Reuters - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday he had agreed with Rwanda's president, who threatened to pull troops out of Sudan, on the importance of Rwanda continuing in peacekeeping operations. (full story...)

GAINESVILLE, Florida (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned on Thursday that an obscure U.S. Christian pastor's plan to burn the Koran could provoke al Qaeda suicide bombings, as international pressure mounted on Washington to step in. (full story...)

Retiring Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) said he plans to help push a package of small-business incentives through the Senate next week, a move that would give President Obama and congressional Democrats a key victory on the economy in the final weeks before the November midterm elections. Business - Small business -....(more) (full story...)

The United Steelworkers union launched a broad challenge Thursday against what it alleges is illegal support for China's growing dominance in the renewable energy industry. The move targets China's practices in a sector that President Obama has said is central to U.S. economic renewal. China - Energy - Techn....(more) (full story...)

AFP - A US appeals court suspended Thursday a ban on state-funding for embryonic stem cell research pending a full appeal of the case, in a major boost to President Barack Obama's administration. (full story...)

President Barack Obama’s environmental chief has postponed her visit to DeKalb County, officials said Thursday. (full story...)

Former Cuban president says Marxist model 'doesn't even work for us' in offhand remark to US journalist Jeffrey GoldbergIt was a casual remark over a lunch of salad, fish and red wine but future historians are likely to parse and ponder every word: "The Cuban model doesn't even work for us any more.&....(more) (full story...)

Former President Bill Clinton will take your questions in an upcoming YouTube interview, Comcast has a free service that lets you text to get details about what's on TV, and Google's new search feature is actually good at filtering out the bad stuff. (full story...)

Vladimir Putin says attack in relatively quiet Vladikavkaz was designed to 'sow enmity between our citizens'At least 16 people were killed today and more than 100 injured when a car bomb ripped through a market in the relatively quiet southern Russian city of Vladikavkaz, in what appears to be the latest suicide strike by Islamist militants....(more) (full story...)

President Barack Obama plans to award a posthumous Medal of Honor to an Army staff sergeant -- a Wheaton North High School graduate -- who gave his life to save his fellow soldiers and 15 members of the Afghanistan National Army. (full story...)