AP - Democratic House leaders predicted Sunday the final tally on President Barack Obama's historic health care bill will meet or exceed the 216 votes required for passage. Still at issue, but apparently close to resolution, were the votes of a handful of members concerned about the abortion issue.

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

AP - The approaching crest of the Red River was being met Sunday with more shrugs than white knuckles, as Fargo residents walked their dogs and went to church instead of sandbagging and escaping 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 - 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.

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 - British Airways cabin crews walked off the job for a second day Sunday but the airline insisted the strike was having less impact than expected and said it was able to restore flights that had previously been canceled.

Reuters - Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives on Sunday said they had the votes to pass a landmark healthcare reform bill seen as critical to President Barack Obama's political standing and legislative agenda.

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 - 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.

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.

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.