AP - Ben Roethlisberger missed a second straight game with an injured knee, though it hardly mattered to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their other three quarterbacks were just fine. Charlie Batch improvised a 1-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, and his passing led to another score before he left with a broken right hand. The Steelers withstood their second QB injury in three weeks to beat the rival Cleveland Browns 34-21 Sunday night.

Reuters - Eight Sydney men arrested on terrorism charges may have been planning a bomb attack against the city's nuclear reactor, police said on Monday.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plunged into a fresh round of Middle East diplomacy, seeking to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts bogged down two months after Israel's pullout from Gaza.

AFP - Israel was to commemorate 10 years since the murder of premier Yitzhak Rabin with a series of official remembrance events attended by Israeli leaders and dozens of foreign dignitaries.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for making the first move to pull Israeli troops and settlers out of the long-occupied Gaza Strip.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday in a new push to revive peace moves stalled by violence.

Reuters - Six people were killed and 30 wounded on Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near two coaches in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, hospital officials said.

Reuters - Eight Sydney men arrested on terrorism charges may have been planning a bomb attack against the city's nuclear reactor, police said on Monday.

AFP - The French government was to meet on whether to extend a state of emergency in a number of places to tackle more than two weeks of urban unrest as the number of attacks was dropping nationwide.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plunged into a fresh round of Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy seeking to revive peace efforts bogged down two months after Israel's pullout from Gaza.

AFP - Incoming German chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat partners face a rough ride convincing their rank-and-file to back a government program packed with tax hikes and spending cuts.

AFP - Islamic militants arrested last week on charges of plotting a major terrorist bombing were stopped by police near Australia's only nuclear reactor last year and underwent "jihad training" at outback camps, police alleged.

AP - U.S. and Iraqi troops trying to stem the flow of insurgent fighters across the Syrian border launched a dawn assault Monday on another border town, killing a reported 37 insurgents.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reached a deal on Monday between Israel and the Palestinians on the passage of goods and people through Gaza's border with Egypt, a Palestinian official said.

Reuters - Britain could start pulling its soldiers out of Iraq next year if local forces are strong enough to keep the peace, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a fresh stab at reviving moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace talks as new tensions flared with Israel's killing of a top Islamic militant.

AP - President Bush embarks Monday on an eight-day Asian trip with a full plate: Preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic. Boosting global free-trade talks and tackling sticky trade issues with China. Promoting democracy. Keeping U.S. partners on track in ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons programs.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Israelis and Palestinians on Monday to capitalize on the opportunity for peace and cooperation offered by Israel's unilateral pullout from the long-occupied Gaza Strip, saying a deal is "in sight" on border issues.

AP - The televised confession of an Iraqi woman — accused of being the fourth would-be suicide attacker — set Jordanians buzzing Monday, with some expressing joy over her capture and others venting anger over her deadly plans.

The Christian Science Monitor - Now comes the hard part. As the nationwide violence that has racked France for two weeks begins to abate, the country's leaders and citizens find themselves facing tough questions about the fundamental values that define the French dream: liberty, equality, and fraternity.

AP - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said Monday its earnings rose 3.8 percent in the third quarter as sales grew 10 percent.

AP - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, bruised last week in a special election at home, began a six-day trade mission in the Far East on Monday, trying to tap into the burgeoning Chinese market by promoting California products and urging protections for Hollywood from the piracy of copyrighted movies.

AP - The company that sped up pulls of draft beer at sports stadiums around the country with its Turbo Tap nozzle is bringing the technology to rec rooms across America.

AP - Usually a sweep involving NFC North teams means Chicago, Minnesota, Green Bay and Detroit all lost. Not this week, when the NFL's most maligned division went 4-0.

Reuters - Sri Lanka's police beefed up security on Monday after the bodyguard of a minister opposed to the Tamil Tigers was shot dead and presidential candidates wound up their final day of campaigning ahead of a November 17 vote.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday there was an "agreement in sight" for freedom of movement for Palestinians to and from Gaza following Israel's pullout from the territory in September.

Reuters - Britain could start pulling its soldiers out of Iraq next year if local forces are strong enough to keep the peace, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Monday.

Reuters - A suicide car bomber killed a German soldier and wounded two others belonging to the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan on Monday, a senior police official said.

AFP - The French cabinet was expected to approve a three-month extension of emergency police powers in order to subdue the wave of suburban unrest sweeping the country, but overnight figures showed the level of violence continuing to subside.

AFP - Incoming German chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat partners faced a rough ride as they sought crucial backing from their rank-and-file for a government program packed with tax hikes and spending cuts.

