Ahead of Father's Day, Obama said in his weekly address that children need parents' time and love, plus structure. Hmm. Do 'structure' and 'youth basketball' with 10-year-olds go together?

As the peony buds arced through the air, the grandchildren looked on in awe.

Colombia's ambassador this week urged Congress to approve a free trade pact negotiated back in 2007. US is losing market share as Colombia looks elsewhere for imports.

AP - President Hamid Karzai acknowledged Saturday that the U.S. and Afghan governments have held talks with Taliban emissaries in a bid to end the nation's nearly 10-year war, even as suicide attackers launched a bold assault in the heart of the county's capital, killing nine people.

AP - Syrian troops backed by tanks and firing heavy machine guns swept into a village near the Turkish border Saturday, cutting food supplies for nearly 2,000 refugees who have so far refused to leave their country. Many of those men, women and children will have no choice but to flee across the frontier if troops descend on them.

AP - A candidate in waiting, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is elbowing the Republicans already in the 2012 presidential race as he courts party activists, operatives and donors still shopping for someone to back against President Barack Obama.