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The Bush administration says its program to monitor international financial records has a number of safeguards that prevent violation of privacy rights. But critics note that those safeguards are voluntary because this particular type of data tracking isn't covered by U.S. laws against government intrusion into private financial records.

A new proposal coming out of Baghdad would give amnesty to prisoners and insurgents. The 28-point initiative is an attempt by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to bring stability to Iraq. The offer, however, excludes terrorists and those who committed war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in northern Gaza leave one Israeli soldier and more than 20 Palestinians dead. Israel invaded Gaza with the stated goal of freeing a captive soldier and protecting its territory from Palestinian rockets.

The music of Natacha Atlas is exotic to Western ears: Egyptian orchestras soaring over dancehall beats and Spanish guitar riffs set to the rhythms of the Mahgreb. Her new CD, Mish Maoul, has all those elements and adds some of her Moroccan heritage to the mix.

The No Child Left Behind education law mandates that by year's end, every state should have ensured that every teacher is "highly qualified." Yet no state has met the federal government's requirements under this provision.

A draft flu-pandemic response plan from the federal government says a worst-case scenario could kill as many as 2 million people in the United States. The draft Bush administration plan is an update to the $7.1 billion in pandemic preparations that it proposed last fall. The plan outlines exactly which government agency is responsible for about 300 tasks.

Bush administration officials confirm that, since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. government has been tracking terrorist finances by accessing a vast, international data base known as SWIFT. The officials defend the program as "legal, targeted and effective."

Mexico elects its next president July 2. The race is hotly contested between leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and conservative Felipe Calderon. Mexico's electoral system has long been known for fraud, financing irregularities, and the outright buying of votes. While Mexico has improved dramatically under an independent electoral watchdog, shadows of its past remain. Michael O'Boyle reports.

The bill creates offices at DOJ, DHS, and the FBI to track domestic terror threats. GOP lawmakers argue it could allow federal officials to ensnare parents, a charge DOJ rejects.

Bernard Ebbers, the former CEO of Worldcom, is sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in what authorities call the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history. Ebbers, 63, was found guilty on charges of securities and reporting fraud. He is expected to appeal.