AP - Toyota plans to recall about 300,000 Prius hybrids worldwide over a brake problem and is likely to notify both the U.S. and Japanese governments Tuesday, news reports said, as a top executive will testify before U.S. lawmakers about defects that have tarnished its reputation for quality and safety.

AP - Federal workers got a day off as the Mid-Atlantic region dug out Monday from as much as 3 feet of snow that left tens of thousands without power while making travel nearly impossible. And there's another storm brewing.

AP - Republicans gave a chilly reception Monday to President Barack Obama's invitation to discuss health care in a bipartisan, televised setting later this month, part of the White House effort to revive the stalled legislation.

AP - The deputy fire marshal of the town where a power plant explosion killed five people tells The Associated Press that no one is believed buried in the rubble.

AP - A massive avalanche plowed into an Indian army training center at a ski resort town in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Monday, killing 17 soldiers and critically injuring 17 others.

AP - Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's likely the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.

AP - A North Carolina judge wants a security officer to accompany a former John Edwards aide as he goes to retrieve a sex tape of the two-time presidential candidate, increasing the court's control of the disputed video.

AP - The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.

AP - Charlie Sheen and his wife are due in court Monday amid domestic violence allegations. They'll be arriving separately and only the judge can determine if they can leave together.

Reuters - Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp said it was preparing a global recall of its new Prius model, risking a fresh dent to its battered reputation for quality and reliability.

Reuters - Federal investigators headed to Connecticut on Monday to determine the cause of an explosion at an unfinished power plant that killed at least five workers and hospitalized dozens of others.

Reuters - New York Democratic Governor David Paterson is not planning to resign, his spokeswoman said on Monday, calling blog reports "entirely fabricated."

Reuters - Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich pressed rival Yulia Tymoshenko to concede defeat on Monday after a narrow victory in a presidential election that could tilt the ex-Soviet state back toward Moscow.

Reuters - International pressure for new sanctions against Iran grew on Monday after Tehran announced more moves to expand nuclear fuel production and enrichment plants, heightening Western fears it wants to make atom bombs.

Reuters - A senior Chinese official met North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Monday and a top U.N. political envoy was slated to arrive a day later in a new push to get the reclusive state to return to stalled nuclear disarmament talks.

AFP - Iran said Monday it has formally notified the UN nuclear watchdog of its plan to produce higher enriched uranium, sparking fresh warnings by world powers of sanctions against the defiant Islamic republic.

AFP - NATO commanders urged the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in Monday for a major assault on a key insurgent stronghold in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.