World -- March 17, 2006

• Bush nominates new interior secretary
• Bush reaffirms pre-emptive war doctrine
• Egypt nominates Moussa for another term
• EU condemns Belarus ahead of elections
• Fox calls for "straight talk" on water crisis at World Water Forum

• French parliament passes law to protect firms from hostile takeover
• IMF calls on African countries to strengthen public expenditure management
• IMF urges Africa to have stronger legal systems to fight against corruption
• Iraqi parliament meets briefly amid gov't deadlock
• Putin calls for joint efforts to assure energy supply to developing countries

• Pentagon boosts U.S. air strikes in Iraq, Afghanistan
• Permanent Five, Germany to discuss Iran issue next Monday
• Sudan's Darfur witnesses security tension: AU envoy
• Security Council satisfied with progress in probe of Hariri's murder
• Thousands of Serbs pay last respects to Milosevic

• Trial of police starts over Beslan
• U.S. concerns over Russia-India nuclear fuel deal
• U.S. says it must retain option of preemption
• U.S. military launches probe of Iraqi civilian deaths