Jerusalem (Agencies): Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and his prime minister-designate, Mahmoud Abbas, remained at loggerheads over the composition of the Palestinian Cabinet on Monday, after all-night negotiations failed to produce a compromise.

Shanghai (Agencies): A six-member World Health Organization (WHO) team began an investigation into the extent of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in China's largest city Shanghai on Monday, following revelations that the lethal disease in Beijing was far worse than initially admitted.

Beijing (Reuters): A week ago, Beijing was saying it only had 37 cases of SARS and the health minister was declaring China safe to visit. And world outrage was growing as the Communist leadership trod a familiar path of denial.

Baghdad (Agencies): The United States pledged on Monday to build a new Iraq from the ashes of war but faced mounting challenges as ethnic tension simmered in the north and Shi'ite Muslims staged an anti-American protest in the capital.

Islamabad (Agencies): Pakistan said on Monday it was ready to hold talks with India at the earliest opportunity and at any level without any preconditions.

Nigeria (Reuters): Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo swept close to declaring victory on Monday in a presidential election in Africa's most populous country, but the main opposition alleged serious vote-rigging.

Colombo (Reuters): Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels pulled out of talks to end two decades of civil war on Monday, the biggest threat yet to the island's best chance of permanently ending the fighting that has killed more than 64,000 people.

Doha/Tehran (Agencies): Top OPEC officials said on Monday they had not yet received a request from Iraq to send representatives to an emergency meeting of the oil producers' cartel in Vienna this week.

Hanoi (Associated Press): After more than a week of tough negotiations in Washington, Vietnam and the United States have reached a tentative agreement on the amount of clothes the communist country can ship to America each year, an official said on Monday.

Moscow (Agence France-Presse): An expected merger between two of Russia's biggest oil producers, Yukos and Sibneft, would create a new energy giant, analysts said on Monday, but some warned that reports were still largely rumor-driven.

South Carolina (Agence France-Presse): Davis Love ended an error-filled, four-hole playoff with a birdie here on Sunday to defeat Woody Austin and claim the fifth Heritage title of his career.

Minneapolis, Minnesota (Reuters): Kobe Bryant scored 39 points and Shaqullle O'Neal added 32 as the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers opened the playoffs with an impressive 117-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA action on Sunday.