SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea is fully prepared to shut down its nuclear facilities and allow inspections, a South Korean official said in New York, where envoys from Pyongyang and Washington are set to begin rare talks on improving ties.

AP - The Dallas Mavericks needed big games from their Big Three of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry to pull out a club-record 15th consecutive victory. Terry had 29 points and a season-high 15 assists, and the Mavericks extended their team-record home winning streak to 22 games with a 103-98 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.

AFP - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah agreed to counter attempts to fuel Sunni-Shiite strife during a visit by the Iranian leader to Saudi Arabia, official media said here Sunday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major powers failed on Saturday to settle all their differences over a second U.N. sanctions resolution against Iran for its nuclear work but remain committed to passing one soon, the United States said.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Five Ethiopians out of 13 believed kidnapped alongside a party of five Britons in one of Ethiopia's most hostile regions have been found, while a manhunt for the rest of the team has been intensified.

SELMA, Alabama (Reuters) - Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with former President Bill Clinton, take their high-voltage fight for the White House to a hallowed symbol of the U.S. civil rights movement on Sunday.

AP - A suicide car bomber attacked an American convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, and government officials said up to eight Afghans were killed in the blast or by ensuing gunfire, sparking a large protest.

Reuters - Five Ethiopians out of 13 believed kidnapped alongside a party of five Britons in one of Ethiopia's most hostile regions have been found, while a manhunt for the rest of the team has been intensified.

AP - Four purebred Yorkshire terriers stolen at gunpoint during a home invasion robbery more than a week ago were returned to their owners after a man turned himself in to police.

Reuters - Major powers failed on Saturday to settle all their differences over a second U.N. sanctions resolution against Iran for its nuclear work but remain committed to passing one soon, the United States said.

Reuters - North Korea is fully prepared to shut down its nuclear facilities and allow inspections, a South Korean official said in New York, where envoys from Pyongyang and Washington are set to begin rare talks on improving ties.

Reuters - Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with former President Bill Clinton, take their high-voltage fight for the White House to a hallowed symbol of the U.S. civil rights movement on Sunday.

AP - As President Bush handed out hugs and toured sites where killer tornadoes hit areas of the South earlier this week, some residents said they hoped the government would be as forthcoming with aid to help rebuild their devastated towns.

AP - Like a good Bordeaux or Chianti, some chocolate comes from a particular place — the Indonesian island of Java or Venezuela's Sur del Lago, for example. As with wine grapes, the source of cacao beans is supposed to result in distinct flavors and aromas.

AFP - The leaders of regional heavyweights Iran and and Saudi Arabia agreed at talks in Riyadh to fight growing Sunni-Shiite strife, warning that it was the greatest danger facing the region.

AFP - Coalition troops killed eight civilians when they opened fire on a crowd after a suicide car bomb struck a military vehicle in eastern Afghanistan Sunday, provincial police said.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday told insurgents fighting his U.S.-backed government to accept an olive branch or face a security crackdown that will cover 'every inch' of Iraq.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - After a suicide bomber attacked their military convoy in Afghanistan on Sunday, U.S. troops opened fire and killed eight civilians and wounded more than 30, Afghan police said.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Eritrea dismissed as 'baseless fabrication' on Sunday accusations by an Ethiopian official that Eritrean forces kidnapped a group of tourists, including Britons and Ethiopians, in a remote part of Ethiopia.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran and Saudi Arabia agree that Muslim nations should be alert to efforts by enemies to divide their ranks, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said after his first official trip to the kingdom, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Ministers from trade powers tried on Sunday to push forward talks for a long-delayed deal to boost global commerce and ease poverty which risks running out of time this year.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States urged China on Sunday to be more transparent about its military build-up, in response to Beijing's announcement it would boost defense spending by 17.8 percent this year.

SANAA (Reuters) - A Yemeni court charged 35 suspected members of an al Qaeda-linked group on Sunday with taking part in foiled suicide attacks on oil and gas installations in the Arab country last year.

AP - A 'complex' ambush involving a suicide car bomb and militant gunfire killed 16 Afghan civilians and wounded 25 people during an attack on a coalition convoy in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said.

