NEW YORK (Reuters) - Admitted thief Bernard Madoff will leave his jail cell and be taken under guard to court on Monday morning to hear his punishment for running Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment scheme.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Shots were fired near the presidential palace in Honduras where protests erupted after the army ousted and exiled leftist President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday in Central America's first military coup since the Cold War.

AP - Honduras is now torn between two presidents: one legally recognized by world bodies after he was deposed and forced from the country by his own soldiers, and another supported by the Central American nation's congress, courts and military.

AP - EDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

AP - North Korea criticized the U.S. on Monday for positioning missile defense systems around Hawaii, calling the deployment part of a plot to attack the regime and saying it would bolster its nuclear arsenal in retaliation.

AP - A surprising number of teenagers — nearly 15 percent — think they're going to die young, leading many to drug use, suicide attempts and other unsafe behavior, new research suggests.

AP - Mariano Rivera earned his 500th save, becoming the second reliever to reach the milestone, and the New York Yankees beat the punchless Mets 4-2 on Sunday night for a Subway Series sweep.

Reuters - Shots were fired near the presidential palace in Honduras where protests erupted after the army ousted and exiled leftist President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday in Central America's first military coup since the Cold War.

AFP - Parliamentary speaker Roberto Micheletti, sworn in as new Honduran president, imposed a nationwide 48-hour curfew after the army ousted elected President Manuel Zelaya and sent him into exile.

AFP - Iran's top election body began a partial recount of the fiercely disputed presidential election, after opposition demonstrators defiantly faced off against riot police in Tehran.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez suffered a stinging blow in Sunday's mid-term, losing her majority in the lower house as voters rejected her combative politics and handling of an economic slowdown.

KARACHI (Reuters) - Two months into a Pakistani military offensive against Taliban militants, public opinion is firmly behind the civilian government and the military and it shows no sign of wavering.

AP - EDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

AP - Argentina's first couple suffered a stunning setback in an election seen as a referendum on their political dynasty, losing control of both houses of Congress.

AP - It was a crime of epic proportions: a multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out fortunes, drained retirement nest eggs, ruined charities and foundations, and even pushed some investors to commit suicide.

AP - South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says he's not quitting — even though he considered it — despite intense scrutiny and criticism over his admitted affair with a woman from Argentina.

AP - From cell phones and texting to religion and manners, younger and older Americans see the world differently, creating the largest generation gap since the tumultuous years of the 1960s and the culture clashes over Vietnam, civil rights and women's liberation.

AP - South Carolina's wandering governor didn't give away her name when he confessed to having an affair with an Argentine woman, but Maria Belen Chapur has finally stepped forward.

Reuters - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez suffered a stinging blow in Sunday's mid-term, losing her majority in the lower house as voters rejected her combative politics and handling of an economic slowdown.

Reuters - Two months into a Pakistani military offensive against Taliban militants, public opinion is firmly behind the civilian government and the military and it shows no sign of wavering.

AFP - Iran said it has freed five local British embassy staff arrested on accusations of stoking post-election unrest, a move that further threatened tense ties with London and the West.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Leftist Latin American leaders rallied around ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Monday and tried to thrash out a response to an army coup that sparked protests in the impoverished nation and drew worldwide condemnation.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian scientists have developed a 'trojan horse' therapy to combat cancer, using a bacterially-derived nano cell to penetrate and disarm the cancer cell before a second nano cell kills it with chemotherapy drugs.

AP - EDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

AP - Two new techniques to preserve and transplant ovaries might give women a better chance to fight their biological clocks and have children when they are older, doctors announced Monday.

Reuters - Leftist Latin American leaders rallied around ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Monday and tried to thrash out a response to an army coup that sparked protests in the impoverished nation and drew worldwide condemnation.

Reuters - Australian scientists have developed a 'trojan horse' therapy to combat cancer, using a bacterially-derived nano cell to penetrate and disarm the cancer cell before a second nano cell kills it with chemotherapy drugs.

AFP - Honduras interim leader Roberto Micheletti imposed a nationwide 48-hour curfew after the army ousted elected President Manuel Zelaya and sent him into exile.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - A partial recount of Iran's disputed election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began on Monday, but one defeated reformist candidate said an annulment of the poll was 'the only way to regain the people's trust.'

PONTIAC, Michigan (Reuters) - The decline of U.S. automakers has for years affected those who live in Pontiac.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Defense Ministry said Monday it had approved construction of 50 new homes at a West Bank settlement as part of a plan for 1,450 housing units, an expansion that defies a U.S. call for a settlement freeze.

