President Bush travels to Saudi Arabia today (Monday) to encourage support for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and U.S.-led efforts to contain Iran. Mr. Bush is using a tour of the Middle East to ask his Arab allies to provide diplomatic and financial backing to Palestinian leaders involved in negotiations with Israel. In a speech Sunday in Abu Dhabi, the president also urged Gulf states to join Washington in confronting Iran, which he called "the world's leading state sponsor of terror."
SOKOR POL: Sout h Korea's next president says he is willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Il any time if it will help Pyongyang abandon its nuclear weapons program. President-elect Lee Myung-bak told a news conference today (Monday) that a North-South Korean summit could happen after he is sworn in next month. He added that the next summit should take place in South Korea. Two previous Korean summits have taken place in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
CHINA-US MILITARY: The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific is meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing today (Monday) to discuss military ties, Taiwan and other issues. Admiral Timothy Keating, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, met Chinese Foreign Ministry Yang Jiechi behind closed doors. The official Xinhua news agency said Yang demanded that the United States not allow Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to engage in any separatist activities by using U.S. territory.
THAILAND UNREST: Military authorities in Thailand say suspected Muslim insurgents killed eight soldiers today (Monday) in an attack in one of the country's restive southern provinces. An army spokesman said the soldiers were ambushed while on routine patrol in Narathiwat, one of three provinces along the Malaysian border wracked by four years of separatist violence.
INDIA-CHINA: I ndian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called on China today (Monday) to help reduce their bilateral trade imbalance. In a speech to business officials in Beijing, Mr. Singh also called for more economic cooperation between the two economic powerhouses. Mr. Singh is in Beijing for a three-day trip aimed at boosting the sometimes strained relations between the Asian nations. Following his arrival Sunday, Prime Minister Singh visited a venue for this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Mr. Singh as saying the Olympic preparations are a source of inspiration for India.
Audio in Lao.