News from the Americas from The International Herald Tribune, the world's daily newspaper online.
Obama meets with Israeli and Palestinian leaders
The candidate shared breakfast with Defense Minister Ehud Barak of Israel before traveling to the West Bank to meet the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
McCain steps up criticism as Obama trip gets coverage
John McCain and his campaign sharply stepped up criticism of Barack Obama as a naïve traveler to the Middle East who "would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."
Obama's health care pledges come under scrutiny
Economists and health analysts are questioning whether Barack Obama can make good on his pledge to lower health care costs enough to "bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family."
U.S. and North Korea take another step toward improved ties
In a break with U.S. policy, Condoleezza Rice joined what were termed informal talks with North Korea on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian security forum and said afterward that it had been a good meeting.
At Guantánamo trial, different pictures of defendant
The lawyers' dueling presentations were suggestive of those at civilian trials, but there were also reminders of the differences permitted by the 2006 law that established the military commission system.
