Two die as hardline Islamists ban World Cup  —  Hardline Islamic courts shut cinema halls and barred residents from watching the World Cup, prompting scores of civilians to protest the ban in which two people were killed, court officials and residents have said.

'Warmongers' have a point: It's a war  —  Here are four news stories from the last week:  —  Baghdad: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi found himself on the receiving end of 500 pounds of U.S. ordnance.  —  London: Scotland Yard arrested a cell of East End Muslims allegedly plotting a sarin attack in Britain.

Iran accused of hiding secret nuclear weapons site  —  Fresh evidence has emerged that Iran is working on a secret military project to develop nuclear weapons that has not been declared to United Nations inspectors responsible for monitoring Iran's nuclear programme.

Vilsack fourth in presidential poll  —  1 in 10 Iowans would back governor if he ran for White House  —  Edwards, Clinton top Democratic choices for president in 2008  —  Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina leads a list of potential Democratic presidential candidates while Iowa …

Castro: Al-Zarqawi Killing a 'Barbarity'  —  Cuban President Fidel Castro Calls U.S. Airstrike That Killed al-Zarqawi a 'Barbarity'  —  HAVANA Jun 10, 2006 (AP)— President Fidel Castro called the U.S. airstrike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi a "barbarity," saying he should have been put on trial.

Al Gore's Convenient Fiction  —  In "A Streetcar Named Desire," character Blanche DuBois depended on the kindness of strangers.  In the newly released film, "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore depends on their forgetfulness.  —  Just 10 years ago, Gore told the Democratic National Convention …

Always the Party of What-Went-Wrong  —  The Democrats have become too good at losing.  —  Even now, with the Republicans looking bruised and beatable as the midterm elections approach, the first signs of another period of Democratic discontent are emerging.

In Texas Town, New Drug Plan Baffles Patient and Provider Alike  —  McALLEN, Tex. — In Washington, Bush administration officials say Medicare's new prescription drug program is humming along smoothly, filling more than three million prescriptions a day and cutting costs by an average of 50 percent for each beneficiary.

Israel denies firing shell that killed Palestinians  —  A top Israeli general says the country's armed forces didn't cause the explosion that killed eight Palestinians on Friday and ended the fragile ceasefire in the region.  —  Hamas, which leads the Palestinian Authority parliament …

GO BACK TO WHAT WORKS (Be Like Bill)  —  As the 2006 and 2008 elections loom ever nearer, Democrats are racking their brains for a political philosophy that can return the party to power.  Everywhere, we hear the same lament: If only Democrats had a proven formula for winning elections and governing the country.

Guantanamo suicides 'acts of war'  —  The suicides of three detainees at the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amount to acts of war, the US military says.  —  The camp commander said the two Saudis and a Yemeni were "committed" and had killed themselves in "an act of asymmetric warfare waged against us".

Memorium  —  Sarge Just sent this:  —  It's been a little while since I've posted here, but Friday night all the  —  things in the world news that I'd been planning to write about suddenly  —  became completely unimportant.  Friday night a soldier from my company, from  —  my platoon, was killed by an IED.

US 'planning to keep 50,000 troops in Iraq for many years'  —  America plans to retain a garrison of 50,000 troops, one tenth of its entire army, in Iraq for years to come, according to US media reports.  —  The revelation came as George W Bush summoned his top political …

Fear of Big Battle Panics Iraqi City  —  BAGHDAD — Fears of an imminent offensive by the U.S. troops massed around the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi intensified Saturday, with residents pouring out of the city to escape what they describe as a mounting humanitarian crisis.

Iraqi residents say bodies in video from U.S. raid  —  HADITHA, Iraq (Reuters) - A video of civilians who may have been killed by U.S. Marines in an Iraqi town in November showed residents describing a rampage by U.S. soldiers that left a trail of bullet-riddled bodies and destruction.