Dec 19 - By Joseph Coleman, AP Writer
The U.S. ambassador urged Japan on Wednesday to extend its naval mission in the Indian Ocean, saying it would be "a real tragedy" if Tokyo dropped out of the battle against terrorism.
Nov 4 - By Associated Press
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Monday morning as he began a three-day visit to expand economic ties between the two countries.
Oct 18 - By Kozo Mizoguchi, AP Writer
The United States and Britain Thursday urged Japan to renew a mission to refuel coalition ships in the Indian Ocean as fierce opposition in parliament dimmed prospects of securing an extension before the deployment expires next month.
Oct 16 - By Mari Yamaguchi, AP Writer
Japan's ruling party approved Wednesday a new anti-terrorism bill that would extend a refueling mission in the Indian Ocean but curtail Tokyo's support for combat operations in Afghanistan by U.S.-led forces.
Sep 27 - By Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer
NASA took aim at the heart of the asteroid belt Thursday, launching a spacecraft on a nearly decade-long journey that will include two never-before-attempted close encounters.

Mar 19 - By David Shiga, New Scientist Writer
The ARES plane soars over the Martian surface (Illustration: NASA)
Mar 7 - By Ryan Lenz, AP Writer
U.S. soldiers paced around their new outpost in Sadr City, checking their watches, drinking coffee and waiting for their Iraqi partners.

Oct 31 - By Kelly Young, New Scientist Writer
An astronaut removes the High Resolution Spectrograph to make way for the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph during the second servicing mission in 1997. The telescope can hold four telephone-booth sized instruments and four piano-sized instruments (Image: NASA)
Sep 11 - By New Scientist Space staff and AFP, New Scientist Writer
Atlantis's pilot, Christopher J Ferguson, floats on the flight deck on Sunday, the first day in space for the STS-115 crew (Image: NASA)
Jul 20 - By Steven Gutkin, AP Writer
Israel has decided air power alone will not be enough to drive Hezbollah back from the Israeli-Lebanon border and a ground force will be needed to establish a buffer zone that is at least 20 miles deep, senior military officials said Thursday.
May 9 - By Gavin Rabinowitz, AP Writer
An Indian unmanned mission to the moon will carry two NASA scientific devices designed to find minerals and ice on the lunar surface, a U.S. official said Tuesday.
Apr 10 - By Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer
NASA plans to crash a space probe into the moon in 2009 — a collision so violent it will be visible on Earth through a telescope, the space agency said Monday.
Mar 27 - By Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer
NASA on Monday resurrected an ambitious mission to explore two of the solar system's largest asteroids, just weeks after budget woes killed the project.
Mar 14 - By David Germain, AP Movie Writer
How's this for an impossible mission: Tom Cruise against Truman Capote?
Mar 2 - By Associated Press
Scientists on Friday lamented the cancellation of a NASA mission to orbit two asteroids, saying the project would have shed light on how the solar system formed.
Feb 23 - By Paul Newberry, AP National Writer
Joey Cheek has his first assignment from Johann Olav Koss: Zambia. The American speedskater will head to the African country in April on a humanitarian mission for Koss' Right To Play group, which uses sports to promote a healthier lifestyle for children in poor countries.