« January 2009 | Main | March 2009 »

Weird and Wonderful Weekly

February 27, 2009 10:23 AM

Bizarre Incidents, Quotes and People from Around the World

By GABRIEL O'RORKE, ABC News London

Quotes of the Week

"I would be very upset if somebody didn’t take their clothes off" said sculptor Antony Gormley about the 5,000 volunteers who have signed up to take part in his living artwork in London’s Trafalgar Square.

“I promise you, I get it,” said President Obama when addressing the U.S. Congress on the financial markets. 

"The only rule is don’t be boring and dress cute wherever you go," Paris Hilton told competitors on her show "Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend."

WWW News

Britain’s Worst Names: Did they not realize what they were doing or were they Jo King? Either way, something drove parents to name their children Justin Case, Hazel Nutt, Chris Cross, Rose Bush, Will Power and Mary Christmas. Stan Still, a retired 76 year-old, said his name has been a "blooming millstone around my neck my entire life. When I was in the RAF my commanding officer used to shout ‘Stan Still, get a move on' and roll about laughing. It got hugely boring after a while." Working from telephone records, researchers from TheBabyWebsite.com drew up the list of Britain’s worst names.

Divorced at 14: A 14-year-old girl has become the youngest Jewish divorcee in Israel's modern history. The marriage ceremony was performed as a schoolyard prank when a 17-year-old boy declared the girl his wife, reciting a Jewish ritual vow in front of witnesses. That, and the consummation of their marriage, made them man and wife in the Jewish state. Under Israeli criminal law, sexual relations at 14 years old are legal as long the partner is no more than three years older.

The Thief Trapped Himself: An Australian car thief was caught red handed after he accidentally locked himself in the vehicle he was trying to steal. South Australian police were called to a house in Adelaide to find a 53-year old man hiding inside the vehicle. A second thief was discovered hiding in nearby bushes.

Orange Battle in Italy: Townspeople in the northern Italian town of Ivrea opened battle last week as townsfolk set upon one another with a barrage of oranges. The onslaught is an annual re-enactment to celebrate the liberation of their ancestors from tyranny.

The Princess and the Fitness Trainer: It’s a modern day fairy tale, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is to marry her fitness trainer. News of the royal wedding was received with joy across the country, and crowds gathered outside the Palace in Stockholm to sing the national anthem. The fit fiance, a Mr Westling, has said he would like to make the Swedes more sporty.

Facts and Figures

$2.9 billion is the total of Britain’s national debt, that is the equivalent of $68,000 for every man, woman and child in Britain.

9.9 billion plastic bags were given out in British shops in 2008, that’s 3.5 billion less than in 2007. The first plastic bags were introduced in the United States in 1957.

$500 million was the record-breaking amount raised for charity at the Yves Saint Laurent auction in Paris this week.

100,000 years is the amount of time a pair of glitter ballet pumps will take to biodegrade, and 200 years for a polyester dress.

98 percent of toilet paper sold in the United States comes from virgin forests; while in Europe 40 percent comes from recycled products.

70 percent of people in Pointe à Pitre, the capital of Guadeloupe, live in public housing.

49 countries worldwide have Starbucks stores, although Italy has none.

46 percent is the record drop that Japanese exports fell by in the past year.

30 percent is the amount that annual profits for Cadbury’s chocolate manufacturers rose last year... the credit crunch has been sweet for some.

Read more blogs by Gabriel O’Rorke

Read more blogs by ABC staff

February 27, 2009 in Gabriel O'Rorke | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Mini Kitchen Nightmare

February 24, 2009 4:31 PM

By EMILY WITHER, ABC News, London

Gordon Ramsay may have a rival in the kitchen who isn’t even old enough to drink in one of the British celebrity chef’s many restaurants.

A 9-year-old boy from southern England, who with his blond locks and blue eyes looks like a mini-Gordon, is causing quite a stir on the Internet. More than 2 million viewers have logged on to catch the innocent schoolboy’s hilarious impersonations of the notoriously foul-mouthed chef.

But the kid’s biggest fan is Ramsay himself, who was so impressed by the wannabe chef that he’s flown his mini-me to Los Angeles to take part in his TV show “Hell’s Kitchen USA.”

Ramsey told the Daily Mirror he thought the kid – child actor and model Felix Light -- was a hoot. "We all sat there laughing our heads off,” he said. “Felix had me down to a T. I thought we just have to get this kid on ‘Hell's Kitchen.’ He's a star."

