WASHINGTON - Thanks to his Punjabi and Hindi language skills, 26-year old Simran Preet Singh Lamba has become the first Sikh soldier in the US army in two decades to complete basic training without giving up articles of his faith.

LONDON - Britain's television watchdog has censured a Muslim religious channel accusing its presenters of condoning marital rape and calling women who visit mosques wearing perfume as "prostitutes".

PATNA - Millions of devotees offered early morning prayers at river banks across the state Wednesday as the four-day Chhath festival began amidst tight security.