NEW YORK (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are considering a major expansion of government-assisted health care insurance and unemployment benefits as part of a two-year economic recovery program, The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions.

AP - The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers, diplomats said.

AP - Peyton Manning has his MVP award and nothing more, outdone again in January by the San Diego Chargers. Speedy little Darren Sproles scooted 22 yards for the winning score 6:20 into overtime and the Chargers beat the Colts 23-17 in an AFC wild-card game Saturday night, ending Indianapolis' nine-game winning streak a day after Manning won his third Associated Press NFL MVP award.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are considering a major expansion of government-assisted health care insurance and unemployment benefits as part of a two-year economic recovery program, The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions.

AFP - The UN Security Council late Saturday failed to agree on a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in the wake of Israel's ground invasion of the Palestinian territory that had sparked worldwide condemnation.

AP - Illinois' embattled governor complained through his spokesman Saturday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is guilty of a conflict of interest in that Reid telephoned him in early December to discuss the seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Reuters - Russia and Ukraine looked no closer to compromise on Sunday over a gas row that has disrupted supplies to at least four European Union countries as they face freezing winter temperatures.

AFP - Israeli troops pushed deeper into Gaza and clashed in fierce battles with Hamas fighters on Sunday as Israel raised the stakes in its deadly offensive on the Islamists' overcrowded stronghold.

AFP - France spearheaded alarmed reaction from European nations as Israeli tanks and troops pushed into the Gaza Strip, revealing a sharp difference in tone from the official line in Washington.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants battled on Gaza City's outskirts on Sunday after Israeli troops and tanks invaded the coastal enclave in the worst fighting in the conflict in decades.

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine looked no closer to compromise on Sunday over a gas row that has disrupted supplies to at least four European Union countries as they face freezing winter temperatures.

AP - Israeli ground troops and tanks cut swaths through the Gaza Strip early Sunday, bisecting the coastal territory and surrounding its biggest city as the new phase of a devastating offensive against Hamas gained momentum.

AP - On a typical weekday, close to 2 million people commute to the nation's capital, snarling the highways and packing subway trains and buses during peak hours.

AP - Senate appointee Roland Burris has plans to speak before ministers and supporters before he departs for Washington.

AP - Iraqi police say a female suicide bomber has detonated an explosive vest among a group of pilgrims worshipping at a Shiite shrine in Baghdad, killing at least 30 people.

AP - A top Ukrainian official has warned that European customers could see serious natural gas disruptions in about two weeks if the energy dispute between Russia and Ukraine is not resolved, and the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom accused Ukraine of boycotting contract negotiations.

Reuters - Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants battled on Gaza City's outskirts on Sunday after Israeli troops and tanks invaded the coastal enclave in the worst fighting in the conflict in decades.

AFP - Israeli troops pushed deep into Gaza on Sunday with thousands of soldiers and scores of tanks battling Hamas fighters and moving toward the capital on a mission to end militant rocket attacks.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants battled in Gaza on Sunday after Israeli troops and tanks invaded the coastal enclave in the most serious fighting in the conflict in decades.

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine accused Russia on Sunday of deliberately reducing gas flows to customers in Europe as they face freezing winter temperatures.

AP - A female suicide bomber blew herself up on Sunday among a crowd of pilgrims worshipping at a revered Shiite shrine in northern Baghdad, killing at least 35 people and wounding at least 65, the Iraqi army said. There were fears the death toll could rise further.

AP - The Arizona Cardinals have consecutive home playoff victories — 61 years apart. Kurt Warner opened with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald and connected with Anquan Boldin on a 71-yard scoring play as the Cardinals beat Atlanta 30-24 Saturday before a raucous, towel-waving crowd.

Reuters - * Israelis and Palestinians battle in Gaza

Reuters - Ukraine accused Russia on Sunday of deliberately reducing gas flows to customers in Europe as they face freezing winter temperatures.

AFP - Israel's tank and troop assault on the Gaza Strip unleashed cries of alarm worldwide on Sunday, but Israel won US backing as moves for an immediate ceasefire foundered at the United Nations.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops and tanks split the Gaza Strip and ringed its main city on Sunday in an offensive against Hamas militants but civilians trapped in the Palestinian enclave suffered more bloodshed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number-two-ranked Democrat in the House of Representatives on Sunday said he hoped Congress could pass a massive financial stimulus package by early to mid-February.

AP - On a typical weekday, close to 2 million people commute to the nation's capital, snarling roads and packing subway trains and buses during peak hours.

AP - A female suicide bomber blew herself up on Sunday among a crowd of pilgrims worshipping at a revered Shiite shrine in northern Baghdad, killing at least 38 people and wounding about 72, the Iraqi army and police said.