Felix was picked to take part in three video advertisements for the hospitality recruitment company Caterer.com. They were intended to provide a humorous portrayal of the qualities needed to work in the restaurant business.

In the viral films, the young chef can be seen attacking his mother’s sandwich-making skills as she packs his lunch, ordering her to make it to his high standards. He also screams at the wait staff in a restaurant about bad service and goes off on a rant about his school lunch. All F-words are carefully bleeped out.

Ramsay is famous for his hot-tempered kitchen tantrums – during one show he used the F-word 240 times.

But speaking to the Daily Mirror, Felix’s mom made it very clear that once the cameras are off, cussing is strictly off the menu for her son. It also seems Felix hasn’t set his sights on a job in the catering business. He told the paper he’d “rather be a rock star because it’s more fun than cooking.”

Watch the three advertisements and outtakes here

Read more blogs by Emily Wither

Read more blogs by ABC News Staff

February 24, 2009 in Emily Wither | Permalink | User Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Africa Feels Pinch as Diamonds No Longer Girl's Best Friend

February 24, 2009 4:05 PM

DANA HUGHES, ABC News Digital Reporter, Nairobi

With consumer spending down across America, luxury goods have been one of the hardest hit sectors, and diamonds are on the top of that list. The gem industry reports that Christmas sales of the popular jewels were down more than 25 percent last year. While slower sales meant fewer shiny bobbles under the tree for Americans, for Botswanans it could spell economic disaster.

Debswana, a joint mining company consisting of DeBeers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, and the government of Botswana, this week announced it was shutting down all its mines. Two of the mines will stay closed until the end of the year, and its largest won’t reopen until April, at the earliest. Seventy percent of the southern African country’s exports are diamonds. The trade accounts for 30 percent of the government’s revenues, and analysts warn that the shutdown will be a devastating blow to the country’s economy. Botswana is considered one of the most stable countries in sub-Saharan Africa, much of that reputation resulting from its relatively successful handling of the country’s diamond mines, which produce one-fifth of the world’s diamonds. That industry is in jeopardy of entering a downward spiral, and taking Botswana’s stable economy with it.

Unfortunately, Botswana is not the only country in sub-Saharan Africa feeling the sting from the global financial crisis. A recent World Bank report, forecasting global economic growth, paints a bleak future for the subcontinent.

"Declines in demand in key external markets will take a toll on exports, and the contribution of trade to gross domestic product growth is likely to be negative in 2009," the report says. "Export revenues will be affected by markedly lower commodity prices next year, eroding government and corporate finances."

Countries like Kenya, which are not resource-rich in the traditional sense but rely on tourism as a major contributor to their GDPs, are also likely to have trouble weathering the crisis. Unlike the United States and other Western nations, no country in sub-Saharan Africa (with the exceptions of Zimbabwe, Liberia and Somalia -- for which there are no reliable stats) is expected to experience negative growth in the next two years. But growth is expected to slow for the first time in five years. And in this part of the world where political stability is fragile and poverty and disease are rampant, any economic slowdown at all could come at a price too high.

February 24, 2009 | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Coca Cola takes over Venice

February 24, 2009 3:24 PM

By PHOEBE NATANSON, Producer, ABC News Rome

It's not easy being mayor of Venice, Italy. It's one headache after another. Everyone gripes at you. Everyone screams about something: Save the art! Stop the flooding!  Save the city! Stop the tourists! Where are the tourists?! If it isn't the gondolieri it’s the hoteliers, the restaurant owners, the residents, the tour operators and then, when they're all done, the foreign press kicks in.

"Every time any little thing happens in Venice, even if totally normal elsewhere, the whole world talks about it. That's our destiny," said an exasperated Massimo Cacciari, the mayor of Venice, in an audio interview his office released to the press Monday. He was reacting to the latest uproar over the news that the city council is about to sign a lucrative agreement with Coca-Cola.

The five-year deal, worth 2.1 million euro ($2.68 million), will allow Coca-Cola to install vending machines in the city and dispense canned drinks, sandwiches and snacks. Included in the deal is permission for the company to use two historic buildings for two company dinners a year and have the right to 20 reserved seats at the annual Venetian celebrations on the Grand Canal. 

