AP - Israeli soldiers killed six Hezbollah fighters in four skirmishes in Lebanon after the U.N.-imposed cease-fire took effect Monday, the army said. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he took sole responsibility for the offensive, and acknowledged "deficiencies" in the way the war was conducted.

AP - Authorities downgraded Britain's terror threat level Monday, offering hope to travelers mired in chaos at airports since security forces foiled an alleged plot to bomb trans-Atlantic jetliners. Investigators focused on any links between the suspects in custody and associates in Pakistan, with suspicions raised that an Islamic charity provided funds for the alleged plot.

AP - The U.S. military said Monday that a natural gas explosion was to blame for a series of blasts that killed 47 people in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood the night before. But residents and the Iraqi government insisted the destruction was caused by car bombs and a rocket barrage from a neighborhood where American forces operate.