Dozens killed in Iraq; 8 U.S. troops die  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Violence in Iraq left nearly 50 people dead Monday in a suicide car bombing and clashes between Shiite militia and Iraqi security forces, a brutal contradiction of the prime minister's claim that bloodshed was decreasing.

Eyeless in Gaza  —  The engine of a Qassam rocket fired from Gaza into Israel by Palestinian terrorists  —  SOUTHERN ISRAEL, NEAR GAZA - All eyes turned from Gaza to Lebanon as Israel fought a hot war with Hezbollah across its northern border.  Before the Lebanon war broke out …

Emmy Plane Crash Skit Called Insensitive  —  It was meant to be funny.  But a fake plane crash during the opening Emmy awards skit made many cringe on Sunday _ the same day 49 people died in a fiery plane crash in Kentucky.  —  The skit, aired live at the start of NBC's Emmy telecast …

Has President Musharraf Hit Deadly Baloch Beehive?  —  Will President Musharraf invite the "wrath of the bees" after killing Sardar Akbar Bugti, a powerful rebel leader of Balochistan province of Pakistan on the highly sensitive border of Iran and Afghanistan?  Some say that it is a matter of time before the "bees" settle down.

Year After Katrina, Bush Still Fights for 9/11 Image  —  When the nation records the legacy of George W. Bush, 43rd president and self-described compassionate conservative, two competing images will help tell the tale.  —  The first is of Mr. Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks …

Shopping for Support Down the Wrong Aisle  —  Once upon a time, smart Democrats defended globalization, open trade and the companies that thrive within this system.  They were wary of tethering themselves to an anti-trade labor movement that represents a dwindling fraction of the electorate.

Hezbollah Head Says He Didn't Expect War  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a TV interview aired Sunday that he would not have ordered the capture of two Israeli soldiers if he had known it would lead to such a war.  —  Guerrillas from the Islamic militant …

Life and Death  —  Western guilt blinds us to the nature of Islamic extremism.  —  The simple back-and-forth of war can create the illusion that both sides have a legitimate point to make even when this is not so, and it is clear that Hezbollah's cause has greatly benefited from war's "equalizing" effect.

Bin Laden, Most Wanted For Embassy Bombings?  —  Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is a longtime and prominent member of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list, which notes his role as the suspected mastermind of the deadly U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa on Aug. 7, 1998.  —  is nowhere to be found on the same FBI notice.

SADDAM BEING FORCED TO WATCH 'SOUTH PARK' MOVIE!  —  This is great news about Saddam (auditioning for "Inherit the Wind," left): … Stone, incidentally, voiced Saddam's character in the "South Park" movie.  —  We know that Parker and Stone have a knack for seeing ahead with their work …

Ohio Governor: Strickland Lead Widens to 25 Points  —  Blackwell (R) 32% Strickland (D) 57%  —  During the past several months, Democratic Congressman Ted Strickland's edge over Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has ranged from four to seventeen percentage points.

Homicide Charges Rare in Iraq War  —  The majority of U.S. service members charged in the unlawful deaths of Iraqi civilians have been acquitted, found guilty of relatively minor offenses or given administrative punishments without trials, according to a Washington Post review of concluded military cases.

Adnan Hajj Reloaded - Another Hajj/Al-Reuters Photoshop  —  I've actually been sitting on this one for a while, after a reader named Michelle linked me to this Hajj fauxto, but I've been too busy to post on it the way I wanted to.  So without further ado, let's get it on...

America: More Like Sweden Than You Thought  —  One of the joys of my working life is that I get to read papers like "The State of Working America" from the Economic Policy Institute.  They are, as you may know, the people who urge that the USA become more like the European countries, most especially the Scandinavian ones.

Major black candidates at record high  —  Six African-Americans are making serious bids for senator or governor in 2006.  —  WASHINGTON - From Maryland to Tennessee to Ohio, the 2006 elections already hold a place in the history books: More black candidates from both major parties …

Securing Future Fiscal Health  —  The economic and moral case for long-term reform of fiscal policy is clear.  Yet politicians refuse to act.  If this stalemate persists, it could end in catastrophe.  —  Over the next 30 years, spending on federal programs is on track to go up by 50 percent as a share of the economy.

Lieberman: A Democrat by any other name?  —  Democratic, independent, unaffiliated, minor party and petition candidate.  —  What's in a political designation?  —  Plenty, if you're a veteran U.S. senator who lost his party's primary, petitioned his way onto the November ballot and needs to define his identity in the new campaign.