AP - Tornadoes and thunderstorms ripped through eastern Kansas and Arkansas on Sunday, killing a motorist and damaging homes and businesses in several counties.

AP - A ski lift at Canada's famed Lake Louise resort malfunctioned Sunday, trapping about 65 people in gondolas for hours as darkness fell and temperatures dropped below freezing.

Reuters - A U.N. conference opening in Canada on Monday will try to step up a fight against global warming by drawing the United States and developing nations into U.N.-led agreements beyond 2012.

AFP - The European Union hopes to finalize an anti-terrorism code of conduct with its mostly Muslim southern neighbours, at the end of a summit clouded by the absence of most Arab leaders.

AFP - The trial of Saddam Hussein was to reopen with the once all-powerful Iraqi dictator finally set to face the testimony of his accusers but with his lawyers planning to seek a further delay.

AP - Coal dust caught fire in a mine in northeast China, sparking an explosion that killed at least 68 people and left 79 missing, the government said Monday, as the country's leadership called for tighter work safety measures.

Reuters - Bangladesh tightened security in Dhaka's diplomatic area after the British embassy said it had received a bomb threat against its mission and those of the United States and other European states, police said on Monday.

AFP - Sixty-eight miners were killed and another 79 were trapped underground after an explosion at a coal mine in China's northeast Heilongjiang province, state press said.

AFP - Myanmar's junta has extended pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest by six months, an official said, raising hopes in her party that the Nobel peace laureate could be freed sooner than expected.

AFP - The taps were back on in China's Harbin city but the toxic slick flowing down the Songhua river was still raising environmental concerns for smaller cities and all the way to Russia.

AP - Saddam Hussein and a former U.S. attorney general assembled in the special Green Zone courtroom built for the former dictator's trial to the sound of mortar fire in the Iraqi capital Monday.

AP - A U.S. citizen has been reported missing in Iraq, a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said Monday.

AP - Thousands of environmentalists and government officials from around the world have descended on Montreal to brainstorm on how to slow the effects of greenhouses gases and global warming. In the process they will probably witness the collapse of the Canadian government.

AP - It was a good day to be a backup quarterback in the NFL — and a bad day to be Jay Feely. Reserve quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mike McMahon and David Garrard all led their teams to victory on a day when New York Giants kicker Feely missed three field goals — including two in overtime — in a loss to Seattle.

Reuters - The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven aides on charges of crimes against humanity resumed after a 40-day break on Monday, with the chief judge expected to consider defense motions for a further adjournment.

Reuters - Palestinian gunmen, firing in the air, stormed on Monday into several polling stations in the Gaza Strip where President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party was holding primary elections and forced them to close, witnesses said.

AFP - The trial of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on charges including murder and torture over the massacre of Shiite villagers in 1982 reopened in Baghdad, after a five-week break.

AP - The trial of Saddam Hussein for alleged crimes against humanity resumed in a heavily guarded courtroom Monday with the former Iraqi president angrily complaining about having to walk up four flights of stairs under foreign guard. A former U.S. attorney general sat with the defense team.

AP - An American citizen has been reported missing in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy said Monday, a day after a Canadian Parliament official said that four humanitarian workers had been kidnapped.

Reuters - Bangladesh tightened security in the capital's diplomatic area after the British High Commission said it had received a bomb threat from a man who claimed to be a member of al Qaeda, police said on Monday.

AP - The drugmaker Merck & Co. said Monday that it will cut about 7,000 jobs, or 11 percent of its work force, by the end of 2008 and will close or sell five of its 31 manufacturing plants in moves that it says will save up to $4 billion.

AP - In this town, window shopping is attracting a lot more guys than usual. A lingerie store called Spellbound is grabbing attention with live models in the window. Some people have complained, but police say there is nothing illegal about the lingerie models.

Reuters - The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants was adjourned on Monday until December 5 to give one defendant time to get legal representation, the chief judge said.

Reuters - Western diplomats hunted on Monday for information on the fate of a group of American, British and Canadian aid workers reported kidnapped in Baghdad, but there was no clue as to who had seized them or why.

Reuters - Palestinian gunmen, firing in the air, stormed into several polling stations in the Gaza Strip on Monday where President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party was holding primary elections and forced them to close, witnesses said.

Reuters - Indonesia said on Monday that an American expert on terrorism and Islamic militancy in the region had been banned from returning because her public comments made her a security threat.

AFP - A defiant Saddam Hussein exchanged angry words with the presiding judge and launched into a tirade against the "invaders" of Iraq as his trial reopened after a five week adjournment.

