Senator didn't tell Congress about stock options\nRICHMOND, Va. -- For the past five years, Sen. George Allen, has failed to tell Congress about stock options he got for his work as a director of a high-tech company. The Virginia Republican also asked the Army to help another business that gave him similar options. Congressional rules require senators to disclose to the Senate all deferred compensation, such as stock options. The rules also urge senators to avoid taking any official action that could benefit them financially or appear to do so.
GOP lawmakers seek to defend House Speaker\nWASHINGTON -- Rank-and-file Republicans on Sunday sought to mount a public defense of Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) over the page sex scandal that threatens their congressional control one month before elections. But a House GOP leader under fire for his handling of the scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) canceled a national broadcast appearance and one Republican lawmaker said those who participated in a cover-up would have to resign.
U.S., Iraqi forces clash with militias\nBAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi forces clashed with Shiite militiamen Sunday in the southern city of Diwaniyah after a raid on the home of a leader of the Mahdi Army accused of killing Sunnis in Iraq's spiral of sectarian violence. The U.S. military said 30 militiamen were killed in the fighting, which came about two months after a similar battle in the predominantly Shiite city, 80 miles south of Baghdad. Officials from the party of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, which heads the militia, denied any of their fighters were killed.
Japan, China: N. Korea nuclear test unacceptable\nBEIJING -- Japan and China agreed Sunday that a North Korea nuclear test "cannot be tolerated" and that Pyongyang should return unconditionally to six-party negotiations on its nuclear programs, the Japanese prime minister said. Shinzo Abe, speaking to reporters at the end of a day of meetings in Beijing, said he and China's President Hu Jintao agreed that a North Korean nuclear test would be unacceptable.
