HONG KONG/TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will offer up to $100 billion to the International Monetary Fund for emerging economies in a new effort to come to grips with the fast-moving financial crisis that threatens to tip the world into a deep and long recession.

AP - While the Bush administration shifts course on its $700 billion rescue plan, Congress is examining whether even bigger changes should be made in the program in light of the deteriorating economy and soaring mortgage foreclosures.

AP - A U.S. military spokesman says that a suicide car attack on a U.S. military convoy in Afghanistan has killed 20 civilians and a coalition soldier.

AP - Tracy McGrady snapped out of a slump to score 22 of his 27 points in the second half Wednesday night, and the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 94-82 in a game that featured a scoring landmark for Shaquille O'Neal and a skirmish that drew two ejections and seven technical fouls.

Reuters - Japan will offer up to $100 billion to the International Monetary Fund for emerging economies in a new effort to come to grips with the fast-moving financial crisis that threatens to tip the world into a deep and long recession.

AFP - An army of top-notch specialists is set to fan out across US government agencies to delve deep into the records and prepare for the arrival of president-elect Barack Obama on January 20.

PARIS (Reuters) - Russia could cancel its deployment of missiles near the Polish border if U.S. President-elect Barack Obama scraps plans for a missile defense system in central Europe, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen kidnapped an Iranian diplomat in northwestern Pakistan's Peshawar on Thursday, officials said, soon after a U.S. aid worker was killed in a city hit hard by an Islamist insurgency spreading from Afghanistan.

PERTH (Reuters) - Oil fell for a third straight day on Thursday to hit a 22-month low of $55 a barrel as mounting pessimism about the global economy outweighed OPEC's comments that it could cut output again as early as end-November.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. foreclosure activity in October rose 25 percent from a year earlier, although filings in California fell by double-digit percentage points for the second consecutive month due to a state law slowing the foreclosure process, according to a monthly report by RealtyTrac.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chronically ill Americans are more likely to forgo medical care because of high costs or experience medical errors than patients in other affluent countries, according to a study released on Thursday.

AP - Setting a tone for an economic summit on his turf, President George W. Bush plans to tell world leaders that reforming financial markets alone won't help if they abandon the free market and restrict trade.

AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is sending signals that she is open to running for president in 2012, but another potential candidate is sending a different message: Republicans can't get ahead of themselves.

AP - The high-profile White House meeting this week between outgoing and incoming presidents is being followed Thursday night by a much lower-key get-together hosted by Vice President Dick Cheney for his successor, Democrat Joe Biden.

AP - Paul Pierce hit a fallaway jumper with 0.5 seconds left, scoring 34 points in all on Wednesday night as the Boston Celtics overcame a 16-point, second-quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 103-102 and send the Hawks to their first loss of the season.

Reuters - Germany has fallen into recession and China industry output growth dropped to its lowest in seven years, data showed on Thursday, reinforcing fears the financial crisis is plunging the world into a painful downturn.

Reuters - Russia could cancel its deployment of missiles near the Polish border if U.S. President-elect Barack Obama scraps plans for a missile defense system in central Europe, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.

Reuters - Gunmen kidnapped an Iranian diplomat in northwestern Pakistan's Peshawar on Thursday, officials said, soon after a U.S. aid worker was killed in a city hit hard by an Islamist insurgency spreading from Afghanistan.

Reuters - U.S. foreclosure activity in October rose 25 percent from a year earlier, although filings in California fell by double-digit percentage points for the second consecutive month due to a state law slowing the foreclosure process, according to a monthly report by RealtyTrac.

Reuters - Chronically ill Americans are more likely to forgo medical care because of high costs or experience medical errors than patients in other affluent countries, according to a study released on Thursday.

AFP - Israel indicated on Thursday that it hoped a truce in the Gaza Strip will hold despite a flare-up of violence in and around the besieged Palestinian territory in recent days.

LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Germany has fallen into recession and China's industry output growth waned to its weakest in seven years, data showed on Thursday, reinforcing evidence the financial crisis is plunging the world into a painful downturn.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen abducted an Iranian diplomat in Peshawar Thursday, a day after a U.S. aid worker was shot dead in the city on the front line of an Islamist insurgency sweeping northwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan.

