Politics - AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama is to announce his long-awaited plan for withdrawing US troops from Iraq when he visits a military base in North Carolina on Friday, his spokesman said.

BEIJING (AFP) - China has called on the United States to ease military tensions between the global powers, as the two sides resumed defence talks here following a rift over planned US arms sales to Taiwan.

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States vowed to fight a common threat of terrorism, pledging to chart out a new strategy despite sharp differences simmering below the surface.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Colombia may allow more US aircraft on its air bases as part of a new military cooperation agreement being negotiated, according to visiting Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US envoy will try to deter North Korea from test-firing a missile when he visits Asia next week amid efforts to end the stalemated talks for its nuclear disarmament, according to an official.

WASHINGTON, (AFP) - President Barack Obama intends to pull US combat troops out of Iraq by August 2010, US media reported Friday, citing unnamed congressional officials.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has no intention of trying to topple North Korea's regime despite concerns about its behavior and questions over succession, a senior US official said Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday lifted a ban on media coverage of the return of flag-draped coffins of fallen soldiers from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reversing a controversial policy dating back to 1991.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama has named a retired US Marine general with years of experience in Asia to a Pentagon post focusing on security in the region, the White House said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will travel next week to the Middle East to "take the pulse" of its leaders and then visit Europe in a bid to "boost" transatlantic ties, a spokesman said Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Top Democratic lawmakers Thursday urged Congress architect Stephen Ayers to switch the Capitol's century-old power plant from burning coal to using natural gas, in keeping with an initiative launched in 2007.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama Thursday rolled out an audacious 3.55-trillion-dollar budget bristling with economic reforms and spending on healthcare and climate change but warned that "hard choices" loomed as the deficit piles up.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States said Thursday it would hold regular three-way talks with Pakistan and Afghanistan to plot a new strategy to fight Islamic extremists amid a warning this year will be critical.

TEL AVIV (AFP) - US President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy George Mitchell discussed the situation in Gaza with senior Israeli officials on Thursday on his second regional trip to try to advance stalled peace talks.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Senate on Thursday, overturning two centuries of history, agreed to give residents of the nation's capital Washington a voting representative in Congress's lower chamber.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican leaders reacted with concern to President Barack Obama's 3.55-trillion-dollar budget for 2010, objecting to tax hikes for wealthier Americans and the return of big government.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama is banking on a landmark carbon gas cap-and-trade system to both fight climate change and pump 80 billion dollars into the Treasury purse to fund renewable energy programs.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday sent the new special envoy for North Korea to three Asian capitals and Moscow amid efforts to break the deadlock on Pyongyang's nuclear disarmament.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Syria sounded upbeat Thursday after holding its first high-level talks with the United States since President Barack Obama took office, saying the "very constructive meeting" will pave the way for more.