ARIZONA
Trial to Go Forward for Sikh Shooting
The Associated Press
"PHOENIX -- A man accused of killing an Indian immigrant after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was found competent Tuesday to stand trial. Prosecutors say Frank Roque drove to a gasoline station and fatally shot owner Balbir Singh Sodhi, who wore a turban as part of his Sikh faith."

CALIFORNIA
Court: Religion No Defense for Drugs
Religion No Defense to Importing Marijuana to Guam, Federal Appeals Court Rules
The Associated Press
"SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a man accused of importing marijuana to Guam cannot invoke religion as a defense."

Cypress invokes eminent domain to seize church land
The Orange County Register
"CYPRESS -- Cypress on Tuesday became the first Orange County city to use eminent domain to seize church property to make way for a shopping center, disappointing religious-rights advocates and 500 church supporters who packed City Hall."

COLORADO
Old religion versus modern divorce
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
"The legal saga of Elka Popack, an Orthodox Jewish woman whose divorce has been bouncing between secular and rabbinical courts since 1996, is heading back to New York and the rabbinical court she believes is stacked against her."

ILLINOIS
Bail Denied for Islamic Fund-Raiser
The Associated Press
"CHICAGO- A federal judge refused to grant bail Tuesday to an Islamic charity director charged with lying about ties to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network."

KENTUCKY
100 Christian Leaders Cannot Endorse TNIV Bible Translation
U.S. Newswire
"LOUISVILLE -- One hundred Christian leaders have issued a joint statement that claims they cannot endorse Today's New International Version (TNIV) Bible translation that is produced by Zondervan publishers and the International Bible Society."

MICHIGAN
'Irresponsible Activism' on the Part of Religious Environmental Activists Threatens Necessary Economic Development
U.S. Newswire
"GRAND RAPIDS -- The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty stated today that "disastrous effects" would be the result of irresponsible social and environmental activism on the part of the religious environmental movement. A number of religious groups allied with the radical environmental movement plan to participate in Exxon Mobile's annual shareholders meeting, set to take place tomorrow in Dallas, Texas."

NEW YORK
This Kid Is Amish and On A Binge
NY Post
"Pop-Quiz time. How do you think Amish teens celebrate their 16th birthdays? A) They go off to pray and meditate for 366 days. B) They make a big coming-of-age quilt that gets sold for huge cash to dopey tourists. C) They do a gigantic amount of drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll."

VIRGINIA
Court to Consider Free Speech Challenge
The Washington Post
"The Supreme Court announced today that it will decide whether a 50-year-old Virginia law banning cross-burning violates the constitutional guarantee of free speech."

WEST VIRGINIA
Prayer dispute remains civil
Charleston Daily Mail
"Classmates Michael Ervin and Tyler Deveny are diametrically opposed about whether Thursday night's St. Albans High School graduation ceremony should include a prayer. Ervin, who wants to become a minister, is scheduled to recite the graduation prayer. Deveny, who is an atheist, plans to picket outside the Charleston Civic Center if the prayer is included in the ceremony."

WYOMING
Cove brouhaha perplexes local stake president
Deseret News
"While GOP Rep. Barbara Cubin of Wyoming has received both criticism and praise for changing proposed legislation authorizing the sale of Martin's Cove to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a local LDS leader there is puzzled at the controversy the measure has generated."

AUSTRALIA
Forced to obey husband, court told
news.com.au
"Religion led a devoutly Muslim woman to join her husband in a plot to blow up their kebab shop, a court heard yesterday. Fadime Cubuk, 24, always stuck strictly to the teachings of the Koran -- which included obeying her husband, Muhammed."

ENGLAND
Torso police told of more murders
This Is London
"Detectives investigating the "Torso in the Thames" murder believe they have uncovered other suspected ritualistic killings in mainland Europe and America which could be linked."

Cops fear advent of African ritual murder in Europe
The Star
"Globalisation and the massive population movements that come with it may have led to the macabre arrival in Europe of the African ritual murder."

Apology demanded in 'Rasta hat' row
BBC News
"A Rastafarian has demanded an apology from a judge who ordered his arrest after he refused to take off his hat while in court."

INDIA
Indian police accused of killing Muslims
Reuters
"AHMEDABAD -- "It was like fire raining from above," Bivi Bano Sheikh says as she tells how her Hindu neighbours, backed by police, doused scores of Muslims with kerosene and set them alight."

IRELAND
Catholics in US 'superstitious'
The Irish Times
"Catholics in the US do what the Pope and bishops tell them, are not permitted to think for themselves and are superstitious and idolatrous, according to a new survey of non-Catholic Americans."

NIGERIA
Immunisation is UN-Islamic - Cleric
This Day
"LAGOS -- The on-going immunisation exercise against polio and other killer diseases in the northern zone, sponsored by the Federal Government and some international organisations, has come under-serious attack by an islamic scholar."

Lecturers Absolve University VC of Cultism
Daily Trust
"ABUJA -- Academic staff under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Non-Academic Staff Union and Association of University Technologies of Nigeria, Rivers State branch have disassociated the vice-chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Nimi Dimkpa Briggs from any act of cultism, gangsterism and brigandage as peddled by authors of a petition, that led to security operatives storming the vice-chancellors residence at midnight to whisk him off for interrogation."

PHILIPPINES
Police: Wanted cult leader still on island
Philippine Inquirer
"SURIGAO CITY - Cult leader and murder suspect Ruben Ecleo Jr. is still in Dinagat Island, contrary to the claims of his mother, Surigao del Norte Rep. Glenda Ecleo, according to police."
ALSO: EDITORIAL:After the failure, a full-scale attack?, Sun Star Cebu
"The failed attempt to arrest Ruben Ecleo Jr., accused of killing his wife Alona Bacolod-Ecleo, has set off a series of disappointments."

PNP, AFP to face raps for calling Muslims 'terrorists'
Sun Star Manila
"For slandering the Muslim religion, Muslim civil society groups said Monday they would file a multi-million-class suit against the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in relation to the Pangasinan Labor Day arrests."

SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka's Buddhists Pray for Peace
The Associated Press
"COLOMBO -- Dressed in white to symbolize purity, thousands of Buddhists thronged temples across Sri Lanka on Monday offering flowers and prayers for peace and an end to 18 years of war."

UGANDA
Kanungu Cult Report Released
NEWS
"KAMPALA -- The infamous cult in which over 500 followers died in a fire in Kanungu in March 2000 was led by Credonia Mwerinde and not Joseph Kibwetere as most people thought, a report by the Uganda Human Rights Commission has said."

Uganda Rights Group Issues Report
The Associated Press
"KAMPALA -- The two main leaders of more than 700 cult members who died in what police say were mass killings are probably dead themselves, the state-run Ugandan Human Rights Commission said."

Kasese Expels 8 Over Sorcery
New Vision
"KAMPALA -- Eight residents of Kahendero fishing village, Muhokya sub-county in Kasese district have been expelled from the village over witchcraft."

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