Paris

Most distant galaxy in universe discovered

French and Swiss astronomers say they have detected the farthest galaxy ever observed, a glimmer that dates back to when the universe was still in its infancy.

The galaxy, dubbed Abell 1835 IR1916, is 13.23 billion light-years from Earth — beating by a chunk another galaxy, announced in February, believed to be the farthest-known object, according to France’s state-funded National Center for Scientific Research, a major European research organizations.

Because light from the new find took 13.23 billion years to reach us across the vastness of space, astronomers are seeing the galaxy as it was back then. The universe, believed to have started with the Big Bang some 13.7 billion years ago, would still have been in its infancy.

San Francisco

Catholic staff health plan must provide birth control

In a precedent-setting decision, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that a Roman Catholic charity must offer birth-control coverage to its employees even though the church considers contraception a sin.

The 6-1 decision marked the first such ruling by a state’s highest court. Experts said the ruling could affect thousands of workers at Catholic hospitals and other church-backed institutions in California and prompt other states to fashion similar laws.

California is one of 20 states to require that all company-provided health plans must include contraception coverage if the plans have prescription drug benefits.

Religious organizations had been exempt, but the court ruled the charity offered secular services and so was subject to the state law.

Florida

Vandals shatter mysterious Virgin Mary image

Sometime before dawn Monday, vandals using a powerful slingshot launched three ball bearings at the top three panes of a former office building turned shrine, shattering what thousands believed to be the image of Jesus Christ’s mother.

The glass collapsed to the ground in hundreds of pieces.

The mysterious, 30-foot-tall reflection appeared on the building’s glass exterior in 1996, drawing a half-million pilgrims and gawkers in the first few weeks. Now a shrine called Our Lady of Clearwater, it still was attracting scores of worshippers a day.

Beijing

China report slams U.S.

Officials in Beijing issued a stinging report Monday blasting the United States for what they termed government crimes and racism at home and “military aggression around the world.”

Responding to U.S. criticism of China’s human rights record, the 61-page document complained that Washington “acted as ‘the world human rights police”‘ and distorted conditions in its annual State Department world survey of human rights issued last week.

China said U.S. leaders “turned a blind eye” to the problems of working Americans, leading to growing numbers suffering hunger and homelessness.

It was the fifth straight year that China has issued such a report.