The city council released a statement specifying that the vending machines will be unbranded and will not be placed in any landmark sights such as St. Mark’s Square or any historical buildings. Instead, 38 machines will be placed at 14 vaporetti water bus stops, four will be installed near public restrooms in the public park, and a number will be placed inside city council buildings.

With the headline "Coca-Cola drinks up Venice," La Stampa, the Italian daily paper launched the attack Monday. "Venice has an exaggerated thirst for money and is trying to quench it this way," it added. The article argues that the city is turning into "an immense container for sponsors and sponsorships.”  Now the bar owners have raised their voices in protest foreseeing a dramatic decrease in their sales.

Irritated by the criticism, Cacciari struck back Monday saying that all accusations that he is selling out Venice were "delirious." He sees accords such as this one as the only solution to raising enough funds for the daily upkeep and conservation of the city's historic monuments and buildings.

“Those who are criticizing our strategy -- which is followed by city administrations worldwide -- should at least be able to suggest some alternatives or else step in with their own donations to solve the city’s needs,”

Calling the Coca-Cola deal “a perfect example of a profitable partnership between public and private sector,” Cacciari said "in every city of the world there's advertisement, in every city of the world there are agreements between the public and private sectors for this kind of sponsorship deals. … Nobody would have said anything if Coca-Cola had put a distributor in Verona station."

A town hall press officer, Cristina Valentini, pointed out that this was just the latest of such sponsorship deals. A number of large multinational companies have been allowed giant billboard space in the city in exchange for funding the restoration of historical buildings. These jarringly visible advertising billboards have also come under criticism in the past. The mayor insists that all such projects have to abide by very strict rules and that no accord is signed without the prior approval from the Italian Monuments and Fine Arts Office.

Last month Cacciari made an impassioned plea about the reduction of government funds for Venice. He blamed governments over the past 12 years for failing to put up enough money for his city and declared it a "scandal" that there were no funds for the restoration of the Palazzo Ducale in St. Mark's Square or to pay for the regular maintenance of churches, canals and other public buildings.

Some commentators questioned whether there was an ulterior motive for the Coca-Cola accord. All that soda-drinking! 

The article in La Stampa mocked "Now you will be able to satisfy your surprise hunger and thirst at any moment. And don't forget that the more you drink, the more you will be welcome in Venice. Now that peeing costs 3 euros every time you use a public toilet, it's only logical that they want you to take a gulp on every corner." Just this month, the city of Venice launched an online service for visitors to buy a prepaid pass for public toilets. The pass was introduced for tourists who do not want to spend money in bars to use the toilets and to curb them using alleys and canals as urinals.

Read more blogs by PHOEBE NATANSON

Read more blogs by ABC News Staff

 

February 24, 2009 | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Gazans Fed Up With Fighting

February 24, 2009 12:08 PM

By SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD, Bureau Chief, ABC News Jerusalem

At the Erez Crossing, I spotted two smartly dressed Englishmen -- both members of the British parliament on their way in to fact find and to “see for themselves” the damage from January’s conflict.

Gaza is busy with such delegations. The Al Deira Hotel was fully booked by commissions of enquiry from both the Arab League and The European Union.

Last week it was Sen. John Kerry and his wife, plus Reps. Brian Baird and Keith Ellison. Kerry’s wife, Theresa Heinz Kerry (of the Heinz fortune), apparently made a personal pledge to rebuild the American school. The United Nations served her Heinz Ketchup in the canteen with her lunch. Smart move. Both the Kerrys were shocked by the extent of the destruction, according to the U.N. people I spoke with.

At the end of last week another congressman, this time from New Jersey, made a last-minute diversion from a trip in Israel to come to Gaza, according to Karen Abu Zeyd, commissioner general of the U.N. in Gaza, adding that he’d ditched a meeting with Netanyahu to do so.

Speaking to lots of the people made homeless by the conflict, I noticed several things. No one is really living in tents. It’s a sham. Some hang around during the daytime and then stay with friends or in rented accommodations at night.

Each family who has lost a home confirms receiving 4,000 euros from Hamas for rent and furniture.

Everyone wants a united government and realizes that the Fatah-Hamas division is a major disaster for Palestinians.

Everyone asked, “How can we guarantee our next home isn’t destroyed by Israel?”

People won’t tell you this on camera, but they think the rockets are stupid.

