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Top Story

Bush's Iraq Plan Gets Big Build-Up
WASHINGTON (AP) - Determined not to be rushed, President Bush has spent weeks figuring out a new war plan in Iraq. All the while, the American public's expectations have been headed in one direction - up. Anticipation is high not just because people are weary of war, but also because of the way Bush has gone about deciding his next move.

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Distressed American

The World

Bombings kill 23 civilians in Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Three bombs killed 23 Iraqis in Baghdad on Thursday, and the U.S. military announced the deaths of three American soldiers.

Saddam's Baath party threatens to hit U.S targets
AMMAN (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's Baath party threatened on Wednesday to retaliate if the ousted leader is executed, saying hanging him was a red line the United States should not cross.

Abbas proposes closed talks with Israel
CAIRO, Egypt - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas proposed Wednesday that he start closed-door talks with Israel on some of their most difficult disputes including the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Iran MPs oblige government to revise IAEA cooperation
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's parliament passed a bill on Wednesday obliging the government to "revise" its level of cooperation with the IAEA nuclear watchdog after the United Nations approved sanctions on Tehran over its atomic program.

British soldier killed, three hurt in southern Afghanistan
KABUL (AFP) - A British soldier has been killed and three hurt when a blast caused a vehicle crash in Afghanistan's troubled southern Helmand province, the NATO-led force and British military said.

SKorea says US must be more flexible on NKorea
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's point man on North Korea has urged the United States to be more flexible in talks on scrapping North Korea's nuclear programmes.

Ecuador names 1st female defense chief
QUITO, Ecuador - President-elect Rafael Correa appointed seven women to his Cabinet on Wednesday, including Ecuador's first female defense minister, saying he wanted to promote gender equality in his South American nation.

Islamic forces abandon Somalia's capital
MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Islamist forces who have controlled Somalia's capital for months abandoned the city Thursday after government forces advanced to within striking distance. Looting broke out and clan leaders called for calm.

Security Council 'encouraged' by Sudan's acceptance of joint Darfur force
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council gave a guarded welcome to Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir's readiness to accept the deployment of a joint African Union-UN force in strife-torn Darfur.

The Nation

Coast-To-Coast Tributes For Gerald Ford
Funeral ceremonies beginning Friday in California, continuing in Washington, with burial in Michigan on Wednesday will give Americans of all walks of life a chance to pay final respects to the 38th president of the United States.

Ford Disagreed With Iraq Policy
In exclusive interview, Gerald Ford "very strongly" opposed Bush's justifications for war; criticized his own former colleagues Cheney and Rumsfeld.

US tries to assure allies that extraordinary renditions are over
The US is telling its overseas allies that it has stopped "extraordinary renditions" and needs their help to empty Guantánamo's prison cells. But human rights groups dispute this assertion and a question mark hangs over 200 "war on terror" detainees who could be held indefinitely without trial.

State Department challenges Israel
WASHINGTON - Israel's plan to construct a new settlement on the West Bank drew rare criticism Wednesday from the Bush administration.

Gov't watchdogs under attack from bosses
WASHINGTON - The inspectors general entrusted to unearth waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies are increasingly under attack, as top government officials they scrutinize try to erode the watchdogs' independence and authority.

Mental Health Bill to Face House Vote
WASHINGTON (AP) - After years of trying, advocates think they have a good chance of getting Congress to pass legislation next year that would require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses, if their policies include both.

Ohio reprimands outgoing governor
The state Supreme Court on Wednesday publicly reprimanded Ohio Gov. Bob Taft for his ethics violations in office, a black mark that will stay on his permanent record as an attorney.

Mass. court rejects gay union vote bid
The state s highest court ruled Wednesday it had no authority to force lawmakers to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, but it still criticized them for not acting.

Bright idea makes a big comeback: Conservation
Nearly all businesses share an all-consuming mission: sell, sell, sell. But power companies these days are increasingly being told by regulators to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into selling less electricity.

Economy & Business

Dow closes above 12,500 for first time
NEW YORK - Wall Street surged higher Wednesday, hurtling the Dow Jones industrials past 12,500 for the first time as year-end bargain hunters picked up stocks across a variety of sectors.

New homes sales unexpectedly strong
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. homes were unexpectedly strong in November and the backlog of unsold homes shrank, according to government data on Wednesday that suggested the worst of the housing slump may be in the past.

Home loan demand plummets as refinancing dives
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. mortgage applications plummeted last week to the lowest in nearly five months, as home refinancing loan demand plunged amid climbing interest rates, an industry trade group said on Wednesday.

Investor Outcry Over Exec Pay Retreat
Shareholder groups are upset that the SEC has backtracked on how some executive compensation will be reported

Media

Fox streaming bowl games on Web
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Fox Sports will digitally distribute college football bowl games and preview shows on several Web sites beginning Thursday.

Microsoft adds behavioral targeting
NEW YORK - Microsoft Corp. has started linking users' search habits with other personal information as it prepares to show more personalized advertisements.

Bloggers must disclose sponsored posts
A company that helps advertisers connect with bloggers willing to write about their products for payment will now require disclosures amid criticism and a regulatory threat.

Science & Technology

FDA set to OK food from cloned animals
WASHINGTON - The government has decided that food from cloned animals is safe to eat and does not require special labeling.

Talking Fish: Wide Variety of Sounds Discovered
At least 1,000 species communicate by sound, and scientists are only beginning to discover the range of bizarre noise-making and listening techniques.

Viagra for Women?
In its efforts to develop a new antidepressant, a German drugmaker has stumbled upon a substance that increases female arousal

Spam Slams Internet at Record Levels
An explosion of spam has security vendors salivating over potential sales of filtering products this coming year, with levels of the insidious mail clogging inboxes expected to grow at unprecedented levels.

Companies promote affordable all-in-one computer security packages
The fight to protect consumer PCs from hackers is heating up. Whether it leaves all digital intruders in the cold could be another matter. Major product rollouts from Symantec and McAfee incorporate features from acquired security firms that pack every conceivable cyberdefense into an affordable package. Comprehensive security packages go for $40 to $80, cheaper than buying products separately.