AFGHANISTAN

Chinese President Hu Jintao, forced to abandon a G8 summit in Italy by ethnic violence in restive Xinjiang, said that maintaining social stability in the energy-rich region was the most urgent task, state television reported on Thursday.

A district in Afghanistan's restive east was in danger of falling into Taliban hands after pitched gunbattles with insurgents killed at least eight police, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Suspected U.S. drones fired six missiles into a Pakistani Taliban training camp near the Afghan border on Wednesday, killing six militants, government and intelligence agency officials said.

President Barack Obama appealed to the Russian people on Tuesday to join the United States in overcoming past differences and building a prosperous democratic future free of corruption and the threat of nuclear war.

Below follows the full transcript of U.S. President Barack Obama's speech to the New Economic School in Moscow, as released by the White House.

The following are key excerpts from the speech by U.S. President Barack Obama to graduating students of the New Economic School in Moscow on Tuesday. The text was provided by the White House.

Visiting President Barack Obama and Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev agreed a target for cuts in nuclear arms and a deal to let U.S. troops fly across Russia at the start of a trip intended to mend strained ties.

The following are analysts' comments on agreements reached on Monday between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Russia has generated over $1.5 billion worth of deals, but a longer term step-change in business between the nations will depend on Moscow boosting the rule of law.

President Barack Obama, opening a visit to Russia intended to mend strained relations, said on Monday he was confident of extraordinary progress if both sides worked hard together during his trip.

How will the EU deal with this diplomatic dilemma?

Hundreds of British troops have seized key canal crossings in a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, military officials said on Friday, part of a new U.S.-led operation to wrest the initiative from insurgents.

Russia hopes next week's visit by U.S. President Barack Obama will help restore confidence between the two biggest nuclear powers, a Kremlin aide said on Friday, after strains over Georgia and a U.S. missile shield plan.

Thousands of U.S. Marines stormed deep into Taliban territory in an Afghan river valley on Thursday, launching the biggest military offensive of Barack Obama's presidency.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday Washington and Moscow must set aside the power politics of the past and use a forthcoming summit to unite in tackling global economic and political problems.

U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will debate how to fix the global economy and fight climate change on Friday in a White House meeting that is likely to highlight a range of differences between the two leaders.

Iran's leadership has quelled mass protests over a disputed presidential poll two weeks ago, but the battle has moved off the street into a behind-the-scenes struggle splitting the clerical establishment into two camps.

India appears to be reaching out to Pakistan with the aim of helping the credibility of the civilian government in Islamabad, seen as the best chance of bringing some stability to the region since the Mumbai attacks.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed into law a $106 billion measure to fulfill his plans to wind down the war in Iraq and ramp up operations in Afghanistan where fighting against militants is intensifying.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Wednesday that a disputed election result would stand, despite street protests that Iranian officials say Britain and the United States have incited.

A gunman shot dead a rival of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud on Tuesday, dealing a potential blow to a government plan to defeat al Qaeda ally Mehsud.