aug. 19

The United States military says the last American fighting unit is leaving Iraq. August 31 is the time limit set for American troops to end fighting operations in Iraq. The last of the unit's vehicles crossed the border into Kuwait early Thursday. About 50,000 American troops will remain in Iraq to train Iraqi soldiers and carry out anti-terrorism operations. The withdrawal comes as a new wave of violence hits the country. At least five people died in attacks Wednesday. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber killed nearly 60 people and wounded 125 others at an army center in Baghdad.

Iran's supreme leader says his country will hold talks with the United States only if it stops restrictions and threats against Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a speech Wednesday to top Iranian officials. He said that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and others are right in saying Iran is ready to negotiate on its nuclear program. But he said no discussions will be held with the United States. The United Nations, the European Union and the United States have placed new sanctions on Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium.

The United Nations says it has received about half of the $460-million it asked for last week to help flood survivors in Pakistan. The European Union nearly doubled its aid to Pakistan on Wednesday, bringing its total to 90-million. American officials say Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce another increase in aid to Pakistan at a special UN General Assembly meeting Thursday in New York. The United States has already promised about $90-million. The American military has promised millions of dollars more in aid, including helicopter rescue operations. Heavy seasonal rains have caused massive floods in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces. About 1,600 people have died and another 20-million are affected by the floods.

Election officials in Afghanistan say security concerns will prevent the opening of more than 900 voting centers during the parliamentary election. Officials said the election stations will remain closed for the September 18 vote because they are in areas that are too dangerous. Many are in the country's south and east. The election officials had planned earlier to open 6,835 centers. In separate news, a suicide bomber crashed his car into a group of police vehicles Wednesday in Kandahar province. The attack killed a police chief, two police officers and a civilian.

The Obama administration says it plans to support the creation of a United Nations committee to investigate suspected war crimes in Burma. The UN special diplomat for human rights in Burma suggested in March that such a group be established. A spokesman for the Obama administration said the United States has started talking with interested groups and individuals about how to go forward with the plan. Burma's military government has been accused of leading violent campaigns against ethnic groups and political dissidents. The top official supervising recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico says he does not know how long it will take for BP to fully close its broken oil well. Thad Allen told reporters Wednesday that efforts to dig a relief well have been delayed because of safety concerns. BP has already closed the top area of the broken well with mud and cement. The United States and BP are concerned that using the same method to close off the bottom of the well could lead to an increase in pressure. The pressure could possibly force more oil to leak into the Gulf of Mexico. Thad Allen says the relief well will only be completed once the government and BP are sure all possible risks have been considered.

Officials in northern Mexico say they have found the body of a mayor who was kidnapped earlier this week. They say the body of Edelmiro Cavazos was found Wednesday near the city of Monterrey. He was mayor of the nearby town of Santiago. Mr Cavazos was seized at his home late Sunday by armed men. No demand for payment in exchange for his release had been made. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has condemned the mayor's murder. He promised that his government would increase efforts to fight such criminals.

An American woman found guilty in Peru of aiding rebels is once more in detainment. Lori Berenson has been ordered back to prison to complete the remaining five years of her 20-year sentence. Lori Berenson's lawyer said she surrendered Wednesday after a court canceled the decision to give her an early release. The court ruled that she should be sent back to prison to complete her sentence for helping the rebel, Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. Government lawyers said there were legal mistakes in the decision to set her free.

Finally this news, one of the top dance groups in the United States is to perform in Cuba this November for the first time in 50 years. The American Ballet Theater says it will travel to Cuba for the Havana International Ballet Festival. This year's festival honors Cuban National Ballet director, Alicia Alonso. She danced with the American Ballet Theater earlier in her carrier nearly 70 years ago. The head of the American Ballet Theater said she believes the visit will create a bridge between the artistic communities of the two countries.