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Syria's ruling Baath Party opened a congress Monday to discuss political and economic reforms. Syria, which has a centrally planned economy, suffers from a high unemployment rate. Economists and businessmen say they have seen positive changes in recent years, but warn that the government must do more to battle corruption and streamline the inefficient state bureaucracy.

These young politicians have few memories of life under Soviet rule — and they say the war has accelerated their efforts to push for a more Europe-focused future.

Ukrainian forces have driven Russian attackers out of the city of Kharkiv. Ukraine's second-largest city had been under heavy bombardment for weeks.

President Bush has called for more than $7 billion to find and guard against any dangerous new strain of influenza. The lawmakers who would have to approve that request generally welcomed the initiative, but some have criticized elements of the plan.

Some of the levees in New Orleans patched up after Hurricane Katrina flooded the city were unable to hold back surging waters from Hurricane Rita. Parts of the city that had been mostly drained of standing water are flooded again.

Vice President Dick Cheney says he did not know Ambassador Joseph Wilson. But Cheney's life intersected with Wilson's during the first Iraq war. Wilson is the husband of Valerie Plame, the undercover CIA agent whose name was leaked to the press.

Jim von Rinteln, emergency management coordinator for Collier County, Fla., talks to Melissa Block about damage in the county, which experienced Hurricane Wilma as a strong Category 3 storm.

Emergency managers in New Orleans had been debating whether the levee system would work in a major hurricane before Katrina hit. Federal funding cuts left many projects undone and local engineers were not surprised when water surged into New Orleans.

Pakistani security officials now say several terrorist operatives were killed in a U.S. airstrike that claimed 18 lives last week. But the attack missed al Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri -- and the outcome illustrates the difficulty of tracking down al Qaeda leaders.

With the nomination of Judge John Roberts as U.S. chief justice likely to be confirmed, the stage is set for what could be a contentious battle over the nominee who takes Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's place. That nominee has a chance to change the direction of the court.