Reuters - Israeli troops and tanks split the Gaza Strip and ringed its main city on Sunday in an offensive against Hamas militants but civilians trapped in the Palestinian enclave suffered more bloodshed.

Reuters - The number-two-ranked Democrat in the House of Representatives on Sunday said he hoped Congress could pass a massive financial stimulus package by early to mid-February.

AFP - Thousands of Israeli troops and scores of tanks advanced into Gaza on Sunday, battling Hamas fighters and surrounding the main city on a mission to end militant rocket attacks.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops and tanks split the Gaza Strip and ringed its main city on Sunday in an offensive against Hamas militants but civilians trapped in the Palestinian enclave suffered more bloodshed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Sunday that 'legal authority' exists under the Constitution to bar embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, but added there is also room to negotiate.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The sophistication of the Mumbai attack points to the involvement of 'state actors' in Pakistan, India's home minister said on Sunday, ahead of a visit to the United States with a dossier of evidence.

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for disrupting gas flows to Europe Sunday and the reductions in supplies caused by their dispute spread to the Czech Republic and Turkey.

AP - Vice President Dick Cheney says Israel did not seek U.S. clearance or approval before targeting Hamas with a ground invasion into Gaza.

Reuters - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Sunday that 'legal authority' exists under the Constitution to bar embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, but added there is also room to negotiate.

Reuters - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday the United States was close to achieving its aims in Iraq.

Reuters - The sophistication of the Mumbai attack points to the involvement of 'state actors' in Pakistan, India's home minister said on Sunday, ahead of a visit to the United States with a dossier of evidence.

Reuters - Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for disrupting gas flows to Europe Sunday and the reductions in supplies caused by their dispute spread to the Czech Republic and Turkey.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary, an Obama aide said Sunday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday the United States was close to achieving its aims in Iraq.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress will take over the government this month with big plans to overhaul U.S. financial regulation and a surge of momentum behind them.

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian gas supplies to the Czech Republic and Turkey dropped on Sunday, the latest victims of a deepening row between Russia and Ukraine over debts and pricing.

NASSAU (Reuters) - John Travolta broke a two-day silence over the death of his 16-year-old son Jett on Sunday, saying he and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, were 'heartbroken' by their sudden loss.

AP - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation.

AP - Don't expect Congress to have an economic recovery plan ready for Barack Obama when he takes office on Jan. 20.

AP - It is about as far from the Olympic sport of archery as it can get. The bow is taller than the person shooting it, and, to the uninitiated, it appears lopsided and unbalanced. There are no sights, no high-tech stabilizers.

Reuters - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary, an Obama aide said Sunday.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress will take over the government this month with big plans to overhaul U.S. financial regulation and a surge of momentum behind them.

Reuters - Russian gas supplies to the Czech Republic and Turkey dropped on Sunday, the latest victims of a deepening row between Russia and Ukraine over debts and pricing.

AFP - Tens of thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks battled Hamas fighters in Gaza fields and roads on Sunday as the Palestinian death toll from the offensive to end militant rocket attacks passed 500.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday withdrew as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary, becoming the first casualty among Obama's picks for his Cabinet.

NASSAU (Reuters) - Actor John Travolta broke a two-day silence over the death of his 16-year-old son Jett on Sunday, saying he and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, were 'heartbroken' by their sudden loss.

AP - Thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships surrounded Gaza's largest city and fought militants at close range on Sunday, in the first full day of an overwhelming ground offensive in the coastal territory.

AP - Anas Mansour sleeps in his street clothes in a south Gaza refugee camp, with his ID in his pocket so he can flee quickly if fighting gets worse. In Gaza City, the 10 members of the Karam family huddle in their hallway at night, kept awake by artillery fire booming outside.

AP - Wall Street will open for trading Monday at a two-month high as investors have grown more optimistic that the worst of the market's rout might be over. But, analysts contend, the real test is still to come.

AP - John Travolta's 16-year-old son was 'spectacularly supervised' before he was found collapsed at the family's vacation home on Grand Bahama, an attorney for the actor said Sunday.

AP - Mike Smith and Tony Sparano performed so brilliantly as rookie head coaches it was almost impossible to separate them.

Reuters - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday withdrew as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary, becoming the first casualty among Obama's picks for his Cabinet.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday withdrew as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for commerce secretary, saying a legal inquiry in his home state would have complicated his Senate confirmation for the job.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops and tanks split the Gaza Strip and ringed its main city on Sunday in an offensive against Hamas that has killed 500 Palestinians, including a growing number of civilians.

AP - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract.

AP - John Travolta said Saturday he and his wife Kelly Preston are 'heartbroken' over the death of their chronically ill 16-year-old son, who collapsed at the family's vacation home on Grand Bahama.

AP - The Baltimore Ravens had Chad Pennington spinning, ducking, on his heels and on his back. When he did manage to get a pass away, they were often there to snatch it.