AP - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff is due back in court today to hear his punishment for running a massive Ponzi scheme. Madoff's lawyer has asked a judge to give his 71-year-old client 12 years behind bars. Prosecutors plan to seek a 150-year prison term. Ten victims have sought permission to speak at Madoff's sentencing Monday in federal court in Manhattan. Madoff also is expected to speak.

AP - A military coup has divided Honduras between two leaders — one recognized by world bodies and another backed by the country's congress, courts and military.

AP - Action resumes at Wimbledon today as five-time men's champion Roger Federer will take on No. 13 Robin Soderling in a rematch of the French Open final won by Federer. And five-time women's champion Venus Williams plays No. 13 Ana Ivanovic while younger sister Serena goes up against Daniela Hantuchova.

Reuters - A partial recount of Iran's disputed election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began on Monday, but one defeated reformist candidate said an annulment of the poll was 'the only way to regain the people's trust.'

Reuters - The decline of U.S. automakers has for years affected those who live in Pontiac.

Reuters - Israel's Defense Ministry said Monday it had approved construction of 50 new homes at a West Bank settlement as part of a plan for 1,450 housing units, an expansion that defies a U.S. call for a settlement freeze.

AFP - Iran's top election body on Monday began a partial recount of the fiercely-disputed presidential election but the move is unlikely to placate the opposition which is insisting on a new vote.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff left his jail cell and was taken under guard to court on Monday to hear his punishment for running Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud.

PONTIAC, Michigan (Reuters) - The decline of U.S. automakers has for years affected those who live in Pontiac.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Both Michael Jackson's family and his personal physician were at pains to explain on Sunday what caused the troubled pop star's sudden death weeks before his long-awaited comeback.

AP - U.S. District Judge Denny Chin says the federal probation department recommends that Bernard Madoff get 50 years in prison for a multibillion-dollar fraud scheme.

AP - The Supreme Court has ruled that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

AP - Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, is taking care of the singer's three children and the family will go to court Monday in part to protect her rights to custody, the family's spokesman said.

AP - Tylenol, Excedrin, NyQuil. These household brands and others have come to symbolize safe, convenient relief from the aches and pains of everyday life.

AP - Venus Williams advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon when opponent Ana Ivanovic retired one game into the second set Monday.

Reuters - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff left his jail cell and was taken under guard to court on Monday to hear his punishment for running Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud.

Reuters - The decline of U.S. automakers has for years affected those who live in Pontiac.

Reuters - The U.S. city of New Haven, Connecticut violated the law by throwing out a promotion exam after it yielded too many qualified white applicants and no acceptable black candidates, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a major civil rights decision.

Reuters - Both Michael Jackson's family and his personal physician were at pains to explain on Sunday what caused the troubled pop star's sudden death weeks before his long-awaited comeback.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison on Monday for perpetrating the biggest and most brazen investment fraud in Wall Street history.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Leftist Latin American leaders rallied around ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Monday to thrash out a response to an army coup that sparked protests in the impoverished nation and drew worldwide condemnation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that New Haven, Connecticut, discriminated against a mostly white group of firefighters who were denied promotions, overturning a decision by high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran held a partial recount on Monday of its disputed election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but one defeated reformist candidate said annulment of the poll was 'the only way to regain the people's trust.'

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops pulled out of Baghdad on Monday, triggering jubilation among Iraqis hopeful that foreign military occupation is ending six years after the invasion to depose Saddam Hussein.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Defense Ministry said on Monday it had approved construction of 50 new homes at a West Bank settlement as part of a plan for 1,450 housing units, an expansion that defies a U.S. call for a settlement freeze.

AP - Convicted swindler Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison Monday for fraud so extensive that the judge said he needed to send a symbolic message to those who might imitate his fraud and to victims who need relief.

AP - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

AP - A court document says Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, has filed for guardianship of the singer's three children.

AP - Hours before the deadline for U.S. combat troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities, the top American military commander in the Middle East expressed confidence Monday that Iraqi security forces are ready despite a string of deadly bombings in recent days.

AP - Roger Federer found himself in a serving contest Monday at Wimbledon — and won.

Reuters - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison on Monday for perpetrating the biggest and most brazen investment fraud in Wall Street history.

Reuters - Leftist Latin American leaders rallied around ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Monday to thrash out a response to an army coup that sparked protests in the impoverished nation and drew worldwide condemnation.

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that New Haven, Connecticut, discriminated against a mostly white group of firefighters who were denied promotions, overturning a decision by high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Reuters - Iran held a partial recount on Monday of its disputed election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but one defeated reformist candidate said annulment of the poll was 'the only way to regain the people's trust.'

