime minister, Wen Jiabao while he was giving a speech at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom on Monday February 2. The speech was related to China’s and the world economy titled See... »

A six-pound infant born in San Francisco, California has six perfectly formed and functional fingers and toes on his hands and feet, so that it isn’t considered a disability or deformity, say doctors at Saint Luke’s Hospital who were amazed by the oddity. In a medical rarity, ’super’ baby Kamani Hubbard was born two weeks... »

Nancy Cartwright, who is a long time member of the Church of Scientology, has created a recording using her voice of Bart Simpson. The message surfaced early Wednesday morning on YouTube. During the message, Nancy states that “This is a special message” and announces an upcoming event for Scientology at the Hollywood and Highland... »

Veteran broadcaster and documentary maker Sir David Attenborough says he has received letters from creationists telling him to “Burn in Hell” after not crediting God in his natural history documentaries. Fred Drummond, director of the Scottish branch of the Evangelical Alliance, notes that this hatred is “not representative of Evangelical Christians in the UK.” During an... »

Marvin Schur, a 93-year-old man from Bay City, Michigan has died after the electric company limited his electric use due to his failure to pay over $1,000 in past-due payments. Bay City Electric Light & Power installed a power-limiting device on his home on January 13. The device would limit the amount of power the... »

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, an openly gay Icelandic politician currently serving as the nation’s Minister for Social Affairs, is soon to be appointed prime minister. The appointment will mark the first time ever that an openly gay individual has ever been appointed to prime minister, or president of a nation. Jóhanna, 66, has support from both parties... »

The International Labor Organization (ILO), a branch of the United Nations concerned with labor and workers’ rights issues, issued a report Wednesday explaining how the global economic crisis could create a global employment crisis by the end of the year. “By the end of 2008 working poverty, vulnerable employment and unemployment were beginning to rise... »

The British Magistrates’ Association have voiced concern over the potential for confusion after the drug cannabis was reclassified by the government from Class C to Class B under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The confusion is said to arise from a new prosecution schedule for possession of the substance. Offenders will receive a warning for... »

Obama says the stimulus plan will create or save three to four million jobs over the next few years. »

Prosecutor Christian Du Four has released more details on the fatal stabbing in a day care center in East Flanders yesterday, in which two children (six and nine months old) and one employee were killed. Ten children and two adults were injured. The perpetrator, 20-year-old Kim D. from nearby Sint-Niklaas, was arrested in the neighbouring... »

The United Kingdom has officially entered recession, with two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The last recession for the UK was nearly eighteen years ago. Britain’s economy shrank by 1.5 per cent in the last quarter of 2008, largest GDP fall since 1980. The UK’s Gross Domestic Product shrank by 0.6% in the third quarter of... »