Rio De Janeiro Wins Legal Battle Over Olympic Golf Course

A Rio de Janeiro judge on Wednesday "denied a request from prosecutors to halt construction of the Olympic golf course because of environmental concerns, curtailing fears" that the venue will not be ready in time for test events, according to Tales Azzoni of the AP. Judge Eduardo Antonio Klausner said in his decision that there is ''no new fact justifying ... a halt in the implementation of the golf course for the Olympics.'' He said that "changes made by the city and the course developer partially attended to the prosecutors' demands to protect the local environment." Although the decision represented a loss for the prosecutors and environmentalists, "it was only part of the ongoing legal battle." The judge "can still reconsider his decision not to stop construction based on new evidence provided by the participants." It was not clear if state prosecutors would seek to appeal Wednesday's ruling, "but legal challenges were expected to continue" (AP, 11/28).