Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told United States President George W Bush that Australian troops are in Afghanistan for the long haul.

United States President George W Bush says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is a loyal ally on Iraq despite the planned withdrawal of Australian troops.

Pakistan's army chief has carried out his first reshuffle of major military posts, replacing some commanders who had been promoted by President Pervez Musharraf.

Swedish critics claim that the budget-cutting Armed Forces here are losing huge amounts of money in selling off large amounts of military equipment, vehicles and material.

Britain's Defense Secretary Des Browne is in Iraq on an unannounced visit for talks with British military troops and commanders.

Turkish ground troops have entered northern Iraq in a drive against Kurdish separatists of the Kurdish Workers Party which Ankara accuses of using bases in Iraq to launch attacks against its forces in southeastern Turkey. Although Kurdish rebels say two Turkish troops have been killed in the fighting and another eight have been wounded, Turkey has not commented on those reports. Dorian Jones has more for the VOA from Istanbul.

The United States Friday called on Turkey to limit the scope of its ground incursion in northern Iraq and bring it to an early conclusion. The operation is apparently the biggest of several recent Turkish military strikes against Kurdish PKK rebels. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Azerbaijan's government has raised concerns with U.S. officials that militants from Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) are expanding from northern Iraq into the Caucasus and could be setting up cells in Azerbaijan.

The U.S. Defense Department is reorganizing its efforts in Africa under a unified structure called the Africa Command (AFRICOM). Mike O'Sullivan reports, diplomats, military and academic experts who met in Los Angeles, Friday, say the new command has a broader mandate than just security.

Thailand's new prime minister, Samak Sundarawej, says the United Nations should step up contacts with Burma's military leaders. The Thai leader said the U.N. Secretary-General should visit Rangoon and use Thailand as a base for possible negotiations on political reform. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Bangkok.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the U.S. and NATO for military expansion toward Russia's borders and said his nation would respond to "new threats" by modernizing its weapons systems.

Military leaders who staged a 2006 coup in Thailand say they failed to achieve their goals after sending former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra into exile. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Bangkok.