Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was coy Monday about whether she would meet Iranian delegates at an international conference on Afghanistan, and she urged Tehran to play a positive role in helping stabilize its neighbor. "I believe that there will be an opening by this conference that will enable all the countries, including Iran, to come forward," Clinton told reporters aboard her plane en route to The Hague for Tuesday's conference. "The fact that they accepted the invitation to come ...

During the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt reassured anxious Americans through his famous fireside chats over the radio. Now, in the 21st century, President Obama has found his own fireside equivalent, launching an online town hall meeting Thursday where he will answer citizens' questions about the troubled economy and his efforts to fix it. "We're going to try something a little different. We are going to take advantage of the Internet to bring all of you to the White House ...

Meghan McCain, a contributor to TheDailyBeast.com, is the daughter of Sen. John McCain and Cindy McCain. But it's her recent verbal sparring with conservative Republicans that's put her in the spotlight. In a wide-ranging interview on Monday on CNN's "Larry King Live," McCain discussed her thoughts on President Obama, her recent heated exchange with radio host Laura Ingraham, her tattoos and more. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: [President Obama] is taking some criticism ...

The British Embassy in Baghdad has received a new video of one of five British hostages kidnapped about two years ago. "Regarding the transfer of troops, soldiers, we are positive on that issue," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking through an interpreter. In an exclusive interview with CNN at the headquarters of his Justice and Development Party, Erdogan indicated he had not yet received an official request from his American ally for permission to move troops across Turkish soil. In March ...

The U.S. State Department threw aside diplomatic language Tuesday, attacking Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for creating what it calls a "catastrophe" by throwing many international aid workers out of the country. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a direct challenge to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Tuesday, warning that he and his government "will be held responsible for every single death that occurs in" the refugee camps of the Darfur region. Al-Bashir ordered the expulsion of 13 international aid groups ...

Actor and political activist Ron Silver, who played a recurring role in TV's presidential drama "The West Wing," and who also let his political views play out in real life, died Sunday after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer, according to a colleague. Robin L. Bronk, executive director of The Creative Coalition, said Silver, a New York native, died in his sleep with his family around him. "Nothing could hold Ron back, not even a debilitating illness. His contributions as ...

Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a rally in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, after winning the race for the White House Tuesday night. The following is an exact transcript of his speech. Obama: Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your ...

Prominent scholars and experts are urging President Obama to adopt strong policies backing democracy in the Middle East. More than 140 people signed an open letter to the president. Its message will be the topic of a news conference Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington. "We urge you to elevate democratic reform and respect for human rights as key considerations in your engagement with both Arab regimes and Arab publics," the letter said. "We are writing ...

North Koreans cast ballots Sunday in parliamentary elections watched by outside observers for hints of who might eventually succeed leader Kim Jong-Il. Kim himself is running. And his near-certain win would affirm that the 67-year-old leader is firmly in control of the nuclear-armed nation despite a reported stroke in August. But with Kim's recent health scare, analysts were looking for signs of whether he was ready to groom one of his sons as an heir to the world's only communist ...

Zimbabwe's prime minister believes the truck driver that struck his car, killing his wife, deliberately drove toward him, his party told CNN Saturday. Morgan Tsvangirai was in a stable condition and recovering from head injuries after the car accident Friday that killed his wife, Susan, medical sources told CNN. The couple, who were married in 1978, have six children. The crash, on a two-lane highway between Tsvangirai's hometown Buhera and the capital Harare, comes only weeks after the start ...