OBAMA SET TO BE NOMINATED AS DEMOCRATS' CANDIDATE:   DENVER (REUTERS) - BARACK OBAMA WAS SET TO BE NOMINATED ON WEDNESDAY AS THE DEMOCRATS' PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, A HISTORIC FIRST FOR A BLACK AMERICAN, AND BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON MARKED THEIR LAST DAY IN THE DENVER SPOTLIGHT.

              STORM GUSTAV KILLS 23 IN CARIBBEAN, HEADS FOR GULF:   PORT-AU-PRINCE (REUTERS) - TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV PULLED AWAY FROM HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON WEDNESDAY AFTER KILLING 23 PEOPLE AND THREATENED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE AIMED AT NEW ORLEANS AND GULF OF MEXICO OIL FIELDS.

              TOP U.S. MARINE SEES SHIFT FROM IRAQ TO AFGHANISTAN:   WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - THE TOP U.S. MARINE OFFICER SAID ON WEDNESDAY HE COULD REDUCE HIS 25,000-STRONG FORCE IN THE FORMER AL QAEDA STRONGHOLD OF IRAQ'S ANBAR PROVINCE TO REINFORCE MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST A GROWING TALIBAN THREAT IN AFGHANISTAN.

              U.S. ASSESSING POSSIBLE MILITARY AID TO GEORGIA:   WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - U.S. MILITARY PLANNERS HAVE BEGUN PONDERING THE THORNY QUESTION OF HOW GEORGIA'S SHATTERED ARMED FORCES MIGHT BE REBUILT WITHOUT PROVOKING A RUSSIAN BACKLASH THAT COULD RISK DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH MOSCOW.

              CORPORATE AMERICA TAKING LONGER TO COLLECT: STUDY:   BOSTON (REUTERS) - CORPORATE AMERICA IS HAVING THE HARDEST TIME GETTING ITS CUSTOMERS TO PAY THEIR BILLS SINCE THE LAST U.S. RECESSION IN 2001, ACCORDING TO A STUDY RELEASED ON WEDNESDAY.