There is an old Chinese proverb that says to attract good fortune, spend a new penny on an old friend. On Friday, an old friend is due to come calling in China. Pakistan's President Asif Zardari will make his second visit to China in four months for meetings with senior political and business leaders. A key ally in the U.S.-led "War on Terror," Pakistan — desperate for money and in need of a good friend — has recently found ...

Attackers in a Taliban-controlled area of Pakistan shot and tried to behead a Pakistani journalist on Wednesday, according to his employer GEO TV. The slain correspondent, Mosa Khankhel, had been covering the recent peace deal between the Pakistani government and Taliban militants in Swat Valley when he was killed, GEO TV managing director Azhar Abbas said. "He is the first martyr of this peace deal," Abbas said, adding that he believes it is unlikely the deal will end the campaign ...

After decades of good times, the Beaujolais winemaking region has been suffering a killer hangover. In the '80s and '90s, Beaujolais Nouveau was a global phenomenon, but abuses in overproduction and dubious vinification practices by some growers sullied the brand. These days Beaujolais is often seen as a mediocre, industrial product, rushed to bottle for release every November. But a new generation of artisan winemakers is intent on fixing Beaujolais' bruised reputation. Three years ago, Marie-Elodie Zighera invested everything in ...

Gul Bibi and her three children fled the Taliban's bloody interpretation of Islamic law in Pakistan's Swat Valley, hoping one day to return. But now that the Pakistani government has recognized Taliban rule in the region in exchange for a temporary cease-fire, she said those hopes have been dashed. She warned that the government's deal with the Taliban will have worldwide implications. "The whole point is, if it's not contained to Swat, it's going to spill all over ...

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. Shahar Peer as a professional tennis player on the Tour and understands her disappointment," the organizers wrote in a statement. "Ms. Peer personally witnessed protests against her at another tournament in New Zealand only a few weeks ago. "We do not wish to politicize sports, but we have to be ...

The Israeli tennis player refused an entry visa to Dubai has told CNN she is "very, very disappointed" to have been denied the opportunity to play. Shahar Peer was due to fly into the United Arab Emirates for the start of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Sunday, but was informed on Saturday night by telephone that she wouldn't be granted a visa. She had just finished playing in the Pattaya Open in Thailand, where she reached the semi-final. "They really ...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could appoint a special envoy for North Korea before leaving for Asia next week, senior administration officials told CNN. The officials said Stephen Bosworth, the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and a former State Department official, has been offered the job. Bosworth would replace Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill, who is expected to replace Ryan Crocker as U.S. ambassador to Iraq. The officials spoke on the ...

Iran's president said Tuesday his country welcomes talks with the United States "in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect." Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the remarks a day after President Barack Obama said the United States is looking for opportunities for "face to face" dialogue with Iran, even though he has "deep concerns" about Tehran's actions. "Right now, the world is entering the era of dialogue," Ahmadinejad told hundreds of thousands of people in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ...