AP - President Barack Obama and Democratic House leaders resolved a long-standing dispute over abortion Sunday, securing crucial support from a handful of lawmakers and setting the stage for a historic vote on a comprehensive health care overhaul.

AP - Thirteen Afghan civilians died in violence Sunday as the nation's hard-line vice president expressed hopes for reconciliation and representatives of a militant group with ties to the Taliban brought their own draft of a peace deal to the capital.

AP - France's opposition Socialists and their allies handily defeated President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservatives in regional elections Sunday, according to partial official results after a vote that helps set the stage for the 2012 presidential race.

AP - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged Catholics to refrain from judging sinners a day after he rebuked Irish bishops for their handling of a half-century of sexual abuse of minors by clergy.

AP - Immigrant rights supporters from around the country are rallying for immigration reform on the National Mall.

AP - The crest of the Red River was met Sunday with more shrugs than white knuckles, as flood fears receded and Fargo residents walked their dogs and went to church instead of sandbagging and fleeing to higher ground.

AP - A volcano in southern Iceland has erupted for the first time in almost 200 years, raising concerns that it could trigger a larger and potentially more dangerous eruption at a volatile volcano nearby.

AP - The Internet has emerged as one of the greatest threats to rare species, fueling the illegal wildlife trade and making it easier to buy everything from live baby lions to wine made from tiger bones, conservationists and law enforcement officers said Sunday.

AP - Da'Sean Butler and West Virginia are back in the round of 16 for the second time in three years, advancing with a 68-59 victory over Missouri in the East Regional.

Reuters - Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives said on Sunday they were confident they had votes to pass a sweeping healthcare reform bill and deliver President Barack Obama a landmark political victory.

Reuters - Four Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank were buried on Sunday following violence that has exacerbated growing tensions.

Reuters - A U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles into an al Qaeda and Taliban hideout in northwest Pakistan on the Afghan border on Sunday, killing eight militants, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

Reuters - Opposition activists in Thailand rejected a government offer for dialogue on Sunday after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ruled out dissolving parliament and assigned a junior minister to attend the talks.

Reuters - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Sunday urged Israel to end a three year-long blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and called on Palestinians to heal their political rifts.

Reuters - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right party suffered a comprehensive defeat in regional elections on Sunday, but pledged to push on with reform plans before the 2012 presidential race.

Reuters - Secularist challenger Iyad Allawi retained a slim lead in Iraq's tight election race after a preliminary count of 95 percent of votes released on Sunday.

AFP - US President Barack Obama's historic drive to extend health insurance to nearly all Americans will pass the House of Representatives in a crucial Sunday vote, his Democratic allies predicted.

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Sunday invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet him at the White House, even as the Israeli leader rebuffed a key US demand to halt settlement construction in east Jerusalem.