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By GARY D. ROBERTSON, The Associated Press RALEIGH -- A lawsuit filed by the ACLU and a Muslim woman over the use of the Quran and other non-Christian texts for courtroom oaths in North Carolina should be allowed to go forward, the state Court of Appeals ruled today. A three-judge panel voted unanimously to reverse a trial court decision that had dismissed the challenge to state law and policy. Currently, only the Bible can be used by witnesses when swearing or affirming truthful testimony.

Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News DEARBORN -- About 40 Muslim Metro Detroiters say they were stranded at an airport in Frankfurt, Germany, and given a series of differing explanations about why they could not board their Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. A spokesman for Northwest Airlines said this morning that the travelers, who were returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, reported to the gate about 20 minutes before their connecting flight was to take off. They were barred from making the trip by airline and international flight rules, he said. But the Muslim travelers, including two imams, and their advocates -- the Council on American Islamic Relations -- adamantly rejected the airline's statement at a press conference today, saying flight rules are at least the third reason given for why the pilgrims could not board the Jan. 7 flight. They say they believe Northwest discriminated against the Muslims and left them on their own to find accommoda...