AP - Coal dust caught fire in a mine in northeast China, sparking an explosion that killed at least 68 people and left 79 missing, the government said Monday, as the country's leadership called for tighter work safety measures.

The Christian Science Monitor - Cpl. Stan Mayer has seen the worst of war. In the leaves of his photo album, there are casual memorials to the cost of the Iraq conflict - candid portraits of friends who never came home and graphic pictures of how insurgent bombs have shredded steel and bone.

Reuters - Saddam Hussein argued with the judge and complained about Iraq's "occupiers" when his trial for crimes against humanity reconvened in Baghdad on Monday with the prosecution presenting the first witness testimony.

Reuters - Western diplomats hunted on Monday for information on the fate of a group of American, British and Canadian aid workers reported kidnapped in Baghdad, but there was no clue as to who had seized them or why.

Reuters - Palestinian gunmen, firing in the air, stormed into several polling stations in the Gaza Strip on Monday where President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party was holding primary elections and forced them to close, witnesses said.

Reuters - The United States has told the European Union it needs more time to respond formally to reports that the CIA has run secret prisons for terrorist suspects in Eastern Europe, an EU commissioner said on Monday.

Reuters - Indonesia said on Monday that an American expert on terrorism and Islamic militancy in the region had been banned from returning because her public comments made her a security threat.

AFP - An explosion at a coal mine in China's remote northeast has killed 88 workers and left another 36 trapped underground, state press said, as frantic rescue efforts were under way for survivors.

AFP - EU leaders agreed on a Code of Conduct on fighting terrorism with their mostly Muslim southern neighbours, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

AFP - The pro-Kremlin United Russia party dominated parliamentary elections in Chechnya as predicted, winning around 60 percent of the votes, followed in second place by the communists with around 12 percent, according to partial results announced here.

AP - Major highways were closed Monday as blizzard conditions wreaked havoc from Colorado across the Plains states, part of a treacherous system that also sent tornadoes ripping through Arkansas and Kansas.

AP - The death toll in a massive coal mine explosion in northeast China rose to 134 late Monday and 15 miners were still missing, state media reported as the country's leadership called for tighter work safety measures.

AP - A basketball-sized piece of marble molding fell from the facade over the entrance to the Supreme Court Monday, landing on the steps near visitors waiting to enter the building.

AP - Embattled drugmaker Merck & Co. said Monday it will cut 7,000 jobs — 11 percent of its work force — and close or sell five manufacturing plants in the first phase of a reorganization meant to save up to $4 billion by the end of the decade. Its shares dropped 4 percent in late morning trading.

AP - Black Sabbath, Miles Davis and the Sex Pistols are among five musical legends to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

AP - The NFL's Monday night matchup means a lot to both teams this week: The NFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts are looking to protect the league's only unbeaten mark. And the Pittsburgh Steelers need a win to tie Cincinnati for the AFC North lead.

Reuters - Saddam Hussein harangued the judge at the second session of his trial on Monday before it was adjourned to grant co-defendants time to find new counsel after one of their lawyers was killed and another fled Iraq.

Reuters - Any European Union state that secretly hosted a CIA prison faces loss of its voting rights, and Washington should punish any violations that occurred, an EU commissioner said on Monday.

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Monday tackles the thorny problem of illegal immigration on the Mexico border with his own Republican Party split over whether undocumented workers already in the United States should be allowed to stay.

Reuters - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party canceled primaries in the Gaza Strip on Monday after gunmen complaining the vote was unfair stormed some polling places and shut them down, party officials said.

AFP - An explosion at a coal mine in remote northeastern China has killed 134 workers and left another 15 trapped underground, China News Service said, amid frantic rescue efforts to find survivors.

AFP - President Vladimir Putin has hailed the first parliamentary election in Chechnya in eight years, as officials announced as predicted a sweep by Russia's pro-Kremlin party while observers called the vote in the war-torn province a sideshow.

AP - A basketball-sized piece of marble molding fell from the facade over the entrance to the Supreme Court Monday, landing on the steps near visitors waiting to enter the building. No one was hurt.

AP - A 15-year-old girl with a peanut allergy died after kissing her boyfriend, who had just eaten a peanut butter snack, hospital officials said Monday.

AP - The disappointing Detroit Lions fired coach Steve Mariucci and some of his assistants on Monday, a team official told The Associated Press.

Reuters - The United States is scheduled this week to witness its 1,000th execution since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, but even as it reaches this milestone opponents said capital punishment may be falling out of favor.

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Monday tackles the thorny problem of illegal immigration on the Mexico border with his own Republican Party split over whether undocumented workers already in the United States should be allowed to stay.

AFP - An explosion at a coal mine in remote northeastern China killed 134 workers and left another 15 trapped underground, state media said, amid frantic rescue efforts to find survivors.

