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Daybreak: Polanski Is A Free Man

Plus Lebanon simmering, and more

by
Marc Tracy
July 12, 2010
Roman Polanski last year.(Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Roman Polanski last year.(Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

• The Swiss government denied the U.S. extradition request for filmmaker Roman Polanski, who survived the Krakow ghetto. Switzerland blamed its lack of access to confidential testimony related to his sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. [LAT/AP]

• The U.S. and Israeli Reform and Conservative movements are furious at today’s vote on a bill that would give exclusive conversion authority to Israel’s Chief (Orthodox) Rabbinate. [Haaretz]

• Lebanon reinforced its troops in its south with 5,000 more. [WP]

• Meanwhile, Lebanese newspapers are reporting that the July 2006 conflict with Israel is “not over.” [Ynet]

• In a move that resembles 1979’s “morality police,” the Iranian regime is sending 1,000 clerics to Tehran schools to enforce against political dissent. Last month, the teaching of music was banned in Iranian schools. [NYT]

• Congratulations to España, which won the World Cup yesterday in its first-ever final game appearance. [ESPN]

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.