BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The United States is making a diplomatic drive to bring Russia, Georgia and leaders of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia together for peace talks in Berlin next week, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon on Wednesday sought to play down the seriousness of growing violence in Afghanistan but declined to say the United States and NATO were winning their fight against Taliban insurgents.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has decided to run for election to the local council of a desolate Arctic region just weeks after resigning as governor.