The smell in these destroyed neighbourhoods is overpowering, and there are flies everywhere. People say there are countless animals rotting under the rubble.

In addition to the nearly 5,000 homes destroyed, many businesses were also smashed. I saw the Hadad Ceramic warehouse smashed by Israeli bulldozers -- $2 million of stock gone and 25 years of building the business.

Hadad’s facilities in Khan Yunis and Zeitun got the same treatment. Our guide suggested he had sympathy for Hamas, but Hadad violently denied helping them in any way.

The news of money being pledged ($900 million from the United States) is being treated with skepticism by everyone. The money is meaningless unless the border crossings open and raw materials start coming in.

Since Hamas took over in 2007, no building materials have been allowed in. No cement, steel or glass, and no paper, which the U.N. finds perplexing.

Last week the U.N.’s request for pasta and more people was also turned down.

There will be no rebuilding here without serious pressure on the Israelis to open the crossings. And they will ask with some justification, “Why should we supply Hamas-controlled Gaza with material with which they can make bunkers and new missiles?” It’s a good question.

One answer is to give the raw materials to the U.N. and other NGOs directly. But that hasn’t been happening either. There are more than 200 U.N.-administered development projects that have been frozen due to lack of supplies and equipment. Something has to give.

Read more blogs by SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD

Read more blogs by ABC News staff

February 24, 2009 in Simon McGregor-Wood | Permalink | User Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

You Think You Had a Tough First Day?

February 22, 2009 4:28 PM

ABC News' Nick Schifrin and Habibullah Khan report from Islamabad, Pakistan:

The first day of work is, usually, all about finding your way: how long it takes to get to the office, where you're going to sit, who your coworkers are and what they think of the new guy.

But in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where the Taliban have waged a yearlong campaign of true terror against the local population, the first day on the job is so much worse than anything you've ever feared.

This afternoon, on his very first day as Swat's district coordination officer – the top post in local government --  Khushal Khan was kidnapped. A group of masked men stopped his car, apparently overpowered his six armed guards and whisked him away for a little talking-to.

Khan was released about eight hours later in exchange for the release of two Taliban prisoners, sources told us this evening. But the Taliban's message will last far longer than that: Welcome to work. We can do whatever we want, and you can't stop us.

Perhaps it comes as no surprise that the Taliban can kidnap a local government official. But we are in the middle of a cease-fire during which the Taliban has publicly agreed to consider laying down their weapons in return for the imposition of Sharia, Islamic law.

So much for a cease-fire.

They've broken it at least three times in the last week: Once to kill a respected local TV reporter; once to speak ill of the local government on their pirated radio broadcasts; and today, when they kidnapped Khan.

The outgoing district coordination officer, Shaukat Yousafzai, told us tonight it was a “clear violation” of the cease-fire. And a senior government official told us that the military will be sending additional troops into Swat, though they will remain in a “defensive” position.

Politically, the kidnapping will put more pressure on the Pakistani government to abandon what Richard Holbrooke, the new U.S. special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, fears could be a "surrender" to the Taliban.

“The governments have gone through such agreements before,” Zubair Towali, a Swat human rights activist, told us last week when the agreement was first announced. “And those didn’t work. It just gives the militants a chance to regroup and regain power.”

That seems to be the message the U.S. will send when Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, as well as Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani and Pakistani spy agency chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Pasha, arrive in Washington this week for a Holbrookian conversation about the future of U.S.-Afghan-Pakistani relations. There is a real fear that if the Pakistanis don't engage the Taliban militarily and let them have their Islamic law in Swat, the valley would become a safe haven for militants fighting Americans in Afghanistan.

But many people here think this is a shrewd move by the provincial government. If the Taliban refuse to honor the cease-fire, then the government will be in a better position to bring the army back into Swat to try and crush the militants in a campaign that would certainly include many civilian casualties.

“In case it fails, and the other side doesn’t abide, then I think the government will be at a high moral plane to restart the military operation,” a senior military official told us.

Either way, fixing Swat is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. I think everyone wishes Khan luck – and hopes his second day is better than his first.

February 22, 2009 in Nick Schifrin | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

13-Year-Old Dad Defiant Over Paternity Claims

February 20, 2009 5:42 PM

By HODA FARHANGHI, ABC News London

“[Alfie] should be able to live his life and return to school."

