Pentagon delays Afghan troop request: report (Reuters)

Pentagon delays Afghan troop request: report (Reuters)


Pentagon delays Afghan troop request: report (Reuters)

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:14 PM PDT

US Marines sleep in their base in Farah Province, southern Afghanistan.A CNN Opinion Research poll last week showed record US opposition to the war with 58 percent of respondents against the conflict.(AFP/David Furst)Reuters - The Pentagon has told its top commander in Afghanistan to delay submitting his request for additional troops until the Obama administration completes a review of its strategy, The Wall Street Journal reported.



Chinese cyberattacks target media ahead of anniversary

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:15 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Foreign media in China have been targeted by emails laden with malicious computer software in attacks that appear to be tied to the run-up to the National Day military parade on Oct. 1.


Japan PM floats East Asia group plan with China

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:15 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama floated the idea of an East Asian community inspired by the European Union in his first meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao late on Monday.


'Idol' host who inspired Afghans flees to US (AFP)

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:46 PM PDT

Voice Of America (VOA) Afghan Service broadcaster Daoud Sediqi listens to a caller during a show on September 16 in a studio of the VOA in Washington. Sediqi, the former host of AFP - Back in Afghanistan, Daoud Sediqi recalls, he could rarely walk the streets without fans cheering him on, grateful he brought some hope back to the country with his blockbuster "Afghan Idol" show.



Iran Activists Claim Omen in Green Icon

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:08 PM PDT

A request by Iranian activists to bathe the Empire State Building in green light during Ahmadinejad's U.N. visit was rejected. Coincidentally the skyscraper will be lit green for "The Wizard of Oz" anniversary.


Hu to Outline Emissions Proposal

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:08 PM PDT

President Hu is expected to commit China to reducing carbon use but won't pledge any absolute caps on its greenhouse gas emissions.


U.K. to Clarify Aided-Suicide Rule

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:08 PM PDT

The assisted-suicide debate will come to a head in Britain this week, as the country's chief prosecutor clarifies the circumstances under which the state will prosecute families for helping terminally ill loved ones to die.


Peru Battles Thriving Drug Trade

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:17 PM PDT

Peru's surging cocaine production is raising fears that the associated increase in violence and corruption could derail one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America.


Young children need 2 doses of H1N1 vaccine - U.S.

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Younger children will need two doses of the vaccine against the new pandemic of H1N1 influenza, U.S. officials said on Monday.


FEATURE - Germany's Merkel turns caution to strength

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

TEMPLIN, Germany (Reuters) - Hans-Ulrich Beeskow still recalls the quiet determination of teenager Angela Kasner as she swept aside male rivals to reach the local, regional and then national math championships in communist East Germany.


China to project naval, air power further off shore

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to transform its naval and air forces to project power further from its shores, China's defence minister said a week before the nation puts on a massive military parade showcasing its strength.


Rights groups seek U.N. probe of Iran rape charges

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Human rights groups urged the U.N. General Assembly to appoint a special envoy to investigate abuses in Iran, alleging detainees held after disputed elections there have been raped and tortured.


Ousted president Zelaya returns to Honduras

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Ousted President Manuel Zelaya sneaked back into Honduras on Monday almost three months after he was toppled in a coup, and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy to avoid arrest by the de facto government.


FEATURE - "Lebanon's Madoff" embarrasses Hezbollah

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

TYRE, Lebanon (Reuters) - Those who know wealthy Lebanese Shi'ite financier Salah Ezz el-Din say he is a deeply pious, humble man whose close links to Hezbollah made his credentials impeccable as he allegedly embezzled their savings.


Small island nations urge rich to limit warming

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:50 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Small island states that could face devastating storms and floods from climate change urged on Monday that global temperature increases be sharply curtailed from goals set recently by industrialized countries.


US says British ties solid despite Lockerbie row

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 03:40 PM PDT

LONDON -US officials sought Tuesday to calm the row over the release of the Lockerbie bomber, saying the government was "looking to move on" and stressing the British-US relationship was still solid.

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Deposed Honduras leader makes surprise return

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:26 AM PDT

TEGUCIGALPA -Deposed Honduras President Manuel Zelaya made a surprise return to the Central American nation almost three months after soldiers expelled him at gunpoint.

