COLOMBO (Reuters) - A Tamil Tiger light aircraft bombed a Sri Lankan air force base next to Colombo international airport before dawn on Monday, killing three airmen and wounding 16 in the first such air strike by the rebel group.

AP - Roadside bombs killed five U.S. soldiers in Iraq on Sunday, including four in a single strike in a volatile province northeast of the capital, the military said.

AP - Republican support for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales eroded Sunday as three key senators sharply questioned his honesty over last fall's firings of eight federal prosecutors. Additionally, two Democrats joined the list of lawmakers calling for Gonzales' ouster.

AP - Iran announced Sunday that it was partially suspending cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog while hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the latest U.N. sanctions would not halt the country's uranium enrichment 'even for a second.'

AP - Same names, different endings. Unlike father, like son. Twenty-five years later, Georgetown got even.

AP - Max Crumm and Laura Osnes are the ones America's television viewers want. Crumm will play Danny Zuko and Osnes will be Sandy Dumbrowski, the lead roles in the $10 million revival of 'Grease,' opening on Broadway this summer.

AP - Kobe Bryant's 50-point streak ended Sunday night, and he didn't seem the slightest bit disappointed. 'Off-night,' Bryant said with a smile after scoring 43 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Golden State Warriors 115-113, extending their winning streak to a season-high five games.

Reuters - A Tamil Tiger light aircraft bombed a Sri Lankan air force base next to Colombo international airport before dawn on Monday, killing three airmen and wounding 16 in the first such air strike by the rebel group.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A senior Iranian military official warned the United States against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic, a news agency reported on Monday, two days after the United Nations imposed new sanctions on Iran.

AP - Roadside bombs killed five U.S. soldiers in Iraq on Sunday, including four in a single strike in a volatile province northeast of the capital, the military said.

AP - Questions about the honesty of Alberto Gonzales are growing more pointed as political support for the embattled attorney general erodes on Capitol Hill.

AP - Children who got quality child care before entering kindergarten had better vocabulary scores in the fifth grade than did youngsters who received lower quality care.

AP - Tamil rebels launched their first airstrike in the nearly quarter-decade conflict with Sri Lanka's government, using at least one small plane to bomb an air base outside the capital Monday and killing three airmen, officials said.

AP - John Thompson III and Patrick Ewing Jr. could only hope, the same way their dads did a generation ago. On this night, it was different. A North Carolina freshman missed.

AP - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is back in New Hampshire and back embracing straight talk. And talk. And talk. And talk.

AP - Kobe Bryant scored 43 points, and with tongue in cheek, described his performance as an 'off night.'

Reuters - A senior Iranian military official warned the United States against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic, a news agency reported on Monday, two days after the United Nations imposed new sanctions on Iran.

Reuters - Aftershocks jolted the west coast of central Japan on Monday, keeping residents on edge a day after a strong earthquake killed one person, injured nearly 200 and flattened homes.

Reuters - It may not have big floppy ears, but a thick book in play at the criminal fraud trial of fallen media mogul Conrad Black is an elephant in the courtroom just the same.

AFP - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, until now best known for their signature suicide bombings, took their separatist campaign to a new level Monday with their first ever air raid.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards warned the United States against attacking the Islamic Republic, a news agency reported on Monday, two days after the United Nations imposed new sanctions on Iran.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi officials are in contact with representatives of some Sunni Arab insurgent groups to build an alliance against al Qaeda in Iraq, the outgoing U.S. ambassador said on Monday.

WAJIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Aftershocks kept residents of central Japan on edge on Monday, more than a day after a strong earthquake that killed one person, injured about 200 and flattened homes.

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Australian David Hicks has grown his hair to chest-length so he can use it to cover his eyes from the lights that shine in his Guantanamo prison cell all night, one of his lawyers said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some effects of poor quality day care last until age 10 or 11, but very few, and good parenting is probably more important, U.S. government researchers reported on Monday.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties are putting the final touches to a deal on power-sharing, a source close to the negotiations said on Monday.

AP - Iran warned that 15 British sailors and marines could face charges for allegedly entering Iranian waters and rejected British requests to meet with the servicemen detained off the coast of Iraq.

AP - The departing U.S. ambassador said on Monday that he believed Iraq was heading in the right direction but cautioned that Iraqi leaders must understand that U.S. voters were increasingly impatient with the war.

AP - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she isn't ready to attempt a 'big bang' for Mideast peace, but she is assembling a plan to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to that goal.

AP - Intel Corp. announced Monday it will build a $2.5 billion chip factory in China, giving the U.S. company a bigger presence in the booming Chinese market and boosting Beijing's efforts to attract high-tech investment.

