Bush pushes offshore drilling...New levee breach...Detainee trauma

White House (AP) President Bush is planning to ask Congress to lift the moratorium on oil and gas drilling in coastal waters. The White House says with rising fuel prices, Congress "shouldn't waste any more time" in clearing the way for increased domestic production. The moratorium has been in effect since 1981. Lifting it would leave it to the states to decide where to allow drilling.

GULFPORT, Ill. (AP) Floodwaters have breached another levee in Illinois. This one is in Meyer in the western part of the state.

It's a farming town of about 40 to 50 people. Other Mississippi River towns in Illinois and Missouri are facing flooding that began in eastern Iowa and worked its way downstream.

Washington (AP) A human rights group says former detainees are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder that can be traced to time in U.S. military jails in Iraq and Guantanamo. Physicians for Human Rights also says some of the 11 former prisoners they examined have lingering physical injuries and scars from their imprisonment.

JERUSALEM (AP) Israel and Hamas say they will begin a cease-fire tomorrow. The truce could bring an end to a year of fighting that has killed more than 400 Palestinians and seven Israelis. Israel says the cease-fire is expected to be followed next week by an easing of its blockade of Gaza. That would be followed by talks on the release of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Modest agreements are all that are expected when U.S. and Chinese officials wrap up two days of economic talks in Annapolis, Maryland, today. The talks are aimed at defusing trade tensions.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 06-18-08 0748CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list