AP - The White House grasp of developments in war-battered Georgia has been hampered by confusing reports from the ground and intelligence resources that initially were focused more on Iraq and Afghanistan than the former Soviet republic.

AP - A man recently fired from a Target store barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters Wednesday and fatally shot the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase.

AP - Before Julia Child became known to the world as a leading chef, she admitted at least one failing when applying for a job as a spy: impulsiveness.

AP - Russian troops began pulling out Thursday from this hub on Georgia's main east-west highway, Georgia's Interior Ministry said, where the soldiers' presence raised fears that Russia would challenge a shaky cease-fire agreement.

AFP - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Wednesday he remained "committed to reaching an agreement that upholds the will of the people" after talks on the country's political crisis broke up.

AFP - Separatist fighters and Russian troops looted and set homes ablaze in Georgia on Wednesday amid mutual recriminations over breaches of a truce that ended five days of bitter conflict.

Reuters - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a fresh verbal attack on Israel on Wednesday on the eve of a visit to Israel's close ally Turkey, saying Western countries should not support the Jewish state.

Reuters - Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Wednesday he was still committed to power-sharing negotiations after three days of talks with President Robert Mugabe broke off without a deal.

Reuters - The United Nations pledged on Wednesday to hasten its cautious steps in helping Iraq rebuild, five years after a devastating bomb pushed it to pull foreign staff out of the country.

Reuters - The U.S. military was so eager to get the sluggish Guantanamo war crimes trials moving that the legal advisor to the Pentagon overseer adopted a "spray and pray" approach, a U.S. general testified on Wednesday.

Reuters - Americans scaled back their driving during June by almost 5 percent in response to soaring fuel costs, the government said on Wednesday -- a day after announcing the biggest six-month drop in U.S. petroleum demand in 26 years.

Reuters - The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party was wounded by gunfire at the party's state headquarters in Little Rock, local media and police sources said on Wednesday.

Reuters - China go into the sixth day of the Olympics on Thursday ahead of sporting arch-rivals the United States in the medals table despite Michael Phelps's exploits.

Reuters - Georgia accused Russia of breaking a ceasefire in their six-day-old conflict on Wednesday and President George W. Bush demanded Moscow act to resolve a crisis that has strained relations with the United States.