Bomb tunnel, flood city  —  One man is busted in Beirut, others hunted across  —  globe and terrorists are seen linked to Zarqawi  —  BY ALLISON GENDAR in New York and JAMES GORDON MEEK in Washington  —  The FBI has uncovered what officials consider a serious plot by jihadists to bomb …

Press Conference by the President  —  THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated.  Thank you.  It's nice to be here in Chicago.  Mr. Mayor, I thought you might have had enough of me last night.  (Laughter.)  Thanks for the birthday party.  I really enjoyed our dinner, and enjoyed our conversation.

President Has a Smooth Ride on 'Larry King Live'  —  Two kinds of celebrities go on "Larry King Live" on CNN: those with something to sell and those with something to hide.  —  Al Gore and Brandon Routh, the young star of the newly released "Superman Returns," recently appeared on the show to promote their new movies.

Lieberman's Support for Iraq War Creates Dilemma for Jewish Backers  —  WASHINGTON, July 5 (JTA) — Six years after Joe Lieberman presented Jewish Democrats with an unprecedented triumph, he may pose an intractable dilemma.  —  If the U.S. senator from Connecticut loses an Aug. 8 primary …

For Gay Rights Movement, a Key Setback  —  When Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in November 2003, gay rights advocates imagined a chain reaction that would shake marriage laws until same-sex couples across the nation had the legal right to wed.

Phone Jammer to Argue DC Officials Approved  —  According to a recent court filing, indicted phone jammer Shaun Hansen may offer an affirmative defense at his upcoming fall trial, arguing that the phone jamming scheme which his company carried out had the seal of approval of both the Republican National Committee and the White House.

Ruling Keeps DeLay on Ballot  —  Judge Sides With Democrats, Says Former Lawmaker Can't Quit  —  A federal judge in Texas threw the political retirement of former House majority leader Tom DeLay into doubt yesterday, ruling that the Texas Republican Party must keep the indicted former congressman …

Washington Babylon  —  California Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham traded military contracts for $2.4 million in antiques, cash, and other booty.  He is now in jail, but his case exposed a world of bribery, booze, and broads that reaches into the Pentagon, the C.I.A., and Congress.

Appeasing jihadists  —  Just in time for the one-year anniversary of 7/7, a poll conducted for The Times of London indicates that 13 percent of British Muslims believe that the four Islamic suicide bombers who murdered 52 people in London last July should be regarded as "martyrs."

The high court's Hamdan power grab  —  The justices are hampering the president's ability to fight terrorists, says an architect of Bush's legal strategy.  —  A PRESIDENT responds to an unprecedented war with unprecedented measures that test the limits of his constitutional authority.

'Breast ironing' to stunt girls' growth widespread  —  1 in 4 girls in Cameroon suffer this abuse to protect against rape  —  YAOUNDE, Cameroon (Reuters) — Worried that her daughters' budding breasts would expose them to the risk of sexual harassment and even rape, their mother Philomene …

George W. Bush Is Dead To Me Nation cringes as the worst president ever continues long, painful slog to the end  —  It is like some sort of virus.  It is like some sort of weird and painful rash on your face that makes you embarrassed to walk out the door and so you sit there day after day …

Gallup: Almost Two-Thirds Want Iraq Withdrawal  —  NEW YORK A new Gallup poll finds that roughly 2 in 3 Americans urge a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, with 31% wanting this to start immediately.  But it also found that while 64% feel they "understand" the Bush administraton's argument for staying in Iraq …