AFP - Australia's central bank cut interest rates Tuesday for the first time in over six-and-a-half years, pushing them down 25 basis points to seven percent amid signs of cooling economic growth.

AP - Young Americans studying Arabic like to joke that Jordan is "Middle East Lite" — a safe way into a tumultuous region without Lebanon's violence, Syria's tense relationship with the U.S. or the Gulf's conservative culture.

AP - Threatening to delay talks on a political and economic agreement, the European Union has warned Russia to pull its troops back from positions in Georgia.

AP - American forces on Monday handed over security responsibility to the Iraqis in a province that the U.S. once feared was lost — a sign of the stunning reversal of fortunes since local Sunnis turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.

AP - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday became the highest-ranking serving American official to pay respects at the memorial site of the world's first atomic bomb attack.

AP - Hurricane Hanna stalled for hours over the southeastern Bahamas on Monday, lashing the islands with fierce winds and rain. Forecasters said it could threaten the southeast United States by midweek.

AP - Japan's ruling party worked quickly to find a new leader Tuesday after Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda suddenly resigned over a deadlock in parliament with an emboldened opposition that has blocked or stalled virtually all government business over the past year.

AP - Thailand's army chief has vowed not to use force against protesters following the prime minister's declaration of emergency rule.

AP - In the two weeks since a monsoon-swollen river burst its banks, ancient prejudices have run just as deep as the floodwaters. India's "untouchables" are the last to be rescued — if at all — from a deluge that has killed dozens and made 1.2 million homeless.

AFP - Runaway fires driven by strong winds across South Africa at the weekend killed at least 20 people, including two children, media reported Monday.