Reuters - Foreign commandos from Afghanistan backed by three helicopter gunships carried out a pre-dawn attack inside Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 20 people, including women and children, a provincial governor said.

Reuters - The Bush administration will announce on Wednesday a package of roughly $1 billion dollars in aid to help rebuild war-torn U.S. ally Georgia, which battled Russia over a separatist enclave last month, an administration official said.

Reuters - President George W. Bush heads to storm-battered Louisiana on Wednesday to survey damage from Hurricane Gustav as tens of thousands who fled New Orleans prepare to return to a "dark and hot" city struggling to restore power and maintain basic services.

Reuters - Sarah Palin has dominated the Republican convention for days without making a public appearance but on Wednesday she takes the spotlight with a prime-time speech that will introduce her to American voters.

AP - His strokes awry, his emotions laid bare for all to see, Roger Federer figured out a way to stay in the U.S. Open.

AP - David Letterman wants to stick with CBS' "Late Show" through his contract — and maybe longer — as rival Jay Leno prepares to surrender the "Tonight" reins next year.

AP - Women typically get heart disease much later than men, but not if they smoke, researchers said Tuesday.

AP - Vice President Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy said, as part of a tour in support of Russia's southern neighbors.

AP - Women and children were among 15 people killed in an attack Wednesday involving U.S.-led forces in a Pakistani village near the border with Afghanistan, officials and a resident said.

AP - A day after sending Haitian families scrambling onto rooftops to avoid flooding, Tropical Storm Hanna was expected to begin moving over the Bahamas on Wednesday.

AP - President Bush is keeping a hands-on profile in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, in contrast with his administration's poor response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago.

AP - Enter at your own risk, New Orleans. That was the message from Mayor Ray Nagin, who gave residents the go-ahead to return to the Crescent City on Wednesday night at midnight, but with several warnings — many homes were without electricity or working toilets and a dusk-to-dawn curfew would still be in effect.

AP - A terrifying shooting spree that stretched from a small northwest Washington town onto the state's busiest highway left six people dead and at least two more wounded on Tuesday.