JERUSALEM – In the Holy Land where Jesus walked, Jews, Muslims and Christians paid homage Saturday to Pope John Paul II’s (search) tireless efforts to embrace people of different faiths. Though his record was not without controversy, the pope used his frequent homilies and travels to pursue religious reconciliation. His …

WASHINGTON – The Democratic leadership has railed against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s (search) alleged ethics violations. But now that Republican Ethics Committee Chairman Doc Hastings is offering to open an investigation, Democrats won’t take yes for an answer. “What Mr. Hastings was presenting was a sham. There is no …

CLEVELAND. – The United Church of Christ (search), a denomination known for its progressive stand on social issues, will consider opposing resolutions on same-sex marriage at its biennial meeting in July, a church official said Friday. “We take our democratic form of church governance seriously,” said the Rev. J. Bennett …

AIKEN, S.C. – A man was convicted of manslaughter for giving beer to his 15-year-old son and letting him drive a truck that then crashed, killing the boy and his two brothers. Attorneys said Michael Batchelor (search), 37, will probably spend more than 30 years in prison for the 2002 …

WILMINGTON, Del. – Coca-Cola Co. (KO) on Tuesday reported an 11 percent drop in quarterly net income, hurt by weak soft drink sales in North America, higher expenses and a jump in taxes due to a repatriation of foreign earnings. The world’s largest soft drink maker, however, said it had …

LOS ANGELES – ABC will air a news special examining what the network called “explosive” allegations about the hit TV talent contest “American Idol.” (search) The hourlong “Primetime Live” report by anchor John Quinones is scheduled for 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 4. Describing “American Idol” as a cultural phenomenon, …

BRASILIA, Brazil – With U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (search) at his side, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim voiced support Tuesday for a democratic outcome in Venezuela (search). But in remarks that appeared aimed at Washington, he implicitly cautioned against any outside intervention to achieve that goal. “We want …

Two very large studies have reached the disappointing conclusion that regularly taking antibiotics (search) doesn’t prevent heart disease, as some scientists had hoped. This had been a promising strategy because lots of work has linked a common respiratory germ to heart attacks and clogged arteries. The germ still may help …

PHILADELPHIA – The Pennsylvania state Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out the last remaining appeal to stop the Barnes Foundation (search) from moving its multibillion-dollar art collection from its suburban home to a new gallery in Philadelphia. The decision paves the way for plans to bring the renowned collection of …

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Even though he wasn’t the first U.S. choice, a Chilean politician who is slated to be the next chief of the Organization of American States (search) is pleasing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (search) because of his strong pro-democracy stand. After a three-week deadlock, Chilean …