SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea, facing U.N. sanctions for last month's nuclear test, on Monday raised the stakes in its growing confrontation with Washington by jailing two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crime.'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A stowaway on a flight from Ethiopia was being detained in Washington and will be sent back, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

AP - Iraqi officials say at least seven people have been killed in the bombing of a minibus during morning rush hour in a mainly Shiite area in Baghdad.

AP - The Defense Department has failed to provide adequate oversight over tens of billions of dollars in contracts to support military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, says a new report by an independent commission investigating waste and fraud in wartime spending.

AP - North Korea's top court convicted two American journalists and sentenced them to 12 years in labor prison Monday, intensifying the reclusive nation's confrontation with the United States.

Reuters - North Korea, facing U.N. sanctions for last month's nuclear test, on Monday raised the stakes in its growing confrontation with Washington by jailing two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crime.'

Reuters - A stowaway on a flight from Ethiopia was being detained in Washington and will be sent back, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

AFP - A North Korean court sentenced two US women journalists to 12 years in a labour camp for an illegal border crossing and an unspecified 'grave crime,' state media reported.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea, facing U.N. sanctions for last month's nuclear test, on Monday raised the stakes in its growing confrontation with Washington by jailing two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crime.'

AP - Lebanon's Western-backed coalition declared it had retained control of parliament Monday after facing a serious challenge from the militant Hezbollah group and its allies.

AP - With 17 bodies pulled so far from the Atlantic, Brazilian and French military ships have no doubt they've located the wreckage of an Air France flight a week after it disappeared en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

AP - The world's airlines will collectively lose $9 billion this year — nearly double the previous projections — and face a slow recovery as the economic crisis saps air travel and cargo demand, an industry body warned Monday.

AP - As purple and gold confetti tumbled from above and Jack, Denzel and the usually laid-back L.A. crowd roared, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers headed off on their final road trip this season.

Reuters - North Korea, facing U.N. sanctions for last month's nuclear test, on Monday raised the stakes in its growing confrontation with Washington by jailing two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crime.'

Reuters - U.S. President Barack Obama wants 'immediate' talks between the Palestinians and Israel to forge a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement, U.S. envoy George Mitchell said on Monday.

AFP - Conservatives decisively beat Socialists in EU Parliament elections marred by a record low turnout, results showed Monday, after the centre-left failed to capitalise on concern over the recession.

OSLO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama wants 'immediate' talks between the Palestinians and Israel to forge a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement, U.S. envoy George Mitchell said on Monday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced the prospect of a new challenge to his leadership on Monday when support for his ruling Labour Party plunged to its lowest level in a century after European elections.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - From a living room in Kansas to a bagel shop in New York to an Alabama church, Democrats have started mobilizing support for President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plans.

AP - A bomb tore through a minibus during morning rush hour Monday in a mainly Shiite area in Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding 24, Iraqi officials said.

AP - Some 7,000 of the new U.S. troops ordered to Afghanistan are fanning out across the dangerous Afghan south on a mission to defeat the Taliban insurgency and to change the course of a war claiming American lives at a record pace.

Reuters - Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced the prospect of a new challenge to his leadership on Monday when support for his ruling Labour Party plunged to its lowest level in a century after European elections.

Reuters - From a living room in Kansas to a bagel shop in New York to an Alabama church, Democrats have started mobilizing support for President Barack Obama's healthcare reform plans.

AFP - A pro-Western bloc inflicted a surprise defeat on Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box in Lebanon, the rival camps said on Monday, but the winner now faces a battle to keep the nation together.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea, facing U.N. sanctions for last month's nuclear test, on Monday raised the stakes in its growing confrontation with Washington by sentencing two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crimes.'

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A surprise election victory by an anti-Syrian coalition in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies was officially confirmed on Monday.

AP - North Korea convicted two American journalists and sentenced them Monday to 12 years of hard labor, intensifying the reclusive nation's confrontation with the United States.

AP - North Korea has warned fishermen and boat captains to stay away from the country's east coast, Japan's coast guard said Monday, in another sign the communist regime is planning to fire more missiles after its recent nuclear test.

AP - China wants all personal computers sold domestically to come with software that blocks online pornography, one of the developers said Monday, potentially giving the government another avenue to control Internet use.

AP - It's official. Stephen Colbert has declared victory in the war in Iraq. But the top U.S. commander in the country says not so fast.

AP - The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a 2-0 in the NBA finals, beating the Orlando Magic 101-96 in overtime Sunday night.

