Nepal
KATMANDU - The body of a Russian mountaineer was found near the top of Mount Everest, an expedition member said, and at least six others climbing the world's highest peak were missing and presumed dead. The report came as several expeditions were beaten back from the 29,028-foot summit by 125 mph winds and heavy snow.
Israel
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Prodded by the United States, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators tentatively have agreed to meet this week to try to find a way to resume peace talks, Palestinian officials said.
JERUSALEM - Avraham Stern, a legislator and central figure in the national religious movement that spearheaded Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, died Monday at age 62.
Northern Ireland
BELFAST - Suspected pro-British militants abducted a Roman Catholic man from the social club he ran and shot him fatally in the head.
China
BEIJING - An explosion ripped through a quiet park in Beijing's former imperial palace, just across the street from the offices of China's top leaders. Residents said a bomb exploded beneath a park bench and they did not know whether there were any casualties.
Sri Lanka
COLOMBO - Government troops, backed by tanks and artillery, launched a major offensive against separatist Tamil rebels from their northern bases, military officials said.
Albania
TIRANA - Political parties remained deeply divided over a new election law as Western officials tried last-minute talks to avoid the collapse of a deal aimed at paving the way to new elections.
Russia
MOSCOW - At least two people were killed and 10 were taken hostage in a gunbattle between rival Islamic groups in a village in Russia's southern Dagestan region, police said.
Indonesia
JAKARTA - An Indonesian man was sentenced to death for the murder of three people in the United States, one of them his brother. The central Jakarta district court found Harnoko Dewantono guilty of killing two Indonesians and an Indian citizen in Los Angeles in 1991 and 1992.
Taiwan
TAIPEI - The ruling party narrowly defeated a no-confidence motion brought by opposition legislators capitalizing on a public outcry over rising crime.
Peru
LIMA - The government has ruled air carrier Faucett must temporarily suspend operations starting next week or pay a fine in connection with a plane crash last year that killed 123 people.
England
LONDON - A fire in the Channel Tunnel exposed fundamental problems with safety procedures that must be corrected before Chunnel trains can carry freight trucks again, according to a new report.
Mali
BAMAKO - President Alpha Oumar Konare has opened a massive lead against his sole challenger, businessman Mamadou Maribatrou Diaby, in presidential elections boycotted by mainstream opposition parties, partial results showed.
Bahrain
MANAMA - A former U.S. navy frigate that was donated to Bahrain has started its journey from the port of Charleston, S.C., to the Persian Gulf Arab state and is due to arrive in July, U.S. officials said.