Hondurans are voting for a new leader five months after President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup. Neither Mr. Zeleya nor Mr. Roberto Micheletti, the military- backed leader who replaced him, are competing in Sunday s election. Conservative Porfirio Pepe Lobo of the opposition National Party is considered the front runner. He faces Elvin Santos of the ruling Liberal Party which ousted President Zeleya in June. The leading candidates in Sunday s election have signed a pledge to honor the constitutional ban on running for reelection.

Officials in Afghanistan say border security guards have killed at least 26 militants in a gun battle near the country s boarder with Pakistan. Afghan officials say no security guards were killed in today s clash in Khost province. They say coalition air support backed the guards during the battle which lasted several hours.

On Saturday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain will host an international conference on Afghanistan next year to outline conditions for handing security responsibility back to Afghan authorities.

A US Senate report says top military leaders during the administration of former President George Bush had an opportunity to capture or kill Osama Ben Laden in December of 2001 in Afghanistan. But they failed to send enough American troops to attack his hideout. At the time, top officials said there was not conclusive evidence Mr. Ben Laden was then in the cave complex and there were fears that a large US troop presence could spark a backlash among locals. The report release comes just days before President Obama is expected to announce the United States will send more troops into Afghanistan.

Iran s Parliament is urging Tehran to reduce cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency two days after the agency voted to censure Iran over its nuclear activities. Lawmakers read the declaration today, asking the government to draw up a plan to reduce the levels of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and submit it to the legislature. Iran s Parliament Speaker Ali  阅读全文>>