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Briatore's future under threat over F1 "crashgate" (AFP)

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:06 PM PDT

FIA president Max Mosley defended the lifetime ban meted out to Flavio Briatore, seen here in 2008, on Monday for the Italian's part in conspiring to fix the result of last year's Singapore Grand Prix.(AFP/File/Shaun Curry)AFP - Flavio Briatore, banned from Formula One over the "Crashgate" affair, now faces questions over his role as co-owner of England's Queens Park Rangers Football Club.



Philippine island braces for extremist revenge (AFP)

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 09:05 PM PDT

Philippine combat troops outside the provisional capital of Jolo in the country's restive south. Security forces in the region are on alert for retaliatory attacks by Islamist militants after the capture of one of their main camps, officials said Tuesday.(AFP/File/Therence Koh)AFP - Security forces on the Philippine island of Jolo are on alert for retaliatory attacks by Islamist militants after the capture of one of their main camps, officials said Tuesday.



Obama pushes economic message before big summits

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 08:58 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's multi-tasking abilities will be tested this week as he juggles war, diplomacy and finance on the world stage while dealing with the American public's top concern: the U.S. economy.


Imam Arrested in Terror Inquiry Appears in Court

Imam Arrested in Terror Inquiry Appears in Court


Imam Arrested in Terror Inquiry Appears in Court

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:55 PM PDT

Ahmad Wais Afzali was arraigned in Federal District Court in Brooklyn on charges that he tipped off a terrorist plot's central figure and then lied about it.


Obama's dilemma

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:45 PM PDT

Tough task of selling Afghan policy to US public


Desert prison

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 02:33 AM PDT

The US closes Camp Bucca, its largest jail in Iraq


Afghan president to skip UN meeting

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:38 PM PDT

Officials say Hamid Karzai will not attend General Assembly meeting in New York.


South Korea says North must seize diplomatic chance

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:12 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - South Korea's president urged rival North Korea to seize a "last chance" to shed its nuclear weapons in exchange for aid for its struggling economy and an end to diplomatic isolation.


Key Senator Says He Will Alter Health Proposal

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:57 PM PDT

Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said that he would modify his health care bill to provide more assistance to middle-income Americans, to help them buy insurance.


In Vaccine Additive, Both Benefit and Doubt

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:07 PM PDT

Additives could stretch the supply of swine flu vaccine, but U.S. officials have doubts about the substances' safety.


Russia Aims to Finalize WTO Talks

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:17 PM PDT

Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Russia aimed to finish negotiating its entry into the WTO next year, although various stumbling blocks remained.


Football game ends 60-year feud between Adidas and Puma

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 01:04 PM PDT

The German sportswear companies Adidas and Puma have ended a 60-year feud with handshakes and a football match


Zelaya Says He Is in Honduras

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 12:27 PM PDT

Deposed President Manuel Zelaya told a local television station that he has returned home to Honduras to reclaim his presidency, defying threats of arrest.


Israel on Iran: All options still on table

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:10 AM PDT

Israel on Monday restated its long-standing policy regarding Iran after Russia's president indicated that Israel had taken the military option off the table.


Ousted president back in Honduras

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:12 AM PDT

Ousted president Jose Manuel Zelaya has returned to Honduras, a Honduran diplomat in Washington told CNN on Monday.


Love leads to arrest for Taiwan thief who fell for his victim

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:03 AM PDT

A 22-year-old man is arrested after stabbing a nurse during a bungled robbery and returning to profess his love, Taiwanese police say.


Love leads to arrest for Taiwan thief who fell for his victim

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:03 AM PDT

A 22-year-old man is arrested after stabbing a nurse during a bungled robbery and returning to profess his love, Taiwanese police say.


Scores killed in Sudan clashes

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:47 AM PDT

Officials say more than 100 people killed in south Sudan as tribesmen raid village.


A New Political Star Creates a Stir in Traditional France

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:58 AM PDT

LYON, France -- The photographer insisted on telling her how to pose. A television soundman thrust his microphone toward her face while behind him the intruding camera rolled. A knot of bystanders, meanwhile, edged in for a closer look and opened fire with cellphone snapshots.


Prescriptions: What’s an Affordable Premium?

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:47 AM PDT

A central question is how to make health insurance affordable for people who currently do not have it, but affordability is in the eye of the beholder.


Italian Troops Killed in Kabul Given State Funeral

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 10:28 AM PDT

The government called a national day of mourning for the six dead soldiers, and thousands of citizens came to salute the coffins in Rome.


Ousted Zelaya 'returns to Honduras'

Posted: 21 Sep 2009 11:33 AM PDT

Deposed president says he is in Honduran capital, nearly three months after coup.