In 1989 he was assigned to the London bureau from where he reported on the collapse of Soviet Union, the first Gulf War, reunification of Germany and famine in Africa.
He was then assigned to CBS Evening News where he worked until 1997 and received his second Emmy Award for his report on the economic and social collapse in Albania.
[3] Van Sant has co-authored the book Perfectly Executed, based on a story featured on the 48 Hours Mystery television show.
In 2006, he also wrote the script and produced the documentary Three Days in September about the Beslan school hostage crisis, which premiered on Tribeca Film Festival.
Narrated by Julia Roberts, the film won Van Sant his fourth Emmy Award and was named one of the top documentaries of 2006.