President Bush says the United States has no plans to build new military bases in Africa. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, Mr. Bush is in Ghana where he is trying to head off concerns about the creation a new U.S. military command for Africa.

Hezbollah would regard the possible building of a U.S. military base in Lebanon a "hostile act" against the country, a Lebanese newspaper reported Monday.

The U.S. military is launching an intensified effort to stop what it says is Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq. U.S. forces are building a forward-operations base in Iraq just a few kilometers from the border with Iran.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew to Kyrgyzstan -- the only country in the world to host both U.S. and Russian military bases -- to discuss the continued U.S. use of the Manas Air Base to support operations in Afghanistan.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki says there have been no talks with U.S. officials about establishing long-term American military bases in Iraq. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Irbil, where Mr. Maliki responded to recent comments from the U.S. Defense Secretary about American military plans in the region.

Some 50 leftist and pro-Russian activists rallied today in front of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan calling for the closure of a U.S. military base at Manas airport outside the capital Bishkek, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported.