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American combat deaths in Iraq have been declining since late last year. Iraqi security forces now appear to be bearing the brunt of violence in the country. The decline was especially significant in February, when 55 American service personnel were killed, compared to 96 in October. More than 2,300 American military personnel have died supporting operations in Iraq.

A new study shows an experimental drug helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight, control their blood sugar, and improve their cholesterol readings. But some medical obesity specialists caution that potential risks -- including depression -- might not justify the benefits.

The CIA is holding top al Qaeda suspects in secret prison compounds in Eastern Europe as part of a string of so-called "black sites" set up after the Sept. 11 attacks, The Washington Post reported this week. Linda Wertheimer talks with Post reporter Dana Priest about the detention centers and the human rights concerns they have raised in Europe.

Robert Siegel talks with a representative of the American Red Cross about a page on their website allowing people to post information about friends and relatives who are missing after Hurricane Katrina. The service is a clearinghouse of information for those who have access to the Internet.

American and Afghan forces are on the offensive as Afghanistan's September election approaches. Afghan security forces say they killed a number of insurgents over the weekend. And the U.S military has been searching for insurgents along the border with Pakistan. Knight-Ridder correspondent Jonathan Landay says the Taliban is offering stiff resistance, despite the U.S. offensive.

Researchers are suggesting that flawed construction -- not storm surges -- likely caused key floodwalls around New Orleans to fail. They say the waters of Lake Pontchartrain never got high enough to rise above the walls and erode their foundations, the early explanation for the levee collapses.

Russian and Chinese forces begin eight days of joint military exercises involving 10,000 troops. Moscow and Beijing say they are training to counter "terrorism, extremism and separatism." But the long-range weaponry involved suggests a broader agenda.

Two near-simultaneous bombings kill more than 20 Iraqis in the heart of Baghdad. Iraq's insurgents have ratcheted up attacks over the past few days. U.S. and Iraqi officials say the rise in violence is linked to the impending announcement of final results from the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections.

The city of Harbin, China, has its water supply back after a major chemical spill. But the presence of benzene in Songhua River creates potential dangers. Sheilah Kast speaks with Rolf Halden, a professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

The Postal Service plans to replace about 160,000 gas-guzzling delivery trucks, but just a fraction will be electric. Advocates and states say going electric is aligned with climate change goals.