United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon abruptly recalled a special representative to Afghanistan on Wednesday, immediately relieving Peter Galbraith of his duties. No reason was given. "The secretary-general recognizes Mr. Galbraith's important contributions to the work of the mission and throughout his distinguished career as an international civil servant," a U.N. spokesman said. "The secretary-general has made this decision in the best interest of the mission." Galbraith's title was deputy special representative of the secretary-general for UNAMA, the United Nations Assistance ...

Residents of close-knit American Samoa are pulling together to help Pago Pago recover from Tuesday's devastating earthquake and tsunami, one of them told CNN on Wednesday. "That's how we operate over here in American Samoa -- basically everyone is related," said iReporter Maneafaiga T. Lagafuaina, 29, of the town of Lu'uuli. "And I know, at this time, especially with what American Samoa has experienced, we have pulled together as one. "Families and friends from both ends of the island have ...

As lawmakers huddled this summer to put together the framework for health care legislation, it quickly became evident that the battle over President Obama's top priority would be neither quick nor easy. After months of debate and missed deadlines, the public option has emerged as the main sticking point. From the beginning, some Democrats said they wouldn't pass a bill without a government-sponsored, public option, while other Democrats and most Republicans said they'd say no to any plan ...

Historical tensions and overreaction on the part of both Russia and Georgia contributed to a five-day conflict between the two in 2008, a European Union fact-finding mission concluded in a report released Wednesday. "The conflict is rooted in a profusion of causes comprising different layers in time and actions combined," said the report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia. "While it is possible to identify the authorship of some important events and decisions marking its ...

A small plane crashed outside Muncie, Indiana, as military F-16s trailed it Wednesday after its pilot failed to respond to radio calls, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said. "The conflict is rooted in a profusion of causes comprising different layers in time and actions combined," said the report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia. "While it is possible to identify the authorship of some important events and decisions marking its course, there is no ...

Four tropical cyclones, two major earthquakes with accompanying tsunamis, all occurring around the Western Pacific and Southern Asia within one day. So much activity in the same portion of the world, how unusual is something like this, and could they be related According to CNN meteorologist and weather producer Brandon Miller this is certainly not unprecedented as far as tropical systems go. "September represents the peak of tropical activity around the world, and the Western Pacific sees more tropical cyclones ...

Setting the stage for a dramatic battle over gun rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted an appeal challenging the ability of state and local governments to enforce strict limits on handguns and other weapons. The high court returned from its summer recess, meeting in private to consider thousands of pending appeals that have piled up the past three months. The Second Amendment case from Chicago was the most anticipated of the petitions, and oral arguments will be held sometime ...

There are many things most people would rather not dwell upon when considering the facts behind the marriage between Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, perhaps the most reviled pairing in reality TV. Thank God sex isn't really a fact in their marriage, according to Pratt. Speaking to the New York Post's PopWrap on Tuesday, Pratt, 26, said that he's tried to prevent Montag, 23, from realizing her dreams of becoming a young mother -- by refusing her sex. "I'm not ...

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has signed for Ferrari on a three-year deal, the Formula One giants announced on Wednesday. Alonso will replace 2007 world champion Kim Raikkonen in Ferrari's line-up for next season. Raikkonen is reported to be headed for McLaren to replace fellow Finn Heikki Kovalainen, with BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica moving to Renault to fill the gap left by the long-anticipated departure of Alonso. "We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who ...

President Obama is under increasing pressure to decide whether the United States will commit more troops and resources to the conflict in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, the head of NATO met with the president and endorsed Obama's plan to fine-tune the strategy for Afghanistan before deciding on whether to deploy more troops. "I agree with President Obama in his approach: strategy first, then resources," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after meeting with Obama at the White House. The ...