TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage more protests over the re-election of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a direct challenge to the Islamic Republic's leadership.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans are struggling to pay for healthcare in the ongoing economic recession, with a quarter saying they have had trouble in the past 12 months, according to a survey released on Monday.

AP - Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has vowed he will stand by the protesters whose week of defiance has deeply shaken the country, but says he won't allow their lives to be put in peril and says the security forces that bloodied them are their comrades.

Reuters - Iranian opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage more protests over the re-election of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a direct challenge to the Islamic Republic's leadership.

Reuters - Americans are struggling to pay for healthcare in the ongoing economic recession, with a quarter saying they have had trouble in the past 12 months, according to a survey released on Monday.

AFP - At least 457 people were arrested in violent clashes in Tehran, state radio said, in which 10 people were also killed as Iran battled to curb its worst crisis since the Islamic revolution.

LONDON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is considering creating a utility to replace the Wall Street banks that handle U.S. repo market transactions, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

NAZRAN, Russia (Reuters) - The head of Russia's Muslim region of Ingushetia was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on Monday, dealing a fresh blow to the Kremlin's fragile rule of the North Caucasus.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - About 40,000 Pakistanis are on the move even before a military offensive begins in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, U.N. officials said on Monday, and are headed for communities already stretched to the limit.

AP - Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and a popular reformist former president are boldly defying the country's supreme leader by supporting continued protests of a disputed presidential election, but it was unclear Monday whether protesters would dare to continue massive demonstrations after a bloody crackdown.

AP - A police official says a suicide bomber drove a car into the convoy that Ingushetia's president was traveling in, critically wounding him.

AP - President Barack Obama says he does not want to become a scapegoat for Iran's leadership as postelection upheaval continues, but Republicans are still saying the new president is being too cautious.

AP - Emboldened by polls that show public backing for a government health insurance plan, Democrats are moving to make it a politically defining issue in the debate over the future of medical care.

Reuters - The Federal Reserve is considering creating a utility to replace the Wall Street banks that handle U.S. repo market transactions, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Reuters - If it were in a position to do so, Al Qaeda would use Pakistan's nuclear weapons in its fight against the United States, a top leader of the group said in remarks aired Sunday.

Reuters - The head of Russia's Muslim region of Ingushetia was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on Monday, dealing a fresh blow to the Kremlin's fragile rule of the North Caucasus.

Reuters - About 40,000 Pakistanis are on the move even before a military offensive begins in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, U.N. officials said on Monday, and are headed for communities already stretched to the limit.

AFP - An assassination bid badly wounded the leader of Russia's Ingushetia region and killed three others, officials said, in the latest blow to Kremlin hopes for restoring stability in the Caucasus.

DUBAI (Reuters) - If it were in a position to do so, Al Qaeda would use Pakistan's nuclear weapons in its fight against the United States, a top leader of the group said in remarks aired Sunday.

AP - A roadside bomb exploded next to a bus carrying Iraqi high school students to their final exams on Monday, police said, the deadliest in a series of blasts that killed five people in Baghdad.

AP - At one point Sunday afternoon, Tiger Woods was 15 shots off the lead at the U.S. Open, where Ricky Barnes was threatening to turn the tournament into a runaway.

Reuters - The head of Russia's Muslim region of Ingushetia was seriously injured on Monday in a suicide bomb attack which dealt a fresh blow to the Kremlin's fragile grip on the North Caucasus.

AFP - Iranian authorities arrested at least 457 people after post-election clashes that left 10 people dead, state radio reported on Monday, as the nation's clerical leaders battled to contain the worst crisis since the Islamic revolution.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - About 40,000 Pakistanis are on the move even before a military offensive begins in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, U.N. officials said on Monday, and are headed for communities already stretched to the limit.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Bombs killed at least 15 people across Iraq on Monday, security officials said, two days after a suicide truck bomb in the north of the country killed 73 people in the deadliest attack for more than a year.

