With both houses of Congress debating war-related legislation, US politicians today awaited the Bush administration’s assessment of political, economic and military progress made by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s government.

As pressure builds for a change in Iraq policy, a top US commander there warned today that withdrawing troops too soon would leave the country “a mess”.

US President George Bush is asking Congress for as much as $50bn (€40.2bn) in immediate aid for the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, and the White House indicated today more money would be needed eventually.

Christophe Domenici has earned the first try of the match between Ireland and France.

FIORENTINA are dead - long live Fiorentina - that is the message coming from football fans in Florence after their club effectively disappeared from Italian soccer.