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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will pledge $400 million in aid to Kosovo next week at a donors conference expected to raise more than $1 billion for the newly independent state, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

TORONTO (Reuters) - Henry Morgentaler, the doctor who led the fight to legalize abortion in Canada two decades ago, said on Wednesday he was proud to be receiving his country's highest civilian award, an honor condemned by anti-abortion advocates and hailed by his supporters.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday his presidency would have a different tone from his predecessor and mentor Vladimir Putin's and hinted the Kremlin might consider easing its complete dominance over domestic politics.

CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain promoted free trade on Wednesday on a visit to Colombia he was using to subtly score political points against Democrat Barack Obama.

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday rejected talks on a unity government, saying President Robert Mugabe must first stop violence and accept him as the rightful election winner.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated on Wednesday that his administration believed in a strong dollar, and said the currency would reflect the relative strength of the economy.

WASHINGTON/WARSAW (Reuters) - The United States and Poland have reached a tentative deal to base interceptors for a missile defense shield in Poland but the pact requires final approval from Warsaw, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he was prepared to compromise to resolve a row with Britain over a murdered Kremlin critic, but he expects Prime MInister Gordon Brown to do the same when the two men meet next week.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy for Darfur expressed disappointment on Wednesday that the United Nations had not met a U.S. goal for reinforcing peacekeepers in the area, calling progress so far "absolutely unacceptable".

BOGOTA (Reuters) - French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, three Americans and 11 other hostages held for years in jungle captivity were rescued on Wednesday from leftist guerrillas by Colombian troops posing as aid workers.

BOGOTA (Reuters) - French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, three Americans and 11 other hostages were rescued from leftist guerrillas by Colombian troops on Wednesday after years in captivity, the government said.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian construction worker rampaged in a bulldozer along one of west Jerusalem's busiest streets on Wednesday, killing three Israelis as he crushed cars and overturned a bus before being shot dead.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian construction worker rampaged in a bulldozer along one of west Jerusalem's busiest streets on Wednesday, killing three Israelis as he crushed cars and overturned a bus before being shot dead.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian construction worker rampaged in a bulldozer along one of west Jerusalem's busiest streets on Wednesday, killing three Israelis as he crushed cars and overturned a bus before being shot dead.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday after claiming to have a bomb in his backpack, officials said.

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba on Wednesday accused U.S. diplomats of escalating anti-government activities in recent weeks and said its ideological foe, the United States, will be held responsible for whatever happens if the actions continue.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq is expecting visits soon from Jordan's King Abdullah and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, easing its regional diplomatic isolation, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States government has issued a rare apology to South Korea -- not for a beef deal that has sparked protests in the streets of Seoul but for prematurely announcing President George W. Bush's trip there next month.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic lawmakers want President George W. Bush to raise the problem of soaring oil prices and excessive speculation in energy markets with other world leaders at the G8 summit in Japan next week.

CHERQUENCO, Chile (Reuters) - Chile on Wednesday evacuated the remaining occupants of a southern ski station as Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, spewed lava for a second day prompting fears of landslides, officials said.