US – Thursday, March 18

Congress passes job-creation bill

A package of tax breaks and highway spending cleared Congress yesterday, the first of what Democrats hope will be several efforts to bring down the 9.7 percent unemployment rate.

Pakistan charges U.S. 5 with terror

A Pakistani court formally charged five young Americans of plotting terrorism in the country yesterday, their lawyer said, in a case that has raised alarm over the danger posed by militants using the Internet.

Bullock gets ‘Blind Side’d by alleged affair

It seemed too crazy to be true — America’s sweetheart Sandra Bullock fell for Jesse James, a heavily tattooed former bodyguard for Slayer turned custom motorcycle maker who was once married to a porn star.

‘A fun night of music, a little shindig’ with STP

For the first time in nearly a decade, Stone Temple Pilots will be premiering material from a new album, kicking off a tour with a show tonight at the 3,000-capacity Austin Music Hall at the SXSW Music Conference in Texas. But as guitarist Dean DeLeo says, size doesn’t matter.

‘Free’ ad leads to fraud suit

NEW YORK. A Wisconsin college student is suing credit firm Experian — the brains behind the ubiquitous FreeCreditReport.com jingles — for fraudulent advertising after she inadvertently signed up for a monthly $14.95 monitoring service.

The key to Kyoto

Kyoto’s temples and Geisha culture are legendary, but this city is no slouch when it comes to mixing in a large slice of contemporary, too.

Published 23:56, November the 18th, 2009

Food safety likely to get ’10 overhaul

Proposal

The Senate bill would expand U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight of the food supply and shift its focus toward preventing, rather than reacting, to foodborne outbreaks.

A Senate committee voted unanimously yesterday to increase government oversight of food safety but the first significant overhaul in 50 years may not happen until 2010.

Pressure to overhaul the system has grown following several high-profile outbreaks involving lettuce, peppers, peanuts and spinach since 2006 that have sickened thousands and killed several.

However, the full Senate probably won’t vote on the bill until 2010 as Congress is currently mired in debate about overhauling the health care system, said Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

REUTERS