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PARIS – U.S. forces in Iraq (search) said Friday they are not holding a missing French reporter last seen leaving her Baghdad hotel two days ago, raising concern that she was kidnapped. France’s president suggested it was irresponsible to dispatch journalists to Iraq. President Jacques Chirac (search) said he was …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi security forces have arrested the “most lethal” top lieutenant of Al Qaeda’s leader in Iraq — a man allegedly behind most of the car bombings in Baghdad since the U.S.-led invasion, including the 2003 assault on U.N. headquarters that killed 22 people, the prime minister’s office …

This is a partial transcript of “The Big Story With John Gibson,” January 24, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch “The Big Story With John Gibson” weeknights at 5 p.m. ET (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHNNY CARSON, HOST, “TONIGHT SHOW”: I can only tell you that it has been …

FORT HOOD, Texas – A military guard testified Monday that he saw Spc. Charles Graner Jr. (search) punch an Iraqi detainee in the face a moment after a notorious photo was taken at Abu Ghraib (search) prison. Another witness said Graner was “laughing and having a good time” while making …

BEIJING – Greeted by national television coverage of his first bath, a boy born Thursday was declared China’s 1.3 billionth citizen in a blaze of publicity to promote the government’s controversial “one child” birth limits (search). The eight-pound infant was presented with a certificate of his status following his birth …

BAGHDAD, Iraq – More Iraqi interim government officials are calling for the postponement of Jan. 30 elections to ensure a higher Sunni voter turnout, a sign that a campaign of violence might be taking its toll on Iraqi resolve. The country’s electoral commission, however, insists that voting take place as …

CAIRO, Egypt – Between 20,000 and 30,000 terrorists are operating throughout Iraq (search), led by Syria-based former regime leaders, Iraq’s intelligence chief told Wednesday’s edition of a pan-Arab newspaper. Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahwani told Asharq Al-Awsat that he expected the armed attacks would decrease and end within a year. …

JACKSON, Tenn. – A man was being held Wednesday after a bloody rampage at a state maintenance garage. The man’s estranged wife and two others were killed, and two others were wounded. Homicide and attempted homicide charges were expected to be filed against David Jordan, 40, police said. According to …

WASHINGTON – Disposing of a constitutional challenge to the federal sentencing system (search), the Supreme Court has set up an anticipated fight in Congress over how judges punish convicted criminals. The court on Wednesday struck down part of the nearly two-decade-old sentencing system, then imposed new requirements that were contested …

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Nearly three decades after California became the first state to cap property taxes, many states are still struggling with the hot-button political issue. In Wisconsin, where property taxes are expected to rise an average 6 percent in 2005, the eighth consecutive annual increase, the debate has become …