With those words, High Court Judge Mrs Justice Baron imposed a media ban on the story of 13-year-old dad Alfie Patten, expressing "serious concern about the level of media interest."

The Sun was the first newspaper that published Alfie’s story a week ago and, in its latest story, it shows the 13-year-old in a personalized sweater with the text, “Alfie Patten, I’m the daddy, and if I’m not, f--- you all, I’ll still be there.” The newspaper says it is not a publicity stunt but “a news story.”

The Alfie Patten story has become the most popular story in the history of The Sun’s Web site. More than 1 million people watched the video of Alfie and his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, 15, cradling their newborn daughter Maisie.

The media frenzy became even worse after allegations that Alfie’s parents had sold his story to tabloid newspapers and claims from two other teenage boys that they were the father of little Maisie Patten.

According to the Press Complaints Commission’s editors’ code of practice, British newspapers are not allowed to pay minors or their parents for material about their children, unless it is in the child’s interest. The Press Complaints Commission is investigating whether The Sun breached that rule.

The Sun says it will cooperate with the PCC, adding that, “we think that the story is in the public interest. The Sun will not publish more stories about Alfie now that there is a media ban.”

But Alfie and Chantelle’s story is just one of many in Britain as the country’s teenage pregnancy rate is the highest in Western Europe.  Jules Hillier, the spokesman for Brook, a national sexual health advice and services provider, says that “sex education is very important. We should start talking to our children and educate them as soon as they start asking questions, even before they go to primary school.”

Sex education is not provided in all British schools but it will become compulsory in 2011.  Hillier says “it will make a big difference in preventing teenage pregnancies. We should tell children more about friendship and relationships, now all they learn is the biology of it.”

Little Alfie may take a DNA test to determine whether he is the father of baby Maisie. In the meantime, there will be no press for the first time in baby Maisie’s life, at least not until the ban is lifted on March 10.

Read more blogs by Hoda Farhanghi

Read more blogs by ABC News staff

February 20, 2009 in Hoda Farhanghi | Permalink | User Comments (37) | TrackBack (0)

Returning to Gaza After Israel's Assault

February 20, 2009 12:31 PM

By SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD, ABC News GAZA

I’m in Gaza again after an absence of three weeks and there are some interesting things to report.

Sen. John Kerry arrived on a surprise two-hour visit on Thursday. At a meeting in the U.N. compound he was handed a letter from Hamas addressed to President Barack Obama. Kerry said during his visit that the new U.S. administration hasn't changed the fundamental U.S. position on dealings with Hamas – no talks until Hamas recognizes Israel and gives up violence.

No one down here is prepared to say what's in the letter. Some of the Hamas people we spoke to last night wouldn't "confirm or deny the existence of the letter" – code for, yes, there is a letter, but no, I don't want to talk about it.

Most people I spoke to thought Kerry’s visit was a breakthrough of some kind. But they all want action on opening the borders and getting reconstruction started. The visit makes me think maybe the Obama team really does want to start doing things differently down here.

The smuggling tunnels play a much more important part in ordinary people's lives than I had thought. I spotted a new motorcycle shop in Gaza yesterday and stopped to take a look. Several very nice models, all secondhand but in good shape. They had been smuggled through a tunnel from Egypt. I asked about prices and then wondered where they get spare parts. "Everything through the tunnels sir," said the young man in the shop.

Later on we went to our cameraman's house to have coffee. After seven years I finally met Khaled's wife and his charming younger son, Youssef. He was dressed in the latest AC Milan replica soccer shirt. "Where did you get that?" I asked. "Through the tunnels," came the reply.

With our coffee we had delicious chocolate cookies, and Mrs. Abu Qweik apologized that so many were broken. Why? Because cookies have to be smuggled through the tunnels as well! Same for her shoes, made in Spain, and her jeans. Everything she was wearing had come through smuggling tunnels from Egypt!

The truth is that almost everything other than the most basic food, fuel and medical supplies has to come in underground from Egypt. It makes things very expensive.

I had no idea, for example, that things I consider pretty basic items like toothpaste and shampoo all have to be smuggled. I'm sure the tunnels are used by Hamas and others to bring in weapons, but I didn't realize how important they are for normal supplies as well.

Several more were bombed by Israeli planes yesterday. According to my producer, Sammi, at least 30 tunnels are still working, but every time one gets destroyed the prices on all the merchandise that comes through increase.

