Sarkozy Sets a New Course for Relations With U.S.  —  Two days before the first round of the presidential election last month, Nicolas Sarkozy donned a red checked shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, mounted a small white horse named Universe and rode around the Camargue country in France's deep south.

World Bank Panel Finds Wolfowitz at Fault; Aide Resigns  —  A committee of World Bank directors has formally notified Paul D. Wolfowitz that they found him to be guilty of a conflict of interest in arranging for a pay raise and promotion for Shaha Ali Riza, his companion, in 2005.

Comparison To Clinton Is Dismissed  —  French Counterpart Lacked Substance, Senator's Camp Says  —  There was a time when advisers to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) looked abroad for proof that women can get elected to a top leadership role in the modern world: Margaret Thatcher …

September Could Be Key Deadline in War  —  Lawmakers Call for Proof of Progress by Fall  —  Congressional leaders from both political parties are giving President Bush a matter of months to prove that the Iraq war effort has turned a corner, with September looking increasingly like a decisive deadline.

6 arrested in plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix  —  Federal investigators last night arrested six men who were planning a heavily-armed armed attack against soldiers at Fort Dix as part of a jihad against America, according to two law enforcement sources.  —  The men had conducted surveillance …

The Realignment of America  —  The native-born are leaving "hip" cities for the heartland.  —  In 1950, when I was in kindergarten in Detroit, the city had a population of (rounded off) 1,850,000.  Today the latest census estimate for Detroit is 886,000, less than half as many.

Sunni demand could unravel Iraqi government … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraq's top Sunni official has set a deadline of next week for pulling his entire bloc out of the government — a potentially devastating blow to reconciliation efforts within Iraq.  He also said he turned down an offer …

Man who would be Reagan doesn't wow 'em  —  NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — ''Will he announce?'' asked the Lincoln Club of Orange County's publication in preparation for Fred Thompson's appearance at the organization's 45th annual dinner here Friday night.  A rumor, totally unfounded …

GOV MIKE!  —  EYEING RUN VS. 'SPOILED' SPITZ IN '10  —  Forget President Bloomberg.  How about Gov. Mike?  —  Mayor Bloomberg, who'll be forced to leave office when his term expires in less than three years, is eyeing a run for governor against Eliot Spitzer in 2010, a top New York Republican has told The Post.

For the Legacy of These Men, You Should Call Congress and Stop This Bill.  —  These are the heroes of Guam.  The men of the United States military who rescued Guam from the Imperial Japanese.  These men shed their blood that Guam might be free.  —  And yet, the House Majority Leader thinks this is not enough.

A Sinking Presidency  —  The president still exudes confidence, but his ship of state is taking on water-fast  —  President Bush's admiration for Abraham Lincoln knows no bounds.  In a recent meeting at the White House, Bush told visitors how Lincoln (whose portrait he has installed in the Oval Office) …

Golden Gordon  —  My friend Scott at Power Line, who writes beautifully and with such depth about music and musicians, tonight talks about Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot.  In his post, "For Lightheads Only," he discusses the phenomenon of Lightfoot's popularity on tour maybe 20 years after he stopped charting songs:

Blundering Bush makes ANOTHER gaffe as he winks at the Queen  —  When you've just made it sound like the Queen is more than 200 years old, there may be a few ways of recovering from the gaffe.  —  But turning to her and giving her a sly wink is probably not included in any book of royal etiquette.

Gore backers hold on to cash  —  Prominent political fundraisers who backed Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign are reserving support for the current slate of 2008 Democrats in hopes the former vice president will swoop in for another White House bid.  —  H.E. "Sonny" Cauthen Jr. told …