Trieste

Italy says on the eve of G-8 summit that world leaders have yet to agree on Iran. The leaders of Group of Eight countries have yet to forge a common position on Iran's violent crackdown on post-electoral protests, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Tuesday on the eve of the summit.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is unable to travel to Moscow next week because she needs to continue physical therapy on her "shattered" elbow, a US official said Thursday.

US to shift Afghan drug eradication funds to interdiction, alternate crops; G-8 praises move. The U.S. is shifting its strategy against Afghanistan's drug trade, phasing out funding for opium eradication while boosting efforts to fight trafficking and promote alternate crops, the U.S. envoy for Afghanistan said Saturday.

TRIESTE, Italy (Reuters) - Washington is to dramatically overhaul its Afghan anti-drug strategy, phasing out opium poppy eradication, the U.S. envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan told allies on Saturday.

Nursing a surgically repaired elbow, Clinton not fully back to work at State Department. One week after surgery to repair a broken right elbow, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday had not resumed a full work schedule at the State Department, officials said.

The Group of Eight leading powers Saturday urged "credible" elections in Afghanistan and an ambitious plan to undercut the Taliban by replacing poppy growing with legal agriculture.

Iran has an interest in joining counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan because of its high rate of drug addiction, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Saturday.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again slammed US President Barack Obama on Saturday for "interfering" in Iran, as debate over the Iranian president's disputed re-election showed no sign of abating.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again slammed US President Barack Obama on Saturday for "interfering" in Iran, as debate over the Iranian president's disputed re-election continued.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again slammed US President Barack Obama on Saturday for "interfering" in Iran, as debate over the Iranian president's disputed re-election continued.

G8 ministers call for end of violence in Iran, urge Tehran to reflect will of people in vote. Group of Eight foreign ministers criticized Iran's postelection violence, and urged its ruling clergy on Friday to ensure the outcome of the disputed ballot reflects the will of the Iranian people.

TRIESTE, Italy (Reuters) - U.S. envoy George Mitchell said Friday that the United States hoped Israelis and Palestinians would soon begin "meaningful and productive" peace negotiations.

Highlights from G8 foreign ministers' statement. Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations deplored the post-election violence in Iran at a meeting in Trieste, Italy, on Friday and weighed in on other regional and global issues. Here are some highlights from their statement, which noted that the Afghanistan conflict would be dealt with during the remaining sessions of the meeting:

Canada announced Friday it would put up 180 million dollars (156 million US) to help prevent terrorists from obtaining nuclear weapons, expanding a Russian nukes decommissioning program.

Pressure grew on Israel Friday to take concrete steps for peace as both the diplomatic quartet and the Group of Eight called for the Jewish state to halt West Bank settlements.

Israel came under renewed pressure to take concrete steps for peace as both the Group of Eight and the diplomatic quartet called on the Jewish state to halt West Bank settlements.

The Group of Eight called on Iran Friday to immediately halt post-election violence but refrained from calling into question the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's re-election.

The Group of Eight leading powers on Friday deplored post-election violence in Iran but refrained from questioning President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's re-election victory.

The Group of Eight called on Iran Friday to immediately halt post-election violence but refrained from calling into question the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's re-election.

The Group of Eight leading powers on Friday called on Iran to immediately put a halt to post-election violence but refrained from calling into question the poll result.