Agents of the U.S. Marshals Service arrested nearly 11,000 fugitives, as well as many sex offenders and gang members in a week-long law enforcement campaign, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced on Thursday.

Italian troops based in Iraq's Nassiriya have finished their supervising phase during which they looked after the assumption of security duties by Iraqi forces and will now complete their planned withdrawal, local media reported Thursday.

Serbian voters have approved the new draft constitution in a referendum over the weekend with 53.04 percent of registered voters supporting the bill, the Republic Election Commission said on Thursday evening, citing final official results.

Russia plans to join a tender to build nuclear power plants in Egypt, a Russian official said on Thursday.

The United States encourages the development of peaceful nuclear energy by responsible states, including Egypt, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Thursday.

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi visited Naples Thursday to discuss ways to fight crime with city officials, saying to dispatch more police to stem a rash of murders, but ruled out sending in the army for now.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan waived the immunity of a UN procurement officer at the request of U.S. attorney, UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced Thursday.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived here Thursday to attend the 16th meeting of the Ibero- American Nations Organization, which brings together 22 heads of state from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Equatorial Guinea.

Gabriele Torsello, an Italian photographer kidnapped in Afghanistan last month, has been freed by his captors, the Italian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Turkey on Friday welcomed the decision by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.