BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian forces bombarded the city of Homs early on Monday, killing 15 people in a wave of attacks across several districts, activists and residents said. "This is the most violent bombardment in recent days," said one activist in Syria who was in touch with Homs residents. Another activist said forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were using multiple rocket launchers in the attack. Arab satellite television stations broadcast live footage from Homs. Explosions could be heard and smoke could be seen rising from some buildings. ...

(Corrects to fourth anniversary in the first paragraph, not fifth) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's mountainous region of Tibet is facing an urgent task to maintain stability, and all government workers must be on their highest guard ahead of the Tibetan new year and the fourth anniversary of riots there, a top newspaper said on Monday. China has stepped up security in what it calls the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan parts of the country following a series of self-immolations and sporadic protests against Chinese rule, mostly in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. ...

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya started and then swiftly postponed court proceedings on Sunday against 41 Libyans accused of helping Muammar Gaddafi crush the popular revolt that ended in his death last year, Libyan news agency LANA said on Sunday. "The decision (to postpone) was made in the wake of listening to the pleadings of the defence panel that argued that this military court is not a competent entity and called for referring the case to the civil judiciary," LANA said on its website. ...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will target any country used as a launchpad for attacks against its soil, the deputy Revolutionary Guards commander said, expanding Tehran's range of threats in an increasingly volatile stand-off with world powers over its nuclear ambitions. Last week, Iran's supreme clerical leader threatened reprisals for the West's new ban on Iranian oil exports and the U.S. defence secretary was quoted as saying Israel was likely to bomb Iran within months to stop it assembling nuclear weapons. ...

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Republican Newt Gingrich vowed on Sunday to press ahead with his struggling presidential bid after a big loss in Nevada, saying he will focus on drawing a contrast with "timid" rival Mitt Romney. Romney, the Republican front-runner, easily thumped Gingrich in Nevada on Saturday for his second consecutive win and third in the first five contests in the state-by-state battle to pick a challenger to face Democratic President Barack Obama in the November election. ...

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday there were important risks to consider before any military strike against Iran and made clear he does not want to see more conflict in the oil-producing Gulf region. In a television interview, Obama also said he did not believe Tehran had the "intentions or capabilities" to attack the United States, playing down the threats from Tehran and saying he wanted a diplomatic end to the nuclear standoff. "Any kind of additional military activity inside the Gulf is disruptive and has a big effect on us. ...

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Manuel Noriega, Panama's drug-running military dictator of the 1980s, was taken from prison to a public hospital on Sunday after suffering a possible stroke, but a top health official said he was stable. Noriega, 77, was moved from the El Renacer prison to the Hospital Santo Tomas because of high blood pressure and a possible stroke, police said in a statement. "He has been put under observation in intensive care for twenty-four hours to see how it goes. ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese government said on Monday it has barred the country's airlines from joining a European Union scheme to charge for carbon emissions from flights into and out of Europe and prohibit airlines from charging customers extra because of the EU plan. The hardening of the dispute, which comes a week before Chinese and EU leaders hold a summit next week, could potentially subject Chinese airlines to fines or prohibitions on use of EU airports. ...

REUTERS - Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people. Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far. ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - China over the years has derided the Dalai Lama as a jackal in Buddhist robes, choreographer of a separatist Peking opera and, lately, instigator of a plot that led some Tibetans to set themselves on fire and other forms of protest. Even so, China's hardline rulers may have reason to miss him when he's gone. The aging spiritual leader's presence and message of non-violence have kept a damper on unrest but, once he dies, things could worsen rapidly. ...

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top newspaper on Monday defended Beijing's rejection of a U.N. resolution pressing Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to abandon power, saying Western campaigns in Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq showed the error of forced regime change. The commentary in the People's Daily, the top newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, was Beijing's clearest defence of its decision to join Moscow at the weekend in vetoing a draft United Nations resolution that would have backed an Arab plan urging Assad to quit after months of bloodshed. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth celebrated 60 years on the throne on Monday to become the second British monarch to reach that milestone. During her reign, the royal family has faced tumultuous times and moments of plummeting popularity, above all after the death in 1997 of Princess Diana, the hugely popular ex-wife of her son and heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles. But the royals are enjoying fresh support after the wedding last year of the queen's grandson, Prince William, second-in-line to the throne, to Catherine Middleton. ...

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's interior minister has ordered Cairo's Tora prison hospital to make preparations to receive former President Hosni Mubarak, who has till now been held in a military hospital while he has been standing trial, Al Jazeera television said on Sunday. Al Jazeera did not cite a source for the report that was carried in brief headline. The move, if confirmed, would be a concession to protesters who have complained that Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for 30 years, has been given special treatment by the military council, which took over when he was pushed out in February last year. ...

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will target any country used as a launchpad for attacks against its soil, the deputy Revolutionary Guards commander said, expanding Tehran's range of threats in an increasingly volatile stand-off with world powers over its nuclear ambitions. Last week, Iran's supreme clerical leader threatened reprisals for the West's new ban on Iranian oil exports and the U.S. defence secretary was quoted as saying Israel was likely to bomb Iran within months to stop it assembling nuclear weapons. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Iranian authorities are increasingly arresting and threatening the families of British Broadcasting Corporation journalists to force them to quit its Persian news service, the BBC's head said on Sunday. Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, said he was speaking out to try and embarrass Tehran to end what he said was a campaign of intimidation against Iranian staff who worked outside Iran. "This is a growing pattern. It's systematic and a campaign," Thompson told BBC TV. ...

LONDON (Reuters) - London's Heathrow Airport has cut around half of the 1,300 flights scheduled for Sunday after snow and freezing temperatures hit much of England on Saturday. "Heathrow is open. Our runways, taxiways and stands have been cleared of snow. Our snow plan has worked far better than in previous years, and the airport is getting back to normal. However, there will still be disruption for passengers, as indicated on Saturday," Heathrow owner BAA said in a statement. Around 10 centimetres of snow fell over Britain in 24 hours. ...

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers told Greece it could not go ahead with an agreed deal to restructure privately held debt until it guaranteed to implement reforms to secure a second financing package from the euro zone and the IMF. Euro zone ministers had hoped to meet on Monday to finalise the second Greek bailout, which has to be in place by mid-March if Athens is to avoid a chaotic default, but the meeting was postponed because of Greek reluctance to commit to reforms. ...