British Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves office on June 27. In this report from Washington, Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera looks at Mr. Blair's legacy in foreign affairs, a legacy largely defined by his support of the war in Iraq.

President Bush says U.S. troops in Iraq face a critical time during the next few months as they try to implement his new strategy. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the last of the additional 30,000 troops Mr. Bush is sending to Iraq should be in place by the middle of June.

President Bush Thursday told Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi the United States will be closely watching to see if China allows its currency to rise against the dollar. VOA's Barry Wood reports.

U.S. congressional Democrats have dropped their demands to include in a war funding bill a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. At the same time, they are vowing to seek other ways to press the Bush administration to change the course of the unpopular war.

The debate over a compromise immigration reform plan negotiated by President Bush and senators from both parties is expected to heat up this week, as the Senate takes up the issue Monday.

President Bush says he is renewing sanctions on Burma for at least another year, and at the same time calling again for the immediate release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in the southeast Asian nation.

Closed door negotiations between the White House and congressional leaders on a bill to continue funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ended Friday without agreement. Both sides still hope to reach a deal by the end of the month, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

A group of U.S. senators from both major political parties has reached agreement with the White House on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. President Bush is urging lawmakers to approve the measure as soon as possible.

A senior Iranian official says Tehran has expanded work on its nuclear facility at Natanz in central Iran. The Mehr news agency quoted Abdulreza Rahmani-Fazli, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, as saying more centrifuges have been installed at the plant.

The U.S. Senate has rejected a measure that would end funding for U.S. combat operations in Iraq by April 1 of next year. The White House praised the vote, but some Senate Democrats say support is building for the effort to limit funding for the unpopular war.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says Britain will remain a staunch ally of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan after he steps down. Speaking in Washington, Mr. Blair Thursday strongly defended Britain's role in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He said he would make the same decision again to, "stand shoulder to shoulder" with the United States.

President Bush has ordered major government agencies to start work on drafting new regulations to cut dangerous auto emissions. The president is coming under increasing pressure to tackle America's energy woes.