US president George Bush will keep roughly the same number of US forces in Iraq through the end of the year and bring about 8,000 troops home by February.

President Bush said today that a US-led missile defence system in Europe was urgently needed to counter the emerging threat of attack by Iran.

China’s vice-premier called off a meeting with the Japanese prime minister and suddenly left Tokyo today – a day earlier than expected – but Beijing’s reasons for ending a visit aimed at repairing strained relations remained a mystery.

The suspected suicide attack inside a US Army mess hall in Iraq represents a breach of the most basic principles of military security and points to significant weaknesses in the screening of Iraqis who are allowed onto the base, US experts say.

United States President George Bush tonight called for an international effort to stop the global spread of weapons of mass destruction, describing them as the “the greatest threat before humanity today“.

Police officers failed to spot what could have been a “dirty bomb” planted in the heart of Washington, a report by US government investigators revealed today.

TAIWAN health authorities said a military medical researcher had contracted SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), sparking alerts across Asia of a possible resurgence of the killer virus.

A Taiwanese scientist who tested positive for SARS today failed to follow safety guidelines and wear protective gloves and a gown while studying the virus, a World Health Organisation Official said.

Analysts say America's military response to the terrorist attacks is likely to be a series of air strikes and relatively small-scale raids by special forces.