NAZRAN, Russia (Reuters) - The head of Russia's Muslim region of Ingushetia was seriously injured on Monday in a suicide bomb attack which dealt a fresh blow to the Kremlin's fragile grip on the North Caucasus.

AP - Iran's most powerful security force threatened Monday to crush any further opposition protests over the disputed presidential election, warning demonstrators to prepare for a 'revolutionary confrontation' if they take to the streets again. It was the sternest warning yet from the elite Revolutionary Guard.

AP - North Korea reminded the U.S. on Monday that it has nuclear weapons and warned it will strike back if attacked, as a U.S. destroyer continued to trail a North Korean cargo ship suspected of carrying illicit weapons.

AP - Deadly bombings killed at least 13 people in the Baghdad area on Monday as Iraqi officials braced for new violence ahead of a planned withdrawal next week of U.S. troops from major cities and urban areas.

AP - Sorry, Paul Simon, Kodak is taking your Kodachrome away.

AP - Rihanna may testify in the Chris Brown case today. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing, after which a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for his case to go to trial.

AP - Final-round play at the U.S. Open resumes this morning at Bethpage Black, with Ricky Barnes — who made bogey on six of his final 13 holes — tied with playing partner Lucas Glover for the lead at 7 under, both with 17 holes remaining. They've got a sizable cushion over Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Hunter Mahan and Ross Fisher, all of whom sit 2 under early in their rounds.

Reuters - About 40,000 Pakistanis are on the move even before a military offensive begins in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan, U.N. officials said on Monday, and are headed for communities already stretched to the limit.

Reuters - Bombs killed at least 15 people across Iraq on Monday, security officials said, two days after a suicide truck bomb in the north of the country killed 73 people in the deadliest attack for more than a year.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards on Monday threatened to crack down on street protests after opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi called on supporters to stage more demonstrations over the disputed June 12 election.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Bombs killed at least 21 people across Iraq on Monday, security officials said, two days after a suicide truck bomb in the north of the country killed 73 people in the deadliest attack for more than a year.

AP - Eyewitnesses say riot police are attacking hundreds of protesters with tear gas, and firing live bullets in the air to disperse a rally in central Tehran.

AP - The top U.S. general in Afghanistan will soon formally order U.S. and NATO forces to break away from fights with militants hiding in Afghan houses so the battles do not kill civilians, a U.S. official said Monday.

AP - A suicide car bomber attacked a convoy carrying the president of the troubled Russian province of Ingushetia Monday, critically wounding him and killing two bodyguards — the latest in a string of assassination attempts that have roiled the North Caucasus.

Reuters - Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards on Monday threatened to crack down on street protests after opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi called on supporters to stage more demonstrations over the disputed June 12 election.

Reuters - Corporate sentiment surveys from Germany and Japan showed glimmers of hope on Monday, contrasting with grim global outlooks from the World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Reuters - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is on pace to make record bonus payouts after a robust first half, the Guardian newspaper reported on Sunday.

AFP - Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned on Monday it would crush further demonstrations over the disputed presidential election after the opposition defiantly vowed to press on with its protests.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards on Monday threatened to crack down on street protests after opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi called on supporters to stage more demonstrations over the disputed June 12 election.

LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Corporate sentiment surveys from Germany and Japan showed glimmers of hope on Monday, contrasting with grim global outlooks from the World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether Congress may adopt a federal law that keeps sex offenders in custody indefinitely after they complete their prison sentences.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is on pace to make record bonus payouts after a robust first half, the Guardian newspaper reported on Sunday.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan security forces are near the end of their offensive in the Swat valley, the army said on Monday, with more than 40,000 people on the move before the next phase starts against the Pakistani Taliban's headquarters.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A bomb devastated a minibus carrying students to their final exams in Baghdad on Monday, one of a string of blasts across Iraq that killed 22 people just two days after the deadliest attack for more than a year.

AP - President Barack Obama says the pharmaceutical industry's agreement to help close a gap in Medicare's drug coverage will make health care overhaul more possible.

