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The U.S. top commander in Iraq is due to update Congress this week. He is expected to recommend a pause in troop reductions. But there are continuing concerns about the impact the war is having on the overstretched Army, and military leaders say they're worried about the future.

Adm. William Fallon has been named as the new head of U.S. Central Command, the post that oversees U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. ground operations in Iraq also have a new commander: Lt. Gen. David Petraeus. The replacement of two top officers comes one week before President Bush is expected to unveil his new Iraq strategy.

Actor Jack Palance, known for his haltingly intense speaking style and dozens of roles in Western and noir films, has died. After years of playing the heavy in Hollywood, Palance became a hit in comedy films late in life. At 70, he won an Oscar for his over-the-top role in the Billy Crystal film City Slickers.

Folk artist Mose Tolliver's subjects were nature, people and animals. His medium was house paint. His canvasses were cabinet doors and discarded table tops. His paintings put him at the forefront of the Outsider Art movement.

Rice's music demands close attention: Whether he's singing in an aching whisper or yelling amid strings and other pomp (often in the same song), he's a nuanced performer who isn't afraid to lay his feelings bare. "Elephant" finds him carrying on in top form, in an epic ballad that showcases his considerable emotional and vocal range.

Lawmakers hope to finalize a longer-term spending bill before the new shutdown deadline on March 11.

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq says Iran is "providing the weapons, the training, the funding and in some cases the direction for operations that have indeed killed U.S. soldiers," bolstering accusations that Iran is fueling violence in Iraq. Iran has disputed such allegations.

President Bush says it is "vital" that Congress quickly confirm the changes he has made to his national security team. With new commanders and new policies in the works for Iraq, the White House seems to be clearing the decks at home as well, with a number of top-level personnel changes.

The new film, set in l942 during the Japanese occupation of China, is about a dangerous affair between a young resistance fighter and a top Chinese collaborator. Lee, who won an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain, says this was much more difficult subject to tackle.

China says thousands of small food processing companies have to clean up or shut down. The move comes a day after China executed its former top food and drug regulator after he was convicted of corruption.