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European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana (L) is pictured with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili prior to talks on Tehran's nuclear programm. Attempts to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear programme have made "insufficient" progress, Solana said Saturday following high-level talks in Geneva.(AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)

'Insufficient' progress on Iran nuclear talks: Solana

1 hour, 33 minutes ago

GENEVA (AFP) - The EU's diplomatic chief Javier Solana said Saturday there had been "insufficient" progress in attempts to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear programme following high-level talks in Geneva.

  • Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama addresses an economic competitiveness summit at Carnergie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 2008. Obama has arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced trip at the start of a major international tour, his campaign said.(AFP/File/Emmanuel Dunand)
    Obama visits Afghanistan on international tour 1 hour, 13 minutes ago

    KABUL (AFP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama met US troops in Afghanistan Saturday during a visit to assess efforts against extremist militants at the start of a major international tour, officials said.

  • File photo shows US President George W. Bush (right) shaking hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in New York. US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact(AFP/File/Jim Watson)
    Bush, Maliki, agree on 'time horizon' for US troop cut 1 hour, 20 minutes ago

    TUCSON, Arizona (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact.

  • US President George W. Bush, pictured here in June 2008, assured Americans that the battered US economy will "pull through" despite continuing housing woes and a spike in inflation.(AFP/File/Tim Sloan)
    Bush assures US economy will 'pull through' 1 hour, 36 minutes ago

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush assured Americans Saturday that the battered US economy will "pull through" despite continuing housing woes and a spike in inflation.

  • Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain speaks in Ohio on July 16. McCain has asked if his Democratic rival Barack Obama would be wrong about Afghanistan as, in the Republican presidential hopeful's view, he had been about Iraq.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Scott Olson)
    McCain jabs Obama on Iraq, Afghanistan 1 hour, 13 minutes ago

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - John McCain on Saturday asked if his Democratic rival Barack Obama would be wrong about Afghanistan as, in the Republican presidential hopeful's view, he had been about Iraq.

  • US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks in Washington, DC. Rice will meet her North Korean counterpart for the first time on the sidelines of next week's ASEAN Regional Forum, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.(AFP/Tim Sloan)
    Rice to meet NKorean counterpart on margin of ASEAN forum Fri Jul 18, 4:44 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet her North Korean counterpart for the first time on the sidelines of next week's ASEAN Regional Forum, a State Department spokesman said Friday.

  • Barack Obama's campaign Friday rejected Republican claims that his five-nation Middle East and Europe tour was a political stunt, as it unveiled a packed agenda of talks with leaders.(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)
    Obamania grips Europe ahead of visit by "John Kennedy of our time" Fri Jul 18, 10:07 PM ET

    BERLIN (AFP) - Obamania is all the rage ahead of next week's visit to Berlin, Paris and London by a man described in newspapers as a "John Kennedy of our time" and Europe's champion in the race for the White House.

  • A US border officer checkes the documents of arriving foreign visitors at Los Angeles International Airport in 2004. Gay advocates and commentators have hailed a vote by US senators to repeal a travel ban on HIV-positive visitors or immigrants to the United States.(AFP/File/Robyn Beck)
    US activists praise Senate for lifting HIV travel ban Fri Jul 18, 8:49 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Gay advocates and commentators have hailed a vote by US senators to repeal a travel ban on HIV-positive visitors or immigrants to the United States.

  • A US Air Force aircraft, a Boeing C-17 A Globemaster, is seen here in 2005. The Washington Post has reported that the US Air Force sought money from counter-terrorism funds to install luxurious rooms on military aircraft for travelling top brass and officials.(AFP/File/Pierre Verdy)
    Air force sought anti-terror funds so generals could fly in comfort Fri Jul 18, 1:39 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Air Force has sought millions of dollars in "war on terror" funds for "comfort capsules" so that the military brass can fly first class to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, a spokeswoman confirmed Friday.

  • US Pacific Command chief Admiral Timothy J Keating answers a question during a press conference in Jakarta in April 2008. The US policy on supplying arms to Taiwan remains unchanged, a State Department official said Friday, two days after a US admiral said Washington had frozen arms sales to the island.(AFP/File/Adek Berry)
    US policy on arms sales to Taiwan unchanged: official Fri Jul 18, 3:52 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US policy on supplying arms to Taiwan remains unchanged, a State Department official said Friday, two days after a US admiral said Washington had frozen arms sales to the island.