LONDON/PERTH (Reuters) - Oil fell for a third straight day on Thursday to hit a 22-month low of $55 a barrel as mounting economic pessimism outweighed comments by OPEC that it could cut output again as early as end-November.

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide car-bomber attacked a convoy of U.S.-led troops in eastern Afghanistan Thursday killing 11 people, including a U.S. soldier, and wounding 58, the U.S. military said.

PARIS (Reuters) - The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development slashed its economic output forecasts for the United States, Japan and euro zone on Thursday and said the 30-nation OECD area appeared to have entered recession.

AP - A suicide bomber targeting a passing U.S. military convoy blew up his car near a crowded market in eastern Afghanistan Thursday, killing at least 21 people, including an American soldier, officials said.

AP - Lowering air pollution in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley would save more lives annually than ending all motor vehicle fatalities in the two regions, according to a new study.

AP - Kenny Chesney won only one of the seven awards he was nominated for at the CMA Awards, but he sure made it count.

Reuters - Germany has fallen into recession and China's industry output growth waned to its weakest in seven years, data showed on Thursday, reinforcing evidence the financial crisis is plunging the world into a painful downturn.

Reuters - Gunmen abducted an Iranian diplomat in Peshawar Thursday, a day after a U.S. aid worker was shot dead in the city on the front line of an Islamist insurgency sweeping northwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan.

Reuters - A suicide car-bomber attacked a convoy of U.S.-led troops in eastern Afghanistan Thursday killing 11 people, including a U.S. soldier, and wounding 58, the U.S. military said.

Reuters - The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development slashed its economic output forecasts for the United States, Japan and euro zone on Thursday and said the 30-nation OECD area appeared to have entered recession.

AFP - Germany, Europe's biggest economy, entered recession Thursday amid more heavy falls on stock markets after the US scrapped plans to buy up toxic mortgage assets at the heart of the financial crisis.

TALLINN (Reuters) - The United States views Russian threats to place tactical missiles in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad as provocative and misguided, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil dropped to a 22-month low under $55 on Thursday as evidence piled up global recession would have a deep impact on demand and news OPEC might take more emergency action did only a little to halt the sell-off.

Tim Hepher has been a journalist with Reuters for 14 years, with experience covering trade wars and takeover battles, and now specializes in aerospace business in Paris. In the following story, he describes a parabolic flight where he somersaulted weightless with space officials and politicians.

AP - A suicide car bomber struck a U.S. military convoy Thursday as it passed through a crowded market in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least eight civilians and an American soldier, Afghan officials said.

AP - The Los Angeles Lakers had a surprisingly easy time staying undefeated. Only a 'Super' effort kept the Atlanta Hawks from joining them. Paul Pierce made a jumper with 0.5 seconds left to give the Boston Celtics a 103-102 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday night, handing the Hawks their first loss of the season.

Reuters - The United States views Russian threats to place tactical missiles in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad as provocative and misguided, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday.

Reuters - Oil dropped to a 22-month low under $55 on Thursday as evidence piled up global recession would have a deep impact on demand and news OPEC might take more emergency action did only a little to halt the sell-off.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week to 516,000, the highest level since the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Germany is in recession and China's industry output growth has waned to its weakest in seven years, data from the world's top exporting nations showed on Thursday, providing further evidence of a global economic slide.

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday it was not Congress' intent to use the $700 billion financial rescue package to help ailing U.S. automakers.

TALLINN (Reuters) - The United States views Russian threats to place tactical missiles in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad as provocative and misguided, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen abducted an Iranian diplomat in Peshawar on Thursday, a day after a U.S. aid worker was shot dead in the city on the front line of an Islamist insurgency sweeping northwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan.

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian Josef Fritzl, who imprisoned his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children by her, has been charged with the murder of one of their children who died shortly after birth.

AP - Applications for unemployment benefits soared to the highest level since just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while the trade deficit shrank more than expected as demand for imports plunged, further evidence of the struggling U.S. economy.

AP - The number of homeowners caught in the wave of foreclosures in October grew 25 percent nationally over the same month in 2007, data released Thursday showed.

AP - Wall Street is rebounding modestly in early trading, with investors seemingly unfazed by a government report showing a larger-than-expected jump in unemployment claims. The Dow Jones industrials are up 37 points at the 8,319 level, and the other major indexes are also advancing after three straight days of declines.

