Why Military Calls to Raise Iraq Effort Grow  —  Rumsfeld Exit Revives Push to Boost Troops,  —  Money in One Last Effort to Stabilize Baghdad  —  WASHINGTON — As demands mount to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq, a growing number of senior military officials are arguing that the only way to salvage …

Early 'Maybe' From Obama Jolts '08 Field  —  Senator Barack Obama's announcement that he might run for president is altering the early dynamics of the 2008 Democratic nominating contest.  The move has created complications for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as she steps up her own preparations …

Chavez wins re-election by wide margin  —  CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez won re-election by a wide margin Sunday, giving the firebrand leftist six more years to redistribute Venezuela's vast oil wealth to the poor and press his campaign to counter U.S. influence in Latin America and beyond.

Videotape Offers a Window Into a Terror Suspect's Isolation  —  One spring day during his three and a half years as an enemy combatant, Jose Padilla experienced a break from the monotony of his solitary confinement in a bare cell in the brig at the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston, S.C.

Separating Hyperbole From Horror in Iraq  —  Over the course of last week, an Associated Press article — one subsequently challenged by the military — in which six Sunni worshipers were reportedly doused in kerosene and burned alive by Shiite attackers, became the worst kind of totem.

See exclusive new pictures of Alexander Litvinenko  —  Mark Townsend, Jamie Doward, Tom Parfitt in Moscow and Barbara McMahon in Rome  —  Alexander Litvinenko with a Scottish bonnet, Chechen swords and KGB gauntlets.  Photograph: Copyright Guardian News and Media.  All rights reserved.

Congress open to passing bill on immigration  —  Congress will approve an immigration bill that will grant citizenship rights to most of the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S. after Democrats take control next month, predict both sides on Capitol Hill.

Syria and Hizbullah to intensify offensive  —  The Hizbullah supporter that was shot dead on Sunday may or may not have been shot by the Sunni residents of Qasqas.  The area is infested with pro-Assad Ahbash Islamists, and I would not put it past one of them or some Syrian intelligence operative …

Censorship fears rise as Iran blocks access to top websites  —  Iran yesterday shut down access to some of the world's most popular websites.  Users were unable to open popular sites including Amazon.com and YouTube following instructions to service providers to filter them.

Bush may end drilling ban in Alaskan bay  —  WASHINGTON - President Bush is deciding whether to lift a ban on oil and gas drilling in federal waters off Alaska's Bristol Bay, home to endangered whales and sea lions and the world's largest sockeye salmon run.

A Breach of Manners Sets a Tough Town Atwitter  —  SENATOR-ELECT JIM WEBB was, perhaps, answering honestly when President Bush asked him at a White House reception how his son, serving in Iraq, was doing.  —  But it was not according to protocol, and Mr. Bush let him know.

HaHa!  Gotcha!  —  Danny Glover and Mike Essl have written a much-discussed article about bloggers.  The gist of the piece is this: … If you read the whole article, you also find a graphic which shows several bloggers who have accepted assignments from politicians, together with the amounts …

Democrats Who Opposed War Move Into Key Positions  —  New Committee Chairmen Had Warned of Postwar Disorder  —  Although given little public credit at the time, or since, many of the 126 House Democrats who spoke out and voted against the October 2002 resolution that gave President Bush authority …

Hush, Mama, Don't You Cry, a New Yellow Wiggle Will Sing  —  The millions of families with preschool-age children around the world who have bought CDs and DVDs featuring the Wiggles, the Australian foursome known as much for their cheery color-coded jerseys as their catchy tunes …