SRI LANKA - SOS to IMF
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) must insist that Sri Lanka's government respect media rights and the rule of law before granting any new lending, a press freedom group said yesterday. The Sri Lankan military's...

RUSSIA - Gays plan happy hour
MOSCOW (AP): Russian gay rights activists announced plans yesterday to hold a parade hours before this month's finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, potentially setting the stage for a confrontation with city authorities...

Spain's swine flu cases rise to 73
MADRID (AP):Spain has reported 16 more cases of swine flu, raising the country's total to 73.A statement yesterday by the health ministry says only two of the confirmed victims remain hospitalised.

Gay marriages now legal in Maine
Maine (AP): Lawmakers in Maine approved a bill yesterday that would make the state the fifth to allow gay marriage. The bill faces one more vote each in the House and Senate before it goes to Governor John Baldacci.