There is an aura of tension and discomfort about him, as though he would rather be listening — more specifically, overhearing — than talking. He is a chain-smoking, stern, imposing, complicated kind of guy.

The Pointer Sisters have always faced a crisis in their identity. They have dabbled in so many musical streams that, while everybody likes them, nobody knows exactly what to do with them.

Deception of voters has become an accepted tactic.

As President Bush prepares to visit India, the question is whether he can cement the improvement in US-India ties while avoiding negative spill-over effects.

While we harbor some anxiety about the direction he may push the court, we would be more alarmed at the long-term implications of denying him a seat.

A strike at Iran, they warn, would at best just delay its nuclear program by a few years but could inflame international opinion against the United States, particularly in the Muslim world and especially within Iran, while making US troops in Iraq targets for retaliation.