AP - A raid by U.S. coalition troops in eastern Afghanistan killed five al-Qaida associated fighters and detained eight others, including a militant leader, the U.S. military said in a statement Sunday. Two U.S. troops were wounded in a suicide attack in the west.

AP - World leaders battling a dire and deepening economic crisis vowed Saturday to cooperate more closely, keep a sharper eye out for red-flag problems and give bigger roles to fast-rising nations — but kicked many hard details down the road for their next summit after President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

AP - Gay rights supporters waving rainbow colors marched, chanted and danced in cities coast to coast Saturday to protest the vote that banned gay marriage in California and to urge supporters not to quit the fight for the right to wed.

AP - Presidents typically say they want to be surrounded by strong-willed people who have the courage to disagree with them. President-elect Barack Obama, reaching out to Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republicans, actually might mean it.

AP - Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting 'Assassinate Obama.' Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.

AP - Space shuttle Endeavour's astronauts unfurled a 100-foot, laser-tipped pole and surveyed their ship for any launch damage Saturday while drawing ever closer to their destination, the international space station.

AP - Victoria's Secret's angels have descended upon Miami Beach. Singer Usher kicked off the Victoria's Secret show Saturday, which featured 35 supermodels, some wearing angel wings. Models including Heidi Klum and Adriana Lima strutted down the runway at the newly renovated Fontainebleau Miami Beach during the show, which coincided with the opulent reopening of the hotel.

AP - Yao Ming scored 21 points, Tracy McGrady added 18 points and nine rebounds, and the Houston Rockets bottled up Chris Paul in a 91-82 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday night.

AFP - As civilians flee the fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an increase in attacks on aid workers has left humanitarian organisations struggling to help them.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet is due to meet on Sunday, when it could at long last approve a much-delayed pact allowing U.S. forces to remain in the country for the next three years.

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Heavy fighting erupted in eastern Congo on Sunday, hours before former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a United Nations peace envoy, was due to meet rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, the U.N. and witnesses said.

AP - An Israeli airstrike killed four Palestinian militants launching mortars at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian officials said, just hours after another group of militants struck Israel in a separate rocket attack.

AP - Speeding 17,000 miles an hour around Earth, space shuttle Endeavour aimed for a docking with the international space station Sunday to drop off a new housemate and deliver equipment which will change the outpost into a two-kitchen, two-bath, five-bedroom home.

Reuters - Iraq's cabinet is due to meet on Sunday, when it could at long last approve a much-delayed pact allowing U.S. forces to remain in the country for the next three years.

AFP - World leaders, meeting for a crisis summit here, have agreed on an action plan to restore global growth and prevent future financial upheaval while promising new spending plans, a trade deal and a set of reforms.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet approved a pact on Sunday that will allow U.S. forces to remain in the country until 2011, bringing an end to nearly a year of intense negotiations.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles firefighters on Sunday battled wind-whipped blazes raging around the second-largest city that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people into shelters.

JOMBA, Congo (Reuters) - A United Nations envoy met Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda for talks to seek peace in eastern Congo on Sunday as fresh fighting flared in North Kivu province.

AP - Iraq's Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact with the United States that will allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three years after their U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year, the government said.

AP - A Pakistani decision to temporarily bar some trucks from a key passageway to Afghanistan threatened a critical supply route for U.S. and NATO troops on Sunday and raised more fears about deteriorating security in the militant-plagued border region.

Reuters - Iraq's cabinet approved a pact on Sunday that will allow U.S. forces to remain in the country until 2011, bringing an end to nearly a year of intense negotiations.

Reuters - Los Angeles firefighters on Sunday battled wind-whipped blazes raging around the second-largest city that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people into shelters.

AFP - Iraq's cabinet defied fiery opposition from Shiite hardliners on Sunday and approved a wide-ranging military pact that includes a timetable for the withdrawal of all US troops by the end of 2011.

AFP - World leaders, meeting for a crisis summit here, have agreed on an action plan to restore global growth and prevent future financial upheaval while promising new spending plans, a trade deal and a set of reforms.

JOMBA, Congo (Reuters) - Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda agreed on Sunday to support a peace process for eastern Congo being negotiated by United Nations envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.

AP - Iraq's Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact with the United States that will allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three years after their U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year, the government said.

Reuters - Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda agreed on Sunday to support a peace process for eastern Congo being negotiated by United Nations envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.

Reuters - China's President Hu Jintao travels to Cuba on Monday for a close-up look at the government of new President Raul Castro, a fellow communist struggling to lead his island nation through the devastating effects of three hurricanes and the international financial crisis.

Reuters - An Israeli air strike killed four militants in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he had commissioned a plan for military action in the Hamas-run territory should rocket attacks on Israel persist.

Reuters - JP Morgan, the U.S. investment bank, is drawing up plans to axe thousands of jobs across its worldwide operations, reports The Sunday Telegraph.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama added three officials to his White House team on Sunday, making his top aide from the Senate a senior adviser and naming two deputies to chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

JOMBA, Congo (Reuters) - Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda agreed on Sunday to take part in U.N.-backed peace talks, but fighting between the army and rebels raged on in the east despite his declared support for a ceasefire.

