USA

A White House-backed bill that would enable a secret court to review President Bush's warrantless domestic spying program won approval Wednesday from the Senate Judiciary Committee in a party-line vote of 10-8. The bill now faces an uncertain fate before the full Senate in advance of the Nov. 7 elections. The House has been struggling to craft and win passage of a measure of its own.

The possibility of Poland serving as hub for a US missile defense project was on the agenda for Wednesday's scheduled meeting between Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski and President Bush in Washington. The US has discussed installing interceptor missiles and radar stations with Poland and the Czech Republic as part of a program that supporters say will protect Europe against possible attack. An aide to Kaczynski said Tuesday the prime minister does not expect to make a final decision on this trip.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday he will urge the Chinese government to move more quickly to adopt economic reforms, including a more flexible currency. "Protectionist policies do not work and the collateral damage from these policies is high," he said. Paulson will visit Beijing next week.

Texas's highest criminal appeals court will consider prosecutors' appeal to reinstate a dropped conspiracy charge against former House majority leader Tom DeLay. Last year, a Travis County grand jury indicted DeLay and two political consultants on charges stemming from Republican fundraising during the 2002 legislative races.

Detroit teachers voted to end their more than two-week strike Wednesday, paving the way for the cities' 130,000 students to return to classes Thursday.

For the eight weeks between Sept. 11 and the November election, US Border Watch volunteers will patrol the Mexico border, alerting authorities to as many illegal immigrants as possible, as part of "Operation Sovereignty."

Billionaire financier George Soros dedicated $50 million to the anti-poverty work of the Millennium Village project in Africa. Other donors will match his donation, bringing in $100 million for the charity. Millennium Village sends experts on five-year missions to African communities to purify water sources, provide basic education, and teach agricultural techniques.