WITH America determined to thwart Iran’s possibly nuclear-tipped ambitions, and the Islamic Republic set on blocking the superpower’s regional sway, some are calling the contest between Iran and the United States a new cold war.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan (AFP) – An Afghan governor said the Taliban had agreed to meet South Korean diplomats to discuss the fate of 21 hostages but a delegation member said no confirmation had yet been received.

MANILA (AFP) – Asia’s annual security summit opened in sombre mood Thursday, overshadowed by the plight of 21 South Korean hostages threatened with execution by their Taliban captors in Afghanistan.