President Confronts Dissent on Troop Levels  —  Bush Indicates Military Won't Dictate Numbers; Top General to Retire  —  The debate over sending more U.S. troops to Iraq intensified yesterday as President Bush signaled that he will listen but not necessarily defer to balky military officers …

Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmen Leader, Dies at 66  —  ASHGABAT (Reuters) - Turkmenistan's President-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov died suddenly on Thursday after 21 years of iron rule, raising a risk of political instability in the energy-rich country that some feared could have an impact on Europe's gas supplies.

Shiite Clerics' Rivalry Deepens In Fragile Iraq  —  BAGHDAD — In the quest to create a new Iraq, two powerful clerics compete for domination, one from within the government, the other from its shadows.  —  Both wear the black turban signifying their descent from the prophet Muhammad.

How an Ex-Aide to President Clinton Stashed Classified Documents  —  A former national security adviser to President Clinton, Samuel Berger, stashed highly classified documents under a trailer in downtown Washington in order to evade detection by National Archives personnel, a government report released yesterday said.

London Braces for Attack; 'Miracle' If There Isn't One  —  Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:  —  British intelligence and law enforcement officials have passed on a grim assessment to their U.S. counterparts, "It will be a miracle if there isn't a terror attack over the holidays in London …

Top British Army aide accused of spying  —  A military aide to the commander of British forces in Afghanistan appeared in court yesterday accused of spying.  —  Cpl Daniel James, 44, is charged under the 1911 Official Secrets Act with "prejudicing the safety of the state" by passing information …

Mass. Governor's Rightward Shift Raises Questions  —  As he prepares for a 2008 presidential campaign, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) has championed the conservative principles that guided President Ronald Reagan, become an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage and supported overturning …

Troops to Gates: Extra forces would help  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the rest of the Bush administration may be undecided on whether to send more troops to Iraq, but several soldiers he met with at Camp Victory here on Thursday morning here said extra forces would help.

Federal Subsidies Turn Farms Into Big Business  —  The cornerstone of the multibillion-dollar system of federal farm subsidies is an iconic image of the struggling family farmer: small, powerless against Mother Nature, tied to the land by blood.  —  Without generous government help …

Trump To Rosie: You're Sued!  —  Donald Trump is set to sue "The View" host Rosie O'Donnell, Access Hollywood can reveal.  —  Earlier this afternoon Trump announced he is filing suit against the TV talk show host.  "She says things that come to her mouth, she's not smart, she's crude …

Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim  —  In a letter sent to hundreds of voters this month, Representative Virgil H. Goode Jr., Republican of Virginia, warned that the recent election of the first Muslim to Congress posed a serious threat to the nation's traditional values.

Mohammed overtakes George in list of most popular names  —  Mohammed, and its most common alternative spelling Muhammad, are now more popular babies' names in England and Wales than George, reflecting the diverse ethnic mix of the population.  —  The Office for National Statistics …

Climate Change vs Mother Nature: Scientists reveal that bears have stopped hibernating  —  Bears have stopped hibernating in the mountains of northern Spain, scientists revealed yesterday, in what may be one of the strongest signals yet of how much climate change is affecting the natural world.

Huge Southern Baptist Church rocked by sexual abuse charges  —  A church whose former pastor was president of the Southern Baptist Convention has been rocked by allegations of child abuse, PageOneQ has learned.  —  Pastor Paul Williams, who directs prayer programs and special projects …

Full Esteem Ahead  —  Time magazine asked a large number of people to name the Person of the Year.  They were in a populist mood and named the largest possible number of Persons of the Year: Everybody.  —  Of course.  The most capacious modern entitlement is not to Social Security but to self-esteem.

Iran admits oil projects suffering  —  By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran and Roula Khalaf in London  —  Iran's oil minister on Wednesday admitted that Tehran was having trouble financing oil projects, in a rare acknowledgment of the economic cost of its nuclear dispute.