Govt defends right to hold accused enemy combatant

A lower court should be able to resolve a challenge to President Bush's authority to detain the only suspected enemy combatant held on U.S. soil, the federal government said in a brief filed Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Solicitor General Gregory Garre wrote that a challenge by Ali al-Marri of his enemy combatant designation can be resolved in federal court in South Carolina, where he is detained. Recently, former generals and U.S. Justice Department officials filed briefs on his behalf exhorting the high court to review Bush administration authority to continue holding the Qatar native as an enemy combatant.

Al-Marri, a legal U.S. resident, has been …

KENTUCKY DERBY: ; Potential Lasix ban could have negative impact, trainer says; Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner withdraws

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kelly Breen has a lot on his mind these days.

The trainer is trying to win his first Kentucky Derby on Saturdaywith Pants On Fire.

Breen is also deeply worried about the future of Monmouth Park,his home track in New Jersey.

However, the topic that has Breen most fired up is thepossibility of federal legislation being introduced this week - daysbefore the Derby - to ban all raceday medications.

Breen is concerned that the ban would sweep away commonly useddrugs like Lasix, a diuretic that controls exercise-inducedrespiratory bleeding.

"Lasix is a therapeutic drug," Breen said.

"Studies have been done that show …

North Korea Gets Oil for Closing Reactor

PYONGYANG, North Korea - U.N. inspectors arrived in North Korea on Saturday to monitor the communist country's long-anticipated promise to scale back its nuclear weapons program, while the top U.S. nuclear envoy said he expected Pyongyang's reactor to be shut down in a matter of days.

An initial shipment of oil aid arrived hours earlier Saturday, in return for Pyongyang's pledge to close down its main nuclear reactor. The move would be the North's first step in nearly five years toward the de-nuclearization of the peninsula.

The 10-member team from the International Atomic Energy Agency was heading directly to Yongbyon, about 60 miles northeast of the capital, to begin …

European stocks edge up ahead of rate decisions

European stock markets edged higher Thursday after two days of losses as investors positioned themselves for key statements on central bank plans and new jobs data.

The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 6.62 points, or 0.2 percent, at 4,390.04, while Germany's DAX rose 33.85 points, or 0.7 percent, at 5,088.38. The CAC-40 in France was 31.50 points, or 1 percent, higher at 3,341.15.

European stocks fell sharply on Wednesday after disappointing U.S. economic data stoked renewed concerns about the state of the world's largest economy ahead of a crucial jobs report at the end of the week.

Those concerns spilled through into the Asian …

National League

reds 6, brewers 1

Milwaukee Cincinnati

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SDEROT REALITY

REPORT FROM THE WAR FRONT: THOUSANDS OF KASSAMS ARE FALLING. WHEN WILL IT STOP?

SDEROT - From January 1 to 20th (the day I write this), over 430 kassam missiles and mortars were launched towards Sderot, the Western Negev and Ashkelon, according to the IDF spokesman.

In 2007, over 2,300 missiles and mortars were launched towards Israel from Gaza.

How many thousands of Kassam missiles will be launched in the year 2008 towards Israel?

Living through 200 rockets launched in the past few days towards Sderot means:

* Hearing the screeching siren - "Red Color" (Tseva Adorn) - every time a rocket is launched;

* Running for cover in the 15 seconds …

A glance at small parties running in Italy's general election

There are 32 candidates for premier backed by dozens of parties and groups running in Italy's general election. Here is a look at some of the small parties and candidates trailing the front-runners, Silvio Berlusconi and Walter Veltroni:

THE RAINBOW LEFT: A grouping of far-left parties, allies of the outgoing governing coalition, that formed after Veltroni decided his moderate Democratic Party would run alone.

_ The group, expected to be the third political force behind the two major blocs, includes Communists, Greens and other leftists.

_ Fausto Bertinotti, 68, the outgoing speaker of the lower house of Parliament and a longtime Communist …