US, N.Korea Meet, But No Agreement Reached on Six-Party Talk

By Benjamin Sand North Korean and U.S. officials met this week to discuss the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula. It appears they came no closer to resuming multilateral talks on ending Pyongyan

Afghan President Urges 'Holy War' on Drugs

By Michael Kitchen At the opening of a two-day national conference on illegal drugs, President Hamid Karzai likened opium cultivation to the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan during the 1980s.

Volunteers Help New York Host Republican Visitors

By Barbara Schoetzau More than 20,000 people have applied to fill 8,000 volunteer spots at the upcoming Republican National Convention in New York. The applicants represent a remarkable cross-section

Quake-Stricken Area of Japan Experiences Aftershocks, Dramat

By Steve Herman A powerful aftershock has rattled the quake-scarred region in Japan's Niigata Prefecture where more than 30 people have died and 100,000 have been homeless for four days. Meanwhile all

Iraqi Elections to Be Held January 30

By Greg LaMotte Iraqis are scheduled to vote January 30 to elect national assemblies. The official announcement was made following the successful military effort to oust insurgents from the Sunni Musl

US Intelligence Estimate Warns About Iraq's Future

By Nick Simeone A report prepared by the U.S. intelligence community offers a pessimistic outlook for Iraq, including the possibility that the country could drift toward civil war. A U.S. official, wh

British Publication Warns of North Korean Missiles

By Michael Drudge A leading British defense publication says North Korea is developing new ballistic missile systems that could threaten the continental United States. The findings are published in th

Leader of Belarus Seeks to Prolong Rule

By Bill Gasperini The authoritarian leader of the former Soviet republic of Belarus is seeking to extend his rule in a controversial referendum that would amend the country's constitution, and allow h

New Somali Government Faces Daunting Challenges

By Cathy Majtenyi Somalia's new cabinet has been in office for just over a week, and already it is facing tough demands to end violence, establish rule of law and raise the war-weary population out of

Gunmen Hold School Children Hostage

By Bill Gasperini Police say over a dozen heavily-armed men and women stormed into a school just as students and teachers entered the building on the first day of classes in the new school year. There

Uganda Blames British Colonists for Sudan Crisis

By Cathy Majtenyi Uganda says conflicts in Darfur can be traced to British colonial rule and blames the colonial policies for the rise of rebel movements throughout the country. Ugandan presidential s

US Concerned About Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia

By David Gollust The US State Department has added Saudi Arabia to its list of Countries of Particular Concern with regard to violations of religious freedom. Vietnam and Eritrea were also added to th

UN: Violence Increasing in Chad Refugee Camps

By Lisa Schlein The United Nations refugee agency is reporting growing violence against Sudanese refugees in and around camps in eastern Chad. The agency says steps are being taken to improve security

US Condemns Violence in Haiti by Aristide Supporters

By David Gollust The United States Tuesday condemned what it said is a campaign of political violence in Haiti by supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide that is complicating flood-disas

Ivory Coast Rebel Leader Travels to South Africa

By Carrie Giardino The leader of the northern rebels in Ivory Coast is traveling to South Africa to meet with President Thabo Mbeki to discuss the peace process in the world's number one cocoa-produci

IAEA Demands Iran Stop Uranium Enrichment

By Marlene Smith After a week of delicate negotiations, the International Atomic Energy Agency's ruling body has adopted a resolution calling for Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities. The

Dutch Killing Prompts Soul Searching Among Europe's Muslim W

By Lisa Bryant The November 2 killing of Dutch film producer Theo van Gogh by an alleged Islamic extremist has triggered fears in the Netherlands about religious extremism, along with a backlash again

Ukraine's Parliament Enacts Electoral Reforms

By Lisa McAdams Ukraine's parliament has overwhelmingly passed a broad package of constitutional and electoral reforms, clearing the way for a new presidential run-off election December 26. Parliament

New Initiative to Strengthen Africa's Red Cross & Red Cresce

By Joe De Capua A new initiative has been launched to strengthen the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Africa, making them better able to respond to emergencies. The local humanitarian groups ar

Powell Says Israeli Offensive in Gaza Should Be 'Proportiona

By David Gollust Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday he hopes Israel's current military offensive in Gaza aimed at quelling rocket attacks will be proportionate to the threat that country face