Bush to discuss Social Security, gas prices

WASHINGTON -- Tonight, President Bush will address motorists' concerns about high gas prices and push for Social Security reform during the sixth news conference since his November re-election. The news conference is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight in the East Room. The White House has asked television networks to broadcast the prime-time session. White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the president's news conference was timed to coincide with the end of administration officials' nationwide tour to convince Americans that the nation's retirement system needs to be revamped. McClellan said Bush would "talk in more specific ways" about his ideas for achieving a bipartisan solution to Social Security's future solvency problems.

House votes to reverse Republican ethics rules

WASHINGTON -- The House, with grudging Republican support, voted Wednesday to reverse GOP ethics rules that Democrats charged were designed to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The Republicans heeded Speaker Dennis Hastert's call for a retreat to end a deadlock that has kept the evenly divided ethics panel from functioning. The vote was 406-20, with all votes against the resolution cast by Republicans. The rules in effect before January allowed investigations to begin if the ethics chairman and ranking minority member failed to act on a complaint in 45 days and no other member requested full committee consideration. An early job for the committee may be an inquiry into whether a lobbyist financed DeLay's foreign trips in violation of House rules.

U.S. soldier, four Afghan officers killed in ambushes

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Militants mounted a series of attacks near Afghanistan's lawless border with Pakistan, killing a U.S. soldier and at least four Afghan police officers, while three Afghan civilians were wounded by gunfire following the bombing of an American patrol. The soldier was slain when his unit was ambushed Tuesday while on patrol near Deh Rawood, 280 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul. He was evacuated to a nearby base but pronounced dead by doctors. The soldier's name was not released until his relatives can be notified. Further south, Taliban militants ambushed a convoy Tuesday carrying the police chief of the Dishu district of Helmand province, killing four officers and abducting two others, Mayor Mohammed Rahim said. The police chief was unhurt.

Death total rises to 97 in Japanese rail crash

AMAGASAKI, Japan -- Rescuers at the site of a rail crash in Amagasaki, about 250 miles west of Tokyo, found at least 19 more bodies Wednesday, raising the death toll in the disaster to 97. A probe into possible negligence by operator West Japan Railway Co. has focused on the actions of the 23-year-old driver, his lack of experience and suspicions that the train was speeding before it derailed. The death toll was expected to increase, with police saying there were more victims still in the wreckage. West Japan Railway said 47 people had contacted them saying their relatives or friends may have been on the train and were unaccounted for. The crash also injured more than 450 people. The seven-car train was packed with 580 passengers when it jumped the tracks near the Osaka suburb.

Lawyer: Saddam in good health, high spirits

AMMAN, Jordan -- Saddam Hussein is in good health and high spirits, the chief of his legal team reported Wednesday after a defense lawyer met with the deposed Iraqi dictator for six hours. Ziad al-Khasawneh, who leads Saddam's defense team, said the U.S. captive met with lawyer Khalil al-Duleimi for six hours in Baghdad. Saddam was captured by U.S. forces in an underground hiding place near his hometown of Tikrit, Iraq, in December 2003 and has been in custody with several of his top henchmen at a U.S.-guarded detention facility near Baghdad's international airport. Saddam will be tried before the Iraqi Special Tribunal established in late 2003. The tribunal has given no official dates for starting trials. Saddam turns 68 today.