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Join Talk 2 America Wednesday, 1 August, at 18:00 UTC for a live chat with author Lawrence Otis Graham, who will give some historical perspective as Senator Barack Obama campaigns to become the nation's first African-American U.S. president. Graham will discuss his book, "The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty", which tells how former slave Blanche Bruce rose in 1874 to become a wealthy U.S. Senator, laying the ground work for future black politicians in America. Send questions in advance to chat@voanews.com - and you may get a free copy of the book.

S. Koreans Asks for US 'Flexibility' in Afghanistan Hostage Ordeal Washington says its policy of not negotiating with insurgents won't be adjusted At Least 50 Killed in Baghdad Suicide Attack Suicide bomber detonated fuel tanker near gas station in western Baghdad; earlier bomb blast in central Baghdad killed 17, wounded 30 US Probe Finds Waste, Fraud in Iraq Reconstruction Projects Latest audit says Iraqi government failed to take responsibility for more than 2,000 reconstruction projects financed by US Gaza Economy on Verge of Collapse as Rice Visits Palestinian Territories Since the Hamas takeover in June, economic life has ground to a halt as more than 70 percent of factories have closed UN Unanimously Approves Peacekeeping Force for Darfur Resolution, which Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls unprecedented, follows eight months of negotiations over make-up and mandate of the force ASEAN Forum Begins Work on Nuclear Watchdog Southeast Asia regional bloc says it plans to work more closely with International Atomic Energy Agency, to improve its ability to strengthen nuclear safeguards US Treasury Secretary Opposes Legislation Against Chinese Currency Henry Paulson told China's official Xinhua news agency that legislation is not the proper way to deal with the currency dispute School Sex Education Program Provokes Emotional Dispute in India Supporters say program will reduce spread of HIV by promoting safer sex, while critics say it will ruin Indian culture by corrupting young minds Study Finds Early Breastfeeding Can Save Babies' Lives Ghana study shows 16 percent of neonatal deaths could be prevented by breastfeeding infants from birth