WASHINGTON -- Five members of a feminist anti-war group were arrested for disrupting a congressional committee meeting and accosting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Rice was attending the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing on U.S. Middle East policy Wednesday when the women barged in, The Washington Times reported Thursday.Some of the women carried signs that said "Blood on your hands," while the leader of the group had smeared her palms with ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government Thursday issued a new wave of sanctions against Iran, focusing on the country's military, for its nuclear development activities. The State and Treasury departments designated Iranian entities and individuals associated with Iran's military and banking community as proliferators and supporters of terrorism.The designations are included in sanctions against Iran to counter that country's "bid for nuclear capabilities and support for terrorism" by naming banks, companies and individuals and cutting them ... [full story]

AMARILLO, Texas -- Make-a-Wish Foundation officials say a 3-year-old Texas boy with malignant brain cancer whose miniature horse was mauled to death will likely get a replacement.The group that tries to provides terminally ill children with their wishes gave Christian Vasquez a miniature horse in August. Monday, two pit bull terriers got onto the family's property and gored the animal to death, the Amarillo Globe News reported.Jelaine Workman, executive director for the foundation's Amarillo chapter, ... [full story]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A Florida judge has sentenced Howard Steven Ault to death for the 1996 abduction and murder of two young sisters.Ault, 41, was convicted of raping and killing DeAnn Mu’min, 11, at his home in Fort Lauderdale and then killing her 7-year-old sister, Alicia, because she was a witness.Ault had been sentenced to death in 2003; however, the sentence was overturned on a technicality involving jury selection.The Miami Herald said Thursday Ault ... [full story]

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Michael Skakel’s bid for a new trial was rejected by a Connecticut judge who dismissed his claim there was enough new evidence to warrant a second trial.Skakel, a cousin of the Kennedy family, was convicted in 2002 of killing 15-year-old neighbor Martha Moxley in 1975 when Skakel was himself a teenager. He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.Superior Court Judge Edward Karazin said in the ruling released Thursday that ... [full story]

LOS ANGELES -- U.S. voters are more likely to favor Democratic plans to increase health insurance coverage than Republican ones, a new poll finds.Sixty-two percent of those surveyed for The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll favor requiring large employers to provide health insurance, while 31 percent oppose it. There is less support for making health insurance mandatory with 51 percent in favor and 39 percent opposed.Voters are split on one of the Republican candidates' leading proposals, ... [full story]

ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- U.S. President George Bush assured victims of California’s wildfires that they won't be forgotten by the federal government once the flames are snuffed out.The president said in brief remarks Thursday in northern San Diego County that the federal government was pulling out all stops in assisting the firefighting efforts and would also be lending a hand to people who lost their homes and businesses.“We are not going to forget you in Washington, ... [full story]

CHICAGO -- A student at Evangelical Christian School in Chicago is suing the school for an alleged nine-day punishment that left him injured and in need of surgery.Jonte Spane, now 14, alleges he was punished last fall at the age of 13 by being forced to stand, kneel and squat in place nearly all day for the full nine days of the disciplinary action, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday.Stuart Shapiro, Spane's attorney, said the boy ... [full story]

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Lebanese ground troops fired 150 rounds at Israeli fighter aircraft flying low over southern Lebanon Thursday morning, security officials said.There was no formal military announcement of the incident, but two officials who asked not to be identified told Alalam Satellite TV about the incident that occurred near the border near the town of Marjayoun.Soldiers opened fire on the two jets with machine guns and light anti-aircraft fire, but no hits were made, ... [full story]

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi and U.S. military commanders report terror attacks in Baghdad are down 77 percent since a major security push began in February.At a news conference in the Iraqi capital, the commander of the Baghdad Operations Staff Maj. Gen. Abboud Qanbar, said assassinations and car bombings had fallen 77 percent, while acts of violence against civilians had dropped by 59 percent, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported.Canbar said attacks on Iraqi security forces in ... [full story]