South Africa's ruling party has denounced a decision by Canada to grant refugee status to a white South African man, calling it "racist."

The futuristic South African sci-fi that has taken the U.S box office by storm opened in its home country this weekend. Parallels with the experience of apartheid in "District 9" are likely to resonate particularly with South African audiences. The story begins with an alien space ship breaking down over South Africa's largest metropolis, Johannesburg -- leaving the unfortunate creatures on board stranded. Their human hosts rescue them, but 20 years on they are exploited and segregated ...

South African runner Caster Semenya's muscular physique helped propel her to victory during the 800 meters at Wednesday night's world track and field championships in Berlin. Now that physique, coupled with an ongoing gender verification test, is fueling suspicion that Semenya could be stripped of her medal because she is actually a he. Semenya, 18, came to the world's attention on July 30 after winning the African Junior Championships in Mauritius. There, she posted 1:56.72, the fastest ...

In what feels like a box-office weekend from "The Twilight Zone," a low-budget and critically acclaimed movie with no stars and an unknown director managed to top the charts. "District 9," the alien action pic produced by Peter Jackson and directed by the 29-year-old Neill Blomkamp who shot the film in Johannesburg, South Africa, of all places -- crushed the competition by grossing $37 million, according to early estimates. Audiences clearly enjoyed what ...

David Beckham's time at the Los Angeles Galaxy continues to grow sour as he was sent off in Saturday's 2-0 Major League Soccer defeat to Seattle Sounders. The former England captain was given a straight red card for a tackle on Sounders midfielder Peter Vagenas in the 17th minute. Beckham was booed off the field but he insists there was no maliciousness involved. "Pete is one of my best friends," Beckham told Galaxy's official Web site. ...

For the small number of vulture lovers the world over, good news comes this summer from Sindh, Pakistan. In June, a new "vulture restaurant" opened to provide safe food for the endangered birds — no reservations needed, but it's always a fierce fight for the flesh. Similar vulture ventures have already been successful in South Africa, India and Nepal, where one region in which a restaurant started to provide vultures with clean carcasses saw a doubling of nesting pairs ...

Science fiction flicks featuring aliens can be a little formulaic: Aliens invade American territory, mass destruction ensues, and nine times out of 10, Will Smith rides to the rescue But the alien-infested "District 9," opening in theaters Friday, takes things in a different direction -- if the producer may say so himself. "It's utterly original," producer Peter Jackson -- yes, "Lord of the Rings" helmsman Peter Jackson -- told Entertainment Weekly. "In an industry that's looking to make ...

A pioneer, a preacher, an activist and an athlete were among 16 people who President Obama honored Wednesday with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "This is a chance for me and for the United States of America to say thank you to some of the finest citizens of this country and of all countries," Obama told the audience assembled for the ceremony at the White House. "At a moment when cynicism and doubt too ...

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to the epicenter of Africa's longest war Tuesday to try to help victims, especially those of sexual violence, of a regional conflict that's dragged on more than a decade. Taking a smaller U.N. plane on the 1,000-mile trip from Kinshasa to Goma, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was necessary because the U.S. plane being used on her seven-nation Africa trip is too big for the local ...

It shouldn't have been surprising, really, that the world's most populous continent would give birth to a movement called People Power. In 1986, a housewife from the Philippines whose given name meant "heart" gave lifeblood to her wounded nation. The only weapon she possessed was moral courage. But with it she discovered a groundbreaking truth: that a populace holding nothing more than candles and rosary beads could face a cavalcade of tanks, topple a dictator and, most improbable of ...