AP - The number of newly laid-off individuals seeking unemployment benefits has jumped to a level not seen since just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Reuters - The number of workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week to 516,000, the highest level since the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.

Reuters - Germany is in recession and China's industry output growth has waned to its weakest in seven years, data from the world's top exporting nations showed on Thursday, providing further evidence of a global economic slide.

Reuters - The White House said on Thursday it was not Congress' intent to use the $700 billion financial rescue package to help ailing U.S. automakers.

Reuters - The United States views Russian threats to place tactical missiles in the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad as provocative and misguided, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday.

Reuters - Gunmen abducted an Iranian diplomat in Peshawar on Thursday, a day after a U.S. aid worker was shot dead in the city on the front line of an Islamist insurgency sweeping northwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan.

Reuters - Oil rose above $57 a barrel on Thursday, recovering from a 22-month low as it drew limited support from news OPEC might take more emergency action to compensate for a deep drop in energy demand.

Reuters - Austrian Josef Fritzl, who imprisoned his daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children by her, has been charged with the murder of one of their children who died shortly after birth.

AFP - Josef Fritzl, 73, who held his daughter as a sex slave in a cellar for 24 years, has been charged with murdering one of the children he had with her, according to the charge sheet published Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of workers drawing jobless benefits hit a 25-year high this month and U.S. imports suffered a record drop in September, according to reports on Thursday that underscored a rapid drop-off in the U.S. economy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management, testified at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Thursday. Highlights:

DETROIT (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid to survive a deepening industry downturn.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three of the world's largest economies painted bleak pictures of their current conditions on Thursday as the United States, China and Germany all released data providing more evidence of the global economic slide.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama is considering naming a point person to lead efforts to help the distressed auto industry return to health, an Obama aide said on Thursday.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Vice President-elect Joe Biden has picked former Al Gore aide Ron Klain to be his chief of staff, a Democratic official said on Thursday.

AP - The world's developed economies, hard hit by the financial crisis, have slid into recession and will shrink further in 2009, a top international organization said Thursday.

AP - Wall Street struggled to find a direction Thursday after three straight days of declines, with investors reacting calmly to a larger-than-expected jump in unemployment claims and news that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is cutting its full-year outlook

AP - A county treasurer who lost her bid for a fourth term last week to a 20-year-old Dartmouth College student from Montana blames her failed candidacy on 'brainwashed college kids.'

Reuters - The number of workers drawing jobless benefits hit a 25-year high this month and U.S. imports suffered a record drop in September, according to reports on Thursday that underscored a rapid drop-off in the U.S. economy.

Reuters - George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management, testified at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Thursday. Highlights:

Reuters - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid to survive a deepening industry downturn.

Reuters - Three of the world's largest economies painted bleak pictures of their current conditions on Thursday as the United States, China and Germany all released data providing more evidence of the global economic slide.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama is considering naming a point person to lead efforts to help the distressed auto industry return to health, an Obama aide said on Thursday.

Reuters - Vice President-elect Joe Biden has picked former Al Gore aide Ron Klain to be his chief of staff, a Democratic official said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON/BOSTON (Reuters) - Some of the world's richest and most powerful hedge fund managers told U.S. lawmakers on Thursday that they support greater transparency for the secretive industry, but offered divergent views on whether the industry contributed to the financial crisis.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid to survive a deepening industry downturn.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A civilian cargo aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday killing all seven people on board, the U.S. military and shipping firm FedEx said.

AP - Applications for unemployment benefits soared to the highest level since just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while the trade deficit shrank more than expected as demand for imports plunged, further evidence of the struggling U.S. economy.

AP - Wall Street extended its sharp declines into a fourth day Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrials briefly dropping below 8,000 as investors continued their selling amidst a stream of negative economic news.

AP - Some of the nation's largest banks sharing in the $700 billion government bailout of the financial industry tried to assure lawmakers Thursday they are using the money to make more loans and help financially strapped homeowners avoid foreclosure.

AP - The world's developed countries, hard hit by the financial crisis, have probably tipped into a recession that will last at least through the first half of 2009, according to new projections issued Thursday.

AP - The Minnesota Twins have signed manager Ron Gardenhire to a two-year contract extension through the 2011 season.