AFP - Europe agreed a pact on fighting terrorism with its mostly Muslim southern neighbours, but clear strains remained after a tense Euro-Mediterranean summit clouded by the absence of most Arab leaders.

AP - Travelers trying to get home after Thanksgiving were stranded across the Plains on Monday as the region's first big snowstorm of the season closed hundreds of miles of highways, cutting visibility to zero and piling up drifts 6 feet high.

Reuters - The United States is scheduled this week to witness its 1,000th execution since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, but even as it reaches this milestone opponents said capital punishment may be falling out of favor.

Reuters - U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a California Republican, resigned on Monday after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for help in securing Defense Department contracts.

AP - A combative Saddam Hussein lashed out Monday at his treatment by American "occupiers and invaders" and lectured the chief judge about leadership as his trial resumed in a rambling and unfocused session.

AP - Feuding ex-friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will take "The Simple Life" to E! Entertainment Television in a new format that allows them to have nothing to do with each other.

AP - Drugmaker Merck & Co., squeezed by Vioxx lawsuits, tumbling revenues and other troubles, is eliminating 7,000 jobs and five production plants and revamping manufacturing in the first phase of a global reorganization. The long-awaited announcement Monday drove Merck shares down more than 4 percent.

AP - The Detroit Lions fired coach Steve Mariucci on Monday and promoted defensive coordinator Dick Jauron to succeed him on an interim basis.

AP - Gunmen ambushed a bus Monday carrying British Muslims to Shiite shrines, killing two Britons and wounding three. The U.S. Embassy confirmed an American is missing in Iraq — presumably one of four aid workers who disappeared over the weekend.

Reuters - Host Canada urged a wider fight against global warming at the start of 189-country talks on Monday that will try to enlist the United States and poor nations in U.N.-led schemes to fight climate change beyond 2012.

Reuters - Saddam Hussein harangued the judge at the second session of his trial on Monday before it was adjourned to grant co-defendants time to find new counsel after one of their lawyers was killed and another fled Iraq.

AP - A corruption scandal forced a vote of no-confidence Monday that toppled Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government, triggering an unusual election campaign during the Christmas holidays.

AP - President Bush said Monday he wants to crack down on those who enter the country illegally but also give out more visas to foreigners with jobs, a dual plan he hopes will appease the social conservatives and business leaders who are his core supporters.

AP - Travelers trying to get home after Thanksgiving were stranded across the Plains on Monday as the region's first big snowstorm of the season closed hundreds of miles of highways, cutting visibility to zero and piling up drifts 6 feet high.

AP - 'Push hard, push fast' next time you give CPR to someone having cardiac arrest, say new, simpler guidelines in a radical departure from past advice.

AP - Steve Mariucci came to the Detroit Lions with a winning NFL record, a penchant for offense and raised expectations.

Reuters - Canada's shaky minority Liberal government lost a vote of confidence on Monday, ending a 17-month stay in office that was largely overshadowed by a patronage scandal.

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Monday tried to balance differences in his own Republican Party over illegal immigration by rejecting amnesty and calling for a hardened Mexico border but also vowing the United States would remain "a welcoming society."

Reuters - U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a California Republican, fought back tears as he resigned on Monday after pleading guilty to taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for help in securing Defense Department contracts.

Reuters - As a top U.S. Justice Department lawyer two decades ago, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito backed tougher punishment for certain civil rights violations as well as keeping fingerprint records of Iranian and Afghan refugees, documents released on Monday showed.

AFP - European Union Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini threatened sanctions for any EU nation found to have allowed secret CIA prison camps to operate on their soil.

AP - President Bush said Monday he wants to crack down on those who enter the country illegally but also give out more visas to foreigners with jobs, a dual plan he hopes will appease the social conservatives and business leaders who are his core supporters.

BusinessWeek Online - The American economy has long relied on a well-educated workforce to fuel innovation, the lifeblood of any modern economy. That's why the headline 'The Advanced Economies Losing Lead in Education' from the Conference Board's recent report was so disturbing. The business think tank recently noted that emerging nations might achieve 100% literacy in another three decades.

AP - In a pair of record-setting deals for relief pitchers, Billy Wagner reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $43 million, four-year contract with the New York Mets only hours after B.J. Ryan finalized a $47 million, five-year agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Reuters - Canada's shaky minority Liberal government lost a vote of confidence on Monday, ending a 17-month stay in office that was largely overshadowed by a patronage scandal.

AFP - Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's embattled Liberal minority government was ousted by a no-confidence vote in Parliament, kicking off a likely frosty election campaign over the Christmas holiday.