I stayed at the Al Deria Hotel last night. It is Gaza's best and continues to survive despite the terrible problems. It's still chilly down here but the beachside terrace is now open for dinner. It was packed with Gaza's smart set -- laptop computers on the tables, smartly dressed kids running around, young people smoking shisha pipes. It was quite a scene. And to think during the war no one stayed here because of the Israeli shelling. The wireless Internet is back up and running as well.

It made me see what a yearning for normality there is here. Despite the fact that no one can get out of Gaza unless they're seriously ill or they have very good Israeli contacts, people still manage a life of some kind.

Their kids still need to go out and play. They still need to see their friends. There is still gossip to catch up on, and people still do their best to look good even if they have to smuggle their clothes.

Read more blogs by SIMON MCGREGOR-WOOD

Read more blogs by ABC News staff

February 20, 2009 in Simon McGregor-Wood | Permalink | User Comments (15) | TrackBack (3)

Cheap Romance: I Love You on a Budget

February 20, 2009 11:27 AM

By EMILY WITHER, ABC News London

Getting married is expensive business and nothing says “I love you”  more than a big sparkly rock. But who says you can put a price on romance during these tough economic times?

One British store, Marks and Spencer, thinks that love should cost a little less during the credit crunch. It has launched a $25 engagement and wedding ring set for bridegrooms who want the look of diamonds but can't afford them.

The platinum-plated sparklers are made of tin alloy and are diamante encrusted with a fake diamond. The bands come in a purple box in four sizes, and the M&S logo, rather than a hallmark, is inside the ring.

The You & Your Wedding magazine's survey says the average cost of an engagement ring in Britain last year was the equivalent of more than $2,000. With the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics claiming that marriage rates in the United Kingdom are at their lowest since records began in 1862, M&S hopes couples won’t put marriage off because of the cost. During a sale last year, it was selling a $21 wedding dress on its Web site.

But does love have a price tag? Thrifty men will be delighted that monetary worries don’t need to keep them from proposing to their loved one. But whether a 25-buck ring will have your partner screaming “I do!” is another matter.

Read more blogs by Emily Wither

Read more blogs by ABC News staff

February 20, 2009 in Emily Wither | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Israeli Men's Tennis Pro Allowed in Dubai, but Too Late for Shahar Peer

February 19, 2009 3:24 PM

By Lara Setrakian, ABC News, Dubai

United Arab Emirates authorities confirmed that Israeli tennis player Andy Ram will be granted a visa to play in the Barclay’s Dubai Tennis Championship, just days after it rejected a similar request from a female Israeli tennis player, Shahar Peer, evoking criticism from the global sports community.

Ram will be admitted on a special entry permit, granted for international sporting or conference events. In the past, Israelis have been granted visas on similar grounds to attend the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Dubai.

A government source said Peer's visa was rejected by low-level decision makers. As a matter of routine, Israelis are denied visas. The official described the move as an oopsie -- "sorry, we made a mistake,' he said, but noted that it's now too late to reverse the decision on Peer. The women's tournament is well under way -- tennis star siblings Venus and Serena Williams are slated to play each other in a match on Friday.

But the government source said Peer's status would not affect Ram's ability to play in the tournament.

"Of course [Ram] should come and play," he said.

Peer's rejection provoked international protest and led to the withdrawal of at least one major sponsor, The Wall Street Journal European edition. The Women’s Tennis Association decided not to cancel the event in protest but said it would consider dropping the Dubai tournament from next year’s calendar.

“The fact that the tournament is going ahead, that should not be taken to mean that we accept or condone the fact that Peer has been denied a visa. We don't," WTA chief Larry Scott told the Guardian

"I spoke to Peer on the phone, and she said she didn't want the tournament to be canceled. She said she was the one with the Israeli passport, and she was being punished for that, but she didn't want all her fellow players to be punished as well,” he said.

Though the U.A.E. has no diplomatic relations with Israel, the country has taken a relatively moderate approach to Israel compared with other Arab states. Travelers can enter the country with an Israeli stamp in their passports (doing so in some Arab states warrants jail time). Because of the timing of the visa controversy, it’s being tied to ongoing sensitivities over Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which was hotly unpopular on Arab streets.

Read More Blogs From Lara Setrakian

Read More Blogs from the ABC News Staff

February 19, 2009 in Lara Setrakian | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)