AP - Hundreds of U.S. soldiers entered the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City on Sunday in the first major push into the area since an American-led security sweep began last month around Baghdad.

AP - Hours before police executed a warrant to search his house for clues as to his wife's disappearance, Stephen Grant told a newspaper he understood why people suspected him of wrongdoing but said he was innocent.

Reuters - Eritrea dismissed as 'baseless fabrication' on Sunday accusations by an Ethiopian official that Eritrean forces kidnapped a group of tourists, including Britons and Ethiopians, in a remote part of Ethiopia.

AP - Organizers lit up a 8.1-mile string of explosives in a southern Taiwanese county Sunday, hoping to create the world's longest firecracker in a record-setting attempt expected to last two hours.

AP - Smiling and waving to screaming fans, Michael Jackson arrived in Japan on Sunday for his second visit in recent years to host an exclusive party where admirers pay $3,500 to spend 30 seconds with the pop icon.

Reuters - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday told insurgents fighting his U.S.-backed government to accept an olive branch or face a security crackdown that will cover 'every inch' of Iraq.

Reuters - After a suicide bomber attacked their military convoy in Afghanistan on Sunday, U.S. troops opened fire and killed eight civilians and wounded more than 30, Afghan police said.

Reuters - Iran and Saudi Arabia agree that Muslim nations should be alert to efforts by enemies to divide their ranks, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said after his first official trip to the kingdom, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

Reuters - Ministers from trade powers tried on Sunday to push forward talks for a long-delayed deal to boost global commerce and ease poverty which risks running out of time this year.

Reuters - The United States urged China on Sunday to be more transparent about its military build-up, in response to Beijing's announcement it would boost defense spending by 17.8 percent this year.

AFP - Concern rose Sunday for the safety of five kidnapped Britons and Ethiopians accompanying them after an Ethiopian official blamed soldiers from its arch foe Eritrea for the desert abduction.

KABUL (Reuters) - The U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Sunday 16 Afghan civilians were killed after a 'complex' Taliban ambush on a U.S. convoy involving a suicide car-bomb attack and militant gunfire.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It sounds like a sick joke about global warming, with a series of horrible punch lines:

AP - A man suspected of killing and dismembering his wife was arrested Sunday nearly 300 miles from his home, police said.

AP - U.S. Marine Special Forces fleeing a militant ambush opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, wounded Afghans said. Up to 16 people were killed and 34 wounded in the violence, officials said.

AP - Cherokee Nation members voted Saturday to revoke the tribal citizenship of an estimated 2,800 descendants of the people the Cherokee once owned as slaves.

AP - Several Ethiopians who were kidnapped along with five Britons touring the African country's remote northeast have been found, state media reported, and neighboring Eritrea on Sunday denied accusations that it was behind the group's disappearance.

Reuters - The U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Sunday 16 Afghan civilians were killed after a 'complex' Taliban ambush on a U.S. convoy involving a suicide car-bomb attack and militant gunfire.

Reuters - It sounds like a sick joke about global warming, with a series of horrible punch lines:

AFP - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Sunday he will soon reshuffle his beleaguered government which has been pushed to breaking point by sectarian divisions.

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Sixteen Afghan civilians were killed after a 'complex' Taliban ambush on a U.S. convoy involving a suicide car-bomb attack and militant gunfire, the U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Sunday.

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League said on Sunday the United Nations Security Council should set a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq.

ROME (Reuters) - Italy has raised the stakes in a spat with the United States over the killing by a U.S. soldier of an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq, saying Washington must set things right by assuming responsibility for the death.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Eritrea dismissed as 'baseless fabrication' on Sunday accusations by an Ethiopian official that Eritrean forces kidnapped a group of tourists, including Britons and Ethiopians, in a remote part of Ethiopia.

AP - U.S. Marines fleeing a militant ambush Sunday opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, wounded Afghans said. Up to 16 people were killed and 34 wounded in the violence, officials said.

AP - Hundreds of U.S. soldiers entered the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City on Sunday in the first major push into the area since an American-led security sweep began last month around Baghdad.

AP - Cherokee Nation members voted Saturday to revoke the tribal citizenship of an estimated 2,800 descendants of the people the Cherokee once owned as slaves.

