CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s newly elected upper house of parliament picked an Islamist as its speaker on Tuesday, consolidating control by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party over the two legislative chambers. The election of pharmacology professor Ahmed Fahmy as speaker of the Shura Council came during the chamber’s inaugural session. Saad el-Katatni, like Fahmy a member of the Freedom and Justice Party, was elected speaker of the more powerful lower house, or People’s Assembly, on Jan. 23. The... Read more

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s newly elected upper house of parliament is holding its inaugural session, with Islamists dominating the 270-seat chamber. Tuesday’s session of the Shura Council was only attended by the 180 members elected in the popular vote, which was the final stage in Egypt’s staggered parliamentary elections. The ruling military council, which took power after Hosni Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising a year ago, has yet to appoint the remaining 90 members. The Shura Council is... Read more

MANSEHRA, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen wearing military uniforms stopped a convoy of buses in northern Pakistan on Tuesday, ordered selected passengers to get off and then killed 16 of them in a grisly sectarian attack, police and a lawmaker said. The victims were Shiite Muslims, a minority in Pakistan that is frequently targeted by extremists from the majority Sunni community, said lawmaker Abdul Sattar. The gunmen spared several dozen other people in the four-bus convoy. A spokesman for a faction... Read more

MANSEHRA, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen wearing military uniforms stopped a convoy of buses in northern Pakistan on Tuesday, ordered selected passengers to get off and then killed 16 of them in an apparent sectarian attack, the police and a lawmaker said. The victims were Shiite Muslims, a minority in Pakistan that is frequently targeted by extremists from the majority Sunni community, said lawmaker Abdul Sattar. The gunmen spared several dozen other people in the four-bus convoy. A spokesman for a... Read more

MANSEHRA, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen wearing military uniforms stopped a bus in northern Pakistan on Tuesday, ordered selected passengers to get off and then killed 18 of them in an apparent sectarian attack, the police and a lawmaker said. The victims were all Shiite Muslims, a minority in Pakistan that is frequently targeted by extremists from the majority Sunni community, said lawmaker Abdul Sattar. A spokesman for a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, a Sunni militant group, claimed responsibility for... Read more

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Muslim-majority Malaysia on Tuesday banned a planned concert by Erykah Badu after a photograph appeared showing the Grammy-winning singer with the Arabic word for Allah written on her body. The American R&B singer was scheduled to perform Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, but some Muslim groups said Badu was an unsuitable role model for young Malaysians after seeing a publicity photo of her with what appeared to be temporary tattoos of the word Allah on her... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney is fighting to avoid an embarrassing home-state loss in a critical primary battle Tuesday with Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a showdown that could reset the race to challenge President Barack Obama. Romney was seen just weeks ago as an easy winner in the industrial Midwestern state of Michigan, where his father once served as governor and chief of a now-defunct automaker. But that was before Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, swept contests in Colorado,... Read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney faces a critical primary battle with Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum in Romney’s native state of Michigan Tuesday, a showdown that could reset the race to challenge President Barack Obama. Romney was seen just weeks ago as an easy winner in the industrial Midwestern state of Michigan, where his father once served as governor and chief of a now-defunct carmaker. But that was before Santorum swept contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri earlier this month.... Read more

OMAHA, Nebraska (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest whose efforts to help troubled Omaha youth were made famous by Spencer Tracy’s Academy Award-winning portrayal of him in the 1938 movie “Boys Town” has been nominated for sainthood. Archbishop George Lucas posted an announcement on the doors of St. Cecilia Cathedral on Monday saying the Omaha Archdiocese had begun the process of seeking sainthood for the Rev. Edward Flanagan. “We are humbled and overjoyed,” said Steven Wolf, president of the Father... Read more

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest whose efforts to help troubled Omaha youth were made famous by Spencer Tracy’s Academy Award-winning portrayal of him in the 1938 movie “Boys Town” has been nominated for sainthood. Archbishop George Lucas posted an announcement on the doors of St. Cecilia Cathedral on Monday saying the Omaha Archdiocese had begun the process of seeking sainthood for the Rev. Edward Flanagan. “We are humbled and overjoyed,” said Steven Wolf, president of the Father... Read more