Tracy Rodriguez of Houston, Texas, is not a trained private investigator or police officer. But with a gentle tap on her iPhone screen, the mother of three can access information revealing the sex offenders who live within a 10-mile radius of where her children practice sports or watch movies. The information, provided by an iPhone app called Offender Locator, helps Rodriguez make more informed choices, she says. When the app pops open on her phone, there is an eerie sketch ...

In a sign of the growing importance of the Asian economies, HSBC announced that Michael Geoghegan, the group chief executive, will move from London to Hong Kong next year.

In what appeared to be the most visible demonstration yet of this week's G-20 summit, four people attached to a massive banner dangled from a Pittsburgh bridge Wednesday to protest the global economic meeting. The banner hung from the West End Bridge over the Ohio River and read like a road sign: "Danger: Climate Destruction Ahead. Reduce CO2 Emissions Now." Greenpeace, the environmental activist group, claimed responsibility for the stunt. On its Web site, the group said it ...

Roger Federer clinched Switzerland's return to the Davis Cup World Group with a comfortable 6-3 6-0 6-4 victory over Italy's Potito Starace in Genoa. The world No. 1, who was rested for Saturday's doubles -- which the Swiss lost -- gave his nation an unassailable 3-1 lead in the playoff ahead of the second reverse singles match. He led 6-3 4-0 on the clay surface when rain caused a two-hour delay. But Federer, who rushed to Italy just 32 hours ...

Defending champions Spain will face the Czech Republic in this year's Davis Cup final after they claimed an unassailable 3-0 lead over Israel in their semifinal on Saturday. The Czechs sealed their passage by also going 3-0 up against 2005 champions Croatia. Spain, who took a 2-0 lead into the pivotal doubles, paired Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez, who delivered a 7-6 6-7 6-4 6-2 win over Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram. The Israelis salvaged a measure of respectability after ...

Police arrested a leading politician linked to the Basque separatist group ETA on Friday, shortly after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld his 15-month sentence for praising terrorism, CNN partner station CNN+ reported.

Posters featuring lost youth are not an unusual site in any big city, but the ones that recently appeared on Israeli TV and on the Internet weren't what they seemed. They were part of an advertising campaign this month by an Israeli group that pays to bring young Jews from around the world to Israel for extended visits in the hope of bolstering their Jewish identity. The campaign by MASA, an organization funded by public and private funds, showed Jews ...

For many years, Ford Motor Co. was considered the sickest of Detroit's car manufacturers. But conventional wisdom was stood on its head last fall when Ford parted company with General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Group LLC by forgoing federal help during the most perilous times for automakers. By the end of that crisis, GM and Chrysler had received a total of $64 billion, while Ford got nothing — though like other automakers, it is receiving federal aid to develop green technologies. ...

Ten private security guards accused of wrongdoing at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan have been fired or resigned and were leaving the country Friday, U.S. officials said. Allegations surfaced last week that contractor ArmorGroup North America allowed mistreatment, sexual activity and intimidation within the ranks of private guards hired to protect the embassy in Kabul. The company and U.S. officials are investigating. Eight of the guards under investigation were fired and two resigned, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement ...

Gunmen shot and killed 17 patients and wounded two others in a drug rehabilitation center in northern Mexico late Wednesday, the mayor of Ciudad Juarez said Thursday. Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said authorities believe a rival drug gang attacked the men at the El Aviane rehab facility. "At the very least, it was one organized crime group thinking that another group was operating in that place," Reyes told CNN. Wednesday night's shootings, he said, are similar to an attack at ...