Negotiators are starting to make trade-offs between agriculture and industrial goods in the long-running Doha round as they grope towards a deal to open up world trade this year, diplomats said on Thursday. At this stage countries are making demands

The United States has made good progress in talks with Poland and the Czech Republic over the possible siting of the U.S. missile defense shield and all major issues have been resolved, a U.S. official said. Acting undersecretary of state

The United States, in the dock at a U.N. forum accused of racial discrimination, said on Thursday it was combating hate crimes such as displays of hangman's nooses as well as police brutality against minorities. A U.S. delegation defended Washington's

The House of Representatives will vote next week on legislation that would levy $18 billion in taxes on big oil companies to help pay for extending renewable energy tax credits, Democratic leaders said on Thursday. The legislation includes tax credits

All three top U.S. presidential contenders tout their environmental credentials, but Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton cast far more "green" votes in Congress than John McCain, a conservation group reported on Thursday. Sen. McCain of Arizona, the likely Republican nominee,

Web search company Google Inc is collaborating with Cleveland Clinic, one of the premier U.S. health institutions, to pilot an exchange of data that puts patients in charge of their own medical records. The health care industry has been trying

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it would publish key software blueprints to let rival programs work better with its products and address some European antitrust concerns. The world's largest software company said it would follow up with more actions to

The Pentagon said on Thursday it was very confident that a spectacular and unprecedented missile strike from a U.S. Navy warship had destroyed the toxic fuel tank of a defunct U.S. spy satellite. The 1,000 pound (450 kg) fuel tank

A hormone is the secret behind the unusual ability of young swallowtail caterpillars to disguise themselves as bird droppings and then copies of the leaves they live on before becoming butterflies, Japanese researchers found. Writing on Thursday in the journal

Cuba's rubber-stamp National Assembly will meet on Sunday to name retiring Cuban leader Fidel Castro's successor, and few people are placing bets on anyone other than his brother Raul Castro. The younger Castro has provisionally held power since his brother

Days after the largest meat recall in U.S. history, the head of the Agriculture Department said officials are reviewing why a California plant processed unfit cattle, and that it was too early to determine whether it was an incident specific

Democrat Hillary Clinton on Thursday questioned rival Barack Obama's readiness to serve as commander in chief and his ability to win the White House as the two presidential contenders prepared for a crucial debate. The Thursday night showdown in Austin,

U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday he would not compromise with the Democratic-led Congress on his demand that phone companies that took part in his warrantless domestic spying program be shielded from lawsuits. Bush has demanded Congress protect

Scores of protesters smashed their way into the U.S. embassy in Belgrade on Thursday in anger at Kosovo's independence, ransacking rooms and setting fires before riot police dispersed the crowd. Washington reacted with anger. "I'm outraged by the mob attack,"

People who have a strong social network feel less pain and anxiety before having surgery than their more isolated peers, according to a new study in VA patients. This translates to less pain and anxiety after the operation, less use

Lavenderblu" was a young girl when she got her first taste of domestic violence. After suffering at the hands of her father and witnessing repeated attacks on her mother, she ended up in a violent relationship of her own before

Regularly eating yogurt and other foods with lactic acid may be good for your mouth, Japanese researchers report. Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki and colleagues found that consuming yogurt and lactic acid drinks was significantly associated with better periodontal health. "But, milk