AP - Sen. Joe Lieberman alienated plenty of Democrats with his independent bid. Just imagine their anger if he costs them control of the House.

SUAO, Taiwan (Reuters) - Taiwan commissioned two ageing U.S.-made destroyers on Thursday, the last major arms acquisition aimed at countering China's perceived growing threat since bureaucracy and partisan politics suspended new buys.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will announce a package of measures covering aid, trade and social development for Africa during a summit of 48 African leaders that opened on Friday amid concerns from rights groups about links with Sudan and Zimbabwe.

AP - For better or worse, the end is in sight for weary candidates, the final commercials shipped to TV stations, the last debates behind them.

CQPolitics.com - As Election Day nears, CQPolitics.com will periodically provide roundups of the key races in individual states, highlighting major developments in the contests. The following is an update of the key statewide general election contests in Texas.

AP - Senate candidates Harold Ford Jr. and Bob Corker were enlisting prominent national politicians Sunday to rally voters as the race speeds toward Election Day.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States will hold joint naval exercises for a week from Thursday in waters around Japan, a Japanese defense ministry official said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate race in Virginia went down to the wire early Wednesday with the Democratic challenger narrowly ahead and the outcome, which faces a possible recount, could determine which party has control.

AFP - Republicans began a period of soul-searching, following an election debacle that marked the end of the "Republican Revolution" and their takeover of Congress a dozen years ago.

AP - A blue oasis in the heart of the predominantly Republican Rocky Mountain West, Denver could lose its bid to lure the 2008 Democratic National Convention unless it can win the support of an important constituency — labor unions.

AP - For a relentlessly optimistic President Bush, this is a season of disappointment, surprise and setbacks.

Reuters - U.N. humanitarian coordinator Jan Egeland is willing to meet commanders of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army rebels to try to boost efforts aimed at ending one of Africa's longest wars, the United Nations said.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Indonesia warned on Monday that demonstrations over a visit by President Bush could turn violent and told Americans to be vigilant and avoid protest areas.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A U.S. defense chief called for closer military ties with China and for the two powers to shed 'Cold War' thinking on Tuesday as he highlighted a recent naval encounter that could have gone wrong.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday said neither Iran nor Syria appeared interested in helping stabilize Iraq or the Middle East as she played down the idea of direct talks.

CQPolitics.com - House Democrats are ready for a showdown Thursday between presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and aspiring majority leader Steny H. Hoyer that some fear will fracture the caucus no matter the outcome.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate approved long-stalled legislation on Thursday that is a key step toward U.S.-India nuclear cooperation for the first time in three decades.

HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush signed a stopgap measure on Saturday to keep the U.S. federal government running through December 8.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt said on Sunday the Group of 20 economic powers talked about the need for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to improve exchange rate surveillance.

AFP - The head of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan has said that there is no quick military fix to end the insurgency in the troubled country, the Guardian has reported.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Barbra Streisand ended her latest farewell tour on Monday at a celebrity-studded Los Angeles love-in that included incoming Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi among the thousands of rapt fans.

AP - As violence grips Iraq, some White House hopefuls want U.S. troops to start coming home now, or at least soon. Others say the United States must win at all costs. One has called for Iraq to be carved up along ethnic lines. And then there's Sen. John McCain.

CQPolitics.com - Voters in North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District will have to wait for a manual inspection of ballots next week to determine who will represent them in the 110th Congress, with four-term Republican Rep. Robin Hayes holding a mere 329-vote lead over Democratic challenger Larry Kissell.

AP - Environmental groups are still angry over an assertion made before the Supreme Court a month ago during arguments in a far-reaching clean air lawsuit.

AP - NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Thursday he was counting on Germany to operate in any volatile part of Afghanistan in case of need, not just in the more peaceful northern sector.

AP - The Supreme Court hears arguments this week in a case that could determine whether the Bush administration must change course in how it deals with the threat of global warming.

Reuters - Latvia said on Friday Moscow's release of documents stating the United States and Britain gave tacit approval to Soviet occupation of the Baltics was an attempt to sour NATO relations ahead of next week's summit.

CQPolitics.com - Part one of three.

AP - The morning 23-year-old Sean Bell was shot to death by police, his grieving relatives did something that has become almost routine in such cases: They called the Rev. Al Sharpton. Within hours, the longtime civil rights activist had consoled relatives, held two news conferences, and begun organizing a community rally for the next day.

MIAMI (Reuters) - Google's chief executive offered some advice on Wednesday to Republicans looking ahead to the 2008 presidential contest: make better use of the Internet's electioneering power if you want to win next time.