Erol Israfil

Turkish basketball federation says WNBA star Taurasi tests positive for stimulant modafinil. WNBA standout and former UConn star Diana Taurasi tested positive for modafinil while playing in a professional women's league in Turkey, the country's basketball federation said Friday.

As peace talks stall, Palestinians lobby countries to recognize the state of Palestine. The Palestinians' Plan B ? an alternative to the elusive peace deal with Israel ? is gradually taking shape: convince as many countries as possible to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, and use that to lobby the United States not to veto recognition by the U.N. Security Council.

Obama abroad: Popularity high despite domestic rebuke _ but star fades among Muslims. Euphoria swept the world after the election of President Obama, a symbol of hope and yearning for compromise after years of war and resentment toward his predecessor's style and policies. Today, after an electoral rebuke at home, Obama is still popular among America's traditional allies, but his star power among Muslims ? a focus of his international outreach ? is fading.

Sudan foreign minister: 'Won't object' to southern vote for independence. Sudan's foreign minister on Wednesday said that though the government is opposed to splitting up the country, it "won't object" if southerners vote for independence in an upcoming referendum.

Turkey: imprisoned leader of Kurdish rebels seen as factor in any end to a long conflict. Maniac, terrorist, baby-killer, traitor. The Turkish state vilified Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned chief of Kurdish rebels, for his deadly attacks on soldiers and civilians in the 1990s. Today, it is a crime to praise him. Now come reports that Turkish officials have held secretive talks with Ocalan, possibly in recognition that he cannot be ignored in any deal to end the long conflict.

Turkey: Ottoman Empire enjoys an image turnaround after years in the cultural wilderness. This month, a troupe of 100 musicians, dancers, acrobats and robed actors is performing an Ottoman-style spectacle near Topkapi Palace, once home to the sultans. An exhibition of Ottoman poetry is on display at Istanbul's international airport. Ottoman cuisine, a fusion of flavors from old imperial lands, is in vogue.