Washington - Roland Burris was sworn in Thursday to succeed president-elect Barack Obama as the junior senator from Illinois, bringing an end to weeks of controversy over the appointment.
Vice President Dick Cheney administered the oath of office for Burris, the 71-year-old Democrat who had been initially turned back when Congress began its new session on January 6.
With his swearing-in, Burris became the only African-American in the Senate, as was Obama.
Sacramento - With California facing a cash crunch, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday urged legislators to set aside partisan differences and forgo their salaries until passing a long- overdue plan to address the state's looming 40 billion dollar deficit.
Washington - A team of NASA scientists has found proof of the existence of methane gas on Mars, again raising questions about the possibility of life on the red planet, the US space agency said Thursday.
According to a new research article, enough amount of Vitamin D intake may reduce the risk of diabetes and other diseases like heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. By taking Vitamin D, the complications in a diabetic patient can be reduced. 
A new research revealed that women are more susceptible to the rheumatoid arthritis than men. Due to the disease they are more likely to suffer pain, tiredness and aches. 
