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HAVANA (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, looking thin but animated, was shown on Cuban TV on Tuesday with his brother, President Raul Castro, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in the first public images of the bearded revolutionary since January.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Wednesday will call on Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling as he seeks remedies to record-high energy prices, the White House said.

NIR OZ, Israel/GAZA (Reuters) - For Yossi Atzili, a truce with Hamas Islamists is the only way to stop mortar bombs from the Gaza Strip whizzing across the border and smashing into his paint factory in Israel.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House hopeful Barack Obama said on Tuesday the weakness in the U.S. dollar reflects the soft economy and large trade deficits, and the best way to strengthen the currency is to restore the economy's health.

KASHGAR, China (Reuters) - The Olympic torch was paraded on Wednesday through China's sensitive former Silk Road city of Kashgar, home to ethnic-minority Muslim Uighurs, under the scrutiny of soldiers and choreographed cheering crowds.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican John McCain's camp accused Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama on Tuesday of being weak on terrorism, drawing a sharp rebuke from Obama on the politically charged issue of how to deal with Islamic extremists.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain called on Tuesday for energy conservation and an end to a ban on U.S. offshore oil and natural gas exploration to help curb the nation's "dangerous" dependence on foreign oil.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will make an announcement on Wednesday about energy and call on Congress to pass legislation lifting a ban on offshore oil drilling, the White House said.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who faces bribery charges over $90,000 found in his freezer, said on Tuesday that he plans to seek re-election.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate leaders have agreed to a bipartisan bill to establish a $300 billion rescue fund for troubled mortgages and a new regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, lawmakers said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican John McCain's camp accused Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama on Tuesday of being weak on terrorism, drawing a sharp rebuke from Obama on the politically charged issue of how to deal with Islamic extremists.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People living in the United States could travel to Cuba more often and visit a broader list of family members under legislation approved by a congressional panel on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama misused a "code word" in Middle East politics when he said Jerusalem should be Israel's "undivided" capital but that does not mean he is naive on foreign policy, a top adviser said on Tuesday.

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials agreed on Tuesday that turbulence sweeping global markets holds lessons for Beijing, but the United States warned it should not cause China to block access to its markets.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House hopeful Barack Obama said on Tuesday the weakness in the U.S. dollar reflects the soft economy and large trade deficits, and the best way to strengthen the currency is to restore the economy's health.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Hundreds of families fled their homes in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday as Afghan and foreign forces prepared for an offensive to confront Taliban fighters who have overrun several villages.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday blocked debate of a bill to offer about $17.7 billion in tax incentives for consumers to build renewable energy sources like windmills and solar arrays, and buy plug-in cars that run on electricity rather than gasoline.

HAVANA (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had an "animated and warm" meeting with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro during a visit to Havana, state-run media said on Tuesday, but no photos or videos of the left-wing allies were made public.

NIR OZ, Israel/GAZA (Reuters) - For Yossi Atzili, a truce with Hamas Islamists is the only way to stop mortar bombs from the Gaza Strip whizzing across the border and smashing into his paint factory in Israel.

CONAKRY (Reuters) - Elite troops in Guinea stormed a police base on Tuesday in a bloody shoot-out with members of an anti-riot brigade to put down a two-day police mutiny over pay, officers and witnesses said.