Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans Wednesday to sign a deal to build a U.S. missile defense base on Polish soil, an agreement that has already prompted an infuriated Russia to threaten its former Soviet satellite.
Russia's foreign minister warned Ukrainian leaders Tuesday against trying to restrict the Kremlin's use of a Crimean naval base it leases from Ukraine, adding to tensions that have heated up since Russian troops invaded Georgia.
Russia is countering a French push for immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia by circulating a competing U.N. Security Council resolution.
The German government on Wednesday approved a law that would allow it to block moves by foreign investors to take large stakes in German companies, if it concludes that they endanger the country's interests.
Members of the Bank of England's committee that sets interest rates are largely in agreement on policy, minutes from the group's August meeting revealed on Wednesday -- though two members disagreed with the decision to leave rates unchanged.
The dollar rose against the Swiss francs late Tuesday night in New York. The U.S. currency was worth 1.0928 Swiss francs, just above the 1.0927 francs it bought in the late afternoon.
Russia took the first steps toward a troop pullback from Georgia on Tuesday but at the same time paraded blindfolded and bound Georgian prisoners on armored vehicles and seized four U.S. Humvees.
The Beijing bishop appointed by China's state-controlled Catholic Church said in an interview Wednesday that he hopes Pope Benedict XVI will visit his country and that relations with the Vatican are improving.
Georgia's president has told The Associated Press he does not believe Russia will fulfill its promise to withdraw from most of the country in the coming days.
The United States' chief trade envoy on Wednesday said Washington would support the struggling global trade talks regardless of which party wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
