Al-Qaeda tells British cells to carry out wave of beheadings  —  ISLAMIC terror cells in Britain have been instructed to carry out a series of kidnappings and beheadings of the kind allegedly planned by the nine terrorist suspects arrested in Birmingham last week.

Breeding ground for a new cynicism?  —  IF Samuel Beckett had glossed "Alice in Wonderland," the result might have been something like the trial of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.  —  On any given day, it's possible to read the courtroom drama as either farce or tragedy, though those who care …

Democrats Split on How to End the War  —  Those Who Aren't In Congress Press Clinton and Obama  —  The war in Iraq is shaping the opening stages of the contest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, just as it did in the 2004 campaign.  —  After 10 candidates' speeches over two days …

Suicide bomber kills at least 135 in Baghdad market  —  A suicide bomber killed at least 135 people overnight in the deadliest single bomb blast in Baghdad since the 2003 war, driving a truck laden with one tonne of explosives into a busy market in a mainly Shiite area.

The polar-bears-on-the-melting-ice- cap photo.  —  You've all seen it.  This photo atop all the articles about the new report on global warming.  —  (Go to the article to see the larger size.)  —  Here's my question.  How many people look at that picture and think the polar bears were living …

Doubts Run Deep on Reforms Crucial to Bush's Iraq Strategy  —  Even Plan's Authors Say Political, Economic Changes May Fail  —  The success of the Bush administration's new Iraq strategy depends on a series of rapid and dramatic political and economic reforms that even the plan's authors have little confidence will work.

What's so hot about fickle science?  —  From the "Environmental News Network": "Science Is Solid on Climate Change, Congress Told."  "The science is solid," says Louise Frechette, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations.  —  "The science is solid," says Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Op-Chart: 31 Days in Iraq  —  By ADRIANA LINS de ALBUQUERQUE and ALICIA CHENG  —  In January more than 1,900 people — soldiers, security officers and civilians — were killed in the insurgency in Iraq, up from 800 in January 2006.  Many corpses showed signs of torture …

In Washington, Contractors Take on Biggest Role Ever  —  In June, short of people to process cases of incompetence and fraud by federal contractors, officials at the General Services Administration responded with what has become the government's reflexive answer to almost every problem.

U.S. adjusting tactics in Iraq after copters downed  —  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military is adjusting its tactics in Iraq after four helicopters were shot down over the past two weeks, U.S. military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said on Sunday.