Iran Is Defiant, Vowing to U.N. It Will Continue Nuclear Efforts  —  Iran on Sunday reacted defiantly to the United Nations Security Council resolution imposing sanctions because of the country's nuclear program.  Iranian officials vowed to continue efforts to enrich uranium and warned …

Legendary Singer James Brown Dies at 73  —  ATLANTA — James Brown, the undeniable "Godfather of Soul," told friends from his hospital bed that he was looking forward to performing on New Year's Eve, even though he was ill with pneumonia.  His heart gave out a few hours later, on Christmas morning.

Ethiopia Hits Somali Targets, Declaring War  —  Ethiopia officially plunged into war with Somalia's Islamist forces on Sunday, bombing targets inside Somalia and pushing ground troops deep into Somali territory in a major escalation that could turn Somalia's internal crisis into a violent religious conflict …

The Peaceful Crusader  —  AMID all the useless bloodshed of the Crusades, there is one story that suggests an extended clash of civilizations between Islam and the West was not preordained.  It concerns the early 13th-century friar Francis of Assisi, who joined the Fifth Crusade not as a warrior but as a peacemaker.

Christmas Movie Redux  —  Dork Alert: I know everyone has had their say on their favorite Christmas movie, but mine is Home Alone.  I unapologetically love the story, the filmmaking and McCauley Culkin, and I cry every time.  My nephew and I usually watch it at Christmas time but he's 14 …

'Twas the Blogger's Night Before Christmas  —  'TWAS THE BLOGGER'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS  —  'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the 'sphere  —  Bloggers were glad to see Christmas draw near.  —  Their PCs were turned off and all put away  —  The bloggers were swearing to take off the day.

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Dec 25  —  Source: Reuters  —  Dec 25 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq as of 1500 GMT on Monday:  —  * denotes new or updated item.  —  *BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb exploded near a U.S. patrol in southern Baghdad …

Alarming 9/11 claim is found baseless  —  A military analysts' chart did not identify hijackers beforehand, senators report.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee has rejected as untrue one of the most disturbing claims about the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes …

Interior, Pentagon Faulted In Audits  —  Effort to Speed Defense Contracts Wasted Millions  —  The Defense Department paid two procurement operations at the Department of the Interior to arrange for Pentagon purchases totaling $1.7 billion that resulted in excessive fees and tens of millions of dollars in waste, documents show.

Katrina fraud likely to balloon past $1B  —  WASHINGTON - The tally for Hurricane Katrina waste could top $2 billion next year because half of the lucrative government contracts valued at $500,000 or greater for cleanup work are being awarded without little competition.

Bush-Watchers Wonder How He Copes With Stress  —  President Bush marched into his year-end news conference last week with the usual zip in his step.  As always, he professed little worry about his legacy or the polls.  As always, he said the United States would win in Iraq.

Nonprofit Connects Murtha, Lobbyists  —  For a quarter of a century, Carmen Scialabba labored for Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), helping parcel out the billions of dollars that came through the House Appropriations Committee, so when the disabled aide needed a favor, Murtha was there.

Climate of fear  —  BACK IN 1961, Rod Serling set an episode of "The Twilight Zone" in New York City at a time of uncontrolled global warming.  Somehow the Earth's orbit had shifted, and the planet was moving inexorably toward the sun.  "This is the eve of the end," Serling intoned in his introduction.