Immigration bill fails crucial vote and is withdrawn

Hello on this Friday, the 8 of the June 2007. I'm Kristin Volk with a UPI headline update.A comprehensive immigration reform bill has been withdrawn from the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pulled the plug on the measure after it failed a crucial test vote last night. The bill was endorsed by President Bush. It would have tightened borders and given about 12 million people unlawfully in the U.S. a pathway to legal status. The surprising setback could defeat the bill for the year.The former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S. is denying allegations that he received up to $2 billion in payments from a British defense firm. British media report Prince Bandar bin Sultan's payments were given to him over a period of twenty years. The payments were apparently tied to the prince's role in negotiating an $85 billion deal to sell British warplanes to Saudi Arabia in 1985. The Prince claims the money was used for purposes only approved by the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation.The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq says some of the improvements in that country are quote "breathtaking." Gen. David Petraeus says the new U.S. approach is transforming areas like Anbar, a Sunni province west of the Capital. He says tribes are joining the coalition there in opposing Al Qaeda and violence has decreased. But, he does admit there's tough work ahead and that Al Qaeda is well-entrenched in some parts of Baghdad. Japanese health officials say the country's fertility rate is up for the first time in years...but the population is still shrinking. In 2006, the number of children per woman was 1.32, up from record low of 1.26 in 2005. Government officials attribute this increase to the nation's economic recovery. Other experts say the rise is in reaction to the unexpected decrease two years ago. But the increased fertility rate didn't reverse the long-term trend of a decreasing population of children there. Thanks for watching today's new headline. Check out our weekly wrap-up from the White House on upi.com. For all of us at UPI, have a nice weekend.

Jay-Z Vs Twista Ft Bill Withers - Dirt Off Your Sunshine

Jay-z's "dirt off your shoulder" mixed with twista's "sunshine" with some bill withers samples.