Reuters - Israeli troops and tanks split the Gaza Strip and ringed its main city on Sunday in an offensive against Hamas that has killed 500 Palestinians, including a growing number of civilians.

Reuters - Actor John Travolta broke a two-day silence over the death of his 16-year-old son Jett on Sunday, saying he and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, were 'heartbroken' by their sudden loss.

AFP - Tens of thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks battled Hamas fighters in Gaza on Sunday as the death toll from the offensive to end militant rocket attacks passed 510.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama stumbled in his quest for a smooth transition on Sunday when New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew as his nominee for commerce secretary in the face of a legal inquiry.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is prepared to expand its unconventional policy measures, to support the U.S. economy, Janet Yellen, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, said on Sunday.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama landed in the Washington area Sunday evening, setting up the final march toward his Jan. 20 inauguration.

AP - The Baltimore Ravens had Chad Pennington spinning, ducking, on his heels and on his back. When he did manage to get a pass away, they were often there to snatch it. The Ravens came up with four interceptions, including one returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Ed Reed, and won 27-9 Sunday to spoil the Miami Dolphins' first playoff game in seven seasons.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama stumbled in his quest for a smooth transition on Sunday when New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew as his nominee for commerce secretary in the face of a legal inquiry.

Reuters - The Federal Reserve is prepared to expand its unconventional policy measures, to support the U.S. economy, Janet Yellen, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, said on Sunday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces on Monday pressed on with a deadly ground, sea and air offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that has cut the territory in two and France spearheaded diplomatic efforts to obtain a truce.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan will propose business and middle class tax cuts of about $310 billion dollars, or 40 percent of the package, a senior Democratic aide said on Sunday.

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Democrat Al Franken will be declared the winner of the tight U.S. Senate contest in Minnesota, emerging from a ballot recount with a slim margin over Republican Norm Coleman, a state official said on Sunday.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Officials from the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank on Sunday vowed to fight the damaging effects of deflation as the global economy suffers a deep and lengthy recession.

AP - Thousands protesting Israel's ground offensive on Gaza converged Sunday in Beirut and Istanbul as the leaders of the only two Mideast Arab nations to sign peace treaties with Israel demanded an end to the attack.

AP - Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson and their little dog have not lost their box office bite. The family tale 'Marley & Me,' starring Aniston and Wilson as owners of an adorably mischievous pooch, took in $24.1 million to finish as the No. 1 movie for a second-straight weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

AP - Above the Metrodome's deafening noise, Donovan McNabb stayed poised. Completing passes precisely when the Eagles needed him to, McNabb repeatedly sidestepped the Minnesota rush and sent Philadelphia to a 26-14 playoff win Sunday after being all but forgotten as a postseason contender just one month earlier.

Reuters - Israeli forces on Monday pressed on with a deadly ground, sea and air offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that has cut the territory in two and France spearheaded diplomatic efforts to obtain a truce.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan will propose business and middle class tax cuts of about $310 billion dollars, or 40 percent of the package, a senior Democratic aide said on Sunday.

Reuters - Democrat Al Franken will be declared the winner of the tight U.S. Senate contest in Minnesota, emerging from a ballot recount with a slim margin over Republican Norm Coleman, a state official said on Sunday.

Reuters - Officials from the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank on Sunday vowed to fight the damaging effects of deflation as the global economy suffers a deep and lengthy recession.

AFP - Tens of thousands of Israeli troops battled Hamas fighters in Gaza early on Monday amid tank, artillery and air strikes, as the death toll from the offensive to end rocket attacks passed 510.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama is seeking as much as $310 billion in tax cuts as part of a massive stimulus plan to counter what senior policymakers warned could be a prolonged period of economic stagnation and deflation.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's government said that it had handed over evidence on the Mumbai attacks to Pakistan on Monday, and it expected a prompt investigation.

AP - Thousands protesting Israel's ground offensive on Gaza converged Sunday in Beirut and Istanbul as the leaders of the only two Mideast Arab nations to sign peace treaties with Israel demanded an end to the attack.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama rejoined his family in Washington on Sunday evening after bidding a poignant farewell to his Chicago home as he begins final preparations for his Jan. 20 inauguration.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama has selected Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee, two Democrats said Sunday.

AP - A helicopter bound for offshore oil fields went down Sunday afternoon in marshlands about 100 miles southeast of New Orleans, killing eight people and critically injuring one, officials said.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama is seeking as much as $310 billion in tax cuts as part of a massive stimulus plan to counter what senior policymakers warned could be a prolonged period of economic stagnation and deflation.

Reuters - India's government said that it had handed over evidence on the Mumbai attacks to Pakistan on Monday, and it expected a prompt investigation.