AP - The Supreme Court ruled narrowly Monday in a challenge to the landmark Voting Rights Act, siding with a small Texas governing authority but sidestepping the larger constitutional issue.

AP - A former Boston medical student pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he lured a masseuse he met through Craigslist to a Boston hotel, then bound her, beat her and shot her to death.

AP - Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton says he got a black eye from the manager of the Black Eyed Peas.

AP - Hogs on the highway aren't always motorcycles.

AP - Phil Mickelson, Lucas Glover and Ricky Barnes were on the move Monday at the U.S. Open.

Reuters - Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards on Monday threatened to crack down on street protests after opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi called on supporters to stage more demonstrations over the disputed June 12 election.

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether Congress may adopt a federal law that keeps sex offenders in custody indefinitely after they complete their prison sentences.

Reuters - Pakistan security forces are near the end of their offensive in the Swat valley, the army said on Monday, with more than 40,000 people on the move before the next phase starts against the Pakistani Taliban's headquarters.

AFP - Riot police fired tear gas to break up an opposition rally in Tehran on Monday, witnesses said, as demonstrators defied a warning from the Revolutionary Guards that it would crush further protests over the disputed presidential election.

AFP - President Barack Obama assured Americans in a televised interview Monday that the United States was 'fully prepared' for a potential North Korean missile launch toward US territory.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards threatened Monday to crush protests, after opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage more demonstrations over the disputed June 12 election.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to rule on the constitutionality of part of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act which sought to protect minorities in states with a history of racial discrimination.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The annual charity auction of a steak lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, which raised a record $2.11 million last year, is off to a good start.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A quarter of U.S. employers have eliminated or plan to cut matching contributions to employee 401(k) retirement plans to save money amid the economy's downturn, according to research released on Monday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A bomb devastated a minibus carrying students to their final exams in Baghdad on Monday, one of a string of blasts across Iraq that killed 27 people just two days after the deadliest attack in more than a year.

AP - President Barack Obama has signed the strongest anti-smoking measure ever, calling it an extraordinary accomplishment that will help keep children from getting hooked on cigarettes.

AP - A North Korean-flagged ship under close watch in Asian waters is believed to be heading toward Myanmar carrying small arms cargo banned under a new U.N. resolution, a South Korean intelligence official said Monday.

AP - A former Boston medical student pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he lured a masseuse he met through Craigslist to a Boston hotel, then bound her, beat her and shot her to death with a gun authorities say he later stashed in a hollowed-out medical textbook.

AP - Lucas Glover has won the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Getting only the second victory of his PGA Tour career, Glover finished a final round of 3-over 73 Monday afternoon to win by two strokes over Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Ricky Barnes.

Reuters - Iran's hardline Revolutionary Guards threatened Monday to crush protests, after opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi urged supporters to stage more demonstrations over the disputed June 12 election.

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to rule on the constitutionality of part of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act which sought to protect minorities in states with a history of racial discrimination.

Reuters - President Barack Obama on Monday hailed a deal with U.S. drug companies to cut prescription costs for the elderly, a move that could help him drive his ambitious healthcare reforms through Congress.

Reuters - The annual charity auction of a steak lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, which raised a record $2.11 million last year, is off to a good start.

AFP - Riot police armed with steel clubs fired tear gas to break up an opposition rally in Tehran on Monday, witnesses said, as demonstrators defied a Revolutionary Guards threat to crush further protests over the disputed presidential election.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a landmark bill that gives the U.S. government broad regulatory power for the first time over cigarettes and other tobacco products.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday hailed a deal with U.S. drug companies to cut prescription costs for the elderly, a move that could help him drive his ambitious healthcare reforms through Congress.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A brokerage firm that was a key middleman for confessed Wall Street thief Bernard Madoff was hit with civil fraud charges on Monday, accused of helping enable the swindler's massive Ponzi scheme by luring new investors through unscrupulous marketing methods.

