Prince Charles, Parker Bowles’ civil ceremony legal, official rules

London (ap) — The registrar general for England and Wales on Tuesday dismissed 11 formal objections to next month’s civil marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

The objections mainly argued that the law did not allow the prince to marry in a civil ceremony.

Friday was the deadline for filing legal objections to the wedding, scheduled for April 8. The objections were filed at local register offices in Chippenham and Cirencester, where the couple have homes.

The objectors are entitled to try to pursue the case in the courts, the government’s Office for National Statistics said.

The registrar general is responsible for the administration of birth, death and marriage registers, and administration of the Marriage Act of 1949.

Registrar General Len Cook said he was “satisfied that none of these objections should obstruct the issue of a (marriage) certificate.”

Cook accepted the view of Lord Falconer, the lord chancellor and Britain’s top legal officer, that the 1998 Human Rights Act overrides earlier legislation that excludes royals from the provisions for civil marriage ceremonies. The Human Rights Act ensures royals and other citizens are treated equally by the law.

Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, caused a stir when she said she would not attend the civil ceremony, although she plans to go to the religious service. The palace has said she is skipping the town hall event out of deference to the couple’s desire for a low-key wedding.

Jolie’s speech for refugees’ rights draws crowd in capital

Washington — In a town filled with big names and egos jostling for the spotlight, Hollywood star Angelina Jolie drew crowds and had cameras flashing.

The Oscar-winning actress came to the nation’s capital Tuesday to promote a favorite cause: aiding refugees. She’s given more than $3 million to the effort, including $500,000 to help bankroll an organization that will provide free legal aid to the thousands of children who arrive alone to the United States each year as refugees and immigrants.

In a speech at the National Press Club, she outlined plans for the Washington-based National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children, expected to open shop this spring. It will be jointly run by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and the American Immigration Lawyers Assn.

It will recruit and train lawyers nationwide to work pro bono for young arrivals — often victims of trafficking or abuse — who must navigate the U.S. court system without a parent or guardian.

Jackson defense points out testimony discrepancies

Santa Maria, Calif. — Michael Jackson’s lawyer Tuesday confronted a 14-year-old boy whose brother was allegedly molested by the singer, pointing to discrepancies between the boy’s trial testimony and earlier accounts.

“I knew more back then,” the boy said during a grueling cross-examination. “It was fresher in my memory.”

“Did someone tell you to say that?” defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. asked.

“No, I’m just saying it,” the boy said. “I know everything happened. I just don’t know it in detail.”

The boy appeared surprised when confronted with his Monday testimony that Jackson showed him and his brother sex magazines, including one called Barely Legal. The boy reiterated it was the exact one Jackson showed them.

“Michael Jackson never showed you that magazine, Barely Legal, did he?” Mesereau asked. “Yes,” the boy insisted.

“But when you look at the date it was August 2003,” Mesereau said. The boy and his family left Jackson’s Neverland ranch months before that.

“I didn’t say it was exactly the one he showed us,” the boy said defensively, adding later, “I said he showed us those type of magazines.”

Under questioning by Mesereau, the accuser’s brother said he lied under oath in a deposition for another case when he swore his mother and father never fought, and that his father never hit him.

Cosby faces civil lawsuit in sexual assault case

Philadelphia — A former Temple University employee filed suit Tuesday against comedian Bill Cosby in U.S. District Court, alleging that the actor sexually assaulted her in his Main Line mansion and then defamed her when the allegations became public.

The civil suit filed by a Pickering, Ontario, woman seeks compensation for an alleged sexual assault in January 2004 and for defamation stemming from statements that Cosby and his agents made about her to various news outlets.

David Brokaw, a Los Angeles-based spokesman for the actor, said he had “no information” about the suit Tuesday and that he could not comment. Cosby has denied the sexual-assault allegations.