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JUNEAU, Alaska – Steve Earle’s (search) appearance at the Southeast Alaska State Fair (search) in Haines is drawing protest. Earle has been the subject of angry letters and paid newspaper commentary in the Chilkat Valley News since early May. Letter writers have complained that Earle’s music has un-American or Marxist …

In India, cows roam the streets, highly educated people drive buses — and children work as policemen. Because of a tradition that family members can take over the coveted jobs of government workers who die while in service, many Indian boys find themselves in adult positions if their fathers suddenly …

SINGAPORE – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld (search) issued a blunt challenge to China at a regional security conference Saturday, saying Beijing must provide more political freedom to its citizens and questioning its recent military buildup. Rumsfeld said the Pentagon’s annual assessment of China’s military capabilities shows China is spending …

JERUSALEM – Israel might have to temporarily delay its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip (search) this summer if Palestinian militants attack, but it would resume the pullout after waging a counterattack, Israel’s military chief said Tuesday. Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz’s comments came ahead of meetings intended to lay the groundwork …

WASHINGTON – President Bush (search) intends to nominate California Rep. Christopher Cox (search) to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, Republican officials said Wednesday following the resignation of William Donaldson (search). These officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an announcement was possible as early as Thursday. Cox, 52, …

JERUSALEM – Israel’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon‘s (search) Gaza withdrawal plan is constitutional, removing the last legal obstacle to this summer’s watershed pullout. Also Thursday, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (search) was meeting militant groups in Gaza to try to resolve domestic political disputes and keep …

PARIS – A sketch by Pablo Picasso (search) of his mistress reclining nude sold for $575,357 — about three times the estimated price — at a Paris auction Monday where the woman sold 20 of the artist’s works. Describing the pencil on paper sketch in the sale catalogue, Genevieve Laporte …

WASHINGTON – Inventories at U.S. wholesalers rose 0.8 percent in April, double Wall Street expectations, as automotive stocks swelled, government data showed on Wednesday. The Commerce Department (search) also revised up its March wholesale inventory (search) advance to 0.6 percent, from an originally reported 0.4 percent gain. Economists polled by …

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Monday turned away several appeals from broadcast and newspaper groups that sought to restore new government rules easing restrictions on media ownership. Without comment, justices let stand a lower court ruling that threw out the Federal Communications Commission (search) regulations as unjustified. The agency …

MOSCOW – Authorities have thwarted two attempts to break into Russian military nuclear facilities since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union (search), a Defense Ministry official said Wednesday. There have been no terrorist attacks on the facilities, but civilians twice tried unsuccessfully to gain illegal access, said Col. Gen. …