VoteKansas.org

DENVER (Reuters) - An economic adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday that U.S. financial regulation needs modernizing, but hedged on how big a role to give the Federal Reserve.

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev convened security chiefs on Tuesday to consider a plea from parliament to recognize two separatist regions of Georgia as independent, a move Washington says would be unacceptable.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of royalist protesters stormed the compound of Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, a TV station and several ministries on Tuesday in a coordinated bid to unseat his elected seven-month-old coalition government.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras, long considered an ally of the United States in Central America, joined on Monday a Latin American pact that has been pushed by Venezuela as a way to contain U.S. influence in the region.

MANILA (Reuters) - A Philippine air force transport plane crashed into the sea minutes after it took off and there were no survivors among the two pilots and seven crew members aboard, the air force said on Tuesday.

MOLINE, Illinois (Reuters) - Barack Obama promised on Monday to accept the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination with a "workman-like speech" offering policy details and not simply his trademark rhetoric.

DENVER (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton prepared for her highly anticipated turn in the spotlight at the Democratic convention on Tuesday, and in advance she urged supporters to help her put Barack Obama in the White House.

PERMATANG PAUH, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysia's best-known opposition politician, Anwar Ibrahim, scored a bigger than expected victory in a by-election on Tuesday, boosting his chances of becoming the country's next prime minister.

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The White House on Monday pressed Russia not to recognize Georgia's rebel areas and said Vice President Dick Cheney, an staunch critic of Moscow, would visit the region to show U.S. support for former Soviet states.

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - Cindy McCain, wife of U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain, is traveling to Georgia this week to assess the humanitarian situation there after its military conflict with Russia, the Arizona senator said on Monday.

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Demonstrators erected burning barricades in the streets of Haiti's southern city of Les Cayes on Monday to protest rising food prices in the impoverished Caribbean country.

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - China missed an opportunity to show progress on human rights and religious freedom during the Olympic Games, the White House said on Monday, after eight Americans were deported for protesting.

DENVER (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton urged her supporters on Monday to unite behind Barack Obama and said Democrats could not afford to let lingering frustrations from their nominating battle hurt Obama's bid for the White House.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday the world must increase pressure on Iran over its nuclear program to avoid a situation where Israel feels that "its back is to the wall" and may respond.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy for nuclear talks with North Korea had "substantive" discussions with his North Korean counterpart last week, the State Department said on Monday, but officials gave no hint of progress in breaking a deadlock over verifying Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel are focused on the thorny issue of how much Syrian territory is under Israeli occupation, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Monday.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese forces attacked a Darfur refugee camp on Monday, leaving up to 27 dead and scores wounded, rebel leaders said.

LILONGWE (Reuters) - Greater access to free medicine has helped slash AIDS-related deaths in Malawi by 75 percent in the last four years, a senior government official said on Monday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The White House should postpone a Congressional vote on a landmark U.S.-Russia civilian nuclear pact to prevent it being held hostage to a row over the conflict with Georgia, a Russian nuclear official told Reuters.

TSKHINVALI, Georgia (Reuters) - Georgian and South Ossetian forces were in a tense stand-off on Monday over control of a disputed village on the edge of the breakaway region, according to Georgian and separatist officials.