Ethiopia's Dado Wins NYC Marathon

Iceland, Rwanda, and Norway top the Independent's 'best' list

(NEWSER) - With International Women's Day coming up Thursday, should we weep or rejoice? While British women will likely face 14 more elections before women equal men in Parliament, women in Qatar are far more likely to attend university than men. That said, the Independent picked its best and worse nations for women to live:

1. Overall. Best: Iceland, where equality is high in health, education, politics, and employment. Worst: Yemen. Most dangerous: Afghanistan.

Ousted Yemen leader to leave within 2 days: aides

(NEWSER) - Following the inauguration of his successor, Yemen's ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh is due to leave the country within days, aides say: He's seeking exile in Ethiopia. Despite his exit from power, Saleh's presence in the country has remained a source of tension, prompting thousands to protest today, the AP reports. Saleh has been in and out of the country since unrest began, and many fear he won't truly relinquish power until he has left. Aides say he'll head for Ethiopia, with some family members in tow, within two days. A diplomat in Sanaa confirmed that arrangements had been made for his departure. More»

Ethiopia's population of the trees that produce it are dying

(NEWSER) - Gold and myrrh could one day find themselves a duo: Frankincense may soon be extinct. The tree that the perfumed resin is sourced from—boswellia papyrifera—grows mainly in northern Ethiopia ... or traditionally has. Today, as many as 7% of the trees there are dying annually, according to researchers, who also found that seedlings are not maturing. In a paper published today, the researchers explain that in the next 15 years, frankincense production could plummet by as much as half, with only 10% of the scraggly trees surviving over the next 50 years. And that, says a researcher, means "the frankincense population is doomed." More»

African countries should seize president 'responsible for torture'

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush should be arrested for his role in waterboarding, Amnesty International says, and his trip to Africa presents an opportunity for that. “International law requires that there be no safe haven for those responsible for torture; Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia must seize this opportunity to fulfill their obligations and end the impunity George W. Bush has so far enjoyed,” the human rights organization said. (It's not the first time .) More»

Blows by previous mark by more than 2 minutes

(AP) - Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya has won the New York City Marathon in a course record time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, 6 seconds today, crushing the previous mark of 2:07:43 set by Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia a decade earlier. The 30-year-old has established himself as the favorite at next summer's Olympics after two landmark performances this year. More»