AFP - US and Iraqi forces were trying to track down Saddam Hussein's fugitive former right-hand man Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri amid conflicting reports over the death of the man suspected to be the architect of the insurgency.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces briefly detained a man a year ago with the same name as one of the suicide bombers who attacked three hotels in Jordan last week, but it was not clear if it was the same person, the military said on Monday.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday there was an 'agreement in sight' for freedom of movement for Palestinians to and from Gaza following Israel's pullout from the territory in September.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia said on Monday a 20-year-old woman has died of bird flu and several other countries also reported more suspected cases in people.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and other European countries that opposed the war in Iraq should do more to help there and recognize the Iraqi leadership as a legitimate and democratic government, a senior U.S. official said on Monday.

KABUL (Reuters) - Taliban fighters killed a German peacekeeper and two civilians in separate car bomb attacks in the Afghan capital on Monday, officials and witnesses said.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Six people were killed and 30 wounded on Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near two coaches in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, hospital officials said.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon detained on Monday a Lebanese Muslim cleric accused of carrying out acts of terrorism on the orders of a Syrian intelligence officer, a judicial source said.

AP - American forces detained and later released an Iraqi with the same name as one of the suicide attackers who struck three hotels in Amman, Jordan, last week, the U.S. military said Monday.

AP - Police were searching for an 18-year-old man and his girlfriend after they found the girl's parents shot to death in their home.

AP - Host Marriott Corp., one of the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trusts, said Monday it agreed to buy 38 luxury and upscale hotels from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. for about $3.3 billion, adding a slew of new brands to the company's portfolio and expanding its international reach.

AP - The American League's Most Valuable Player Award will be named today and once again it looks like the Red Sox versus the Yankees.

AFP - The French cabinet has approved a three-month extension of emergency police powers to subdue the wave of suburban unrest that has swept the country, as President Jacques Chirac prepared to give his first address to the nation since the start of the disturbances.

AP - President George W. Bush is firing a parting shot at Iraq war critics as he heads to Asia with hopes of improving his image on the world stage.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rearranged her travel schedule at the last minute Monday to try to win a deal on Israeli-Palestinian border issues.

AP - American forces last year detained and later released an Iraqi with a name that matched one of three suicide bombers who struck Amman hotels, killing 57 people, the U.S. military said Monday.

AP - Police searched Monday for an 18-year-old man and his girlfriend, whose parents were found shot to death in their home. The girlfriend's sister told authorities she saw the young man kill her father.

AP - Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday it can't predict whether it will be able to prevent or stop a strike if its pilots choose to walk off the job should their contract be thrown out in bankruptcy court.

AP - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, bruised last week in a special election at home, began a six-day trade mission in the Far East on Monday, trying to tap into the burgeoning Chinese market by promoting California products and urging protections for Hollywood from the piracy of copyrighted movies.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday an agreement over Gaza border crossings was "in sight" and extended her Middle East trip to try to broker a deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Reuters - U.S. forces briefly detained a man a year ago with the same name as one of the suicide bombers who attacked three hotels in Jordan last week, but it was not clear if it was the same person, the military said on Monday.

Reuters - Indonesia said on Monday a 20-year-old woman had died of bird flu while several countries reported new suspected human cases of the deadly virus.

Reuters - Roadside bombs killed nearly a dozen people in Iraq on Monday, as U.S.-led forces launched the latest phase of an offensive, killing 37 insurgents near the Syrian border, in a bid to secure the nation for December polls.

AP - President George W. Bush is firing a parting shot at Iraq war critics as he heads to Asia with hopes of improving his image on the world stage.

AP - A man wanted in a Pennsylvania double homicide and apparent abduction of 14-year-old girl was captured Monday after a car he was driving crashed in Indiana following a police pursuit, State Police said. The girl was found unharmed.

AP - Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito wrote back in 1985 that he was proud of his Reagan-era work helping the government argue that "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion," documents showed Monday.

AP - Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday that if its pilots strike should their contract be rejected in bankruptcy court, it would be 'murder-suicide' and in effect put the nation's third-largest carrier out of business.

Reuters - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito wrote 20 years ago as a lawyer in the Reagan administration "that the Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion," The Washington Times reported on Monday.

Reuters - The U.S. government is still failing to adequately protect nuclear weapons from terrorists and its handling of terrorism suspects is undermining attempts to improve America's image in the Muslim world, members of a commission that investigated the September 11 attacks said on Monday.

Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice extended her Middle East trip on Monday to try to broker a deal between Israel and the Palestinians on Gaza border crossings, saying a deal was in sight.

Reuters - Venezuela on Monday ordered its ambassador recalled from Mexico in an escalating diplomatic dispute between President Hugo Chavez and his Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox over regional trade agreements.

AFP - Two apparent suicide car bombers targeted NATO peacekeepers in Afghanistan's capital, killing a German soldier and three Afghans including a woman and child, officials said.

