Washington  - The United States has suspended its Peace Corps activities in Bolivia over concerns about the safety of the volunteers serving in the country mired in political turmoil.

"We believe that this was a prudent step, based on the situation on the ground in Bolivia," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday.

The move to temporarily suspended the Peace Corps mission comes after Bolivian President Evo Morales expelled the US ambassador to the poor Andean nation, accusing him of fomenting political opposition.

Vienna  - Iran will not work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to clear up allegations of past nuclear weapons studies unless the agency treats its work in Iran as a routine matter, Tehran's UN ambassador in Vienna said Tuesday.

Belfast  - Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Catholic and Protestant politicians in Northern Ireland Tuesday for having "shown the whole world that hope can triumph over fear."

Brown's speech to members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the regional parliament, was an appeal to the province's political leaders to set aside differences over the controversial issues of justice and policing.

New York, Sept. 16: The Obama Campaign has denied a New York Post report that said he privately tried to persuade Iraqi political leaders to stall an agreement on scaling back American troops in Iraq while publicly campaigning for a speedy withdrawal.

Islamabad,
Sept 16: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that he
wants a diplomatic solution for the issue of unilateral American
strikes on Pakistan soil, and that he won’t act in haste.

“We do not jump to conclusions and will solve the issue through talks,”
he said, and added that Pakistan was a responsible country and would
not act hastily in retaliation to the US attacks.

He added his Government was trying to solve the issue of American attacks inside its Tribal Areas diplomatically.

Washington  - Former secretary of state Colin Powell has not decided whether he'll vote for Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain in the presidential election November 4.

Powell, a Republican, told a foreign policy forum Monday that he intends to see the campaign unfold before reaching a decision.

"I'm anxious to see what the debates are going to be like," said Powell, who served as President George W Bush's top diplomat from 2001 to 2005.