Warren Christopher, a key figure in peace efforts in Bosnia and the Middle East as US secretary of state in the Clinton administration, has died, aged 85.
Christopher died late on Friday at his Los Angeles home of complications from bladder and kidney cancer.
A loyal Democrat and meticulous lawyer, his proudest accomplishments, he said, included a role in promoting a ban on nuclear weapons tests and extension of curbs on proliferation of weapons technology.
He also tried to promote peace in the Middle East, tirelessly travelling to the region. Christopher made some two dozen trips to Syria alone in a futile effort to promote a settlement with Israel.
He was more successful in the negotiations that produced a settlement in 1995 for Bosnia, ending a war among Muslims, Serbs and Croats that claimed 260,000 lives and drove another 1.8 million people from their homes.
New US National Christmas tree
The US National Park Service was to plant the new National Christmas Tree near the White House yesterday.
The park service said the eight-metre Colorado blue spruce from a New Jersey nursery will replace the previous tree which was felled by strong winds in February. It had stood on the Ellipse since 1978.
The tree tradition dates back to 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge held the first of what have become annual National Christmas tree lightings. The tree has been located in different areas since then, but since 1973 has been in the same site in the northeast part of the Ellipse.
US reporter jailed over prostitution
A veteran US sports reporter has been jailed for running a prostitution business in Massachusetts.
State prosecutors said Kevin Provencher was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty in Salem Superior Court to deriving support from a prostitute, procuring a person into prostitution, solicitation for prostitution and witness intimidation.
Prosecutors said the 52-year-old, of Manchester, New Hampshire, advertised prostitution services on websites. They say he rented hotel rooms where the women would have sex for hire. Provencher worked for the New Hampshire Union Leader for 23 years.
Thai PM wins vote of no-confidence
Thailand’s prime minister has comfortably survived a no-confidence vote in parliament ahead of elections planned for later this year.
Yesterday’s vote came after a censure debate in which the opposition Puea Thai Party accused the government of unjustified killing during last year’s anti-government Red Shirt protests, which resulted in about 90 deaths.
The opposition also blamed the government for widespread mismanagement and corruption.
The Puea Thai Party is closely associated with the Red Shirt protest movement.
Politicians voted 249 to 184 to keep PM Abhisit Vejjajiva in power until the elections.
American killed in Mexico border city
A US man has been killed by gunmen while visiting relatives in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez.
Prosecutors said the victim was Josue Reyes Castro, who was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
Authorities say the 26-year-old and 17 relatives were visiting another relative’s home in a low-income Juarez neighbourhood when unidentified gunmen pulled up and opened fire. Two family members, including a four-year-old girl, were injured.
The relatives had travelled together as a group for safety while making the visit to Ciudad Juarez.
The violence-plagued border city has been the scene of drug cartel turf battles that have killed more than 6,000 people the last two years.
Student quits after posting racist video
A student who posted an internet video of her tirade against the Asian population at the University of California, Los Angeles, has said she is leaving the institution.
In a statement last night to the Daily Bruin campus newspaper, Alexandra Wallace said she had chosen to leave classes at UCLA because of threats and harassment in the wake of the three-minute video.
Last Friday, university officials said they would not discipline Ms Wallace because her video was an exercise of free speech, not hate speech, and it did not violate the student code of conduct.
In the video, Ms Wallace complained about Asian students talking on their phones too loudly in the library, among other gripes.
She took down the rant shortly after posting it last weekend, but it had already gone viral.
Israel under fire
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired more than 50 rockets into Israel yesterday, the heaviest barrage in two years, Israeli officials said.
A Hamas official was killed and four civilians were wounded when Israel hit back with tank fire and air strikes, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he will file a complaint at the UN after the unusually large barrage of rockets. In a statement, Lieberman said the Palestinians “primary goal is destroying Israel”.