AP Top News at 7:42 p.m. EDT

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Liberia's Taylor Steps Down, Vows Return

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MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) _ Charles Taylor, the warlord who brought 14 years of death and destruction to Liberia, yielded the presidency Monday under pressure from rebels, the United States and West African neighbors _ but not before vowing, "I will be back." Taylor surrendered power to his vice president as rebels lay siege to the capital, and then flew into exile in Nigeria.

NATO Takes Over Afghan Peacekeeping Force

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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ Stepping beyond the bounds of Europe for the first time in its 54-year history, NATO took command Monday of the 5,000-strong peacekeeping force in Afghanistan _ the clearest sign yet that the world's most powerful military alliance is adopting new strategies in the global war on terror. The handover ceremony took place at a heavily guarded high school auditorium in the Afghan capital, Kabul. NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo called the new mission "a reflection of NATO's ongoing transformation and resolve to meet the security challenges of the 21st century."

Postwar Iraq Likely to Cost More Than War

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WASHINGTON (AP) _ The U.S. bill for rebuilding Iraq and maintaining security there is widely expected to far exceed the war's price tag, and some private analysts estimate it could reach as high as $600 billion. The Bush administration is offering only hazy details so far, and that is upsetting Republican as well as Democratic lawmakers.

Bush Picks Utah Gov. Leavitt to Head EPA

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WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Bush chose Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt on Monday to head the Environmental Protection Agency, turning to another Republican governor to be his voice on an issue where his record with voters is weak. Leavitt, a three-term governor who favors giving states a bigger role in environmental regulation, would succeed Christie Whitman, a former New Jersey governor who resigned in May.

California Determines Recall Ballot Order

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ In a display that looked more like a Las Vegas Keno game, election officials held a lottery-style drawing Monday to determine where the nearly 200 candidates seeking to replace Gov. Gray Davis will appear on the Oct. 7 recall ballot. Under the spotlight of television cameras carrying the event live, officials put printed numbers into film canisters, then placed the canisters into a gold steel-mesh barrel before pulling the numbers out one by one.

Jury Orders Microsoft to Pay $520 Million

CHICAGO (AP) _ A federal jury awarded a Chicago-based software company and the University of California more than $520 million in damages Monday after finding that Microsoft Corp.'s popular Internet Explorer browser infringed on a patent. Microsoft attorney Andy Culbert said that the jury's finding would be appealed.

Unabomber Seeks Return of Papers, Bomb

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Unabomber Ted Kaczynski has asked the government to return his personal papers and other materials, including a bomb seized by the FBI. Kaczynski asked a federal judge to make the government ship the materials to a University of Michigan archive that already contains more than 15,000 of his papers.

Dow Closes Up 26, Nasdaq Ends Up 17

NEW YORK (AP) _ Brokerage upgrades of Oracle and Adobe Systems gave Wall Street a boost Monday, with tech shares leading the gains and rebounding from heavy losses last week. Volume was light as many investors refrained from major buying in advance of a Federal Reserve meeting on interest rates Tuesday and economic reports due out later this week on retail sales and the producer price index.

ADL Voices Concerns on Gibson's 'Passion'

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NEW YORK (AP) _ The Anti-Defamation League expressed concern on Monday that Mel Gibson's "The Passion" will fuel anti-Semitism by reinforcing a belief that Jews were guilty for Jesus' death. An ADL representative, Rabbi Eugene Korn, the head of the group's office on interfaith affairs, attended a private screening of the film _ about the final hours in the life of Jesus Christ _ at Houston's Museum of Fine Arts on Friday. The ADL previously had not been allowed to see it.

Former Olympic Hockey Coach Brooks Dies

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Former Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks, who led the United States to the "Miracle on Ice" victory over the Soviet Union, died Monday in a car accident, a state official said. Brooks, 66, coached the 1980 Olympic team that won the gold medal in Lake Placid, N.Y. He returned to lead the 2002 U.S. Olympic hockey team to a silver medal.

Image Caption: Waving a white handkerchief former President Charles Taylor says farewell, as he boards an aircraft at Monrovia's Roberts International Airport, Monday Aug. 11, 2003, enroute to exile in Nigeria. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)