U.N.: Israeli airstrike hits U.N. observer post  —  Sources: Condoleezza Rice floats plan to end conflict  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — An Israeli airstrike hit a United Nations post in southern Lebanon late Tuesday, killing at least two of the agency's observers, according to the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

Some Democrats say will shun Maliki speech  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional Democrats voiced alarm on Tuesday over Iraq's denunciation of Israel in the Middle East conflict, and some said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's upcoming address to Congress should be canceled unless he apologizes.

Hezbollah Says Israeli Response a Surprise  —  A senior Hezbollah official said Tuesday the guerrilla group did not expect Israel to react so strongly to its capture of two Israeli soldiers.  —  Mahmoud Komati, deputy chief of Hezbollah's political arm, also told The Associated Press …

Senate Removes Abortion Option for Young Girls  —  WASHINGTON, July 25 — The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would make it a federal crime to help an under-age girl escape parental notification laws by crossing state lines to obtain an abortion.  —  The bill was approved on a 65-to-34 vote …

Democrats' Version of John McCain  —  Months ago, I was lunching with some savvy Democrats, when one of them asked me: What is the problem with all those Republicans who can't stand maverick GOP Sen. John McCain?  As a McCainiac, I warmed to the subject.  I disagree with McCain …

Battle for Baghdad Boils Down to Grabbing a Slice at a Time  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 25 — The Bush administration's announcement on Tuesday that it will shift more forces to Baghdad is much more than a numbers game.  It reflects a new strategy to reclaim control of the Iraqi capital and a new approach for deploying the troops.

Steele Slams Party  —  WASHINGTON — A Republican in a competitive Senate race called his party affiliation "an impediment," said he'd "probably not" want President Bush to campaign for him and the GOP-controlled Congress should "just shut up and get something done."

White House Bill Proposes System to Try Detainees  —  WASHINGTON, July 25 — Legislation drafted by the Bush administration setting out new rules on bringing terror detainees to trial would allow hearsay evidence to be introduced unless it was deemed "unreliable" and would permit defendants …

Dump Condi: Foreign policy conservatives charge State Dept. has hijacked Bush agenda  —  Conservative national security allies of President Bush are in revolt against Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying that she is incompetent and has reversed the administration's national security and foreign policy agenda.

Tax Cuts May Come At a Price, Study Says  —  The federal government will need to either cut spending or raise taxes down the road to pay for extending President Bush's recent tax cuts, the Treasury Department said in a report released yesterday, dismissing the idea popular with many Republicans that such sacrifices can be avoided.

Case Closed  —  THE TRUTH ABOUT THE IRAQI-NIGER "YELLOWCAKE" NEXUS.  —  Now that Joseph and Valerie Wilson's fantasies of having been persecuted by high officials in the administration have been so thoroughly dispelled by Robert Novak (and now that it seems the prosecutor has determined …

Cry Bias, and Let Slip the Blogs of War  —  J.P. Borda started a Web log during his 2004 National Guard deployment in Afghanistan to keep in touch with his family.  But when he got home, he decided it was the mainstream media that was out of touch with the war.  —  "You hear so much about what's going wrong," he says.