  • The President of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu (L), US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (C) and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Tachi (R) stand together after their briefing at the US State Department in Washington, DC. Rice named a veteran Eastern Europe specialist the United States' new ambassador to Kosovo Friday, five months after the breakaway Serbian province declared independence.(AFP/Tim Sloan)
    US names new ambassador to Kosovo Fri Jul 18, 4:34 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named a veteran Eastern Europe specialist the United States' new ambassador to Kosovo Friday, five months after the breakaway Serbian province declared independence.

  • Former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore outlines his vision for the future of US energy needs during a speech at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall on July 17 in Washington, DC.(AFP/Tim Sloan)
    Gore urges total shift to renewable energy to avert disaster Thu Jul 17, 9:42 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Nobel laureate and former US vice president Al Gore echoed president John F. Kennedy on Thursday as he urged Americans to shoot for the moon and make a total shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy in 10 years.

  • File photo shows a guard at the detainee center at Camp Delta in Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, talks with a detainee. In a victory for the Bush administration, a US judge ruled Thursday that the first Guantanamo prison war crimes trial, against Osama bin Laden's former driver, can go ahead as scheduled next week.(AFP/File/Paul J. Richards)
    Judge OKs first Guantanamo war crimes trial Thu Jul 17, 10:05 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - In a victory for the Bush administration, a US judge ruled Thursday that the first Guantanamo prison war crimes trial, against Osama bin Laden's former driver, can go ahead as scheduled next week.

  • Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain speaks in Ohio on July 16. McCain's campaign Thursday branded Barack Obama's foreign foray a "political stunt" and an overseas campaign rally, as the Democratic hopeful got set to head to Europe and the Middle East.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Scott Olson)
    McCain heads to American heartland; Obama heads abroad Fri Jul 18, 2:02 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - As Democrat Barack Obama was readying Friday a trip to Europe and the Middle East, rival Republican presidential hopeful John McCain planned to head to the US heartland to potential swing states.

  • Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, seen here on July 17, 2008, confirmed Friday that the United States had shifted in its position on diplomacy with Iran, with the decision to send a senior envoy to Geneva to participate in nuclear talks with Iran's top negotiator.(AFP/File/Tim Sloan)
    Rice acknowledges US policy shift on Iran Fri Jul 18, 5:07 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday confirmed that the United States had shifted its position on diplomacy with Iran, with the decision to send a senior envoy to Geneva to participate in nuclear talks with Iran's top negotiator.

  • Barack Obama's campaign Friday rejected Republican claims that his five-nation Middle East and Europe tour was a political stunt, as it unveiled a packed agenda of talks with leaders.(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)
    Obama trip no campaign stunt: aides Fri Jul 18, 2:28 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Barack Obama's campaign Friday rejected Republican claims that his five-nation Middle East and Europe tour was a political stunt, as it unveiled a packed agenda of talks with leaders.

  • The United States on Thursday expressed guarded optimism about trade talks next week aimed at rescuing the WTO Doha Round if China leads developing countries to make concessions.(AFP/Graphic)
    US optimistic on WTO talks if China leads concessions Thu Jul 17, 9:32 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Thursday expressed guarded optimism about trade talks next week aimed at rescuing the WTO Doha Round if China leads developing countries to make concessions.

  • Undersecretary of State William Burns, seen here on Capitol Hill on July 9, 2008, held talks Thursday with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to prepare a key meeting with Iran's top nuclear negotiator this weekend.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Mark Wilson)
    Top US official in Brussels talks ahead of Iran nuclear meet Thu Jul 17, 10:50 AM ET

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - US Under Secretary of State William Burns held talks Thursday with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to prepare a key meeting with Iran's top nuclear negotiator this weekend.

  • US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice answers a question about the senior US diplomat who will attend international nuclear talks with Iran at the State Department in Washington, DC. Rice has said the United States is "firmly behind" diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's sensitive nuclear work but did not know if Tehran would respond positively.(AFP/Tim Sloan)
    US 'firmly behind' diplomatic effort on Iran: Rice Thu Jul 17, 11:59 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday the United States is "firmly behind" diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's sensitive nuclear work but did not know if Tehran would respond positively.

  • Iran nuclear talks make 'insufficient' progress: Solana 48 minutes ago

    GENEVA (AFP) - Attempts to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear programme have made "insufficient" progress, the EU's diplomatic chief Javier Solana said Saturday following high-level talks in Geneva.