Reuters - Senators asked the nation's biggest banks on Thursday to explain how they are using the billions of taxpayer dollars provided to them under a massive government bailout program. The answers were mixed.

Reuters - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid to survive a deepening industry downturn.

Reuters - A civilian cargo aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday killing all seven people on board, the U.S. military and shipping firm FedEx said.

AFP - Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo swept to the outskirts of a strategic crossroads town on Thursday where hundreds of government troops and UN peacekeepers stood in their way.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senators asked the nation's biggest banks on Thursday to explain how they are using the billions of taxpayer dollars provided to them under a massive government bailout program. The answers were mixed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama said he would resign his U.S. Senate seat effective on Sunday as he focuses on his transition to the White House.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid, while Chrysler said it would be 'very difficult to survive' without government support.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three of the world's largest economies painted bleak pictures of current conditions on Thursday as the United States, China and Germany all provided fresh evidence of the global economic slide.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghanistan's geography and socioeconomic conditions will make it hard for the U.S. military there to duplicate policies that helped stem Iraq's insurgency, a senior Pentagon official said on Thursday.

AP - Wall Street launched a massive rebound Thursday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 200 points after driving it below the 8,000 mark, as investors decided they did not want to miss out on buying stocks at cheap prices.

AP - Ryan O'Neal and his son have delayed entering pleas in their felony drug cases until after the new year. The Oscar-nominated actor and his son appeared in court Thursday morning, where attorneys asked a judge for more time to review evidence. The 67-year-old actor and his 23-year-old son were ordered to return on Jan. 9.

AP - Cliff Lee won the American League Cy Young Award in a runaway on Thursday, capping a dominant comeback season that made him the second consecutive Cleveland Indians lefty to earn the honor. Demoted to the minors last year, Lee went a major league-best 22-3 this season with a 2.54 ERA. He received 24 of 28 first-place votes and 132 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Reuters - A bid by global leaders to push forward plans this weekend to erect a firewall against future financial crises like the one now threatening the world economy will quickly run into tough political realities that will limit progress.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama said he would resign his U.S. Senate seat effective on Sunday as he focuses on his transition to the White House.

Reuters - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid, while Chrysler said it would be 'very difficult to survive' without government support.

Reuters - Three of the world's largest economies painted bleak pictures of current conditions on Thursday as the United States, China and Germany all provided fresh evidence of the global economic slide.

Reuters - Afghanistan's geography and socioeconomic conditions will make it hard for the U.S. military there to duplicate policies that helped stem Iraq's insurgency, a senior Pentagon official said on Thursday.

Reuters - A civilian cargo aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, killing all seven people on board, the U.S. military and shipping firm FedEx said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bid by global leaders to push forward plans this weekend to erect a firewall against future financial crises like the one now threatening the world economy will quickly run into tough political realities that will limit progress.

WINONA, Minnesota (Reuters) - Two top Federal Reserve policy-makers painted a gloomy picture on the U.S. economy on Thursday, on a day when initial claims for unemployment assistance topped half a million people.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - How much would you pay for a front row seat to history?

AP - Wall Street launched a massive rebound Thursday, muscling the Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 553 points after driving it down near its lows for the year, as investors decided they did not want to miss out on cheap stocks.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration is expected to draw 1 million-plus to the capital, and already some lawmakers have stopped taking ticket requests and hotels have booked up. Some people are bartering on Craigslist for places to stay for the Jan. 20 ceremony when the Illinois senator takes the oath of office. They are offering cash or even help with dishes for residents willing to open up their homes.

AP - President George W. Bush fervently defended U.S.-style free enterprise Thursday as the cure for the world's financial chaos, not the cause. He warned foreign leaders ahead of a weekend summit not to crush global growth with restrictive new rules.

AP - The mother was running out of more than patience when she abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital over the weekend under Nebraska's safe-haven law.

AP - Earth seems to have its first fuzzy photos of alien planets outside our solar system, images captured by two teams of astronomers. The pictures show four likely planets that appear as specks of white, nearly indecipherable except to the most eagle-eyed experts. All are trillions of miles away — three of them orbiting the same star, and the fourth circling a different star.

AP - Kanye West is to music what Michael Jordan was to basketball — at least that's what West thinks, in his humble estimation.