Reuters - North Korea, facing U.N. sanctions for last month's nuclear test, on Monday raised the stakes in its growing confrontation with Washington by sentencing two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crimes.'

Reuters - A surprise election victory by an anti-Syrian coalition in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies was officially confirmed on Monday.

Reuters - Pol Pot's chief jailer told Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal on Monday that children of inmates at the regime's S-21 prison were murdered to keep them from seeking revenge later in life.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday he expected to create or save 600,000 jobs over the next 100 days by expediting 10 major projects funded by a huge stimulus package that Congress passed in February.

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Pol Pot's chief jailer told Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal on Monday that children of inmates at the regime's S-21 prison were murdered to keep them from seeking revenge later in life.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faces a potential challenge to his leadership on Monday after support for his ruling Labour Party plunged to its lowest level in a century in European elections.

AP - China is requiring personal computers sold domestically to carry software that blocks online pornography and other Web sites — potentially giving the government new control over the Internet with a tool the developer said Monday will give parents more oversight.

Reuters - President Barack Obama said on Monday he expected to create or save 600,000 jobs over the next 100 days by expediting 10 major projects funded by a huge stimulus package that Congress passed in February.

Reuters - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faces a potential challenge to his leadership on Monday after support for his ruling Labour Party plunged to its lowest level in a century in European elections.

AFP - European conservatives decisively beat socialists and the far-right made gains in EU elections marred by record low turnout, results showed Monday, as the centre-left failed to capitalise on recession woes.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced more calls to step down Monday after his Labor Party suffered a heavy defeat in European elections, taking its lowest share of a national vote since 1910.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it would make a new push for Israeli-Palestinian talks and U.S. envoy George Mitchell, en route to the region, hoped to lay the groundwork.

AP - President Barack Obama is promising to deliver more than 600,000 jobs through his $787 billion stimulus plan this summer, repackaging a pledge the administration made weeks earlier as the economy continues to lose hundreds of thousands of jobs each month.

AP - North Korea convicted two American journalists and sentenced them Monday to 12 years of hard labor for crossing into its territory, intensifying the reclusive nation's confrontation with the United States.

Reuters - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced more calls to step down Monday after his Labor Party suffered a heavy defeat in European elections, taking its lowest share of a national vote since 1910.

Reuters - The United States said on Monday it would make a new push for Israeli-Palestinian talks and U.S. envoy George Mitchell, en route to the region, hoped to lay the groundwork.

AFP - European conservatives decisively beat socialists and several far-right fringe parties made gains in EU elections marred by record low turnout, results showed on Monday.

AFP - A pro-Western bloc inflicted a surprise defeat on Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box in Lebanon, final results showed on Monday, as the winners faced a battle to keep the nation together.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to allow the sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA, saying that blocking the deal would have 'grave consequences.'

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Global airlines called for concerted action to prevent another runaway surge in oil prices as the International Air Transport Association nearly doubled its forecast for industry losses to $9 billion in 2009.

LONDON (Reuters) - Labour members of parliament (MPs) cheered British Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he arrived to address them on Monday for a meeting that will help to decide his political future.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States on Monday renewed its support for Lebanon after a surprise election victory by U.S. allies, grouped in an anti-Syrian coalition, over opponents including Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

AP - Eager to show action on the ailing economy, President Barack Obama promised Monday to speed federal money into hundreds of public works projects this summer, vowing that 600,000 jobs will be created or saved.

AP - Brazilian searchers found a large tail section from an Air France jet Monday, one of the biggest pieces yet recovered from wreckage that could help narrow the search for Flight 447's black boxes. A U.S. Navy team is bringing in high-tech underwater listening devices to detect pings from the data and voice recorders.

AP - Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor broke her ankle Monday morning in an airport stumble on her way to Washington to meet with senators who will vote on her confirmation.

AP - Government officials asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to allow the sale of most of Chrysler's assets to a group led by Italy's Fiat without further delay.

AP - Apple Inc. showed off new MacBook Pro laptops with longer battery lives, faster processors and lower prices.

AP - Efforts are under way to end a deadly battle between farmers and elephants in a rural area of Malawi.

Reuters - The Obama administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to allow the sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA, saying that blocking the deal would have 'grave consequences.'

Reuters - Labour members of parliament (MPs) cheered British Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he arrived to address them on Monday for a meeting that will help to decide his political future.

AFP - Right-wing success in the EU parliamentary election left European social democrats with an identity crisis on Monday, while the whole political spectrum rued the lowest ever voter turnout.

WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether to allow the Obama administration-backed sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian automaker Fiat SpA.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accepted on Monday the result of a parliamentary election in Lebanon in which his U.S.-backed opponents secured a majority over the Iranian-backed group and its allies.

AP - Eager to show action on the ailing economy, President Barack Obama promised Monday to speed federal money into hundreds of public works projects this summer, vowing that 600,000 jobs would be created or saved.

AP - North Korea convicted two American journalists and sentenced them Monday to 12 years of hard labor for crossing into its territory, intensifying the reclusive nation's confrontation with the United States.

AP - Teams of builders worked through dust storms Monday to expand a base for a brigade of U.S. Marines now fanning out across southern Afghanistan to change the course of a war claiming American lives faster than ever before.

AP - Will Sarah Palin be one of the Republican stars or a no-show? GOP leaders planning for Monday night's major fundraiser weren't sure whether the Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee — initially invited to give the keynote address — would attend the event even though she was in Washington.

AP - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford requested stimulus cash for the state's schools Monday, telling the U.S. education secretary he's doing so under duress and the $700 million in bailout money will create more problems.

AP - An autopsy report on an Oregon woman who had been eight months pregnant says she died of blunt and sharp force injuries, but a medical examiner won't say how her infant died. Police say the woman charged with killing 21-year-old Heather Snively claimed Snively's baby was her own.

AP - Apple Inc. slashed the entry price for an iPhone in half and rolled out new laptops for $300 less than previous models Monday, the company's first dramatic price cuts since the recession began a year and a half ago.

AP - Police said a 17-year-old girl who was practicing how to drive broke her mother's legs after stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake. Sgt. Thomas Long told the Republican newspaper that the mother was sitting on a fence when she was struck Saturday morning at a movie theater parking lot.

AP - Part of Tiger Stadium's upper deck came crashing down Monday, nearly a decade after the final major league game there and hours after a judge refused to stop the historic ballpark's demolition.

Reuters - A U.S. Supreme Court justice on Monday granted a request to put on hold the sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA.

Reuters - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown survived a challenge to his authority on Monday, winning over Labour members of parliament after admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for a week of political turmoil.

AFP - Gabon announced Monday the death of its President Omar Bongo Ondimba, Africa's longest-serving leader whose rule was tainted by corruption, locking its borders amid uncertainty over his successor.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea raised the stakes in its confrontation with Washington on Monday by sentencing two American journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crimes' while President Barack Obama's spokesman said the two were innocent and should be freed.

WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - The sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA was temporarily blocked by a U.S. Supreme Court justice on Monday, with no indication how long the delay would last.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A $100 billion bill to fund U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is rapidly accumulating extra items such as money for military aircraft the Pentagon doesn't want and possibly a scheme to jump-start sagging auto sales.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown survived a challenge to his authority on Monday, winning over Labour members of parliament after admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for a week of political turmoil.

AP - President Barack Obama assured the nation his recovery plan was on track Monday, scrambling to calm Americans unnerved by unemployment rates still persistently rising nearly four months after he signed the biggest economic stimulus in history.

AP - The sentencing of two American journalists to 12 years' hard labor in North Korea on Monday sets the stage for possible negotiations with the reclusive nation for their release — perhaps involving an envoy from the United States.

AP - A large tail section of a jetliner bearing Air France's trademark red and blue stripes was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean Monday, helping narrow the hunt for 'black boxes' that could explain what brought down Flight 447. And some high-tech help is on the way — two U.S. Navy devices capable of picking up the flight recorders' emergency beacons far below on the ocean floor.

AP - Officials say top Democrats in the House are circulating health care proposals that would require individuals to purchase insurance if they can afford it and slap an unspecified financial penalty on those who refuse.

AP - Republicans said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will attend a major congressional fundraiser Monday night, ending a will-she-or-won't-she mystery that has overshadowed the event and frustrated the GOP.

AP - A pregnant 21-year-old newcomer to Oregon who was found dead in a crawl space of a home had been cut open and her baby taken from her womb, investigators said Monday. It couldn't be determined if the infant son of Heather Snively died before or after he was removed, the Washington County sheriff's department said in a statement.

AP - A high school football coach and another man killed a cocaine dealer to avoid paying a debt, dismembered his body and cooked the remains at a concrete business, prosecutors said Monday. Daniel Bradley, 47, of Westwood, and Paul Moccia, 48, of Dedham, pleaded not guilty Monday in Wrentham District Court to murder charges in the death of Angel Antonio Ramirez, a construction worker from Guatemala who lived in Framingham.

