Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin  —  CAIRNS, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and conservationist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef.  He was 44.

G.O.P. Seen to Be in Peril of Losing House  —  After a year of political turmoil, Republicans enter the fall campaign with their control of the House in serious jeopardy, the possibility of major losses in the Senate, and a national mood so unsettled that districts once considered safely Republican …

Attacking Inequality  —  Tax Reform Has the Greatest Potential To Narrow the Gap  —  By now almost everyone agrees that inequality is serious.  Economic growth no longer seems to help the majority of workers; the proceeds flow to the top fifth or so of the workforce, and the top within the top has done especially handsomely.

A Different Face of Iran  —  Despite the Politics, an American Finds Hope in a Forbidden Land  —  As a journalist, I've spent considerable time over the years in places where America was not always popular.  In the bad old days, that meant Russia, China and Vietnam; more recently I've reported …

What a shambles over Iran  —  The collapse of resolve towards Tehran's nuclear plans will deeply undermine international order  —  PERSIAN PROVERBS have a particularly poetic quality to them.  Among my personal favourites are: "The wise man sits on the hole in his carpet" …

On America Working The war on workers  —  U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige labeled one "a terrorist organization."  Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, called them "a clear and present danger to the security of the United States."  And U.S. Rep. Charles Norwood, R-Ga. …

Caine hits out against today's 'banal' films  —  FILMS made today pale against cinema classics of the past because they are so lacking in dialogue, character and plot, Sir Michael Caine told The Times yesterday.  —  The Oscar-winning star has lost count of the number of times he has seen films …

Barzani Threatens Secession;  —  Sistani Aide Assassinated;  —  4 GIs Killed  —  Massoud Barzani reacted angrily to criticisms of him by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and many other Iraqi politicians for his call that the Iraqi flag not be flown in Iraqi Kurdistan.

US Muslims plagued by discrimination after 9/11 attacks  —  DEARBORN, United States (AFP) - Discrimination and harassment by law enforcement have come to plague American Muslims in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11.  —  There have been suspicious looks, slurs …

This week's FISA debate — 2 falsehoods that cannot be responsibly reported  —  It is now undeniably clear to everyone that the sole hope Bush supporters have for staving off disaster in the midterm elections is to (a) hype the terrorist threat as shrilly and irresponsibly as possible and then …

Omar Bakri Mohammed Detained in Lebanon, 3 al-Muhajiroun Arrested  —  ***Jawa Report Exclusive***  —  Shiekh Omar Bakri Mohammed, the exiled British Muslim cleric, was detained by Lebanese police last week and then released after passing a bribe.  He was questioned about his possible involvement with the foiled sky terror plot.