AP - Several Ethiopians who were kidnapped along with five Britons touring the African country's remote northeast have been found, state media reported, and neighboring Eritrea on Sunday denied accusations that it was behind the group's disappearance.

AP - Four purebred Yorkshire terriers stolen at gunpoint during a home invasion robbery more than a week ago were returned to their owners after a man turned himself in to police.

AP - The moon darkened, reddened, and turned shades of gray and orange Saturday night during the first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years, thrilling stargazers and astronomers around the world.

AP - A relaxed-looking Michael Jackson smiled and waved at screaming fans as he arrived in Japan on Sunday for his second visit in recent years to host an exclusive party and sponsor a fan art competition.

AP - Julia Mancuso has moved atop the World Cup overall standings for the first time this season as she bids to become the first American woman to win the title in nearly a quarter-century.

Reuters - Sixteen Afghan civilians were killed after a 'complex' Taliban ambush on a U.S. convoy involving a suicide car-bomb attack and militant gunfire, the U.S. military in Afghanistan said on Sunday.

Reuters - The Arab League said on Sunday the United Nations Security Council should set a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq.

Reuters - Italy has raised the stakes in a spat with the United States over the killing by a U.S. soldier of an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq, saying Washington must set things right by assuming responsibility for the death.

Reuters - Eritrea dismissed as 'baseless fabrication' on Sunday accusations by an Ethiopian official that Eritrean forces kidnapped a group of tourists, including Britons and Ethiopians, in a remote part of Ethiopia.

AFP - Sixteen civilians were killed in eastern Afghanistan Sunday when a US convoy was ambushed and troops returned fire, the US-led coalition said, as the government said the soldiers killed 10.

AFP - Britain stepped up efforts Sunday to secure the release of five people linked to its Addis Ababa embassy feared kidnapped in Ethiopia, as Eritrea denied reports it was involved.

PARIS (Reuters) - Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson sparked a photographer frenzy at the Louis Vuitton show on Sunday, as designer Marc Jacobs took Paris fashion week to its final phase with shimmering, slim outfits.

AP - U.S. Marines fleeing a suicide bomber and militant ambush on Sunday opened fire on civilian cars and pedestrians on a busy highway in eastern Afghanistan, wounded Afghans said. Up to 10 people were killed and 35 wounded in the violence, officials said.

AP - Barack Obama reached out to the civil rights generation Sunday on the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march, saying the protesters helped pave the way for his campaign to become the first black president. He also urged blacks to take more personal responsibility.

AP - Hundreds of U.S. soldiers entered the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City on Sunday in the first major push into the area since an American-led security sweep began last month around Baghdad.

AP - Pakistan must do more to stem al-Qaida in its ungoverned territories amid growing signs operatives plan a spring offensive against allied forces in Afghanistan, lawmakers on the intelligence committees said Sunday.

AP - Patrolman Brian Johnson of the Franklin, Mass., Police Department studied a surveillance video showing two men using allegedly stolen credit cards at a Home Depot.

AP - Two months before the 1992 presidential election, an NBC reporter cornered a man to ask whether he preferred Bill Clinton or President Bush.

AP - Julia Mancuso had two long-term goals growing up as a skier — winning an Olympic gold medal and hoisting the overall World Cup trophy.

Reuters - Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson sparked a photographer frenzy at the Louis Vuitton show on Sunday, as designer Marc Jacobs took Paris fashion week to its final phase with shimmering, slim outfits.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops met no resistance on Sunday when they searched homes for illegal weapons and carried out patrols in a Shi'ite militia bastion in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Democratic-led Senate is moving closer to rewriting the measure that paved the way for President Bush to invade Iraq nearly four years ago, two top Democratic lawmakers said on Sunday.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Eritrea dismissed as 'baseless fabrication' accusations by an Ethiopian official that Eritrean forces had kidnapped a group of British tourists in a remote area of Ethiopia.

AP - New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici acknowledged Sunday that he called a federal prosecutor to ask about a criminal investigation, but insisted he never pressured nor threatened his state's U.S. attorney.

AP - A man suspected of killing and dismembering his wife was captured Sunday as he fled from searchers through the snow in a wooded area of northern Michigan, police said.