Reuters - U.S. troops pulled out of Baghdad on Monday, triggering jubilation among Iraqis hopeful that foreign military occupation is ending six years after the invasion to depose Saddam Hussein.

Reuters - Israel's Defense Ministry said on Monday it had approved construction of 50 new homes at a West Bank settlement as part of a plan for 1,450 housing units, an expansion that defies a U.S. call for a settlement freeze.

AP - Katherine Jackson has filed to a petition become the administrator of Michael Jackson's estate to ensure his three children are its beneficiaries.

AP - EDITOR'S NOTE: Iranian authorities have barred journalists for international news organizations from reporting on the streets and ordered them to stay in their offices. This report is based on the accounts of witnesses reached in Iran and official statements carried on Iranian media.

AP - Honduras' newly appointed leader vowed Monday to resist pressure from across the Americas to reinstate the president ousted in a military coup, as protesters burned tires outside the occupied presidential palace.

AP - Television pitchman Billy Mays likely died of a heart attack in his sleep, but further tests are needed to be sure of the cause of death, a medical examiner said Monday.

Reuters - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison on Monday for perpetrating Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud, the maximum punishment for what the judged called an extraordinarily evil crime.

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to President Barack Obama's high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Monday, overturning a ruling by her that it said would illegally deny promotions to white firefighters based on race.

Reuters - Iran's top legislative body confirmed Monday the results of a disputed June 12 election which was won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

Reuters - Scientists have established the first case of the new H1N1 influenza strain showing resistance to Tamiflu, the main antiviral flu drug, Danish officials and the manufacturer said on Monday.

Reuters - The Los Angeles coroner's office on Monday dismissed as inaccurate a British newspaper report that said Michael Jackson was emaciated and almost bald when he died suddenly last week.

AFP - Iranian police were out in force across the capital Tehran on Monday as the authorities upheld the official results of this month's fiercely-disputed presidential election over opposition protests.

AFP - Interim leader Roberto Micheletti prepared to govern a tense Honduras on Monday as President Manuel Zelaya sought to return to power after a coup which revived memories of Cold War unrest.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison Monday for perpetrating Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud, the maximum punishment allowed for what the judge called 'extraordinarily evil' crimes.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's top legislative body confirmed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in a disputed election after a partial recount on Monday, dismissing complaints of irregularities by pro-reform opponents.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's father said on Monday it was too soon to set a funeral date for the pop star, saying the family was waiting to hear details of a second, private autopsy on the self-styled King of Pop.

AP - Nassau County police said a congregant at a Long Island church disregarded at least one of its commandments: Thou shalt not steal. Police said the 46-year-old woman reached over a pew and took cash from a purse while its owner knelt Sunday at Our Lady of Hope Roman Catholic Church in Westbury. Police said an usher saw the theft, and officers stopped the woman as she left the church.

Reuters - Disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison Monday for perpetrating Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud, the maximum punishment allowed for what the judge called 'extraordinarily evil' crimes.

Reuters - Iran's top legislative body confirmed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in a disputed election after a partial recount on Monday, dismissing complaints of irregularities by pro-reform opponents.

Reuters - Michael Jackson's father said on Monday it was too soon to set a funeral date for the pop star, saying the family was waiting to hear details of a second, private autopsy on the self-styled King of Pop.

AFP - Defiant interim leader Roberto Micheletti prepared to govern a tense Honduras on Monday as worldwide calls increased for ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to power.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court overruled President Barack Obama's high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Monday in an important race discrimination case, but the White House remained confident she would be approved.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's annual Gay Pride parade was a colorful celebration of 40 years of progress toward civil rights for gays, but once the dust settled, gay couples who wish to marry in New York state remain thwarted.

AP - Iraqi forces assumed formal control of Baghdad and other cities Tuesday after American troops handed over security in urban areas in a defining step toward ending the U.S. combat role in the country. A countdown clock broadcast on Iraqi TV ticked to zero as the midnight deadline passed for U.S. combat troops to finish their pullback to bases outside cities.

AP - Sen. Olympia Snowe, a key figure in shaping federal health care legislation, said Monday that a government-run plan that would take effect if the private insurance market fails to deliver affordable coverage could bridge the partisan divide that threatens to derail President Barack Obama's efforts to reform the system.

AP - Police and soldiers clashed with thousands of protesters outside Honduras' national palace Monday as world leaders from Barack Obama to Hugo Chavez demanded the return of a president ousted in a military coup.

