Canada's federal government allowed the approval process to proceed Monday for the generic form of the highly-addictive painkiller OxyContin, a move that set off a quick outcry from the country's provinces and aboriginal communities.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq rejected a plea from Canada's provinces, which unanimously requested a delay of approval until regulators could examine the abuse of oxycodone. Ontario asked for a complete ban on the drug, which has caused widespread addictions in Canada's rural and tribal communities.

The wine-red walls of the Brueghel exhibition hall at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art are now bare, like the crime scene of a daring art heist.

Tel Aviv's leading art museum, spooked by rocket attacks on Israel's cultural capital, moved nearly 200 works Friday into a rocket-proof safe the size of an auditorium — including some 100 works painted by relatives of Flemish Renaissance master Pieter Brueghel the Elder.

Justin Bieber may be Canadian, but he was the all-American boy at Sunday night's American Music Awards.

The pop singer dominated the awards show, winning three trophies, including artist of the year. His mom joined him onstage as he collected the award, beating out Rihanna, Maroon 5, Katy Perry and Drake.

The newly formed Syrian opposition coalition is likely to get an offering of support from the European Union on Monday, an EU official said, in what would be a significant vote of confidence for a movement struggling to prove its credibility and gain the trust of the country's factions.

Such a move would not amount to official diplomatic recognition because that can only be decided by each EU country individually. But if the bloc's 27 foreign ministers meeting in Brussels decide that the coalition is a legitimate voice for Syria's people it would be a major step forward in the West's acceptance of the group.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has warned that too much austerity could make it difficult for the 17-nation eurozone to emerge from the financial crisis it has endured for four years.

Rousseff says the austerity measures that Spain and other members of the zone have invoked should include more flexibility so high unemployment can be reduced. When the financial crisis hit Brazil in 2008, Rousseff's predecessor went on a government spending spree.

Google Inc. has reached a licensing deal with representatives of European music publishers, artists and composers in which the U.S. online giant and its customers will gain access to 5.5 million musical works across 35 countries from artists including Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

The accord with Armonia, the alliance of French, Italian and Spanish licensing groups, is billed as the broadest of its kind.

An Iranian semi-official news agency says the country has started building a $10 billion natural gas pipeline to Syria as part of efforts to boost its energy sector that has been battered by international sanctions.

Monday's report by the Fars news agency says the 1,500 kilometer (750 mile) pipeline will pass through Iraq before reaching Syria. It says Iran begun construction of the first phase of the project involving a 225 kilometer (140 mile) stretch at an estimated cost of $3 billion.

Officially at least, America still calls this Southeast Asian nation Burma, the favored appellation of dissidents and pro-democracy activists who opposed the former military junta's move to summarily change its name 23 years ago.

President Barack Obama used that name during his historic visit Monday, but he also called Burma what its government and many other people have been calling it for years: Myanmar.

An investment fund run by Qatar's government says it will team with an Italian holding company to channel up to €2 billion ($2.5 billion) to traditional Italian industries, including fashion, food and furniture design.

Monday's announcement of the four-year deal comes during a visit to Qatar by Italian Premier Mario Monti. It lists no specific companies for the new investments, but it deepens Italy's commercial links for Qatar, which already controls the Italian fashion house Valentino.

The United Nations says that Sudan has launched a massive vaccination campaign to immunize 2.4 million people against an outbreak of yellow fever in the restive region of Darfur.

The Monday statement from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says Khartoum's Health Ministry received an initial shipment of 800,000 doses of vaccine on Friday.