AP - Former U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton, who resigned as a vice presidential nominee in 1972 after it was revealed he had been hospitalized for depression, died Sunday, said a spokeswoman for Sen. Claire McCaskill.

AP - NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon is quitting the civil rights organization, leaving after just 19 months at the helm, he told The Associated Press Sunday.

AP - The biker buddy comedy 'Wild Hogs' and its ensemble cast of John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy and Tim Allen was the weekend box office champ with a $38 million take, according to studio estimates Sunday.

AP - Joakim Noah and Taurean Green broke out of slumps just in time to help No. 5 Florida make history.

Reuters - More than 1,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops met no resistance on Sunday when they searched homes for illegal weapons and carried out patrols in a Shi'ite militia bastion in Baghdad.

Reuters - The U.S. Democratic-led Senate is moving closer to rewriting the measure that paved the way for President Bush to invade Iraq nearly four years ago, two top Democratic lawmakers said on Sunday.

Reuters - Eritrea dismissed as 'baseless fabrication' accusations by an Ethiopian official that Eritrean forces had kidnapped a group of British tourists in a remote area of Ethiopia.

AFP - At least eight civilians were killed and 35 wounded in eastern Afghanistan Sunday when a US convoy was ambushed in a suicide bomb attack claimed by Taliban militants and troops returned fire.

AFP - The United States and North Korea begin landmark negotiations Monday on normalizing relations, a long-standing condition set by the reclusive communist regime for abandoning its nuclear ambitions.

SELMA, Alabama (Reuters) - Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, joined by former President Bill Clinton, descended on a hallowed shrine of the civil rights movement on Sunday to court black voters who could help decide the party's presidential nominee.

AP - Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton crossed campaign paths for the first time Sunday as they paid homage to civil rights activists who they said helped give them the chance to break barriers to the White House.

AP - U.S. and Iraqi troops poured into Baghdad's main Shiite militia stronghold Sunday, encountering no resistance in the one-time Sadr City combat zones but testing the Shiites' commitment to the U.S.-promoted campaign to drive militants from the capital.

AP - NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon is quitting the civil rights organization, leaving after just 19 months at the helm, he told The Associated Press on Sunday.

Reuters - Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, joined by former President Bill Clinton, descended on a hallowed shrine of the civil rights movement on Sunday to court black voters who could help decide the party's presidential nominee.

AFP - UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei will travel to North Korea on March 13 to discuss how to monitor the communist state's promised dismantling of nuclear facilities, a spokeswoman said.

SELMA, Alabama (Reuters) - Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, joined by former President Bill Clinton, courted black voters at a hallowed civil rights shrine on Sunday and said the movement's leaders had set the stage for their White House bids.

(Corrects date of IAEA visit in final paragraph to March 13, not Tuesday)

AP - Just an hour's drive outside this traffic-choked metropolis where President Bush kicks off a Latin American tour Thursday, sugar cane fields stretch for hundreds of miles, providing the ethanol that fuels eight out of every 10 new Brazilian cars.

AP - Tyler Hansbrough had 26 points and 17 rebounds before suffering an ugly injury in the closing seconds of No. 8 North Carolina's 86-72 victory over 14th-ranked Duke on Sunday, clinching the top seed in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

Reuters - Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, joined by former President Bill Clinton, courted black voters at a hallowed civil rights shrine on Sunday and said the movement's leaders had set the stage for their White House bids.

LONDON (Reuters) - Military strikes to destroy Iran's nuclear ambitions could backfire, increasing Tehran's determination to obtain atomic weapons and bolstering hostility toward the West, a report said on Monday.

AP - More than a thousand people gathered Sunday to commemorate the 1965 'Bloody Sunday' voting rights march — and remarked how the original protest paved the way for modern-day candidates to break political barriers.

AP - Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin said Sunday his band is working on a new album featuring what he called a quintessential song that everybody should hear 'before we die.'

Reuters - Military strikes to destroy Iran's nuclear ambitions could backfire, increasing Tehran's determination to obtain atomic weapons and bolstering hostility toward the West, a report said on Monday.

AP - Players on Bluffton University's baseball team and their parents returned home Sunday, two days after a bus plunged off a roadway in Georgia and claimed the lives of four of their teammates and two others.