NATO's foreign ministers, in Brussels for an extraordinary meeting, have said in a statement that they "cannot continue with business as usual" in their relations with Russia unless Moscow honors its pledge to pull its troops out of Georgia. The alliance also dispatched missions to Georgia with a view to contributing to the reconstruction of the civilian -- and possibly also military -- infrastructure destroyed by Russian forces.
In a move that could further aggravate tensions between Iran and the West, Tehran said it has launched a rocket capable of carrying a satellite into space. While Iran insists its space program is peaceful, . Washington says the launch is "troubling" because the technology could be use by the military, though others say Iran is exaggerating its accomplishments.
Pakistani authorities say that recent fighting between the military and Taliban insurgents in the Bajaur tribal district has displaced at least 250,000 ethnic Pashtuns from the region.
NATO has said there can be "no business as usual" as long as Russian forces are in Georgia, while Moscow has accused NATO of being "biased" and seeking to rescue Georgia's "criminal regime."
Russian and Georgian forces have started exchanging prisoners amid continued tension over Russia's promised withdrawal from positions inside Georgia, which has yet to take place in any significant way.
NATO allies called on Russia to respect a peace deal with Georgia and withdraw its troops but were cool on a U.S. demand that the alliance consider scaling back ties with Moscow.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has warned Moscow that it is playing a dangerous game with the United States and its NATO allies.
Leaders of Pakistan's coalition government have set about seeking a replacement for President Pervez Musharraf and tackling pressing economic and security problems.
A wave of Taliban suicide bombers backed by gunmen attempted to breach the defenses of the main U.S. base in southeastern Afghanistan.
Iran has said it is ready to help fellow Muslim states launch satellites into orbit after it successfully put a dummy satellite into orbit -- a move that may increase Western suspicions over its atomic ambitions.
The European Commission has welcomed a move by the Belarusian leadership to pardon prominent opposition leader Alyaksandr Kazulin from the remainder of a 5 1/2-year prison sentence.
Afghans are being warned to watch for possible terror attacks as they mark the anniversary of their independence. The U.S. military says insurgents are planning to attack public events.
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