Hezbollywood?  Evidence mounts that Qana collapse and deaths were staged  —  It was to be a perfect Hollywood ending for Hezbollah.  Just as the Israeli bombing of the village of Qana in 1996 brought a premature end to Israel's Operation "Grapes of Wrath," so too a sequel of Qana II could change …

France says Iran is respected, stabilizing force in Middle East  —  Iran is a significant, respected player in the Middle East which is playing a stabilizing role, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Monday, during a visit to Lebanon.  —  "It was clear that we could never accept …

Gitmo Guards Often Attacked by Detainees  —  The prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay during the war on terror have attacked their military guards hundreds of times, turning broken toilet parts, utensils, radios and even a bloody lizard tail into makeshift weapons, Pentagon reports say.

Ned Lamont's First Video Blog: Let's Talk About Iraq  —  Over the weekend Ned filmed his first video blog.  Since Joe Lieberman doesn't want to talk about his war in Iraq, I guess it's up to the rest of us.  —  If you think there is more to be said on the topic and things aren't going quite …

Appeals court hears from lawyers in DeLay ballot battle  —  NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals panel indicated today that the ability of Republicans to replace former U.S. Rep. Tom Delay on the ballot rests on whether there was "conclusive" evidence that he had moved to Virginia.

Statewide poll: Without key exceptions, more South Dakotans oppose abortion ban  —  Amid the often hostile rhetoric that pierces South Dakota's closely watched abortion debate, a new survey shows that more residents of the largely conservative state oppose a ban on the pregnancy-ending procedure …

Mel Gibson's Meltdown  —  HE IS SICK TO HIS EMPTY CORE WITH JEW-HATRED.  —  I was just in the middle of writing a long and tedious essay, about how to tell a real anti-Semite from a person who too-loudly rejects the charge of anti-Semitism, when a near-perfect real-life example came to hand.

U.S. Puts Onus on Employers of Immigrants  —  Immigration agents had prepared a nasty surprise for the Garcia Labor Company, a temporary worker contractor, when they moved against it on charges of hiring illegal immigrants.  They brought a 40-count federal indictment, part of a new nationwide strategy …

To Climb the Mountain Or Stop  —  Some indication of the internal debate within the Israeli government may be gathered from Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the Knesset.  Traditionally opposition politicians are supposed to mute their criticisms in time of war.  Netanyahu's words were on their face both an encouragement and warning.

Passing Down the Legacy of Conservatism  —  SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Headed for what she called "conservative boot camp," Christina Pajak grabbed the essentials: dress sandals, her Bible and "The Politics of Prudence" by Russell Kirk, the celebrated writer who a half-century ago gave the conservative movement its name.

Men Not Working, and Not Wanting Just Any Job  —  ROCK FALLS, Ill. — Alan Beggerow has stopped looking for work.  Laid off as a steelworker at 48, he taught math for a while at a community college.  But when that ended, he could not find a job that, in his view, was neither demeaning nor underpaid.

AMATEUR HOUR  —  On the Internet, everybody is a millenarian.  Internet journalism, according to those who produce manifestos on its behalf, represents a world-historical development—not so much because of the expressive power of the new medium as because of its accessibility to producers and consumers.

And Now, The Good News  —  The world seems aswirl.  Where do we stand today?  —  Let's use the analysis of bestselling author Thomas Barnett, who divides the world into a functioning "Core" (North America, Europe, East Asia, rising China and India) and a nonfunctional "Gap" (the Middle East …

Dear Mr. President, Simply Staying the Course in Iraq is Not Working  —  Washington, DC—With violence exploding in Iraq, there is little evidence that the Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans have a coherent strategy to stabilize Iraq.  Thousands have been killed in sectarian …

Fla. Republicans won't back Rep. Harris  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The state Republican Party bluntly told Rep. Katherine Harris (news, bio, voting record) that she couldn't win this fall's Senate election and that the party wouldn't support her campaign, a letter obtained Monday by The Associated Press shows.