document.write("• Israeli-Palestinian conflict takes center stage in Washington - CNN
Ahead of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians on Thursday, President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that he was "hopeful -- cautiously hopeful"that the talks could achieve a two-state solution to the long running Mideast conflict.
"); document.write("• IMF Warns Countries of Debt Risks, Dismisses Idea of Greek Default - Wall Street Journal
The International Monetary Fund delivered a mixed message Wednesday, warning that many wealthy countries are amassing risky debt burdens but playing down the likelihood of a Greek default.
"); document.write("• Iranian threat may be boon for Mideast peace talks - Washington Post
As President Obama convenes the first direct Middle East peace talks in 20 months, the question many observers here and in the region are asking is what, if anything, makes this round any more hopeful than the last.
"); document.write("• UN: Global Food Prices Highest in 2 Years - ABC News
International food prices have risen to their highest level in two years, fueled in part by a drought in Russia that lifted the cost of wheat, a U.N. agency said Wednesday.
"); document.write("• US Forces Still in Fight at End of Combat Mission - ABC News
Even as President Barack Obama was announcing the end of combat in Iraq, American soldiers were sealing off a northern village early Wednesday as their Iraqi partners raided houses and arrested dozens of suspected insurgents.
"); document.write("• Floods in South Sudan Leave Nearly 60,000 Homeless - ABC News
Floods have displaced nearly 60,000 people in the last month in south Sudan with many at risk of malaria and other diseases, the semi-autonomous region's government said Tuesday.
");