Shiite Hezbollah gunmen seized control of key parts of Beirut from Sunni rivals loyal to the U.S.-backed government, in a dramatic show-of-force certain to strengthen the Iranian-allied group's hand.

John McCain championed bill that lets an Arizona rancher trade remote grassland and ponderosa pine forest for acres of valuable federally owned property, a land swap that now stands to benefit one of his top fundraisers, the Washington Post reports.

Oil prices surpassed a record $126 per barrel on the eve of the U.S. driving season as a weakening dollar drove investors to snap up commodities.

The governing military junta in Myanmar has agreed to allow a single U.S. cargo aircraft to bring in relief supplies for victims of a devastating cyclone, Bush administration officials said.

A rare international alert seeking a man shown in dozens of raw child porn images quickly led to the arrest of a small-time actor, who painted faces at children's parties and performed as "the best Santa Claus anyone has ever seen."

The Rev. Al Sharpton called a videotaped police beating of three shooting suspects in Philadelphia "worse than Rodney King," prompting the city's police commissioner to chide anyone "fanning flames ... from afar."

Barack Obama began taking the first steps to unify the fractured Democratic Party for a general-election battle, even as Hillary Clinton continued to insist that she has the backing of a broader coalition, the Washington Post reports.

A line of severe storms sweeping across the Southeast damaged homes and businesses in at least four states. One person was killed and three were injured by a tornado in North Carolina.

The U.S. military says the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq has been not been captured, despite a claim by the Iraqi government. A military spokeswoman says it was a case of mistaken identity on the part of the Iraqi security forces.

Geologists said a 260-foot-deep sinkhole that grew to the length of three football fields over just two days seemed to be slowing down, but that it could take months before it's clear whether surrounding areas are stable.