Former Top Bush Aide Accused of Md. Thefts  —  Claude A. Allen, who resigned last month as President Bush's top domestic policy adviser, was arrested this week in Montgomery County for allegedly swindling Target and Hecht's stores out of more than $5,000 in a refund scheme, police said.

Slobodan Milosevic Found Dead in Cell  —  AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav leader who orchestrated the Balkan wars of the 1990s and was on trial for war crimes, was found dead in his prison cell near The Hague, the U.N. tribunal said Saturday.

Ethnic groups rally for immigrant rights  —  In a show of strength that surprised even organizers, tens of thousand of immigrants poured into the Loop Friday, bringing their calls for immigration reform to the heart of the city's economic and political power.

Controversial teacher keeps job … A Cherry Creek social studies teacher will not lose his job, after a student went public with a tape recording of controversial comments the teacher had made in class.  —  Superintendent Monte C. Moses said Jay Bennish will be reinstated to his job …

U.S. Hostage Tom Fox Killed in Iraq  —  WASHINGTON - An American who was among four Christian activists kidnapped last year in Iraq has been killed, a State Department spokesman said Friday.  —  The FBI verified that a body found in Iraq Friday morning was that of Tom Fox, 54, of Clear Brook, Va., spokesman Noel Clay said.

For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats  —  LOS ANGELES, March 10 — Three weeks ago, Dr. Wafa Sultan was a largely unknown Syrian-American psychiatrist living outside Los Angeles, nursing a deep anger and despair about her fellow Muslims.

Bush says diplomacy way to tackle Iran  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday called Iran a "grave national security concern," but said he sought a diplomatic way to cap its nuclear goals.  —  A hard-line Iranian cleric told a Friday prayers congregation …

Push to Tighten Lobbying Rules Loses Strength  —  WASHINGTON, March 10 — The drive for a tighter lobbying law, just two months ago a major priority on Capitol Hill, is losing momentum, a victim of shifting political interests, infighting among House Republicans and a growing sense among lawmakers …

President Bush on the Straw Ballot  —  Hardball learns of a McCain-led initiative aimed at supporting the president  —  Posters, like this one, and lapel buttons supporting President Bush are being distributed around the Southern Republican Leadership Conference today in Memphis.  —  Host of 'Hardball'

Symbol of Abu Ghraib Seeks to Spare Others His Nightmare  —  AMMAN, Jordan, March 8 — Almost two years later, Ali Shalal Qaissi's wounds are still raw.  —  There is the mangled hand, an old injury that became infected by the shackles chafing his skin.  There is the slight limp, made worse by days tied in uncomfortable positions.

Iraq Update  —  Political developments, where's the civil war, and Operation Tribal Chivalry launched in Anbar - by tribal sheikhs?  —  President Talibani has pushed the political process forward by calling for the new parliament to convene on March 19, and the contentious debate …

Interior Secretary Norton to step down  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton resigned Friday.  She will leave her post at the end of March, the Department of the Interior said.  —  Norton, 51, held the job for five years.  She is the first woman to serve as Interior secretary.

They can't even win a war of words  —  Democrats are mired in smallness.  How hard can it be to craft a message of passion?  —  'TOGETHER, America can do better.  " When you hear that, do you feel inspired?  —  I didn't think so.  —  ADVERTISEMENT  —  The Democratic Party's current slogan seems to be leaving most people cold.

Spain Remembers Victims of Madrid Bombings  —  MADRID, Spain — Spain observed a low-key remembrance of the Madrid terror bombings on Saturday's second anniversary of the attacks, as a delegation from Morocco _ home to many of the suspects _ fell silent at a station targeted in the massacre.