French Constitutional Council endorses ban on Islamic face veils, removing key hurdle

France’s constitutional watchdog endorses veil ban

Egyptian newspaper sacks chief editor critical of government

Egyptian newspaper sacks dissident chief editor

Iraq’s political marathon: Fight over prime minister now, battles over posts ahead

Iraq’s marathon: Fight over leader, then posts

Police: Imam behind mosque planned near ground zero, wife get telephone death threats

Police: NYC mosque’s imam, wife get death threats

AP Interview: Sunni governor says prime minister threatens ‘last chance for democracy’

Key Sunni: Iraq facing ‘last chance’ for democracy

Embattled megachurch leader says he won’t be pulled into ’street fight’ amid sex allegations

Pastor says he won’t be pulled into ’street fight’

AP Interview: Sunni Iraqi governor says democracy won’t survive under al-Maliki

Key Sunni says PM is threat to democracy in Iraq

Embattled bishop, nearly inseparable from his megachurch, inspires followers’ fierce loyalty

Brand pastor built fosters fierce member loyalty

Free speech cases closely watched as Supreme Court begins 2010-11 term with 3 female justices

Free speech cases at top of Supreme Court’s agenda

Hardline Sadrists throw support behind Iraqi PM, with hopes of taking over after US leaves

Anti-American cleric vies for more power in Iraq

US judge asks Vatican to serve pope, 2 others with legal documents in Wisconsin abuse lawsuit

US judge asks Vatican to serve legal docs to pope

Aides: Iraq’s prime minister gets strong boost from Shiite cleric

Aides: Iraqi Shiite cleric backs al-Maliki

Vatican taps Spaniard to investigate cult-like group linked to disgraced Legionaries of Christ

Vatican taps investigator for group tied to Legion

US commander says Iraqi impasse over forming government encouraging spike in insurgent attacks

US general: Iraq political limbo fuels violence

Danish foreign minister meets Muslim ambassadors ahead of cartoon anniversary

Denmark seeks to avoid renewed cartoon uproar

One of Atlanta megachurch pastor’s accusers tells TV interviewer Bishop Long is a ‘predator’

One of Bishop’s accusers calls Long a ‘predator’

Catholic Church in the Philippines angry at new president’s public support for contraception

Philippine church hits president on contraception

Ga. megachurch pastors congregation standing by him despite claims of sexual relationships

Ga. megachurch pastor’s flock standing by him

Flock cheers Ga. megachurch pastor as he vows to fight sex allegations like David vs. Goliath

Ga. pastor: I’ll fight like David battled Goliath

Ga. megachurch pastor accused in sex scandal says ‘I’ll be here next week’ for services

Ga. megachurch pastor: ‘I’ll be here next week’

Ga. megachurch pastor accused in sex scandal: I am not the man being portrayed on television

Ga. megachurch pastor pledges to fight accusations

Thousands fill cathedral for 1st public remarks from Ga. pastor accused in sex scandal

Thousands await public remarks from accused pastor

Ga. megachurch pastor accused in sex scandal: All must face distasteful, painful situations

Ga. megachurch pastor: All face painful situations

Megachurch pastor accused in sex scandal expected to address congregation; 1st public remarks

Accused megachurch pastor to talk to congregation

For some megachurch leaders like accused Ga. pastor, power can come with little accountability

Some churches like Ga. pastor’s thin on safeguards

APNewsBreak: 4th man says he had a sexual relationship with Ga. megachurch pastor as teenager

APNewsBreak: 4th man sues Ga. megachurch pastor

Sex scandal in Catholic Church takes a toll on victims’ lawyers; some lost faith or marriages

Clergy sex scandal takes toll on victims’ lawyers

Lawyer: Other young men went on trips with Ga. megachurch pastor who denies sex claims

Lawyer: Other young men went on trips with pastor

Third lawsuit filed claiming pastor of Atlanta-area megachurch coerced sex from young men

Third lawsuit filed against pastor of megachurch

Episcopal Church asks Pennsylvania bishop to step down over allegations he covered up abuse

Episcopal Church asks Pa. bishop to step down

After 6 months, health care law not a winner for nervous Dems, White House giving it a boost

Obama, White House boosting health law at 6 months

Southern California winemakers fear new churches will trample vineyard views, crush business

SoCal winemakers want to block church expansion

Macedonia’s moderate Muslims ask for crackdown on radical Wahabbi sect

Macedonia: Moderate Muslims seek help against sect

Bahrain widens crackdown on Shiites by revoking citizenship of powerful cleric

Bahrain revokes citizenship of top Shiite cleric

Pope beatifies Newman, praises British who fought Nazis as Vatican declares trip a success

Vatican declares Pope’s visit to Britain a success

Sheriff’s officials say 13 members of ‘cult-like’ group reported missing by families

Sheriff’s search for 13 members of LA-area ‘cult’

Pence-Palin presidential ticket in 2012 is top choice among social conservatives in straw poll

Pence is tops in conservatives’ straw vote

Germany’s Jesuit order offers sexual abuse victims compensation of at least $6,500

German Jesuits offer abuse victims compensation

Pope Benedict XVI in Scotland for historic 4-day state visit, admits failures in abuse scandal

Pope acknowledges church failures in abuse scandal

A brief collection of facts and figures related to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain

A brief look at the pope’s British visit

Pope Benedict XVI is the first pope to be accorded a state visit to Britain, meaning that he was invited by the monarch as the head over another state, the Vatican. However, the queen will not host a banquet for Benedict, as she does for other state visits. Pope John Paul II came to Britain in 1982 on a pastoral visit organized by the church.

On eve of pope’s visit, victims of childhood abuse demand Vatican hand over records on priests

Victims of childhood abuse demand action from pope

As French Gypsies fight for remembrance of wartime internment, discrimination flares anew

French Gypsies recall forgotten wartime internment

US files religious discrimination suit against Calif. city for denying Buddhist center permit

US sues Calif. city for denying Buddhist permit

For Israelis, a new point of contention: What time is it?

A new spat in Israel: What time is it?

JERUSALEM — When Israel moved its clocks back early Sunday in preparation for the holy fast day of Yom Kippur, people in this high-decibel society found something new to disagree about: the time of day.

Amid furor over NYC mosque, nation pauses to remember victims of Sept. 11