Iranian officials are expected to huddle again with their Western counterparts Wednesday to hammer out a deal about the future of Tehran's nuclear program. A day earlier, talks between the two sides ended on an optimistic note, with the director-general of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency calling them constructive. The meetings are taking place at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. The participants include Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh, and officials from France, Russia ...

An impassioned U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking to students at Moscow State University on Wednesday, admonished those in the U.S. and Russian governments who haven't moved beyond a Cold War mentality. Clinton said such people are "living in the past" and aren't able to cooperate on issues such as missile defense because they "don't trust each other." She also called on the nations to find common ground, saying they "shouldn't end all cooperation" just because they can't agree ...

Nearly one in four people worldwide is Muslim -- and they are not necessarily where you might think, according to an extensive new study that aims to map the global Muslim population. India, a majority-Hindu country, has more Muslims than any country except for Indonesia and Pakistan, and more than twice as many as Egypt. China has more Muslims than Syria. Germany has more Muslims than Lebanon. And Russia has more Muslims than Jordan and Libya put together. ...

After last year's war between Russia and Georgia, which left at least 250 people dead and parts of Georgia in ruin, both countries were eager to point the finger of blame at one another for starting the conflict. On Wednesday, an independent investigating team issued a highly anticipated report saying that neither country can escape fault. In the 1,100-page report, the investigators said that Georgia fired the first shots in the August 2008 conflict when it launched an attack on the breakaway region of South ...

Third seed Venus Williams stepped up her bid for her third U.S. Open title with a convincing 6-4 6-2 win over fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Wednesday. Williams was on the brink of defeat against her first round opponent Vera Dushevina of Russia, but cut out the unforced errors in her second match at Flushing Meadows. But there was disappointment for former world number one Amelie Mauresmo of France as she bowed out of the hardcourt grand slam. The 17th ...

Libyans on Tuesday celebrated Col. Moammar Gadhafi's 40 years of rule with lavish pageantry -- complete with a lengthy parade, an elaborate stage production and spectacular fireworks. The massive celebration for 67-year-old Gadhafi came less than two weeks after Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, who was convicted of murdering 270 people by blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was freed from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds. The world watched as al Megrahi, who has ...

On a sand swept stretch of Afghanistan, a high-ranking Polish general put his country's mission there into perspective. He explained to a NATO delegation that Polish troops remind Afghan locals of two things about the mission: They are not Soviets and they know how difficult it is to live under foreign occupation. It is hard to ignore the incomparable price Poland paid during World War II. It was attacked by Germany, invaded by the Soviets, and became home to the ...

At least two police officers in Russia's restive region of Chechnya were killed Friday when two bombs went off in the capital, Grozny, the Russian Interior Ministry said. Those who snapped up a ticket to the event that has been dubbed "Avatar Day" will be privy to footage of the much-hyped, technically-advanced 3D science fiction epic that some are saying will revolutionize the way we watch movies. The Oscar-winning director is famous for pushing the boundaries of technology in ...

South African runner Caster Semenya's muscular physique helped propel her to victory during the 800 meters at Wednesday night's world track and field championships in Berlin. Now that physique, coupled with an ongoing gender verification test, is fueling suspicion that Semenya could be stripped of her medal because she is actually a he. Semenya, 18, came to the world's attention on July 30 after winning the African Junior Championships in Mauritius. There, she posted 1:56.72, the fastest ...

As many as 62 workers are still missing Tuesday, a day after an explosion at Russia's largest hydroelectric plant killed 12 people, a government official said. Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to reporters Tuesday from the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric plant in southern Siberia, where the blast occurred Monday after water pipes burst during repair work. At least 25 rescue teams, as well as a special police force and special rapid response detachments, were working to find the missing employees, ...