Kenya's two warring leaders failed to meet Sunday, despite an earlier pronouncement that they would, as the nation's political impasse drags on. Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned to Kenya on Sunday.  His office had earlier announced he would meet with President Mwai Kibaki to discuss a resolution to the country's weeklong political spat, but Mr. Kibaki's aides later denied the meeting had been set. Instead, Mr.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, a losing candidate in the recent presidential election, has withdrawn her legal challenge from the court where she went to claim that voting results were rigged.  The decision clears the way for opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych to become the president of Ukraine. According to the original claim by Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, more than one million votes in the February 7th poll were falsified or miscounted. Ms. Tymoshenko lost the election to opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych by 3.5 percentage points. Until recently, Ms.

Soldiers in Niger have named a new military leader following Thursday's coup against  President Mamadou Tandja. Squadron chief Salou Djibo leads Niger's new Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy. He commands a heavy artillery unit that played a key role in Thursday's attack on the presidential palace. President Tandja was detained while holding a cabinet meeting.

The United Nations' special envoy on human rights in Burma says he deeply regrets that Burma's military government denied him a meeting with opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest. U.N. envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana told reporters Friday he was particularly disappointed to be denied a meeting because this year Burma is expected to hold its first national elections in 20 years.  He said no reason was given for the denial. Quintana met Friday with a number of government officials to discuss the elections and other issues.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko urged a court Friday to examine carefully all the evidence regarding Ukraine's run-off presidential election, which she says was rigged. A court in Kyiv began hearing the prime minister's appeal to block the inauguration later this month of her rival, Viktor Yanukovych. Ms. Tymoshenko said she would accept the court's decision if all the evidence regarding the February 7 vote is studied thoroughly. Yanukovych is due to be sworn in February 25 after beating Prime Minister Tymoshenko by more than 3.5 percentage points.

Witnesses reported heavy gunfire started about midday local time. State radio played traditional music, and made no mention of the coup attempt.  Soldiers and armored vehicles were seen near the palace and nearby streets were deserted.    Official sources in the capital Niamey tell VOA's Hausa Service that people have been taken to the hospital. Government ministers were scheduled to gather at the palace for a meeting about that time.

The alleged arms dealer to the world, Viktor Bout, could face another extradition hearing in Thailand after new charges were filed against him in New York. The possibility comes after a Thai court ruled it could not extradite Bout to face charges in the United States of supporting terrorism. Thailand's attorney general's office on Thursday said it could file another extradition case against suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. U.S.

Iran is reacting sharply to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks that the Persian state is becoming a military dictatorship. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accuses Clinton of spreading "lies" and the United States of turning the region into a so-called "arms depot." But several Washington-based analysts on Iran back Clinton's assertions. Iran's Revolutionary Guard was formed in 1979 to protect the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution from the Shah's army. Now U.S.

A Ukrainian court has temporarily suspended the results of this month's presidential election pending review of an appeal filed by the losing candidate. The Supreme Administrative Court released a statement Wednesday saying the Central Election Commission ruling that declared Viktor Yanukovych the winner had been put on hold. Defeated Ukrainian presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the February 7 vote. Ms.