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In Turkmenistan, nearly six million people are still caught in the iron grip of an eccentric dictator who is no longer even alive. Saparmurat Niyazov died last December and was succeeded by his personal dentist. But like so many things in secretive Turkmenistan, little is known about how that happened.

President Bush is pushing medical diplomacy across Latin America in response to charges that the United States has ignored its backyard since the war on terrorism began. Now the USHS Comfort is touring a dozen countries across the region.

For centuries, Venice maintained strong economic and social ties with the Islamic world. The city's art and architecture bear the mark of this vibrant exchange.

South Korean and Afghan officials seek a place to meet after agreeing to face-to-face negotiations with the Taliban over the release of South Korean hostages. There are 21 South Koreans still captive after their kidnap on July 19. Two other South Koreans kidnapped have been killed.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders is her first visit to the area since the Islamist group Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June. Rice is trying to bolster the West Bank "emergency" government set up by Hamas rival Fatah.

Saudi Arabia's leaders say they will seriously consider attending a Middle East peace conference later this year and would explore opening diplomatic relations with the Shiite-led government in Iraq, an endorsement long sought by Washington.

Israel's new president calls for a united international front to stop Iran's nuclear program. Shimon Peres says Iran's president "worships" a nuclear bomb more than he worships God.

The Bush administration said Monday a new mulitbillion military sales package to Arab countries will help secure Iraq and the Persian Gulf while promoting stability in a Middle East threatened by terrorism.

For the first time in its history, North Korea had a film screened at the Cannes film festival, which was held earlier this year. Observers say it's a cultural indication of the secretive nation's interest in opening up to the West.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he hadn't spoken to former Attorney General John Ashcroft about wiretapping while Ashcroft was hospitalized in 2004. But FBI chief Robert Mueller contradicted Gonzales' testimony on Thursday, saying the conversation was about wiretapping.