Hamas leaders arrested; Israeli executed  —  GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli forces rounded up dozens of Palestinian Cabinet ministers and lawmakers from Hamas, increasing pressure on the Islamic militants to release a captured Israeli soldier, and witnesses said tanks moved into northern Gaza …

Behind Bush's Fury, a Vow Made in 2001  —  WASHINGTON, June 28 — Ever since President Bush vowed days after the Sept. 11 attacks to "follow the money as a trail to the terrorists," the government has made no secret of its efforts to hunt down the bank accounts of Al Qaeda and its allies.

Justices Uphold Most Remapping in Texas by G.O.P.  —  WASHINGTON, June 28 — The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a broad challenge to Texas's controversial Congressional redistricting plan, giving a victory to the Republican Party and the architect of the plan, Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader.

Pollution in Overdrive  —  New Report Cites U.S. Motorists For Production of Greenhouse Gases  —  When it comes to greenhouse gases, U.S. drivers are getting more of the blame.  —  Americans represent 5 percent of the world's population but contribute 45 percent of the world's emission of carbon dioxide …

Iraq War Ends Silently for One American Soldier  —  RAMADI, Iraq, June 28 — A soldier was dead, and it was time for him to go home.  —  The doors to the little morgue swung open, and six soldiers stepped outside carrying a long black bag zippered at the top.  —  About 60 soldiers were waiting to say goodbye.

Bush Should Welcome a Fight with the Media  —  The battle of Midway Island was the turning point of the Pacific War.  Victory at Midway was possible because the U.S. had broken the Japanese naval code.  The Chicago Tribune spilled the beans in a story that ran under the headline: "NAVY HAD WORD OF JAP PLAN TO STRIKE AT SEA."

BBC rejects call to change terminology  —  LONDON  —  The BBC has rejected a call made by an independent panel studying charges of bias in its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to change its editorial policies on the use of the word "terrorist" and appoint a senior editor to oversee its Middle East coverage.

Russia 'to kill Iraq kidnappers'  —  Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered special services to "find and destroy" the killers of four Russian diplomats taken hostage in Iraq.  —  The head of Russia's security services immediately pledged to see Putin's order carried out.

Awkward moments abound in penis pump trial  —  BRISTOW, Okla. - Serving on the jury in an indecent-exposure trial unfolding in this conservative Oklahoma town has been a giggle-inducing experience.  —  Former Judge Donald D. Thompson, a veteran of 23 years on the bench …

Time for an "Agonizing Reappraisal"  —  Gazing across what Zbigniew Brzezinski once called the "arc of crisis," U.S. foreign policy appears to be disintegrating.  —  On the Horn of Africa, Islamic warriors have seized Mogadishu.  The warlords, our allies, are on the run.

Insurgents offer to halt attacks in Iraq  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered an immediate halt to all attacks — including those on American troops — if the United States agrees to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq in two years, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.