Washington  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday the United States has "a lot of damage to repair" after eight years of the Bush administration.

Speaking to reporters at the State Department, Clinton, who has talked to more than three dozen foreign counterparts over the phone since taking office last week, said the world has expressed an appreciation for the new direction that President Barack Obama has outlined for American foreign policy.

Washington - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday the six-nation talks for ending North Korea's nuclear activities are "essential" to the diplomatic process.

"With respect to North Korea, I think the six-party talks are essential," Clinton told reporters.

The State Department has begun a review of the diplomatic approach to North Korea under the Bush administration, which established the six-nation negotiations as the centrepiece of dealing with Pyongyang.

Washington  - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a new climate change envoy Monday as part of a bolstered US presence on the international stage to address global warming.

Todd Stern will become the country's chief climate negotiator with the international community, which is hoping to agree to a new climate treaty by the end of this year. Stern will also be involved in domestic US efforts to reduce pollution.

Madrid - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged on Monday that the administration of President Barack Obama would seek a new engagement between donors, states, NGOs and the private sector to fight hunger.

Clinton addressed a United Nations conference in the Spanish capital Madrid over a video.

The conference bringing together ministers or other delegates from about 100 countries charted action against the global food crisis aggravated by the economic crash.

Washington, Jan 24 : Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's description of her approach to diplomacy, Smart Power, is just plain dumb, marketing professionals have said.

The catchphrase is unclear and ripe for misinterpretation; FOX News quoted a group of experts, as saying.

Islamabad, Jan.