AP - The Taliban on Sunday called their deadly bomb attacks on the southern city of Kandahar a warning to NATO's top general that the insurgents were ready for the war's next major offensive in their heartland.

AP - Two guns used in high-profile shootings this year at the Pentagon and a Las Vegas courthouse both came from the same unlikely place: the police and court system of Memphis, Tenn.

AP - The House's chief Democratic headcounter said Sunday he hadn't rounded up enough votes to pass President Barack Obama's health care overhaul heading into a make-or-break week, even as the White House's top political adviser said he was "absolutely confident" in its prospects.

AP - Utility crews pushed through fallen trees and windblown debris to reach downed power lines Sunday, working to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses as strong winds and heavy rain that wreaked havoc in parts of the Northeast pushed on into New England.

AP - A secular challenger to Iraq's prime minister is leading by a slim margin ahead of a Kurdish alliance in partial election results from a northern, oil-rich province that is home to the disputed city of Kirkuk.

AP - Pakistani fighter jets pounded Taliban hide-outs near the Afghan border Sunday, killing 17 insurgents, local officials said.

AP - Tens of thousands of red-shirted protesters rallied in Thailand's capital Sunday to press their demand that the government dissolve Parliament or face massive demonstrations at key sites in the city.

AP - President Barack Obama is promising parents and their kids that with his administration's help they will have better teachers in improved schools so U.S. students can make up for academic ground lost against youngsters in other countries.

AP - Investigators with Toyota Motor Corp. and the federal government could not replicate the runaway speeding reported by a Prius owner who said his car's accelerator stuck as he drove on a California freeway, according to a memo drafted for a congressional panel.

Reuters - White House officials on Sunday confidently predicted quick final passage of healthcare reform but a top Democratic vote-counter said they still need to line up more support in the House of Representatives.

Reuters - More than 100,000 protesters converged in Bangkok on Sunday and gave Thailand's military-backed government an ultimatum to call elections within 24 hours or face crippling demonstrations across the capital.

Reuters - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki edged ahead on Sunday in early results of an election Iraqis hoped would end years of sectarian strife, but the tight race indicated long and fraught negotiations to form a government.

Reuters - U.S. regulators will announce a major Internet policy this week to revolutionize how Americans communicate and play, proposing a dramatic increase in broadband speeds that could let people download a high-definition film in minutes instead of hours.

Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced regret on Sunday for the announcement of a Jewish settlement plan that has strained ties with Washington and threatens the revival of Middle East peace talks.

Reuters - Georgia's opposition accused the government on Sunday of being behind a fake primetime news report that Russian tanks had entered the capital at the call of the opposition, causing widespread panic.

AFP - Anti-government demonstrators vowed Sunday to march on military barracks housing Thailand's top leaders as their icon, deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, urged them from exile not to give up.

AFP - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged calm on Sunday as an angry Washington said it was insulted by Israel's "destructive" announcement of plans to expand settlements in east Jerusalem.