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PI: Steve Inskeep

  • Activists claim Syrian paramilitaries murdered dozens of civilians in the one-time rebel stronghold of Homs. Rebels had retreated but residents and activists say pro-government militants massacred dozens of civilians.
  • The Obama administration generated intense opposition with a ruling that says employers must fully cover birth control in workers' health plans. There's an exception for churches that oppose contraception but no exception for large institutions like universities that are church-affiliated. Now the White House is offering "an accommodation" to the Catholic Church and other critics.
  • Activists and human rights groups in Syria contend the government has now killed hundreds of civilians in just this week alone. It's hard to verify that number, but it is clear that mortars, rockets and tanks continue firing into the city of Homs. The gunfire has served as a week-long punctuation mark on the United Nation's failure to approve a resolution against Syria.
  • Pakistan's Supreme Court has initiated contempt of court proceedings against Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani. He is accused of defying orders to start corruption cases against high-ranking officials including President Zardari.
  • GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has developed a polished stump speech. During his events, Romney has campaigned as if President Obama is his only opponent. That tactic has forced his Republican rivals to try anything they can to knock him out of front-runner status.
  • President Obama appeared on the CBS show 60 Minutes Sunday night to answer questions about his prospects for re-election. Meanwhile, Republican presidential contenders took part in another debate over the weekend, where the presumed frontrunner, Newt Gingrich, defended himself against verbal attacks from the other candidates.
  • United Nations climate talks in Durban, South Africa, weren't expected to produce much. But negotiators did make a deal — one that could lead to a major new climate treaty at the end of the decade.
  • A weekend of protests in Russia has forced President Dmitry Medvedev to order an investigation into allegations of electoral fraud during last week's parliamentary vote. There hasn't been demonstrations like this in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  • In Egypt, thousands of demonstrators are out on the streets again Monday. Over the weekend, soldiers and police set fire to protesters' tents in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Thousands of protesters demanding military rulers quickly transfer power to a civilian government were driven out of the square.
  • In Madrid, Spain, a man tried to get money out of a cash machine. Instead, he discovered a snake slithering out of the cash slot. The man caught the snake on video, which is all over the web. He also grabbed his cash. He called police, who realized the snake was stuck in the machine, and managed to free it.