We helped in Iraq - now help us, beg Georgians  —  As Russia forces its neighbour to retreat from South Ossetia, the people of Gori tell our correspondent of betrayal by the West  —  As a Russian jet bombed fields around his village, Djimali Avago, a Georgian farmer, asked me: “Why won't America and Nato help us?

Obama's VP choice imminent via website, e-mail, text message  —  Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, is on vacation in Hawaii tonight.  We believe.  But, thanks to loyal Ticket reader Mark, just minutes ago we learned that the freshman senator's presidential campaign …

Democrats Shrug Off Edwards' Affair, Paternity Questions  —  WASHINGTON — While many questions remain unanswered regarding John Edwards' affair with a woman he hired to produce videos of him, some Democrats are already writing off the impact of the news.  —  Edwards, who admitted on Friday …

7 worrisome signs for Obama  —  A few weeks back, Time magazine was musing that John McCain was in danger of sliding from “a long shot” to a “no-shot.”  Around the same time, a hard-nosed former Hillary Clinton insider declared the race “effectively over” thanks to the McCain campaign's ineptitude …

‘No way’ turns into ‘no quit’ for Lezak, men's relay team … BEIJING — Halfway through what might have been the greatest comeback swim in Olympic history, Jason Lezak peered through his goggles at the lane to his right and briefly abandoned hope.  —  “The thought really entered my mind for a split second,” Lezak said.

Iraq Private Sector Falters; Rolls of Government Soar  —  BAGHDAD — Hampered by years of violence, a decimated infrastructure, a lack of foreign investors and a flood of imports that undercut local businesses, Iraq's private sector, particularly its small non-oil economy, has so far failed to flourish as its American patrons had hoped.

Life Sentence  —  Stop kidding yourself: John McCain is a pro-life zealot.  —  John McCain was mad.  Fuming mad.  It was then the early days of his political career, and he had paid an unscheduled visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Mesa, which was within his Arizona congressional district.

Beijing Olympic 2008 opening ceremony giant firework footprints ‘faked’  —  Parts of the spectacular Beijing Olympics opening ceremony on Friday were faked because of fears over live filming, it has emerged.  —  As the ceremony got under way with a dramatic, drummed countdown …

Isaac Hayes, 65, a Creator of '70s Soul Style, Dies  —  Isaac Hayes, the singer and songwriter whose luxurious, strutting funk arrangements in songs like “Theme From ‘Shaft’ ” defined the glories and excesses of soul music in the early 1970s, died on Sunday in East Memphis, Tenn. He was 65.

Can It Happen Here?  —  The draft Democratic Party platform that was sent out last week puts health care reform front and center.  “If one thing came through in the platform hearings,” says the document, “it was that Democrats are united around a commitment to provide every American access to affordable, comprehensive health care.”