LONDON (Reuters) - JP Morgan, the US investment bank, is drawing up plans to axe thousands of jobs across its worldwide operations, reports The Sunday Telegraph.

HAVANA (Reuters) - China's President Hu Jintao travels to Cuba on Monday for a close-up look at the government of new President Raul Castro, a fellow communist struggling to lead his island nation through the devastating effects of three hurricanes and the international financial crisis.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jennifer Bingham earned $7.50 an hour packing boxes for a jewelry company, but after a short illness she was fired and had to seek help at a food pantry and women's shelter.

GAZA (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike killed four militants in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he had commissioned a plan for military action in the Hamas-run territory should rocket attacks on Israel persist.

AP - Top Republican senators said Sunday they will oppose a Democratic plan to bail out Detroit automakers, calling the U.S. industry a 'dinosaur' whose 'day of reckoning' is coming. Their opposition serious raises doubts about whether the plan will pass in this week's postelection session.

AP - Calmer wind in Southern California is giving some relief to firefighters battling wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee.

AP - Speeding 17,000 miles an hour around Earth, space shuttle Endeavour aimed for a docking with the international space station Sunday to drop off a new housemate and deliver equipment which will change the outpost into a two-kitchen, two-bath, five-bedroom home.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama added three officials to his White House team on Sunday, making his top aide from the Senate a senior adviser and naming two deputies to chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

Reuters - Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda agreed on Sunday to take part in U.N.-backed peace talks, but fighting between the army and rebels raged on in the east despite his declared support for a ceasefire.

Reuters - Jennifer Bingham earned $7.50 an hour packing boxes for a jewelry company, but after a short illness she was fired and had to seek help at a food pantry and women's shelter.

AFP - World leaders at a financial crisis summit in Washington have agreed on an action plan to restore global growth and prevent future financial upheaval while promising new spending plans, a trade deal and a set of reforms.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama resigned his seat in the Senate on Sunday to focus on his transition to the White House, appointing new staff and thanking his home state of Illinois for launching his political career.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fires raged for the fourth day around Southern California on Sunday but firefighters hoped lighter winds would help them combat blazes that have destroyed more than 800 houses, from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar mansions, and forced some 50,000 people to flee the flames.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's cabinet approved a pact on Sunday that will let U.S. troops stay in the country until 2011, setting a final date to end a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key Republican Senator said on Sunday it was 'pretty clear' a $25 billion bailout proposal for U.S. automakers will fail in the U.S. Senate, while Democrats argued saving the industry was critical to the U.S. economy.

AP - A powerful earthquake struck waters off eastern Indonesia early Monday, generating tsunami warnings for coastlines within 600 miles of the epicenter.

AP - Calmer wind Sunday aided firefighters battling wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes in Southern California, forced thousands of residents to flee and blanketed much of the region with choking smoke.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is forming a White House leadership team that combines experienced Washington insiders who can help build a bridge with Congress and trusted associates who share his Chicago roots.

AP - As a portly woman plodded ahead of him on the sidewalk, the obese mayor of America's fattest and unhealthiest city explained why health is not a big local issue.

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama resigned his seat in the Senate on Sunday to focus on his transition to the White House, appointing new staff and thanking his home state of Illinois for launching his political career.

Reuters - Fires raged for the fourth day around Southern California on Sunday but firefighters hoped lighter winds would help them combat blazes that have destroyed more than 800 houses, from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar mansions, and forced some 50,000 people to flee the flames.

Reuters - Iraq's cabinet approved a pact on Sunday that will let U.S. troops stay in the country until 2011, setting a final date to end a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Reuters - A key Republican Senator said on Sunday it was 'pretty clear' a $25 billion bailout proposal for U.S. automakers will fail in the U.S. Senate, while Democrats argued saving the industry was critical to the U.S. economy.

AFP - Iraq's cabinet approved a military pact on Sunday that requires the withdrawal of all US troops by the end of 2011, as a deadly suicide car bomb underscored the country's lingering insecurity.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Republican senator said on Sunday U.S. President-elect Barack Obama would be making a good choice if he selected Sen. Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State.

AP - Barack Obama isn't president yet, but his must-do list just got longer.

AP - Hardline opponents of an auto industry bailout branded the industry a 'dinosaur' whose 'day of reckoning' is near, while Democrats pledged Sunday to do their best to get Detroit a slice of the $700 billion Wall Street rescue in this week's lame-duck session of Congress.

AP - Iraq's Cabinet overwhelmingly approved a security pact with the United States on Sunday, ending prolonged negotiations to allow American forces to remain for three more years in the country they first occupied in 2003.

AP - The view of Delicate Arch natural bridge — an unspoiled landmark so iconic it's on Utah's license plates — could one day include a drilling platform under a proposal that environmentalists call a Bush administration 'fire sale' for the oil and gas industry.

