WHITE HOUSE - President Bush says Congress must provide what he says are vital funds for U.S. troops before lawmakers leave for Christmas break.
In his weekly radio address, President Bush says time is running out for Congress to fund troops in Iraq.
“Our men and women on the front lines will be spending this holiday season […]

WHITE HOUSE - U.S. President George Bush and Peruvian President Alan Garcia have signed a free trade agreement between their countries. Trade between the United States and Peru has more than doubled over the past three years to nearly $9 billion.
President Bush says the agreement creates new opportunities for both Americans and Peruvians.
“Opening up markets […]

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has lifted the controversial state of emergency he imposed in early November, an action that could see restrictions on the news media eased. The action came shortly after Mr. Musharraf amended the country’s constitution to legalize his moves to stay in power and silence his opponents.
The constitutional amendments made […]

WHITE HOUSE - President Bush has signed legislation to keep the US government open for another week as lawmakers continue work on a final budget deal.
President Bush says he is encouraged by signs that lawmakers are making progress on resolving differences over funding federal programs and the war in Iraq.
“In recent days, lawmakers have made […]

WASHINGTON - Russia has threatened to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF).
The INF treaty was signed in December 1987 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. It entered into force in June 1988.
Steve Andreasen, former arms control expert on the National Security Council (1993-2001), says the treaty did away with […]

JERUSALEM - Violence has erupted between rival Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. The newest outbreak underscores deep ideological differences two days after the resumption of peace talks with Israel. 
Gunmen from the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas in Gaza stormed into the home of a senior official from the rival Fatah faction and arrested him. […]

BUDAPEST - A U.S. arms control official says Washington’s planned missile defense system for Europe remains necessary despite reports that Iran abandoned its nuclear arms program several years ago.
Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Rood admits there was little progress when he met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei […]

CAPITOL HILL - The U.S. House of Representatives has approved intelligence policy legislation that would prohibit U.S. intelligence officials from using a number of controversial techniques in interrogating detainees. Senate action is still pending and the measure faces a veto threat, while controversy continues over the CIA destruction of interrogation videotapes.
The intelligence policy document is […]

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Senate panel has voted to hold White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and President Bush’s former top aide, Karl Rove in contempt for refusing to cooperate in its probe of the Bush administration’s firing of federal prosecutors. The move steps up a constitutional confrontation between the legislative and executive branches […]

NEW DELHI - Indian defense officials say the country will have a shield in place by 2010 to protect India from incoming missile that could be fired by Pakistan or China. National security experts, however, are less convinced.
One of India’s top defense research scientists has revealed plans for a complete ballistic missile defense system to […]

WASHINGTON - The United States Wednesday joined other countries in condemning the Beirut car bomb assassination of Lebanese Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, who was set to have become the country’s army chief. The assassination, the latest in a series targeting key Lebanese figures, comes amid an ongoing political crisis in the Middle East country. 
The United […]

WASHINGTON - The fastest-growing type of housing in America is the “gated community.” It’s a typical cluster of attractive suburban homes along streets with cheery names like “Butterfly Lane.” A golf course, babbling brook, and neighborhood park are often part of the package.
But what makes them especially attractive to homebuyers is the gate itself. Next […]

WHITE HOUSE - President Bush says Iran must explain why it hid a past nuclear weapons program from United Nations inspectors. Iran says it is enriching uranium only for a peaceful civilian program to generate electricity.
President Bush is trying to keep international pressure on Iran after last week’s National Intelligence Estimate found that Tehran stopped […]

BEIRUT - A top commander in the Lebanese Army was killed in an explosion targeting his vehicle, outside Beirut, this morning. He is the ninth top figure to be assassinated since 2005 and the third in six months.
A powerful explosion shredded metal, shattered glass and threw chunks of concrete hundreds of yards, killing Lebanese Army […]

HONG KONG - U.S. and Chinese officials have opened high-level trade talks on the outskirts of Beijing, with the value of China’s currency dominating discussions. The talks come against a background of growing protectionist threats from both sides.
During opening remarks at the China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue in Xianghe, China’s Vice-Premier, Wu Yi, bluntly told U.S. […]

WASHINGTON - The White House says President Bush is to welcome his Peruvian counterpart, Alan Garcia, at talks in Washington Friday.In a statement Tuesday, the White House said the two leaders will discuss a range of issues, including how to work together to promote democracy, human rights and social justice.
The statement said Peru is a […]

By Garry T. Ansdell
Special to ASSIST News Service 
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO (ANS) – My recent destination was Casablanca in Morocco, North Africa. I wasn’t going there without some background on this fabled city as I had watched the classic movie Casablanca staring Humphrey Bogart.
However, somehow real life doesn’t match up. The airport was larger and
there was no […]

PARIS - France and Libya Monday signed contracts worth billions of dollars during the first day of a controversial visit to Paris by Libyan leader Moammar Qadhafi.
The two countries signed contracts for the Libyan purchase of 21 Airbus planes along with a nuclear reactor from France. The initial deals are worth nearly $15 billion - […]

GENEVA - To mark Human Rights Day on 10 December, the United Nations kicked-off a year-long campaign leading up to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2008. The campaign aims to promote the declaration’s ideals and principles of justice and equality for everyone. 
In a video message to the U.N. […]

WASHINGTON - President Bush is urging continued action to combat religious persecution around the world.
Each year during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, President Bush meets privately with Jewish leaders prior to a holiday reception.
This year, with the reception falling on International Human Rights Day, the president put the focus on religious freedom.
“A good way to […]

SEOUL - South Korean officials say they will declare a long stretch of the country’s western coastline a disaster area. The move makes residents and businesses eligible for compensation as an enormous oil spill devastates wildlife and fishing resources along the coast. Even with thousands of workers mobilized, the cleanup is expected to take months. 
More […]

WASHINGTON - Delegates to the U.N. climate change conference are locked in debate over whether to set tough new limits on greenhouse-gas emission, with the United States leading the fight against firm limits.
The U.N. climate change talks being held in Bali hit a snag after the United States said it will not approve a draft […]

GENEVA - A new report finds that last year the number of children dying before their fifth birthday fell below 10 million for the first time since the United Nations has been keeping records. But, the U.N. Children’s Fund, which has just launched its latest Progress For Children Study, reports much more needs to be […]

JERUSALEM - Days before Israel resumes formal peace talks with the Palestinians, a dispute has erupted over East Jerusalem. Israel has responded defiantly to U.S. and Palestinian criticism of new construction plans in the city.
Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon says Israel plans to hold on to all Jewish neighborhoods in disputed East Jerusalem.
Ramon told Army […]

By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (ANS) – Authorities say six people, including the gunman, were shot on Sunday in the second shooting of the day at a Colorado religious center.
The gunfire erupted at the 10,000-plus member mega-church, New Life Church, just after 1 p.m., according to authorities.
KOAA reported the gunman […]