AP - President Barack Obama cited his own long struggle to quit the cigarettes he got hooked on as a teenager as he signed the nation's strongest-ever anti-smoking bill Monday and praised it for providing critically needed protections for kids.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Police broke up a protest in Tehran on Monday hours after the hardline Revolutionary Guards said they would crush any fresh resistance from 'rioters.'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, citing his own struggle to give up smoking, signed a law on Monday giving the U.S. government broad regulatory power for the first time over cigarettes and other tobacco products.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Washington D.C. subway trains collided during the afternoon rush hour on Monday, killing at least two people, officials said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A brokerage firm that was a key middleman for Wall Street thief Bernard Madoff was hit with civil fraud charges on Monday, accused of unscrupulously luring new clients into the swindler's lair as he sought to keep his massive Ponzi scheme running.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. unemployment rate is likely rise from already high levels to 10 percent in the next couple of months, a White House spokesman said on Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The annual charity auction of a steak lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, which raised a record $2.11 million last year, is off to a strong start.

AP - At least one person was killed Monday in a rush-hour collision between two Metro transit trains in northeast Washington.

AP - Riot police cracked down anew on demonstrators in Iran's capital on Monday hours after the feared Revolutionary Guard threatened to crush any further post-election protests. A witness described an 'air of sadness' marked by people wailing prayers into the night.

AP - Lamenting his first teenage cigarette, President Barack Obama ruefully admitted on Monday that he's spent his adult life fighting the habit. Then he signed the nation's toughest anti-smoking law, aiming to keep thousands of other teens from getting hooked.

AP - A former Boston medical student pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he lured a masseuse he met through Craigslist to a Boston hotel, then bound her, beat her and shot her to death with a gun authorities say he later stashed in a hollowed-out medical textbook.

AP - Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's former chief fundraiser was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for hiding the use of his company's money to pay thousands of dollars in gambling debts and other expenses.

AP - Far below the Black Hills of South Dakota, crews are building the world's deepest underground science lab at a depth equivalent to more than six Empire State buildings — a place uniquely suited to scientists' quest for mysterious particles known as dark matter.

AP - Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault on pop star Rihanna. Brown entered his plea before a preliminary hearing was scheduled to start in Los Angeles on Monday.

AP - A 62-year-old man struck it big twice in the Georgia Lottery. Earl Fritz won the top prize of $777,777 in the instant game Super Lucky 7's. That dwarfed the $1,000 he won a week earlier in a different game. The carpenter said he felt lucky a week ago and now feels a little bit luckier.

AP - Lucas Glover steadied his hands for a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole, an anticlimatic finish to five dreary days at a U.S. Open filled with more delays than drama. The unlikely champion turned to soak up a beautiful sight beneath gathering clouds Monday at Bethpage Black. 'I just looked at the scoreboard to make sure this was really happening,' Glover said.

Reuters - Police broke up a protest in Tehran on Monday hours after the hardline Revolutionary Guards said they would crush any fresh resistance from 'rioters.'

Reuters - Up to 55 people were injured and at least one person was killed, perhaps several more, in a collision of two trains in the Washington subway on Monday, the NBC local affiliate TV station said.

Reuters - A brokerage firm that was a key middleman for Wall Street thief Bernard Madoff was hit with civil fraud charges on Monday, accused of unscrupulously luring new clients into the swindler's lair as he sought to keep his massive Ponzi scheme running.

Reuters - The annual charity auction of a steak lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, which raised a record $2.11 million last year, is off to a strong start.

AFP - Two people were killed Monday and several others seriously injured in a rush-hour collision between two metro trains in the US capital, a representative of Washington's Metro transportation system told AFP.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four people were killed and at least 70 were injured when a Washington, D.C., subway train derailed and smashed into another train on the outskirts of the city during the afternoon rush hour on Monday, officials said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A brokerage firm and a Hollywood investment adviser that were key middlemen for Wall Street thief Bernard Madoff were hit with civil fraud charges on Monday, accused of steering new clients into the swindler's lair as he sought to keep his massive Ponzi scheme running.

