Reuters - Israel's right-wing Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu called on Thursday for an early election to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose pledge to resign has deepened uncertainty over Middle East peacemaking.

Reuters - Republican White House hopeful John McCain's campaign accused Democrat Barack Obama on Thursday of playing racial politics in some of the most biting back-and-forth of the presidential campaign.

Reuters - Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of concealing more than $250,000 in gifts from an oil services company, and his lawyer asked for a quick trial in an effort to clear his name before the November election.

Reuters - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared before a U.N. war crimes judge for the first time on Thursday to answer genocide charges and said he had been kidnapped and feared for his life.

AP - Ken Griffey Jr. agreed Thursday to accept a trade to the Chicago White Sox, leaving it up to the commissioner's office to approve the deal because money is involved, a person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.

AP - Barack Obama's presidential campaign says a new rhyme by supporter and rapper Ludacris is "outrageously offensive" to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Republican Sen. John McCain and President Bush.

AP - Here's a couch potato's dream: What if a drug could help you gain some of the benefits of exercise without working up a sweat? Scientists reported Thursday that there is such a drug — if you happen to be a mouse.

AP - Americans love their cars, and so apparently does Uncle Sam. He's got 642,233 of them.

AP - Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he lied about accepting more than a quarter of a million dollars worth of gifts. He asked for a trial before he stands for re-election in November.

AP - John McCain's campaign accused Barack Obama on Thursday of playing racial politics a day after the Democratic candidate predicted Republicans would try to scare voters by pointing out "he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."

AP - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared at the U.N.'s Yugoslav war crimes tribunal for the first time Thursday, telling the judge he would defend himself against charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

AP - President Bush hailed a new "degree of durability" in security gains in Iraq Thursday, saying it should permit him to announce further U.S. troop reductions later this year.

AP - Exxon Mobil Corp. reported second-quarter earnings of $11.68 billion Thursday, the biggest profit from operations ever by any U.S. corporation, but the results were well short of Wall Street expectations and its shares slumped 3 percent.

AP - The country didn't get the energetic rebound in economic growth hoped for from the government's tax rebates in the second quarter, and the economy jolted into reverse at the end of 2007, raising new recession fears.

AFP - Israel on Thursday faced weeks of political turmoil after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he would step down in September, in a surprise move that casts a shadow over Middle East peacemaking efforts.