AP - IOC president Jacques Rogge marked Monday's milestone — 500 days before the Beijing Olympics — by calling for a strong focus on this summer's 26 test events.

Reuters - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards warned the United States against attacking the Islamic Republic, a news agency reported on Monday, two days after the United Nations imposed new sanctions on Iran.

Reuters - U.S. and Iraqi officials are in contact with representatives of some Sunni Arab insurgent groups to build an alliance against al Qaeda in Iraq, the outgoing U.S. ambassador said on Monday.

Reuters - Aftershocks kept residents of central Japan on edge on Monday, more than a day after a strong earthquake that killed one person, injured about 200 and flattened homes.

Reuters - Australian David Hicks has grown his hair to chest-length so he can use it to cover his eyes from the lights that shine in his Guantanamo prison cell all night, one of his lawyers said.

Reuters - Some effects of poor quality day care last until age 10 or 11, but very few, and good parenting is probably more important, U.S. government researchers reported on Monday.

AFP - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took her latest shuttle diplomacy mission to Jordan on Monday to raise Arab support for new efforts to revive the stalled Middle East peace process.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi officials are in contact with representatives of some Sunni Arab insurgent groups to build an alliance against al Qaeda in Iraq, the outgoing U.S. ambassador said on Monday.

AMMAN (Reuters) - The United Nations floated the idea on Monday of a meeting bringing together Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the region to try to revive peace talks.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran says British sailors it detained are fit and well but has not disclosed where they are being held, Britain said on Monday.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's main political parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8, the leader of the province's main Protestant, pro-British party said.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has DNA samples from relatives of major terrorism suspects to use in investigation and identification efforts, police officials said on Monday at the opening of a new DNA laboratory.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some effects of poor quality daycare last until age 10 or 11, but very few, and good parenting is probably more important, U.S. government researchers reported on Monday.

AP - An international diplomatic drive for Mideast peace gained momentum Monday, with Israel welcoming the idea of a regional peace summit and Saudi Arabia suggesting it would consider changes in a dormant peace initiative to make it more acceptable to Israel.

AP - Sitting side by side for the first time in history, the leaders of Northern Ireland's major Protestant and Catholic parties announced a stunning deal Monday to forge a power-sharing administration May 8.

AP - Iran warned that 15 British sailors and marines could face charges for allegedly entering Iranian waters and rejected British requests to meet with the servicemen detained off the coast of Iraq.

AP - Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed Monday to create a universal health care system if elected, saying she 'learned a lot' during the failed health care effort of her husband's presidency.

AP - Intel Corp. announced Monday it will build a $2.5 billion chip factory in China, giving the U.S. company a bigger presence in the booming Chinese market and boosting Beijing's efforts to attract high-tech investment.

AP - The Final Four is set. Florida takes on UCLA in Atlanta on Saturday. And Georgetown, reaching the NCAA semifinals for the first time in more than than two decades, will take on Ohio State.

Reuters - U.S. and Iraqi officials are in contact with representatives of some Sunni Arab insurgent groups to build an alliance against al Qaeda in Iraq, the outgoing U.S. ambassador said on Monday.

Reuters - The United Nations floated the idea on Monday of a meeting bringing together Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the region to try to revive peace talks.

Reuters - Iran says British sailors it detained are fit and well but has not disclosed where they are being held, Britain said on Monday.

Reuters - Northern Ireland's main political parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8, the leader of the province's main Protestant, pro-British party said.

AFP - Northern Ireland's rival party leaders Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams struck a landmark accord to share power Monday, albeit with a six-week delay, after their first-ever face-to-face talks in Belfast.

AMMAN (Reuters) - The United Nations raised the idea of a meeting bringing together Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states to try to revive peace talks as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday shuttled between the sides.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A rocket landed in Baghdad's heavily fortified international Green Zone on Monday, rocking the U.S. embassy but causing no casualties, witnesses said.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8 after their leaders put aside decades of hostility to hold a historic first meeting.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House expressed disappointment on Monday in Iran's pledge to limit cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog over its nuclear program.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc., the largest U.S. bank, may cut 15,000 jobs to revitalize itself as shareholders demand better performance and a higher stock price, published reports said on Monday.

ORSAY, France (Reuters) - With creationism now coming in Christian and Muslim versions, scientists, teachers and theologians in France are debating ways to counteract what they see as growing religious attacks on science.

AP - Iran said Monday it was interrogating 15 British sailors and marines to determine whether they intentionally entered Iranian waters. Britain denies its personnel had left Iraqi territory when they were captured and detained by Iran.

AP - American and Iraqi officials are seeking to persuade so-called 'reconcilable insurgents' to join forces against al-Qaida as the terror network steps up attacks on both Islamic sects in Iraq, the departing U.S. ambassador said Monday.

