The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is to meet with his House counterpart Friday to try to resolve the political standoff over legislation to overhaul wiretapping legislation before current law expires Saturday. President Bush is making a last minute appeal to lawmakers to approve the legislation, saying he would delay his scheduled departure to Africa later Friday if it would help advance the bill. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Legislation to expand and renew a wiretapping law that expires Friday stalled on the floor of the U.S. Senate Monday amid partisan wrangling. Lawmakers are expected to seek a temporary extension of the measure later this week. VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

Legqog was re-elected the top legislator of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qiangba Puncog chairman of the regional government at the first session of the 9th Tibet Regional People's Congress, the legislature, in Lhasa on Tuesday.

Analyzing racial differences among legislators participating in select House committees in the 107th Congress (2001-2002), Brown University political scientist Katrina Gamble found that black representatives participate at a higher rate than their white counterparts on both black interest and nonracial bills. The findings are published in the current issue of Legislative Studies Quarterly.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, said on Wednesday that he would propose legislation that would exempt first-time alternative minimum tax (AMT) filers in 2007 from underpayment penalties for failure to have paid enough taxes throughout the year, CNNMoney.com reported.

After September 11, the United States used the UN and its Security Council to attain speedy results in creating legitimacy surrounding the objectives of that country's own security policy. In a dissertation from Lund University in Sweden, political scientist Anette Ahrnens shows that the Security Council can be a shortcut for great powers wishing to manipulate other countries into granting their consent.

Sharps safety devices have gained acceptance in recent years in European markets. However, future growth is being restrained by the lack of European legislation mandating their use. While manufacturers could consider lobbying for such legislation, alternatively, they could explore the potential that African markets hold in terms of the need for such products allied with the prospect of large volume sales.

Iraq's new oil law should be passed in the next two months, the country's oil minister said on Friday, pushing back the timetable for passing the key legislation from a hoped-for end-May.