Taliban urge Afghans to kill "invaders" amid new Koran protests

KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban urged Afghans on Thursday to target foreign military bases and kill Westerners in retaliation for burnings of copies of the Koran at NATO's main base in the country as a third day of violent protests began. Thousands of demonstrators rallied across the country, some chanting "Death to America!," Reuters witnesses and officials said. In eastern Kabul, hundreds of youths threw rocks at police, who fired shots into the air to try disperse the crowds. ...

How the poll was conducted

The Associated Press-GfK Poll on President Obama and the economy was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications from Feb. 16-20. It is based on landline and cellphone telephone interviews with a nationally representative random sample of 1,000 adults. Interviews were conducted with 700 respondents on landline telephones and 300 on cellular phones.

China’s policy-led slowdown spawns property showdown

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's policy-induced property slowdown has put the central and local governments on a $320 billion collision course in one of the economy's biggest growth-generating sectors. Beijing wants local governments to bear most of the 2 trillion yuan cost to construct millions of affordable homes this year. This would offset a slowdown in private real estate investment as developers chop expansion plans following a state drive to curb property speculation. ...

Nancy Pelosi Relents, Appears on ‘The Colbert Report’

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi relented on her oath not to appear on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report” when she  joined host Stephen Colbert Wednesday for a segment to promote the DISCLOSE act. Prior to the segment featuring Pelosi Colbert teased a video clip of a...

Romney clawing his way back in Republican race

MESA, Arizona (Reuters) - Mitt Romney is fighting his way back into the driving seat in the Republican presidential race, putting in a strong debate performance in Arizona and gaining in polls against conservative rival Rick Santorum. An aggressive Romney repeatedly put Santorum on the defensive in a CNN debate on Wednesday and attacked the former U.S. senator and staunch social conservative for supporting big-spending government programs. Romney has also battled his way into a slight lead in a new poll in Michigan, which along with Arizona will hold a primary contest on February 28. ...