Health care vote predicted soon by Senate panel; GOP challenges swept aside as emotions rise

WASHINGTON — A White House-backed overhaul of the nation’s health care system weathered repeated challenges from Republican critics over taxes, abortion and more on Wednesday, and the bill’s architect claimed enough votes to push it through the Senate Finance Committee as early as week’s end.

Supreme Court to rule on gun control by cities, states, could set off rollback in legal limits

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court says it will take up a challenge to Chicago’s ban on handguns, opening the way for a ruling that could set off a vigorous new campaign to roll back state and local gun controls across the nation.

Visiting US diplomat met with Cuban dissidents amid high-level talks with government officials

HAVANA — A senior U.S. diplomat who traveled to Havana for the highest-level talks with Cuban officials in decades also met with opposition activists to discuss their political views, three dissidents and a State Department official said Wednesday.

Peru: Ex-President Fujimori gets 6 more years for wiretaps, bribing lawmakers, journalists

LIMA, Peru — A court has sentenced Alberto Fujimori to six years in prison after the jailed former president pleaded guilty to authorizing wiretaps and bribes to politicians, journalists and businessmen.

Summary of actions by the Supreme Court on Wednesday

The Supreme Court on Wednesday:

Obama stars in television ad by industry, other groups favoring health care overhaul

WASHINGTON — Medical industry and other groups pushing health care overhaul are airing a new television ad that stars the man in the middle of the battle: President Barack Obama.

Senators writing health overhaul bill reject anti-abortion language sought by conservatives

WASHINGTON — In a vote with far-reaching political implications, senators writing a health care overhaul Wednesday rejected a bid to strengthen anti-abortion provisions in the legislation — which could reach the Senate floor in the next two weeks.

Kenya’s embattled anti-corruption chief resigns amid accusations of ineffectiveness

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s anti-corruption chief resigned Wednesday following weeks of public protest and a parliamentary vote against his reappointment.

Supreme Court will decide whether states, cities can limit gun rights

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether strict local and state gun control laws violate the Second Amendment, ensuring another high-profile battle over the rights of gun owners.

Will health care overhaul weaken the safety net for seniors, or help heal Medicare?

WASHINGTON — Medicare is looking like a big fat piggy bank for health care overhaul.

Palace: Health of Thai king is improving but he still has a low fever and lung inflammation

BANGKOK — Thailand’s 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej spent his 12th day in a Bangkok hospital Wednesday with what the palace obliquely called a second bout of low fever and inflammation in his lungs.

Official: Prosecutors ask court to drop corruption case against Chirac, others

PARIS — The Paris prosecutor’s office has asked a court to drop a case against former President Jacques Chirac and others accused in an alleged corruption scandal dating back to his 1977-1995 tenure as Paris mayor, a judicial official said Tuesday.

Senate Finance Committee votes down creation of public insurance plan

WASHINGTON — The Senate Finance Committee has voted against creating a new government health insurance plan to compete with the private market. The 15-to-8 vote could forecast the fate of the public option in the Senate as a whole. The outcome was expected but still a defeat for liberals who view government-sponsored insurance for the middle class as a key component of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

Obama’s Big Windup: President to make unprecedented personal appeal for Olympics in Chicago

FYI–Need to cut and past newest photos to FRONT of photo string. First photo appears on Yahoo!, other sites. Thanks.

Arizonans with concealed weapons permits can bring guns into bars starting Wednesday

Guns will be OK in Ariz. bars starting Wednesday

Peru ex-president pleads guilty in trial for alleged illegal wiretaps, bribes

LIMA, Peru — Former President Alberto Fujimori, who already faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison, pleaded guilty on Monday to authorizing illegal wiretaps and bribes of politicians, journalists and businessmen.

Detained Myanmar opposition leader Suu Kyi seeks to meet Western diplomats about sanctions

YANGON, Myanmar — Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is seeking permission from Myanmar’s government to meet with Western diplomats about having their countries lift sanctions against the military regime, her party said Monday.

With spotlight on SC Gov. Mark Sanford’s use of planes, he reviews how universities use theirs

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is reviewing how three state-funded universities use their airplanes even as he faces scrutiny for his own travel practices.

Polanski’s arrest marks change in Switzerland’s image as a safe haven for rich and famous

GENEVA — First numbered bank accounts and now Roman Polanski. Switzerland is no longer a place for foreign fugitives and tax evaders to live above the law.

Groups battling over health care overhaul have spent more than $100 million for television ads

WASHINGTON — Medical providers, businesses and other groups battling over a health care overhaul have spent more than $100 million this year on television advertising — an enormous sum that highlights the stakes involved.

AP INTERVIEW: Greek opposition leader vows to fight corruption if elected PM next week

ATHENS, Greece — Socialist opposition leader George Papandreou, who is widely expected to win Greece’s national election next weekend, says fighting endemic corruption and creating a stimulus package are essential if Greece is to emerge from a deep financial crisis.

Venezuela releases jailed student activist as more join hunger strike over prosecutions

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela released a student activist Monday whose imprisonment was cited as an example of politically motivated prosecutions by President Hugo Chavez’s government.

Power of Snowe: Maine Republican wields clout on health care

WASHINGTON — They call her “President Snowe” in the blogosphere.

Ex-Democratic fundraiser gets 24 years in prison in case that embarrassed Clinton campaign

NEW YORK — Former Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison Tuesday by a judge who accused him of funding his fraud with a “conniving use of the political process.”

Arizonans with concealed weapons permits allowed to bring guns in bars starting Wednesday

PHOENIX — Bartender Randy Shields was serving British brews and Arizona ambers as usual at Shady’s bar in east Phoenix when he saw a customer walk in with a hunting knife strapped to his hip.

Peru’s jailed ex-president pleads guilty to illegal wiretaps, bribes to congressmen, media

LIMA, Peru — Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has pleaded guilty to authorizing wiretaps and bribes to journalists, politicians and businessmen.

McCain takes on uphill fight to kill $2.5 billion for additional C-17 cargo jets

WASHINGTON — While ceding some ground to President Obama on high-profile weapons cuts, lawmakers are cutting money for training and spare parts to pay for other weapons Obama doesn’t want and their own pet projects.

Peru’s jailed ex-president on trial for alleged illegal wiretaps, bribes to congressmen, media

LIMA, Peru — Former President Alberto Fujimori, who already faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison, went on trial again Monday, charged with authorizing wiretaps and bribes of politicians, journalists and businessmen.

Hoyer cool to repealing retroactive immunity for telecom companies

WASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made clear Tuesday that he would be cool to a Senate proposal to take away the retroactive immunity now given to telecommunications companies that participated in warrantless wiretapping during the George W. Bush administration.

Syria echoes Arab calls for Israel to join nuclear nonproliferation treaty

UNITED NATIONS — Syria says Israel must comply with the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency if the Mideast is to become a region free of weapons of mass destruction.