Organizers of a tennis tournament in Dubai, criticized for banning an Israeli female player, said Tuesday they were trying to protect the woman from anti-Israel protests. “The Tournament respects Ms
Israeli tennis star ‘banned for own security’
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Australian wildfires death toll rises to 200
Wildfires that scorched much of southeastern Australia this month now threaten part of the country’s water supply, even as the fires’ death toll has risen to 200, officials said. Fires that continue to burn near some major reservoirs in the region imperil the quality of billions of liters of water, according to Australian television station 9 News.
Roman Polanski seeks to resolve sex case, end exile
The judge has been dead for 15 years, and no one has been able to find the criminal case file since 2004. Yet a 1977 sex scandal involving famed director Roman Polanski and a 13-year-old girl continues to stalk the courts of Los Angeles.
Will Pakistan’s Shari’a Pact Calm or Inflame a Troubled Region?
In a desperate move to deal with an intractable radical insurgency, the Pakistan government says it will impose a form of Islamic law in the area of Swat Valley in the northwestern corner of the country. As a result, Islamabad’s faltering military campaign there has been put on hold, and the militants have agreed to a tentative ceasefire.
At Oscars, some celebrity freebies to be a bit less blingy
Award shows often mean free loot for celebrities. But with the economy tanking, this Academy Awards season could see some subtle changes in the giveaway culture, industry insiders say. “The country has shifted, and I think that bling is out,” said Jane Ubell-Meyer from Madison and Mulholland, which bills itself as a VIP gift bag and product placement company.
Spanish soldier arrested over ‘jihad’ videos
Spanish police Tuesday arrested a Spanish soldier and his Russian girlfriend for allegedly posting videos on the Internet promoting Islamic extremist views and calling for attacks in Spain, a Ministry of Interior statement said.
Japan appoints new finance minister after G-7 row
A new finance minister was appointed in Japan on Tuesday, immediately after his predecessor resigned following complaints of his erratic behavior.
Building Green Houses for the Poor
When most people hear the term “green building,” they probably imagine something like Bank of America’s soon-to-be-completed Midtown Manhattan headquarters. The skyscraper will have floor-to-ceiling insulating glass walls, automatic light dimming, water recycling, air filtration and on-site power generation
Arrest threatens Zimbabwe’s new unity government
Zimbabwe’s new unity Cabinet met for the first time Tuesday, bringing together leaders of President Robert Mugabe’s party and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s opposition party. The government met a day after the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, criticized last week’s arrest of a key party leader and what they called the abduction of other party members by Mugabe supporters. Roy Bennett — treasurer of the MDC and Zimbabwe’s agriculture deputy minister-designate — faces charges of planning terrorism and insurgency
Khmer Rouge prison chief stands trial in Cambodia
A former member of Cambodia’s genocidal Khmer Rouge regime became the first from the ultra-Maoist movement to stand trial before a U.N.-backed tribunal Tuesday. Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, faces charges that include crimes against humanity and grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Convention during the regime’s 1975-79 rule. He is standing trial just outside the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, which is made up of Cambodian and international judges.