The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) said on Thursday that it would continue its efforts to help resume Somali parties' negotiations on the crisis they are facing.

The United States said on Thursday that it was very much concerned about "terrorist elements " in Somalia who were linked to groups outside of the country.

U.S. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama topped the list of potential Democratic candidates for the party's presidential nomination in 2008, a new CNN poll showed.

Panama has agreed to accept the Latin America and Caribbean seat on the United Nations Security Council, after a long battle between Venezuela and Guatemala for the post, Panamanian press said on Thursday.

A U.S. lieutenant general who once served as the top commander of American forces in Iraq has been forced to retire from the Army, allegedly because of the abuse scandal at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, news reports said Thursday.

An Iranian navy chief said on Friday that the previous test launch of three new missiles was a strong message for the United States to cease its military drills in the Gulf region, the state radio reported.

The European Union has abandoned planned meetings to break the current deadlock in Turkey's accession process, said the Finnish EU presidency on Thursday.

Iran says missile launch call for U.S. to stop drills in Gulf

Relations with Norway are now so good that the Russian border guards in the north soon may be withdrawn, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported on Thursday, quoting Russian Defense Minister Sergej Ivanov during his visit to Norway.

Germany may raise more demands for Romania and Bulgaria to be admitted into the European Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.