Reuters World News Highlights

KABUL – Total foreign military deaths in Afghanistan have  passed 2,000 since the war began in late 2001, unofficial  tallies showed yesterday, in the approach to U.S. and Afghan  elections and a U.S. strategy review.  
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WASHINGTON – The U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he sees  “areas of progress” in the war but it was still unclear if  President Barack Obama’s goal of starting to pull out troops in  July 2011 could be met.  
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WASHINGTON – Republicans attacked President Barack Obama yesterday for his comments on a controversial plan to build a  Muslim cultural center in New York, saying he was  “disconnected” from the nation in an election year.  
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SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Myung-bak yesterday  proposed a “reunification tax” to help fund the expected $1  trillion bill when the two Koreas eventually rejoin, but  maintained his tough stance against the North.  
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SEOUL – The U.S. and South Korean militaries will stage  their second joint exercise in less than a month from today,  fuelling tensions with the prickly North and angering regional  power China.  
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KUALA LUMPUR – Despite surging growth in Germany, the euro  zone’s largest economy, that helped push the 16-member bloc to  its fastest expansion rate in three years, Europe’s economic  recovery is still “gradual”, European Central Bank rate setter  Patrick Honohan said yesterday.  
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JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s largest opposition party said  yesterday it would merge with a small party but analysts said  it was unlikely to pose a major challenge to the African  National Congress in the 2014 election.  
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JERUSALEM – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak approved in  principle yesterday the purchase of 20 U.S.-built radar-evading  stealth fighters in a deal worth $2.75 billion, defence  ministry officials said.  
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 DUBAI – Al Qaeda’s No. 2 urged the Turkish people in an  Internet message posted yesterday to pressure their government  to sever ties with Israel and withdraw its troops from  Afghanistan.