Government rebuilds after week of rains
GUATEMALA CITY (AP): GUATEMALAN AUTHORITIES turned to reconstruction Wednesday - including relocating entire villages - after a week of rains left more than 1,000 dead or missing and destroyed or damaged 200,000 homes.

Swiss drug company calls for help in fighting avian (bird) flu
GENEVA (AP): Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Wednesday it is counting on other manufacturers to help produce the only drug that experts believe can treat human cases of bird flu.

Officials tally ballots after peaceful day of voting
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP): LIBERIANS WERE praised for a peaceful vote yesterday as counting got under way to determine who will be president and, many hope, lead this West African nation out of decades of coups, despotic rule and war.

United to recall pilots after bankruptcy
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Illinois (AP): UNITED AIRLINES plans to recall about 300 pilots to meet an expected increase in flying next year as it comes out of bankruptcy, the No. 2 U.S. airline said.

US and Central America discuss security cooperation
KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (Reuters): UNITED STATES and Central American security leaders on Wednesday discussed closer ties in battling drug trafficking, terrorism and other crimes, including the touchy issue of whether military troops in Central America...

White House considers compromise to gain Sunni support of Iraqi constitution
WASHINGTON (AP): THE WHITE House welcomed a last-minute agreement to gain Sunni Arab support on a new Iraqi constitution as a positive step on Wednesday, but cautioned that it likely would do little to quell violence directed at Saturday's vote.