Reuters.co: Secretary of State Powell Resigns

Top News Article | Reuters.com: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell, who enjoyed enormous respect around the world, has resigned but will stay on until his replacement is named as Washington makes a new push for Middle East peace, officials said on Monday.

Powell, who was consistently the most popular Cabinet member in President Bush's first term, handed in his resignation on Friday ahead of a planned trip this month to the Middle East to possibly meet Palestinian leaders.

It was not immediately clear who would replace the former four-star general who failed as the top U.S. diplomat to build a wide international coalition for Bush's invasion of Iraq. "