Free Republic

Like pensions and insurance, defence is one of those subjects to which too many people only pay attention when things go wrong. You might think, in the light of the past decade, that this would have changed. But you would be sadly mistaken. Even today, even after Iraq, few mainstream MPs without an immediate personal or constituency interest in the subject turn up in the Commons for defence debates. Many politicians who are thoughtful about a range of domestic issues still pass by on the other side when the conversation gravitates to the military. In this they reflect the British...

TBILISI, Georgia, May 10 - President Bush told tens of thousands of cheering Georgians packed into the city's Freedom Square today that the United States would stand with the former Soviet republic as it built its young democracy, and then pointedly warned President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia that the sovereignty of Georgia "must be respected by all nations." On the last stop of a five-day trip that also included visits to Russia, Latvia and the Netherlands, Mr. Bush sought to tie the democratic movements in Georgia and other former Soviet republics to his vision for democracy in the Middle...

After urging the spread of democracy in Latvia, The Netherlands, Russia and Georgia, President (and Laura) Bush returned to the White House. The president will resume work with Congress on Social Security and judicial nominees, as well as seeking help from China on getting North Korea back to negotiations on its nuclear weapons program. Grenade thrown at our president in Georgia. Text of Bush's speech in Georgia. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island.

DERNIERE MINUTE: 07h01 - the Prime Minister géorgien was found died in an apartment in Tbilissi Zourab Jvania discovered was died, apparently poisoned with gas, in the apartment of a friend in whom it was, announced the Minister of Interior Department géorgien, Nano Merabihvili.(AFP)