Iraqi living abroad have begun casting ballots in their country's national election, even as insurgents in Iraq continued deadly attacks intended to stop voting there on Sunday.
President Bush says the United States will pull its troops from Iraq if the government that comes to power in Sunday's election asks for a withdrawal.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says political tension in military-ruled Burma has risen after tha death of a senior general's aide.
Vietnamese officials say bad weather contributed to the crash of a helicopter on Wednesday that killed 16 military officials, including two generals.
News Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Europe and the Middle East next month in her first trip abroad as American's top diplomat.
Bill Gates, the chairman of the Microsoft software company, has given the United Nations 10 million dollars to finance a campaign that aims to wipe out polio as a threat to the world's children.
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