AP - One Metro transit train smashed into the rear of another at the height of Washington's Monday evening rush hour, killing at least four people and injuring scores of others as cars of the trailing train jackknifed into the air and fell atop the first.

AP - Donald Fehr announced his retirement Monday as head of the baseball players' association after a quarter-century marked by a strike that canceled the World Series, record salaries and finally 14 years of labor peace.

Reuters - Four people were killed and at least 70 were injured when a Washington, D.C., subway train derailed and smashed into another train on the outskirts of the city during the afternoon rush hour on Monday, officials said.

Reuters - A brokerage firm and a Hollywood investment adviser that were key middlemen for Wall Street thief Bernard Madoff were hit with civil fraud charges on Monday, accused of steering new clients into the swindler's lair as he sought to keep his massive Ponzi scheme running.

AFP - Four people were killed and scores more injured Monday in a rush-hour collision between two metro trains in the US capital, Washington's Mayor Adrian Fenty told reporters.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Washington, D.C., subway trains collided during the Monday afternoon rush hour, killing six people and injuring 70 in a mass of tangled metal.

AP - One Metro transit train smashed into the rear of another at the height of the capital city's Monday evening rush hour, killing at least six people and injuring scores of others as the front end of the trailing train jackknifed violently into the air and fell atop the first.

AP - A spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says the chief executive is hiking the Appalachian Trail, which explains his perplexing absence.

AP - Indonesian scientists are reconstructing the largest, most complete skeleton of a prehistoric giant elephant ever found in the tropics, a finding that may offer new clues into the largely mysterious origins of its modern Asian cousin.

AP - Celebrity parents Jon and Kate Gosselin say they plan to divorce.

Reuters - Two Washington, D.C., subway trains collided during the Monday afternoon rush hour, killing six people and injuring 70 in a mass of tangled metal.

AFP - Two Metro trains collided at the height of Washington's evening rush hour, killing six people and injuring 76 in the worst-ever accident in the US capital's subway system, officials said.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian police broke up a protest in Tehran and the hardline Revolutionary Guards said they would help crush what they called rioters opposing the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fewer Americans believe that President Barack Obama's stimulus package will restore the nation to economic health compared to two months ago but most still approve of the job the president is doing, according to a new poll published on Monday.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A gunman shot dead on Tuesday a Pakistani militant commander who was a rival to Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, police said.

AP - One Metro transit train smashed into the rear of another at the height of the capital city's Monday evening rush hour, killing at least six people and injuring scores of others as the front end of the trailing train jackknifed violently into the air and fell atop the first.

AP - A North Korean-flagged ship under close watch in Asian waters is believed to be heading toward Myanmar carrying small arms cargo banned under a new U.N. resolution, a South Korean intelligence official said.

AP - Chris Brown pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting Rihanna and the two were ordered to stay away from each other, in a deal that keeps the singer out of prison but requires him to clean up graffiti or roadside trash.

AP - Tim Redding pitched into the eighth inning for his first win with the Mets and substitute setup man Brian Stokes got Albert Pujols to ground into a crucial double play, leading New York past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Monday night.

Reuters - Iranian police broke up a protest in Tehran and the hardline Revolutionary Guards said they would help crush what they called rioters opposing the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Reuters - Fewer Americans believe that President Barack Obama's stimulus package will restore the nation to economic health compared to two months ago but most still approve of the job the president is doing, according to a new poll published on Monday.

Reuters - A gunman shot dead on Tuesday a Pakistani militant commander who was a rival to Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, police said.

AFP - Pro-government students in Iran have warned of protests outside the British embassy over alleged interference in the country after new opposition rallies were broken up by riot police.

AFP - Two Metro trains collided at the height of Washington's evening rush hour, killing six people and injuring 76 in the worst-ever accident in the US capital's subway system, officials said.