AP - A 35-year-old man faces charges after allegedly driving drunk and then urinating in the back of a squad car and on the arresting officer. A criminal complaint said the man was pulled over early Wednesday after an officer saw him driving erratically and striking a pole at a gas station.

Reuters - Two top Federal Reserve policy-makers painted a gloomy picture on the U.S. economy on Thursday, on a day when initial claims for unemployment assistance topped half a million people.

Reuters - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid, while Chrysler said it would be 'very difficult to survive' without government support.

AFP - US stocks staged a powerful rebound Thursday in highly volatile trade as traders shook off grim economic news and were buoyed by a successful test of market lows hit last month.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary, is being considered to serve as secretary of state in the Obama administration, NBC News reported on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dick Cheney, considered one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history, welcomed Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday for a tour of his new home to be.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs suspended its rating on General Motors Corp on Thursday and said the automaker needs at least $22 billion in federal aid, while Chrysler said it would be 'very difficult to survive' without government support.

AP - The nation's financial picture grew darker Thursday, a day marked by breathtaking numbers: a quarter-trillion-dollar budget deficit for a single month, a half-million new applications for unemployment benefits and a 900-point swing that led Wall Street to its third-biggest point gain ever.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration is expected to draw 1 million-plus to the capital, and already some lawmakers have stopped taking ticket requests and hotels have booked up.

AP - Republican John McCain implored Georgia voters Thursday to back Sen. Saxby Chambliss in next month's runoff, warning that Democrats will increase taxes and cut defense spending and the GOP needs to strengthen its ranks.

AP - A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him 'constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil.'

AP - The New York Yankees started their offseason makeover by acquiring Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Swisher, who can play first base and all three outfield spots, was obtained for pitching prospect Jeff Marquez and infielder Wilson Betemit.

Reuters - Sen. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primary, is being considered to serve as secretary of state in the Obama administration, NBC News reported on Thursday.

Reuters - Dick Cheney, considered one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history, welcomed Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday for a tour of his new home to be.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton emerged on Thursday as a candidate to be U.S. secretary of state for Barack Obama, months after he defeated her in an intense contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks surged on Thursday and broke a three-day losing streak after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq touched new five-year lows earlier in the session, prompting investors to put aside worries about the flagging economy and scoop up wilted shares at fire-sale prices.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. pressure on al Qaeda near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan has put the group 'off balance,' but the region remains the biggest terrorism threat to the United States, the CIA's chief said on Thursday.

AP - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is among the candidates that President-elect Barack Obama is considering for secretary of state, according to two Democratic officials in close contact with the Obama transition team.

AP - Vice President-elect Joe Biden was all smiles Thursday when he paid a courtesy call the man he will succeed, Dick Cheney. But he has insisted he wants to be nothing like him. Biden has called Cheney 'the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history' and said he couldn't name a single good thing Cheney had done.

AP - Brett Favre hit Leon Washington for a 7-yard touchdown pass on the game's opening drive and the New York Jets took a 10-3 lead over New England through one quarter on Thursday night with first place in the AFC East at stake.

Reuters - Sen. Hillary Clinton emerged on Thursday as a candidate to be U.S. secretary of state for Barack Obama, months after he defeated her in an intense contest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Reuters - U.S. pressure on al Qaeda near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan has put the group 'off balance,' but the region remains the biggest terrorism threat to the United States, the CIA's chief said on Thursday.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, architect of a policy a decade ago to bring the two Koreas together, has warned relations may be heading toward catastrophe as the prickly North draws deeper into its shell.

AP - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is among the candidates that President-elect Barack Obama is considering for secretary of state, according to two Democratic officials in close contact with the Obama transition team.

AP - Colombian rocker Juanes ruled the Latin Grammys on Thursday, sweeping awards in five categories — including record of the year and album of the year — and setting a new record for total wins.

AP - Leon Washington scored on a 92-yard kickoff return and a 7-yard touchdown pass, and Jerricho Cotchery followed an acrobatic catch with a TD reception to help the New York Jets open a 24-21 lead over New England after three quarters on Thursday night with first place in the AFC East at stake.

Reuters - Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, architect of a policy a decade ago to bring the two Koreas together, has warned relations may be heading toward catastrophe as the prickly North draws deeper into its shell.