AP - Sales of new homes fell sharply for a second consecutive month in February, a weaker-than-expected performance that dimmed hopes for a rebound in the troubled housing market.

AP - The weeks after Anna Nicole Smith's death were filled with public courtroom drama and private whispers about what might have killed the former Playboy Playmate. On Monday, the county medical examiner planned to reveal the truth.

Reuters - The United Nations raised the idea of a meeting bringing together Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states to try to revive peace talks as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday shuttled between the sides.

Reuters - A rocket landed in Baghdad's heavily fortified international Green Zone on Monday, rocking the U.S. embassy but causing no casualties, witnesses said.

Reuters - Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8 after their leaders put aside decades of hostility to hold a historic first meeting.

Reuters - The White House expressed disappointment on Monday in Iran's pledge to limit cooperation with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog over its nuclear program.

AFP - Tamil Tiger rebels carried out their first air raid Monday, bombing Sri Lanka's main military base in a daring night-time mission that forced the closure of the island's only international airport.

DANIA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental drug overdose with traces of nine prescription drugs in her blood, including anti-depressants and sedatives, Florida officials said on Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Time Inc. said on Monday that it will stop publishing LIFE, the iconic photography magazine that has been featured as a weekly newspaper insert since 2004.

AP - The presidents of Russia and China on Monday called on Iran to fulfill the U.N. Security Council's demands over its disputed atomic program, a day after the Islamic republic announced it was partially suspending cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

AP - Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental overdose of a sleeping medication and at least eight other prescription drugs, and she had recently had a bacterial infection from injecting drugs into her buttocks, authorities said Monday.

AP - The hot new strategy of trying to prevent heart disease by raising good cholesterol had more setbacks Monday as new studies showed that experimental drugs didn't work and also had safety problems.

AP - Stocks fell sharply Monday after a surprise drop in new home sales for February triggered further concern that economic growth is slowing more than expected. The Dow Jones industrials at times showed losses of more than 100 points.

AP - A woman with three crocodiles strapped to her waist was stopped at the Gaza-Egypt border crossing after guards noticed that she looked 'strangely fat,' officials said Monday.

Reuters - Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental drug overdose with traces of nine prescription drugs in her blood, including anti-depressants and sedatives, Florida officials said on Monday.

AFP - Northern Ireland's arch-rival Catholic and Protestant leaders clinched a historic 11th-hour deal to restore self-rule for the province, after unprecedented face-to-face talks on Monday.

AFP - Tamil Tiger rebels carried out their first air raid Monday, bombing Sri Lanka's main military base in a daring night-time mission that forced the closure of the island's only international airport.

DANIA BEACH, Fla. - Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs including sedatives, officials said on Monday, ending weeks of uncertainty over the tabloid star's sudden death.

BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8 after their leaders put aside decades of hostility to hold a historic first meeting.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With a virtual drum roll, online video-sharing Web site YouTube on Monday announced the winners of its inaugural awards, paying tribute to the wannabe stars who have used the site as a launching pad to fast fame.

AP - The video series 'Ask a Ninja' and OK Go's treadmill-choreographed music video are among the winners in the first YouTube Video Awards.

AP - The New Orleans Saints have come to an agreement with state officials that will keep the team in Louisiana through the 2010 season.

Reuters - Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs including sedatives, officials said on Monday, ending weeks of uncertainty over the tabloid star's sudden death.

Reuters - Northern Ireland's main Protestant and Catholic parties agreed on Monday to start sharing power on May 8 after their leaders put aside decades of hostility to hold a historic first meeting.

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Australian prisoner David Hicks stood before a U.S. military judge at the Guantanamo naval base on Monday to answer a charge of providing material support for terrorism by fighting for al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who dropped his brief presidential bid last month, endorsed Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's candidacy for the White House on Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Stockman, a former Reagan White House budget director and ex-head of Collins & Aikman Corp., was indicted on fraud, conspiracy and other charges on Monday, accused of misleading investors when he was chief executive of the bankrupt auto parts maker.

AP - Investigators looking into the friendly fire death of former NFL star Pat Tillman found no criminal negligence but are recommending that nine officers, including a three-star general, be held accountable for missteps in the aftermath of his shooting, government officials told The Associated Press.

AP - Iran said Monday it was questioning 15 British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was 'intentional or unintentional' before deciding what to do with them — the first sign it could be seeking a way out of the standoff.

AP - Monica Goodling, a Justice Department official involved in the firings of federal prosecutors, will refuse to answer questions at upcoming Senate hearings, citing Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, her lawyer said Monday.

AP - Wall Street pared steep losses Monday to end narrowly mixed after a surprise drop in new home sales for February triggered further concern that economic growth is slowing more than expected.

