U.S. to send stern message to North Korea

President Barack Obama's top diplomat and defense chief head to Seoul this week to discuss ways to respond to North Korea and deter it from any future attack after the sinking of a South Korean warship. Read More

Muslim Outreach Not the Job of NASA, White House Says

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden must have misspoken when he told Al Jazeera last month that one of his top priorities is to reach out to Muslim countries. Read More

Iran bolsters friendships abroad

The US and its European allies like to see Iran as an increasingly isolated country; its economy hobbled more and more by economic sanctions and with the pressure growing weekly. Read More

Clinton assures Russia's neighbors of support

At the end of a trip intended to reassure Russia's neighbors that the Obama administration would not forget them in its push to improve relations with Moscow, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton resorted to the simplest of diplomatic formulations, telling Georgia, the United States "can walk and chew gum at the same time." Read More

Trade Deal Draws Taiwan Closer Into China’s Embrace

Taiwan is scheduled to sign its first trade treaty with China tomorrow, strengthening commercial ties with the fastest-growing major economy and the island’s biggest trading partner and investment destination. Read More

China says "concerned" about South Korea-U.S. drill

China said on Tuesday it was concerned about reports that a U.S. aircraft carrier may join a military exercise with South Korea amid a tense standoff with North Korea over the sinking of a warship from the South. Read More

U.S. needs tougher North Korea nuclear strategy: report

The United States should employ more aggressive sticks and carrots to try to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear programs, according to an independent U.S. think tank report released on Tuesday. Read More

Obama to discuss Gaza's plight with Abbas

US President Barack Obama will discuss specific projects to improve the plight of the people of Gaza Wednesday as he welcomes Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to the White House, officials said. Read More

Obama to tackle "serious issues" with Azerbaijan

U.S. President Barack Obama promised in a letter released on Monday to tackle "serious issues" straining relations with Azerbaijan, an important link in Afghan supply lines and energy export routes to the West. Read More

China delays Gates trip in apparent snub for Taiwan

China has turned down a proposed fence-mending visit by the U.S. defense secretary, Robert Gates, during his trip in the region this week in what some American officials described as a snub to protest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Read More