AP - It's some of the most prized waterfront land in the country, a large piece of rich and beautiful property sitting right on San Francisco Bay, and the owner has proposed selling it to raise needed cash. But many of the current residents don't want to leave, and uprooting them would be costly.

AP - The planters in Tina Asmus' front yard aren't too pleasing to some of her neighbors, and village officials in Lakemoor have told her to remove them, or face a fine. Asmus, who likes to recycle discarded items, created the planters out of two old toilets and a pedestal sink. Mayor Todd Weihoffen, who is a plumber by trade, said he stands behind police who have given Asmus 30 days to remove the toilets.

AP - Jason Marquis took the NL lead with his eighth win and Troy Tulowitzki homered for the first time in nearly a month, helping the Colorado Rockies complete their first sweep in St. Louis with a 5-2 win over the Cardinals on Monday. The last-place Rockies won their season-high fifth in a row — four at Busch Stadium — under new manager Jim Tracy. St. Louis has lost a season-worst four straight.

Reuters - North Korea raised the stakes in its confrontation with Washington on Monday by sentencing two American journalists to 12 years hard labor for 'grave crimes' while President Barack Obama's spokesman said the two were innocent and should be freed.

Reuters - The sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to a group led by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA was temporarily blocked by a U.S. Supreme Court justice on Monday, with no indication how long the delay would last.

Reuters - A $100 billion bill to fund U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is rapidly accumulating extra items such as money for military aircraft the Pentagon doesn't want and possibly a scheme to jump-start sagging auto sales.

AP - Search crews recovered the vertical stabilizer from the tail section of an Air France jetliner that went down in the Atlantic, Brazil's air force said Monday — a key item in finding the cause of the crash. Eight more bodies also were found, bringing the total recovered to 24 since Air France Flight 447 disappeared with 228 people on board, according to Air Force Col. Henry Munhoz.

AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin appeared at a Republican congressional fundraiser Monday night, ending a will-she-or-won't-she mystery that overshadowed the event and frustrated the GOP. Palin — the party's 2008 vice presidential nominee who was initially slated to headline the annual Senate-House dinner — left organizers hanging as late as Monday afternoon after she was told she wouldn't have a speaking role at the event.

Reuters - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to unveil a proposal for a sweeping healthcare overhaul that includes a new public insurance plan and would require individuals and businesses to obtain coverage, lawmakers said on Monday.

AFP - Brazil recovered the tail fin belonging to the Air France jet that plunged into the Atlantic a week ago killing 228 people, as well as more human remains from the doomed flight.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Relatives of two U.S. journalists sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea called on the reclusive state to show compassion, while U.S. President Barack Obama's spokesman said the two were innocent and should be freed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to unveil a proposal for a sweeping healthcare overhaul that includes a new public insurance plan and would require individuals and businesses to obtain coverage, lawmakers said on Monday.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc halved the price of its entry-level iPhone to $99 on Monday to widen the trendy device's mass-market appeal, as global competition heats up after Palm Inc launched the Pre.

AP - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Monday urged some 2,000 Republican party loyalists to stand up for GOP principles but to be inclusive as the party tries to retake the majority.

AP - A woman accused of killing her pregnant friend is believed to have cut open the 21-year-old's abdomen to take her baby and pass it off as her own, investigators said Monday.

AP - Andy Pettitte and another barrage of home runs at the new Yankee Stadium carried New York to a win that started what figures to be a challenging week.

Reuters - Relatives of two U.S. journalists sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea called on the reclusive state to show compassion, while U.S. President Barack Obama's spokesman said the two were innocent and should be freed.

(Reuters) - The Treasury Department will allow 10 banks to pay back Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Boston Globe's largest union narrowly rejected concessions on Monday that owner New York Times Co said would save $10 million, raising the possibility of the 137-year-old daily newspaper's demise.

Reuters - The Treasury Department will allow 10 banks to pay back Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, Bloomberg said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Reuters - The Boston Globe's largest union narrowly rejected concessions on Monday that owner New York Times Co said would save $10 million, raising the possibility of the 137-year-old daily newspaper's demise.

AFP - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has appealed for North Korea to show clemency and deport two US journalists sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp, calling it a humanitarian case.

AFP - Thailand's powerful army chief has visited the restive south of the country, a day after gunmen killed 11 people at a mosque in one of the worst incidents of a five-year insurgency.