Bomb tunnel, flood city  —  One man is busted in Beirut, others hunted across  —  globe and terrorists are seen linked to Zarqawi  —  BY ALLISON GENDAR in New York and JAMES GORDON MEEK in Washington  —  The FBI has uncovered what officials consider a serious plot by jihadists to bomb …

President Has a Smooth Ride on 'Larry King Live'  —  Two kinds of celebrities go on "Larry King Live" on CNN: those with something to sell and those with something to hide.  —  Al Gore and Brandon Routh, the young star of the newly released "Superman Returns," recently appeared on the show to promote their new movies.

Lieberman's Support for Iraq War Creates Dilemma for Jewish Backers  —  WASHINGTON, July 5 (JTA) — Six years after Joe Lieberman presented Jewish Democrats with an unprecedented triumph, he may pose an intractable dilemma.  —  If the U.S. senator from Connecticut loses an Aug. 8 primary …

Washington Babylon  —  California Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham traded military contracts for $2.4 million in antiques, cash, and other booty.  He is now in jail, but his case exposed a world of bribery, booze, and broads that reaches into the Pentagon, the C.I.A., and Congress.

Hate Groups Are Infiltrating the Military, Group Asserts  —  A decade after the Pentagon declared a zero-tolerance policy for racial hate groups, recruiting shortfalls caused by the war in Iraq have allowed "large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists" to infiltrate the military, according to a watchdog organization.

Ruling Keeps DeLay on Ballot  —  Judge Sides With Democrats, Says Former Lawmaker Can't Quit  —  A federal judge in Texas threw the political retirement of former House majority leader Tom DeLay into doubt yesterday, ruling that the Texas Republican Party must keep the indicted former congressman …

Iraqi forces capture wanted extremist  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi forces backed by U.S. aircraft battled militants Friday in a Shiite stronghold of eastern Baghdad, killing or wounding more than 30 fighters and capturing an extremist leader who was the target of the raid, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.

Biden talks his way into trouble  —  WASHINGTON — They say one thing standing between Joe Biden and the White House is Joe Biden's mouth.  —  The would-be presidential candidate proved that again on a recent trip to New Hampshire.  In a video clip spreading rapidly across the Internet …

Report: N. Korea targeted Hawaii  —  TOKYO  —  North Korea targeted waters near Hawaii when it fired a long-range missile this week, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday.  —  The long-range Taepodong-2 was part of a barrage of seven missiles test-fired by North Korea on Wednesday.

Conservative Wins in Mexico in Final Tally  —  MEXICO CITY, July 6 — After days of uncertainty, election officials declared Thursday that Felipe Calderón, a conservative, had won the race for president by less than 1 percent of the official count.  His leftist rival refused to accept …

Death for Somali Muslims who shirk prayers  —  Somali Muslims who fail to perform daily prayers will be killed in accordance with Qur'anic law under a new edict issued by a leading cleric in the Islamic courts union that controls Mogadishu.  —  The requirement for Muslims to observe …

For Gay Rights Movement, a Key Setback  —  When Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in November 2003, gay rights advocates imagined a chain reaction that would shake marriage laws until same-sex couples across the nation had the legal right to wed.

Knotts considers run for governor  —  State senator driven by irritation with Sanford, but lack of funds is big hurdle  —  State Sen. Jake Knotts picked up a batch of petition forms from the State Election Commission on Thursday, the latest sign the Lexington County Republican might run for governor as an independent.