Bush to invoke Vietnam in arguing against Iraq pullout  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — As he awaits a crucial progress report on Iraq, President Bush will try to put a twist on comparisons of the war to Vietnam by invoking the historical lessons of that conflict to argue against pulling out.

France shifts its stance on the conflict in Iraq  —  PARIS: After years of shunning involvement in a war it said was wrong, France now believes it may hold the key to peace in Iraq, proposing itself as an "honest broker" between the Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions.

One in four read no books last year  —  WASHINGTON - There it sits on your night stand, that book you've meant to read for who knows how long but haven't yet cracked open.  Tonight, as you feel its stare from beneath that teetering pile of magazines, know one thing — you are not alone.

Politics Seen in Nasty Call to Spitzer's Father  —  Lawyers representing Gov. Eliot Spitzer's father, Bernard Spitzer, say a prominent political consultant who has been working for State Senate Republicans threatened the elder Mr. Spitzer this month in an anonymous, invective-laced phone message.

Democrats Refocus Message on Iraq After Military Gains  —  Democratic leaders in Congress had planned to use August recess to raise the heat on Republicans to break with President Bush on the Iraq war.  Instead, Democrats have been forced to recalibrate their own message in the face …

Thompson, Giuliani start trading shots  —  Even though former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) has yet to formally enter the presidential race, he is already engaged in a battle with GOP frontrunner and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.  —  The Giuliani campaign hit back hard at Thompson …

David Cameron: Scrap the Human Rights Act  —  David Cameron last night called for the Human Rights Act to be scrapped outright for the first time amid mounting anger that the controversial law had allowed the killer of the head teacher Philip Lawrence to escape deportation.

Now dirty chopsticks picked up in China scare  —  BEIJING (Reuters) - A Beijing factory recycled used chopsticks and sold up to 100,000 pairs a day without any form of disinfection, a newspaper said on Wednesday, the latest is a string of food and product safety scares.

Gül wasn't elected but won anyway  —  The first election round in the Parliament was more impressive than expected.  The sight of 448 Representatives taking their seats put out a significant message that was received by certain sectors.  Today, it is certain that Gül …

Monitoring the Monitor  —  After reviewing the latest critique of the CIA's failures to foresee the pre-9/11 dangers of radical Islam, and while reading the final sordid details surrounding the Pvt. Beauchamp fables published at The New Republic, and viewing the latest phony wire-photos from Iraq …

TERRORIST VIDEO THREATENS DAVID BECKHAM AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE  —  Becks and JT are targets of fanatics  —  David Beckham and Justin Timberlake are the targets of an alleged Al-Qaeda murder plot.  —  A chilling internet video, which has been posted on YouTube, brands Becks, 32, and JT, 26, as criminal influences on young Muslims.

Federal No-Bid Contracts On Rise  —  Under pressure from the White House and Congress to deliver a long-delayed plan last year, officials at the Department of Homeland Security's counter-narcotics office took a shortcut that has become common at federal agencies: They hired help through a no-bid contract.

Field Poll shows Californians lean toward dividing electoral votes  —  (08-21) 04:00 PDT Sacramento —  California voters are inclined to support a proposed ballot initiative that would change how the Golden State allocates its electoral votes in presidential campaigns …

Our inheritance taxes must go - pass it on  —  Our correspondence believes that it's right to keep it in the family  —  I've been wondering when I should start worrying about inheritance tax.  I could wait until after I am dead, I suppose, when the bill arrives.  Or I could start now.