AP - A doctor accused of botching dozens of prostate cancer surgeries at a Veterans Administration hospital admitted Monday that he sometimes missed his target when implanting radioactive seeds, leaving patients with incorrect dosages.

AP - They played into the night, later than anyone ever had in Wimbledon's long history, and they played indoors, the first match contested entirely under Centre Court's new roof.

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court overruled President Barack Obama's high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Monday in an important race discrimination case, but the White House remained confident she would be approved.

Reuters - New York's annual Gay Pride parade was a colorful celebration of 40 years of progress toward civil rights for gays, but once the dust settled, gay couples who wish to marry in New York state remain thwarted.

AFP - Clashes flared Monday between Honduran troops and demonstrators protesting the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya leaving several people injured, an AFP photographer said.

AFP - Tens of thousands of Iraqis partied amid massive security in Baghdad on Monday to mark the imminent pullout of US troops from urban areas and celebrate the restive nation's reclaimed sovereignty.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bernard Madoff was sentenced on Monday to 150 years in prison -- the maximum penalty the judge could give him for 'extraordinarily evil' crimes in Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras came under pressure on Monday to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya as many Latin American leaders agreed to withdraw envoys, Washington called his overthrow illegal and street protests turned violent.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran confirmed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president and said a row over his June 12 re-election was over, leaving opponents who cried foul with few options.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's parents on Monday sought control over his children and an estate that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

AP - Gov. Mark Sanford's bombshell admission of an affair with an Argentine woman has touched off a delicate political dance among fellow Republicans vying to replace him when his term ends.

AP - Rockets center Yao Ming's broken left foot could be a 'career-threatening' injury. Dr. Tom Clanton, the Houston Rockets' team physician, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that Yao's injury 'has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening.'

Reuters - Bernard Madoff was sentenced on Monday to 150 years in prison -- the maximum penalty the judge could give him for 'extraordinarily evil' crimes in Wall Street's biggest and most brazen investment fraud.

Reuters - Honduras came under pressure on Monday to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya as many Latin American leaders agreed to withdraw envoys, Washington called his overthrow illegal and street protests turned violent.

Reuters - Iran confirmed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president and said a row over his June 12 re-election was over, leaving opponents who cried foul with few options.

Reuters - Michael Jackson's parents on Monday sought control over his children and an estate that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

AFP - Violence flared in Honduras Monday as demonstrators clashed with police and soldiers in the aftermath of President Manuel Zelaya's ouster, with international pressure mounting for him to be restored to power.

MORONI (Reuters) - An airliner with 150 people on board belonging to Yemeni state carrier Yemenia crashed in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros Tuesday, a senior government official said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship of the late singer's children and control of his estate as a legal battle over his kids, money and belongings began to take shape.

Reuters - An airliner with 150 people on board belonging to Yemeni state carrier Yemenia crashed in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros Tuesday, a senior government official said.

Reuters - Michael Jackson's mother Katherine on Monday won temporary guardianship of the late singer's children and control of his estate as a legal battle over his kids, money and belongings began to take shape.

AFP - Two gas-filled railway tank cars exploded in the northern Italian city of Viareggio, killing six people, Lucca province authorities told the Italian news agency ANSA.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras came under pressure on Monday to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya as many Latin American leaders agreed to withdraw envoys, Washington called his overthrow illegal and street protests turned violent.

DUBAI (Reuters) - A total of 153 people were on board a Yemen Airways aircraft that crashed in the waters of the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros on Tuesday, an airline official said.

AP - A Yemenia Air plane going from the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen to the island nation of Comoros has crashed in the Indian Ocean, a Yemen airport official said Tuesday.

AP - The Supreme Court declared Monday that white firefighters in Connecticut were unfairly denied promotion because of their race, ruling against minorities in a major reverse discrimination case that could affect bosses and workers nationwide. The justices threw out a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor had endorsed as an appeals court judge.

AP - Government experts are scheduled to vote on whether Nyquil and other combination cold medications should be pulled from the market to help curb deadly overdoses.

Reuters - Honduras came under pressure on Monday to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya as many Latin American leaders agreed to withdraw envoys, Washington called his overthrow illegal and street protests turned violent.

Reuters - A total of 153 people were on board a Yemen Airways aircraft that crashed in the waters of the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros on Tuesday, an airline official said.

AFP - An Airbus A330-200 operated by Yemen's state carrier Yemenia Air that took off from Paris has disappeared between Yemen and Comoros with 147 passengers on board, an airport source said.

AFP - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya vowed to return to Honduras later this week as violent clashes flared here, while international pressure grew for him to be restored to power.