There is no immediate danger of Afghanistan falling to the Taliban, one of President Obama's top advisers said Sunday. "I don't foresee the return of the Taliban," National Security Adviser James Jones said on CNN's "State of the Union." "And I want to be very clear that Afghanistan is not in danger -- imminent danger -- of falling." Obama is overseeing a review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, with his top general in that country, some other military leaders and ...

It was the gaffe heard around the globe. Last November, just two days after Barack Obama's historic election victory, the world's collective jaw dropped when Silvio Berlusconi quipped that the next U.S. President was "young, handsome and even has a good tan." Though the Italian Prime Minister refused to apologize for the failed attempt at humor, Obama and his aides gave Berlusconi a pass. The incoming President was not going to be sidetracked by a diplomatic incident with a ...

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 ...

First lady Michelle Obama vowed Monday to "take no prisoners" as she and her husband launch an unprecedented bid for Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. "It's a battle -- we're going to win -- take no prisoners," the first lady said with a smile at a roundtable discussion with reporters in the White House State Dining Room. She compared the intense lobbying effort to the 2008 presidential campaign, noting that in the election campaign, a lot of voters made their decision ...

Germans went to the polls Sunday in the face of threatening videos from al Qaeda and the Taliban warning them not to vote for leaders who want to keep the country's troops in Afghanistan. Security was tightened at airports and train stations, and authorities on Saturday banned all flights over the Oktoberfest beer festival until it ends on October 4. The annual event attracts about 6 million people. Chancellor Angela Merkel is fighting for another four-year term amid concerns about ...

As campaigning was closing for the German presidential election Sunday, attention was already turning to what coalition will rule the country. Few doubt that Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, CDU, will win most votes. So, will Merkel continue the current center right-center left 'grand coalition' with the Social Democrats or will the votes suffice for a coalition with the business liberal but centrist Liberal Democrats or the FDP, a constellation Germans refer to as 'Black-Yellow.' At a press conference ostensibly ...

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Monday that he backs a recommendation from the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan to boost American troop levels in the embattled Islamic nation. The call for more U.S. soldiers is "the right approach ... and we back it," Karzai said during an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. He also criticized military allies for failing to attack al Qaeda and other extremists in sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan's borders. Karzai emphasized the need for greater protection of Afghan ...

Russia announced Monday it might hold joint military maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean, and the United States said it is scrapping a once ballyhooed deal with Moscow on nuclear technology. A stream of videos posted on social networking Web sites depicted scenes of chaos -- the sound of gunshots and helicopters whirring overhead and graphic images of wounded men and women being carried away. Unconfirmed reports put the death toll as high as 150 on the seventh day of ...

A global commodities trading company says it is considering a settlement to legal claims that it is responsible for the deaths of 15 people and thousands of illnesses after 500 tons of toxic waste were dumped in the African nation of Ivory Coast. The Dutch company Trafigura said studies by 20 experts it has hired conclude that the chemicals did not harm anyone. "In view of that expert evidence, and the fact that claims are not being made in this ...

Is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin running for vice president of the United States or vice president of the student council? (CNN) -- Is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin running for vice president of the United States or vice president of the student council Listening to some political strategists, pundits and radio and TV blowhards, you would think that all she has to do is show up, sign her name on the roll, and she's done enough to satisfy the requirement for ...