Should China Be Invited to Join G8?
China, along with several other countries of growing importance, has been invited to attend the G8 summit in Scotland next month, prompting fresh debate about whether the Asian giant should become a permanent member of the club of highly-industrialized nations. Read
US, India Sign Key Defense Pact
U.S. and Indian defense ministers Tuesday signed a key agreement on military ties, opening the door to joint weapons production contracts and cooperation in missile defense. Read
Rice Attempts to Boost NYC's Olympic Hopes
London and Paris are considered the front-runners, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hopes to upset the odds by backing New York City's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Read
China Mulls Tax on High-Emission Autos
Energy-hungry China, the world's fastest-growing vehicle market, is considering slapping new taxes on large automobiles, linking tax levels with exhaust emissions. Read
Philippines Leader Admits Mistake, Fends off Resignation Demands
A political crisis battering the Philippines deepened Monday when President Gloria Arroyo admitted a "lapse of judgment" in making an inappropriate phone call to an electoral commissioner during last year's election. Read
Musharraf Skeptical of Suggestions That Bin Laden Is in Pakistan
Pakistan's Gen. Pervez Musharraf at the weekend expressed irritation with reports that senior U.S. officials know the whereabouts of fugitive al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden -- and with the implication that he is hiding out in Pakistan. Read
New Iranian Leader Sees No Need for US
Iran does not need America, Iranian president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared on Sunday. Read
Medics Warn Against Embryonic 'Anti-Aging' Treatments
Medical authorities in Australia are advising against patients visiting China for untested treatments derived from human embryos, amid reports that wealthy Westerners are paying large amounts of money in a bid to counter the effects of aging. Read
West Steps Up Pressure on African Gov'ts Over Zimbabwe Abuses
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday urged African leaders to speak out against rampant abuses of human rights in Zimbabwe, speaking on the same day a South African government spokesman voiced irritation about Western calls for Africans to act. Read
Reality of Complying With Kyoto a Blow to 'Clean, Green' New Zealand
New Zealand's government is being challenged to justify the country's continued participation in the Kyoto Protocol after it admitted that complying with the climate change treaty will cost taxpayers about one billion NZ dollars (U.S. $714 million). Read
Campaigners Want Human Rights Linked to Future Aid For North Korea
American campaigners for human rights in North Korea will insist that at any future talks on the Stalinist state's nuclear weapons programs, the U.S. makes it clear that future foreign aid is also contingent on human rights improvements, a U.S. scholar said Thursday. Read
Pastors Who 'Vilified' Islam Would Choose Jail Over Apology
Two evangelical pastors in Australia convicted of vilifying Muslims say they will go to prison rather than obey a judge's order to apologize. Read
Specter of Religious Persecution Hovers Over Vietnamese PM's Visit
President Bush has held a first-ever meeting at the White House with a Vietnamese head of government, a day after a leading Republican lawmaker urged Hanoi to "come out of the dark ages of repression, brutality and abuse." Read
'Two Dad' Babies on the Horizon?
The specter of a baby being born with DNA from two men has edged a little closer, with news from a scientific conference in Europe that embryonic stem calls can be manipulated in a lab to form the precursors of sperm and eggs. Read
China's Misuse of Drug Could Produce Resistant Bird Flu Strain
Chinese farmers have been misusing an antiviral drug designed for humans by feeding it to poultry, and health experts worry that the blunder may have produced a resistant strain of bird flu. Read
Religious Rights a Concern As Vietnam's PM Visits US
For the first time since the Vietnam War, the leader of Vietnam will begin a visit to the United States on Monday, amid widespread calls for President Bush to challenge his visitor on Hanoi's human rights record. Read
Rescued Hostage Sorry for Remarks Made at Gunpoint
An Australian engineer held hostage in Iraq until he was rescued last week has apologized to the U.S. and Australian governments for calling at gunpoint for foreign troops to leave the country. Read
Election Produces Unenviable Choice for Reform-Minded Iranians
Iranians voting in a presidential election have handed the country a choice between a "hard-line" candidate linked to the Revolutionary Guards and a mullah who presents a more moderate face but likewise has a controversial background. Read
Japan in Tight Spot Over US Security Council Position
A U.S. decision to back only "two or so" new permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council has placed Japan in an awkward position -- pleased that it will be one of them, but uncomfortable that three other countries whose bids it has supported will probably not. Read
US Stance on Security Council Expansion Is Bad News for Germany
In a blow to the aspirations of countries hoping to get permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. has signaled that Washington will only support "two or so" new members, with Japan being one of them. Read
Polls Open in Iran; Bush Slams Election Process
Iran was holding elections Friday to choose its next president, shortly after President Bush denounced the electoral process in the country, saying it failed to meet "the basic requirements of democracy." Read
Boost for New Iraqi Army as Australian Hostage Freed
ustralia has played an important role in training the new Iraqi army, and Iraqi soldiers returned the compliment Wednesday by rescuing an Australian hostage terrorists had threatened to kill. Read
US Pressures Pakistan Over Rights Abuses
The government of Pakistan, under fire for its treatment of a woman who condemns "honor" crimes against women, has agreed to lift a travel restriction and allow her to visit the United States. Read
Embryonic Stem Cell Cures a Long Way Off, Experts Warn