AP - Space shuttle Endeavour closed in for a 220-mile-high linkup with the international space station on Sunday, hauling gear for a huge home makeover that will allow twice as many astronauts to live up there beginning next year.

AP - James Bond's quantum of the weekend box office: $70.4 million. 'Quantum of Solace,' with Daniel Craig returning as Bond for the first direct sequel in the spy franchise, pulled in nearly $30 million more over opening weekend than its predecessor, 2006's 'Casino Royale,' according to studio estimates Sunday.

AP - Miami stormed into the Top 25 on Sunday for the first time in more than two years. Having won five straight games, the Hurricanes entered The Associated Press poll at No. 23.

Reuters - A top Republican senator said on Sunday U.S. President-elect Barack Obama would be making a good choice if he selected Sen. Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - After the world's major governments agreed to urgently confront the worst global economic crisis in decades, investors waited anxiously to see the markets' judgment when the trading week begins in Asia.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fires raged for the fourth day around Southern California on Sunday but lighter winds brought hopes of relief from blazes that have destroyed almost 1,000 houses, from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar mansions, and forced some 50,000 people to flee.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. automakers should consider executive shake-ups if it would ensure congressional backing for a bailout supporters say is needed to prevent industry collapse, an architect of the effort said on Sunday.

AP - More residents of Southern California were urged to leave their homes Sunday despite calming winds that allowed a major aerial attack on wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and blanketed the region in smoke.

AP - Space shuttle Endeavour linked with the international space station on Sunday, kicking off a huge home makeover that will allow twice as many astronauts to live up there beginning next year.

AP - Gadget makers love to sell us on all the things their devices can do, whether it's letting us chat with distant friends at any time or watch movies on our commute. But can anyone fix this stuff when it breaks?

AP - Given the way Donovan McNabb played, the Philadelphia Eagles were lucky to get the tie. McNabb fumbled and threw three interceptions in regulation, and nearly had another pass picked off in overtime Sunday as the Eagles and Bengals played to a 13-13 tie, the NFL's first in six years.

Reuters - After the world's major governments agreed to urgently confront the worst global economic crisis in decades, investors waited anxiously to see the markets' judgment when the trading week begins in Asia.

Reuters - Fires raged for the fourth day around Southern California on Sunday but lighter winds brought hopes of relief from blazes that have destroyed almost 1,000 houses, from mobile homes to multimillion-dollar mansions, and forced some 50,000 people to flee.

Reuters - U.S. automakers should consider executive shake-ups if it would ensure congressional backing for a bailout supporters say is needed to prevent industry collapse, an architect of the effort said on Sunday.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A package of economic rescue measures agreed by the world's major governments appeared to fall short of calming investors jangled nerves as the trading week dawned in Asia.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The United States government should not worry about deficits over the next two years while spending money to jumpstart the ailing economy, President-elect Barack Obama said in a television interview that aired on Sunday.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Space shuttle Endeavour eased into a dock on the International Space Station on Sunday to begin a series of missions to complete the 10-year-old orbital outpost.

AP - The only thing perfect on a snowy, frigid day when the weather and the offenses were equally awful was San Diego's regular-season record in Pittsburgh.

Reuters - A package of economic rescue measures agreed by the world's major governments appeared to fall short of calming investors jangled nerves as the trading week dawned in Asia.

Reuters - The United States government should not worry about deficits over the next two years while spending money to jumpstart the ailing economy, President-elect Barack Obama said in a television interview that aired on Sunday.

AFP - President-elect Barack Obama vowed to pull troops out of Iraq, crush Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and shut down the Guantanamo Bay camp as part of a dramatic foreign policy break with George W. Bush.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Space shuttle Endeavour docked at the International Space Station on Sunday on an outer-space home improvement mission to add amenities like a new toilet and kitchen to the 10-year-old orbital outpost.

AP - Malia and Sasha Obama will have to wait at least two more months for that puppy their dad promised them.

AP - Clinton Portis helped set up a score on Washington's opening drive after starting despite a sprained knee, DeAngelo Hall intercepted Tony Romo, and the Redskins led the Dallas Cowboys 7-0 after the first quarter Sunday night.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan sank into recession in the third quarter, even before it felt the full force of the financial crisis, and world leaders at a weekend summit gave investors little hope they could rescue the global economy.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is forming a White House leadership team that combines experienced Washington insiders who can help build a bridge with Congress and trusted associates who share his Chicago roots.

AP - Japan's economy slid into a recession for the first time since 2001, the government said Monday, as companies sharply cut back on spending in the third quarter amid the unfolding global financial crisis.

AP - Tony Romo celebrated the go-ahead touchdown pass by bouncing up and down like a little kid and patting teammates on the back with his left hand, carefully avoiding any further damage to his heavily wrapped right pinkie.

Reuters - Japan sank into recession in the third quarter, even before it felt the full force of the financial crisis, and world leaders at a weekend summit gave investors little hope they could rescue the global economy.

AFP - Fires raged across California for a fourth day as investigators began sifting through the smoldering aftermath of infernos that have destroyed more than 800 homes and forced thousands to flee.