First Daughter Talks of New Book, Fiancé

Imams demand certificate before approving marriages

(NEWSER) - Chechnya's Muslim authorities have handed down a new edict that requires all marrying couples to prove they are HIV-negative, Reuters reports. The order is not exactly a "law"—in fact, it violates Russian law, say human rights advocates—but given the wide influence of the nation's Islamic clerics, it carries great weight. An imam can now approve a marriage only after seeing an HIV-negative certificate. More»

Tourists clog tiny Crawford, Texas

(NEWSER) - First daughter Jenna Bush wed longtime boyfriend Henry Hager today at the presidential ranch in Crawford, Texas, the Fort-Worth Telegram reports. About 200 guests attended, but the press was not on the invitation list. In Crawford, one San Antonio woman reveled in the moment despite her distance from the 1,600-acre ranch. "Even though you can't see it, you can breathe the same air they are breathing," she said. More»

(NEWSER) - Jenna Bush will beat her twin sister Barbara to the altar. The President's fair-haired daughter plans to wed Henry Hager, son of former Virginia Lieutenant Governor John Hager, and himself a former intern to outgoing Bush aide Karl Rove. The couple, who've been seeing one another for several years, have yet to set a wedding date, the White House said. More»

More than half of births for women under 30 occur outside marriage: NYT

(NEWSER) - Out-of-wedlock births have been rising in the United States for 50 years, but now they've crossed a big threshold—more than half of all the babies born to women under 30 are born outside of marriage, reports the New York Times . While 59% of babies overall are born to married women in America, unmarried births have soared among younger women, especially among white women who have some college education but no degree. More»

Zoologists caution against over-analyzing the interspecies bond

(NEWSER) - A ram and a deer living in a southwestern Chinese zoo who have formed an "unconventional relationship" are set to be "married" on Valentine's Day, reports the BBC . The zoo tried to separate the animals in November, but found that the ram acted violently toward other sheep—and the doe broke through a fence to get close to him. So zookeepers reunited the animals, and will hold the "wedding" tomorrow. The zoo plans to issue 500 tickets costing about $10 each to those who wish to attend—though officials caution people from reading too much into their relationship. "Leaving them alone is the best choice," said one zoo researcher. More»