A leading British medical journal has published an editorial warning against the "hype" surrounding recent advances in stem cell research. The editorial notes that at a recent public debate in London, experts predicted that safe and effective treatments for diseases were at least a decade away. Read
South Korean Stem Cell Pioneer To Hear Catholic Church's Concerns
The leader of South Korea's Catholics on Wednesday planned to discuss the ethics of embryonic stem cell research with the country's best-known scientist, the first in the world to report the successful cloning of a human embryo. Read
Anniversary of Inter-Korean Summit Nothing to Celebrate, Activist Says
As the South Korean government marks the fifth anniversary of an acclaimed summit between the leaders of South and North Korea, a human rights activist said Tuesday that with Pyongyang continuing to abuse its people and Seoul effectively acquiescing, there was little to celebrate. Read
China Under Fire for Treatment of North Korean Refugees
hina is coming under new pressure to change the way it deals with refugees who have escaped from neighboring North Korea. Read
Iran Says High Election Turnout Will 'Shame' America
Iran has dismissed criticism about the validity of its presidential elections this week, saying voters would "shame" the United States with a huge turnout. Read
Iran Blames US-Backed Groups for Pre-Election Bombings
Iran's fundamentalist government has blamed U.S.-sheltered terrorists for a series of bomb blasts on Sunday that killed at least nine people, less than a week before voters choose a new president. Read
Debt Write-Off Linked to Poor Countries' Good Governance
Hundreds of millions of people in 18 poor countries in Africa and Latin America are expected to benefit from a decision by the U.S. and the world's other top industrialized nations to write off foreign debt owed by countries whose rulers have embraced reform. Read
Caretaker President Named; Bolivia's Crisis Unresolved
Bolivia's political crisis took a new turn late Thursday when the head of the Supreme Court was named as caretaker president, a step that could hasten the move towards Bolivia becoming the seventh left-leaning country in Latin America. Read
More Chinese Defectors Claim Spying, Abuses
Negotiations now under way to reach a free-trade agreement between Australia and China will have no bearing on the way Australia handles a Chinese diplomat who is seeking asylum, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said. Read
South Korean Leader to Meet Bush for 'Critical' Summit
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun is to meet with President Bush in Washington Friday for a summit, which although brief, is seen by Korea-watchers as vital both for the bilateral relationship and for attempts to defuse the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis. Read
New Zealand Lawmakers to Reconsider Contentious Nuclear Ship Ban
New Zealand lawmakers will consider legislation that would allow nuclear-powered ships to return to the country's ports, two decades after a law banning the vessels sent a chill through New Zealand's relations with the United States. Read
US Policies, Aid Seek to Promote Democracy in Africa
Driving home the message that the U.S. approach to Africa is tied to his administration's vision of expanding democracy, President Bush meets next week with five African leaders whose countries recently held elections. Read
Security Council Reform Proposal Loses Ground
An attempt by four nations to secure permanent seats on an expanded U.N. Security Council may be delayed because of objections from some large and small countries, including the U.S. Read
North Korea Edges Back to Nuclear Talks
After a year-long hiatus, North Korea has agreed to return to multiparty talks on its nuclear weapons programs, although no date has yet been set, the State Department confirmed. Read
China Clamps Down on Blogs
The government of China, frequently accused of violating press freedom, is clamping down on blogs, ordering them to follow existing registration requirements for other Internet websites. Read
After Election Successes, Hizballah Says It Won't Disarm
Hizballah, the Lebanon-based Shiite terrorist group, says its landslide victory in a second round of Lebanese legislative elections provides a clear mandate to hold onto its weapons and continue its "resistance" against neighboring Israel. Read
India, Pakistan Push Ahead with Iran Pipeline Plan
India and Pakistan are edging closer to agreement on building a pipeline to carry natural gas from Iran through Pakistani territory to India -- a project opposed by the Bush administration. Read
Saudi Lawyers See Benefits in Koran Mishandling Reports
The row over allegations of Koran abuse at Guantanamo Bay may be providing ammunition for lawyers working for the release of terrorist suspects being held at the U.S. military base. Read
Chinese Defection Bid Puts Australian Gov’t in Tight Spot
A Chinese diplomat's efforts to secure asylum in Australia are causing political embarrassment for a government hoping to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Beijing. Read
Rumsfeld Questions China's Military Buildup
China's military buildup and its defense spending -- considerably higher than reported -- is threatening the military balance in Asia, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at the weekend. Rumsfeld urged Beijing's communist rulers to embrace a more open and representative form of government. Read
China Rejects US Tiananmen Appeal
Beijing told the U.S. to mind its own business after the State Department called on the communist authorities to reexamine the crushing of pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square 16 years ago. Read
EU Cracks Evident as Britain Mulls Scrapping Vote
The British government reportedly is planning to scrap plans for a referendum on the European Union constitution after similar votes met decisive defeats in France and the Netherlands. Read
Outgoing Israeli Army Chief Foresees Bloodshed After Gaza Pullout
Israel's departing military chief is the latest senior security official to warn that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's U.S.-backed plan to evacuate Jews from the Gaza Strip will not lead to peace. Read
Australia Apologizes, Condemns Threat to Indonesian Embassy
In a bid to avoid damage to its rapidly improving strategic relationship with Indonesia, the Australian government apologized for an incident in which bacteria spores were sent to the Indonesian Embassy. Read