WASHINGTON (AFP) - - President Barack Obama's signature drive to remake US health care faced a critical Senate test vote Saturday, amid bitter 11th-hour debate and behind-the-scenes wrangling on a century-old policy feud.
SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) - - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday strongly backed President Dmitry Medvedev's call for economic modernisation, moving to smother talk of differences between the two leaders.
NEW YORK (AFP) - - The world's largest airliner, an Air France A380, touched down in New York on Friday after completing the superjumbo jet's first Atlantic crossing from Europe to the United States.
DUBAI (AFP) - - The impact of the global financial crisis is still in its "first half," but there is only a brief opportunity to bring tough reforms, the World Economic Forum warned on Friday.
DUBAI (AFP) - - The Dubai economy is growing at a five percent rate, less than in previous years but ahead of the most cautious forecasts, the head of a government economic committee said on Friday.
ARUSHA, Tanzania (AFP) - - Leaders of the five-member East African Community bloc on Friday signed a common market treaty to allow free trade, movement and right of residence, the first of its kind on the continent.
GENEVA (AFP) - - The world's biggest atom-smasher, which was shut down soon after its inauguration amid technical faults, is set to restart this weekend, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said on Friday.
YALTA, Ukraine (AFP) - - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced late Thursday a compromise deal with Ukraine on the thorny issue of gas supply, lessening the threat of multibillion-dollar fines that might cripple Ukraine's economy.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - - Efforts to craft a comprehensive climate treaty in Copenhagen next month will certainly "yield a success," the UN's top climate official pledged on Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - - A team of US scientists has uncovered the complete genetic code of corn, a discovery that promises to speed development of higher yielding varieties of one of the world's most important food crops.