AFP - The French cabinet approved a three-month extension of emergency police powers to subdue the unrest that has gripped poor suburbs around the country, as President Jacques Chirac prepared to give his first address to the nation since the start of the troubles.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delayed her departure for Asia, putting her personal influence behind torturous efforts to nail down a deal to reopen Gaza's border with Egypt.

AFP - Asia-Pacific nations blamed the European Union for the gridlock in global trade talks as they called an urgent meeting to rescue next month's World Trade Organisation forum in Hong Kong.

AP - Delta Air Lines Inc. said Monday that if its pilots strike because a bankruptcy court throws out their contract, it would be "murder-suicide" and in effect put the nation's third-largest carrier out of business.

AP - Alex Rodriguez won the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in three seasons, beating David Ortiz on Monday in a vote that rewarded a position player over a designated hitter.

Reuters - A top U.S. researcher has quit an international team of pioneering embryonic stem-cell researchers based in South Korea after one of its members was accused of donating her own eggs to the program.

Reuters - A Pennsylvania teenager accused of killing his girlfriend's parents after a dispute about the underage girl's curfew and then fleeing with her was captured in Indiana on Monday, police said.

AFP - Germany's major parties gave overwhelming support to the incoming left-right government under Angela Merkel, clearing the last hurdle for her to become the country's first female chancellor.

AFP - At least two foreign security guards were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near Baghdad's high-security "Green Zone," rattling nerves just weeks ahead of Iraq's general elections.

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - There is no evidence any European Union state has housed secret CIA detention centers, but any EU country that has could face sanctions, the 25-nation bloc's top justice official said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to resume the war crimes trial of an Australian Guantanamo Bay prisoner this week without waiting for a Supreme Court ruling on the legality of these military tribunals.

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela and Mexico recalled their ambassadors on Monday after left-wing President Hugo Chavez and his counterpart Vicente Fox sparred in an escalating dispute over a U.S. regional free trade proposal.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia said on Monday a 20-year-old woman had died of bird flu while several countries reported new suspected human cases of the deadly virus.

AP - A strong earthquake shook northern Japan Tuesday morning and the country's Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings.

AP - President Bush hurled new criticism at Iraq war critics on Monday as he headed for Asia, accusing some Democrats of "sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy."

AP - Reviewing action on recommendations it made last year, the Sept. 11 commission on Monday criticized the Bush administration for not adopting standards for treatment of captured terror suspects.

AP - New moms should get up and start walking as soon as possible to prevent the risk of a potentially fatal blood clot, doctors advise.

AP - Wall Street wandered through a listless session Monday, finishing little changed as investors cast aside upbeat earnings at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Lowe's Cos. ahead of critical inflation and spending data later this week.

AFP - French President Jacques Chirac said the riots that have rocked the country revealed a deep identity crisis and vowed to fight the "poison" of discrimination faced by France's immigrant communities.

AP - President Bush escalated the bitter debate over the Iraq war on Monday, hurling back at Democratic critics the worries they once expressed that Saddam Hussein was a grave threat to the world.

AP - Donald Trump will soon have "The Apprentice" to himself: Martha Stewart's version of the NBC reality series is ending next month.

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Monday sought to counter Democratic critics of the Iraq war by turning their own past words of warning about Saddam Hussein against them.

Reuters - A major U.S. media organization on Monday challenged efforts by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to keep documents secret in the CIA leak case that involved the Bush administration.

Reuters - President George W. Bush will seek unity with Asian allies on how to persuade North Korea to move ahead with its agreement to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley said on Monday.

AP - President Bush escalated the bitter debate over the Iraq war on Monday, hurling back at Democratic critics the worries they once expressed that Saddam Hussein was a grave threat to the world.

Reuters - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice bargained with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators into the early hours on Tuesday, postponing a trip to Asia as a deal seemed near on Gaza border crossings.

AP - A powerful earthquake shook northern Japan early Tuesday, and small tsunami waves struck coastal towns about 200 miles from the epicenter. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

AP - Actress Brooke Burns was hospitalized after diving into her backyard pool and hitting her head, her agent said Monday.

AP - Failing to make a 3-pointer hardly bothered Duke guard J.J. Redick. Those two missed free throws? That's another matter.

Reuters - President George W. Bush will seek unity with Asian allies on North Korea in a tour of the region starting on Tuesday in which he will also press China to make trade concessions and liberalize its currency.

Reuters - Detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison convicted by U.S. military tribunals could have their cases reviewed by federal courts under a bipartisan compromise offered on Monday by senators who said the chamber moved too far last week to block inmates' access to courts.

AFP - President George W. Bush took a new swipe at domestic rivals who claim he hyped the case for war with Iraq, as he headed for Asia preoccupied with threats from bird flu and North Korea.

AFP - Hundreds of thousands of workers staged what unionists called the biggest protest in Australia's history against Prime Minister John Howard's proposed labour reforms.