Reuters - Australian prisoner David Hicks stood before a U.S. military judge at the Guantanamo naval base on Monday to answer a charge of providing material support for terrorism by fighting for al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Reuters - Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who dropped his brief presidential bid last month, endorsed Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's candidacy for the White House on Monday.

Reuters - David Stockman, a former Reagan White House budget director and ex-head of Collins & Aikman Corp., was indicted on fraud, conspiracy and other charges on Monday, accused of misleading investors when he was chief executive of the bankrupt auto parts maker.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An aide to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez on Monday invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination and refused to testify before a Senate panel investigating the firing of eight prosecutors.

DANIA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - An accidental overdose of prescription drugs including a potent sedative killed Anna Nicole Smith, officials said on Monday, ending weeks of uncertainty over the tabloid star's sudden death.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to impose a September 1, 2008, deadline for withdrawing all American combat troops from Iraq, prompting a quick veto promise from President George W. Bush.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An aide to U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat, was arrested on Monday by Capitol Police for carrying a loaded gun and two full ammunition magazines into a Senate office building.

AP - High-ranking Army officers made critical errors in reporting the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Afghanistan, but there was no criminal wrongdoing in the shooting of the former NFL star by fellow soldiers, the military concluded Monday.

AP - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed Monday to resume open-ended, face-to-face talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a possible step toward restarting substantive peace talks, a U.S. official said.

AP - A top European envoy on Monday renewed an offer from six world powers to talk with Tehran over its nuclear ambitions, and a senior Iranian negotiator agreed to stay in contact in an effort to find common ground.

AP - Anna Nicole Smith accidentally overdosed on at least nine prescription drugs — including a powerful sleep syrup she was known to swig right out of the bottle — after a miserable last few days in which she endured stomach flu, a 105-degree fever, pungent sweating and an infection on her buttocks from repeated injections.

AP - Wall Street pared steep losses Monday to end narrowly mixed after a surprise drop in new home sales for February triggered further concern that economic growth is slowing more than expected.

AP - Tennessee Titans star Adam 'Pacman' Jones could face felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a triple shooting at a strip club in February.

Reuters - An aide to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez on Monday invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination and refused to testify before a Senate panel investigating the firing of eight prosecutors.

Reuters - An accidental overdose of prescription drugs including a potent sedative killed Anna Nicole Smith, officials said on Monday, ending weeks of uncertainty over the tabloid star's sudden death.

Reuters - President George W. Bush is likely to lose a first-round fight with Democrats over a critical funding bill that sets a date for American troops to withdraw from Iraq, the U.S. Senate's Republican leader said on Monday.

AFP - UN chief mediator Martti Ahtisaari on Monday recommended supervised independence for Kosovo as the only option for the breakaway Serbian province, an idea immediately hailed by Kosovo's president but rejected by Belgrade.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush is likely to lose a first-round fight with Democrats over a critical funding bill that sets a date for American troops to withdraw from Iraq, the U.S. Senate's Republican leader said on Monday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Demonstrating her top billing on Hollywood's political money trail, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton collected a whopping $2.6 million at a weekend fund-raiser for her 2008 White House bid, organizers said on Monday.

Reuters - President George W. Bush is likely to lose a first-round fight with Democrats over a critical funding bill that sets a date for American troops to withdraw from Iraq, the U.S. Senate's Republican leader said on Monday.

Reuters - Demonstrating her top billing on Hollywood's political money trail, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton collected a whopping $2.6 million at a weekend fund-raiser for her 2008 White House bid, organizers said on Monday.

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Australian David Hicks, the first prisoner to face a new U.S. war crimes tribunal, unexpectedly pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of helping al Qaeda fight American troops during the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

AP - An Australian terror suspect pleaded guilty Monday to a war-crime charge of providing material support to terrorism.

AP - A southeast Missouri man who drew global attention for his documentary about how methamphetamine hopelessly ravaged his body died Monday still optimistic his film steers others from the highly addictive stimulant.

Reuters - Australian David Hicks, the first prisoner to face a new U.S. war crimes tribunal, unexpectedly pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge of helping al Qaeda fight American troops during the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

AFP - Australian David Hicks pleaded guilty to a charge of supporting terrorism on Monday before a US military tribunal.

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury officials have met North Korean diplomats to try to work out the transfer of funds frozen in a Macau bank and smooth the way for the resumption of disarmament talks, the U.S. embassy said on Tuesday.

Reuters - U.S. Treasury officials have met North Korean diplomats to try to work out the transfer of funds frozen in a Macau bank and smooth the way for the resumption of disarmament talks, the U.S. embassy said on Tuesday.