Her physical presence transcends fashion and projects natural power. Her easy warmth and confidence seem unlimited, as is her ability to connect with ordinary people. As Michelle Obama turns 50, Suzanne Harrington pays tribute to the First Lady

The 'On the Floor' hitmaker – who split from her third husband Marc Anthony earlier this year - received the All-Star award at the ceremony at New York's Carnegie Hall and thanked all of the ladies in her life for her success.

FOR the third straight year, President Barack Obama ranks as the man most admired by people living in the US, according to an annual USA Today-Gallup poll.

IN the past, the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks was marked by sombre reflection and a call to unity, devoid of politics. No more.

FORMER US president George Bush said his upcoming book would begin with an anecdote about his wife persuading him to give up drinking by pushing him to decide whether he preferred booze to fatherhood.

Former US president George Bush said his upcoming book would begin with an anecdote about his wife persuading him to give up drinking by pushing him to decide whether he preferred booze to fatherhood.

As First Lady she has to juggle a range of demanding public and private roles under the constant scrutiny of the world media.

NOBODY’S sure just how many people are going to form the crush in the Mall and line the streets of Washington for tomorrow’s inauguration.

The two most influential women in President George Bush’s White House launched a fierce defence of the president’s legacy against critics calling his administration one of the worst in history.

Barack Obama enjoyed a “relaxed and friendly” meeting with President George Bush as he visited the White House for the first time since becoming US president-elect.

Barack Obama spent two hours having private talks with President George Bush today as he visited the White House for the first time since becoming US president-elect.

Barack Obama will meet President George Bush for key talks at the White House for the first time since becoming the first black US president-elect in history today.

The quietest place in Washington today may have been the White House itself.

Usher released a new song urging his fans to vote in the upcoming US presidential election on November 4.

Oliver Stone’s film about the American President – 'W' – has its European premiere today.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will make the most important speech of her life tonight amid controversy surrounding her selection.

REPUBLICANS scrambled to turn the first day of their national convention into a fundraising drive for hurricane victims yesterday, with presidential candidate John McCain’s wife and first lady Laura Bush appealing for Gulf Coast help while McCain visited a disaster relief centre in Ohio.

Americans should come together and help support victims of Hurricane Gustav, the wife of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said today.

US President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will skip the Republican National Convention because of mounting concerns about Hurricane Gustav, the White House said today.

Five Tibet activists were taken away by Chinese security agents today after protesting during the Olympic Games, hours after a Christian activist was detained on his way to a church service in Beijing attended by US President George Bush.

US President George W Bush juggled sports, strife and diplomacy today on his whirlwind Olympic adventure, a trip marred by an attack on an American couple and their tour guide.

US president George Bush told China bluntly today that America was strongly opposed to the way the communist government repressed its people.

HOLLYWOOD actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright, along with members of a crew filming an Oliver Stone movie, were arrested during a bar fight at the weekend, police said.

Actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright and members of a crew filming an Oliver Stone movie, were arrested during a bar fight, police said today.

Human rights protesters today urged the North's politicians to tackle US President George Bush on the issue of prisoner treatment when he visits Belfast tomorrow.

US FIRST Lady Laura Bush made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to show support for the troubled nation as 16 people, including an Afghan journalist for the BBC, were killed in fresh violence.

US First lady Laura Bush, on a mission to highlight signs of rebirth in war-weary Afghanistan, ventured outside of Kabul today to an area that symbolises both the destruction of war and Afghanistan’s attempt at rebirth.

Burma's state media said last weekend's cyclone killed some 10,000 people in one town alone, raising fears of a big rise in the overall death toll today, as the international community prepared to rush aid to the nation.

Oliver Stone’s film about President George Bush is expected to begin shooting within a month with a goal toward being released before the president leaves office next January.

US President George W Bush today said that Congress should renew his global Aids programme and preserve a requirement that steers money into abstinence efforts.

Nicolas Sarkozy began his first visit to Washington as French president with a pledge that France has left behind tensions with the United States over the Iraq war.

US President George Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq today, using the war zone as a backdrop to argue his case that the buildup of US troops is helping stabilising the nation.

GERMAN chancellor Angela Merkel tops Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most powerful women for the second year in a row, as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice slipped to fourth from second last year.

One of US President George Bush’s twin daughters is engaged to be married, it was announced today.

US President George Bush got a firsthand view today of the devastation at the site of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

Lady Bird Johnson, America’s former first lady who championed conservation and worked tenaciously for the political career of her husband, Lyndon Johnson, has died.

The American White House laid on special touches at President George Bush’s first-ever white-tie state dinner to honour the Queen during her visit to Washington.

New Orleans, still in a mess amid an achingly slow pace of recovery across the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina’s strike, did not warrant a mention by US President George Bush on the year’s biggest night for showcasing US policy priorities.

The White House today defended Laura Bush’s decision not to disclose she had a skin cancer tumour removed from her right shin last month.

NOW the focus is firmly on the next occupant of the White House. A certain reading of the current US scene suggests that for a significant number of Americans, Democratic and Republican, the choice for 2008 is as simple as ABC (Anyone But Clinton).

Heading for his Texas ranch, US President George Bush is taking his shortest summer holiday yet with turmoil in the Middle East and an uncertain future for his Republican Party in autumn elections.

AN engineer at a nuclear power plant has been charged with sending threatening letters containing a powdery substance to a country club where US President George W Bush was scheduled to appear yesterday for a Republican campaign event.

Laura Bush, wife of US President George Bush, said Tuesday the United States is ready to have a woman president – preferably a Republican.

US President George W. Bush arrived in India today as talks on a landmark US-Indian nuclear pact were down to the wire and tens of thousands of Indians rallied across the country to protest his visit.