AFP - BLACKBURN (AFP) - El-Hadji Diouf delivered a significant blow to Chelsea's title challenge as the Blackburn striker scored his first goal this year to salvage a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park on Sunday.

Reuters - MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (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 - CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela announced on Sunday 24-hour power cutoffs for 80 firms that have failed to reduce electricity usage in the first punitive measures of a nationwide drive to save energy amid an electricity crisis.

AFP - KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon slammed Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip during a tour of the war-battered coastal territory on Sunday, saying it was causing "unacceptable suffering."

AFP - JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - South Africa's deputy president Sunday called for an end to violent street protests linked to poor service delivery as the country marked the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre.

The Canadian Press - MIR ALI, Pakistan - Suspected U.S. drones fired missiles Sunday at a house and car in a militant-dominated tribal region near the Afghan border, killing at least four people, officials said.

The Canadian Press - WASHINGTON - House Democratic leaders predicted that a rare Sunday session will produce one of the most significant legislative triumphs in decades: passage of a landmark bill to overhaul the U.S. health care system to provide coverage to millions of people who currently lack it.

AFP - HVOLSVOELLUR, Iceland (AFP) - An Icelandic volcano has erupted following a week of small earthquakes, spewing lava and ash into the air and forcing hundreds to flee on Sunday, but causing no casualties.

Reuters - BAGHDAD (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 - PARIS (AFP) - President Nicolas Sarkozy was facing a rebuke from French voters on Sunday in round two of regional elections that are his last big national test before he seeks re-election in 2012.

AFP - MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (AFP) - Missiles fired from US drones Sunday killed at least four militants in a restive Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan, security officials said.

Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he had told Washington in writing, just before heading for talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, that Israel would not stop Jewish settlement around Jerusalem.

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Hundreds of insurgents have been trained in Iran to kill NATO forces in Afghanistan, two Taliban commanders told a British Sunday newspaper.

The Canadian Press - BAGHDAD - Iraq's president on Sunday called for a recount in this month's parliamentary elections, which have turned into a tight race between the prime minister and a secular rival amid accusations of fraud. A new count could further extend political wrangling in the contentious race.

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

The Canadian Press - VATICAN CITY - 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.

The Canadian Press - TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's supreme leader sharply denounced the United States on Sunday, accusing it of plotting to overthrow its clerical leadership, in a chilly response to an overture by President Barack Obama for better cultural ties with Iran.

AFP - JERUSALEM (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.

AFP - TEHRAN (AFP) - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his new year address to the nation on Sunday accused the US president of plotting against Iran as crowds of worshippers shouted "Death to Obama!"

AFP - CAIRO (AFP) - International donors at a conference in Cairo on Sunday pledged 850 million dollars for the reconstruction of war-ravaged Darfur, way short of the two billion dollars organisers had been expecting.

Reuters - REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - A volcano erupted in the south of Iceland overnight, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate the area and diverting flights after authorities declared a state of emergency, officials said on Sunday.

The Canadian Press - PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party was bracing for a massive setback Sunday as frustrated French voters cast ballots in regional run-off elections likely to favour the opposition left - and set the stage for the 2012 presidential race.

AFP - TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) - Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his New Year address to the nation on Sunday accused the United States of "plotting" against the Islamic republic even as it offers talks.

AFP - BAGHDAD (AFP) - The final results from Iraq's March 7 parliamentary polls will be published on March 26, the spokesman for the country's election commission said on Sunday.

The Canadian Press - BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand's prime minister said Sunday he will send representatives to hold talks with protesters who have been calling for him to step down, but his antagonists want to meet with him personally.

AFP - PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) - Air strikes killed 15 Taliban in restive Pakistani northwestern tribal areas on Sunday, where militants beheaded three tribesmen accusing them of spying for the United States.

AFP - CAIRO (AFP) - International donors on Sunday pledgednearly 850 million dollars for the reconstruction of war-torn Darfur at a conference in Cairo, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) chief said.

The Canadian Press - MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's hard-line vice-president expressed hope Sunday that an upcoming national conference will lay the foundation for peace with insurgents as a dozen civilians died in separate bombings in front-line provinces.

AFP - BAGHDAD (AFP) - Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's calls for a recount of votes from Iraq's polls were on Sunday rebuffed by its election commission, amid a tight race to form the biggest bloc in parliament.

AFP - TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a New Year address to the nation on Sunday that the enemies of the Islamic republic had plans to start a "civil war" after last June's elections.

The Canadian Press - REYKJAVIK, Iceland - A volcano erupted near a glacier in southern Iceland, shooting ash and molten lava into the air and forcing the evacuation Sunday of hundreds of people from nearby villages.

The Canadian Press - JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israel would not restrict construction in east Jerusalem, a step the U.S. has requested - sticking to a tough position hours before he sets off on his first trip to Washington since a diplomatic row erupted between the two allies.

Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right party faces heavy losses in regional elections on Sunday that could affect the pace of reform before the 2012 presidential vote.

Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that Washington's actions contradict its call for friendly ties, a day after a renewed offer of dialogue by President Barack Obama.

AFP - WINDHOEK (AFP) - Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba was sworn in for a second and final term Sunday, pledging to a crowd of thousands at a colourful event to create jobs and bring development to rural areas.

Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - Pope Benedict's apology to Ireland went further than any other papal statement on child sex abuse by priests, but still fell far too short for many victims of the scandals shaking the Roman Catholic Church across Europe.