AP - Asian stock markets rose strongly Monday, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Shanghai gaining more than 2 percent, as Wall Street's rally and stimulus plans in the U.S. and elsewhere buoyed investor hopes for 2009.

AP - Eight people were killed and a ninth was reported critically injured after a helicopter bound for the offshore oil fields crashed Sunday afternoon in marshlands about 100 miles southwest of New Orleans.

AFP - Demonstrations in Israel's main regional ally Turkey led swelling Muslim protests over the ground offensive in Gaza, as a Palestinian demonstrator was shot dead by Israeli troops in the West Bank.

GAZA (Reuters) - At least three children were among a dozen Palestinian civilians killed on Monday as Israeli troops pressed home a ground assault on Hamas militants in the face of French-led diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's government handed over evidence on the Mumbai attacks to Pakistan on Monday, saying it expected a prompt investigation as New Delhi tried to pile on diplomatic pressure on its nuclear-armed rival.

Reuters - India's government handed over evidence on the Mumbai attacks to Pakistan on Monday, saying it expected a prompt investigation as New Delhi tried to pile on diplomatic pressure on its nuclear-armed rival.

AFP - Israeli troops and Hamas fighters battled in Gaza on Monday amid tank, artillery and air strikes, as Israel pressed on with its assault on Hamas and world leaders stepped up efforts to end the conflict.

AFP - India on Monday handed to Pakistan what it said was evidence linking the country to the Islamic militants who attacked Mumbai in November, India's foreign minister said.

GAZA (Reuters) - At least three children were among a dozen Palestinian civilians killed on Monday as Israeli troops pressed home a ground assault on Hamas militants in the face of French-led diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire.

LONDON (Reuters) - Cautious New Year optimism rippled through Asian and European stock markets on Monday as investors waited for news of tax cutting plans in Germany and the United States.

(Reuters) - Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC was examined at least eight times in 16 years by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators, who often came armed with suspicions, the Wall Street Journal said.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia's row with Ukraine slashed gas flows to Greece by a third and reduced supplies to Bulgaria and Croatia on Monday, placing Moscow's reputation as a reliable gas supplier to Europe under new scrutiny.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States opened its new embassy building in Baghdad Monday, a step symbolizing its transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government.

AP - Israeli forces consolidated their hold on parts of Gaza's north Monday, pounding the territory from the air, land and sea and killing at least seven children and six other civilians in a bruising campaign against Hamas militants.

AP - Barack Obama is heading to Capitol Hill to push for quick action on a broad economic stimulus package that congressional leaders are saying won't be ready until mid-February at the earliest — almost a month later than the president-elect wanted.

AP - The Cabinet that President-elect Barack Obama picked on a fast track has an unexpected opening, with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Obama's choice for commerce secretary, withdrawing under pressure of a federal investigation into how his political donors landed a lucrative transportation contract.

AP - India gave Pakistan the most detailed evidence yet that it says ties the militants who attacked Mumbai to 'elements' in Pakistan — responding Monday to weeks of demands from Islamabad for proof that the siege was launched from across the border.

AP - Illinois U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris plans to have a high-stakes showdown on Capitol Hill this week with Democratic leaders who continue to say he won't be seated in Congress.

AP - The Securities and Exchange Commission heard rumblings about Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff's investment methods nearly a decade ago. Now a House panel wants to know how, despite those warnings, Madoff continued to operate without an agency investigation.

AP - Federal officials were expected to arrive Monday to find out why a helicopter bound for an offshore oil platform crashed in Louisiana's marshlands, killing eight and critically injuring another.

AP - Asian stock markets rose strongly Monday, with benchmarks in Hong Kong and Shanghai gaining more than 3 percent, as Wall Street's rally and government stimulus plans buoyed investor hopes for 2009. European markets also opened higher.

AP - Jose Perez often butted heads with his grandfather, who emigrated from Mexico years ago and feared his American-born grandson didn't appreciate the sacrifices his family made. Then the teenager started playing the music of the elder's homeland.

Reuters - At least three children were among a dozen Palestinian civilians killed on Monday as Israeli troops pressed home a ground assault on Hamas militants in the face of French-led diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Reuters - Cautious New Year optimism rippled through Asian and European stock markets on Monday as investors waited for news of tax cutting plans in Germany and the United States.

Reuters - Russia's row with Ukraine slashed gas flows to Greece by a third and reduced supplies to Bulgaria and Croatia on Monday, placing Moscow's reputation as a reliable gas supplier to Europe under new scrutiny.

Reuters - The United States opened its new embassy building in Baghdad Monday, a step symbolizing its transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States opened its new embassy building in Baghdad Monday, a step meant to symbolize its transition from occupying power to an ally of a sovereign Iraqi government.

AP - The state Canvassing Board was poised to certify the results of the recount in Minnesota's grueling Senate election in Al Franken's favor — but that doesn't mean the race is definitely over.

AP - Wall Street proceeded warily into the first full week of 2009, trading mixed in premarket activity Monday ahead of readings on auto sales and construction spending.

AP - China launched a major crackdown on Internet pornography Monday targeting popular online portals and major search engines such as Google.

AP - Two sushi bar owners paid more than $100,000 for a Japanese bluefin tuna at a Tokyo fish auction Monday, about ten times the average price and the highest in nearly a decade, market officials said.

AP - The NFL divisional playoff lineup is set: Baltimore and Tennessee open next Saturday's action in the AFC. Then Arizona visits Carolina in an NFC game. On Sunday, Philadelphia travels to the Meadowlands to play the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the NFC. The final game of the weekend will be San Diego at Pittsburgh in the AFC.

Reuters - The European Union decided on Monday to send a mission to Russia this week to press for a speedy resolution of a dispute with Ukraine that has reduced gas supplies to eastern and southern Europe.

AFP - Israeli warplanes carried out intensive raids on Hamas targets on Monday as ground troops surrounded Gaza's main city, while Israel faced mounting diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks, planes and ground forces pounded Gaza on Monday and the defense minister said the offensive against Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave would go on until Israel was safe.

LONDON (Reuters) - The prospect of tax cuts in Germany and the United States brought investors a measure of New Year cheer on Monday, and a survey of euro zone investor sentiment showed an unexpected improvement.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple Inc, said on Monday a hormone imbalance had caused him to lose weight but that he would continue as CEO during his recovery, sending its shares up 3.4 percent.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India said it had handed over evidence on Monday that linked Pakistani militants to the Mumbai attacks and demanded a prompt investigation by Islamabad, piling diplomatic pressure on its nuclear-armed rival.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - The European Union on Monday scheduled talks with Russia to press for a speedy resolution of a dispute with Ukraine that has hit gas supplies to countries in eastern and southern Europe facing freezing temperatures.

AP - Israel consolidated its hold on parts of the Gaza Strip on Monday, seizing high-rise buildings on the outskirts of the territory's biggest city as a stream of world leaders headed for the region to press for a truce. At least seven Palestinian children were killed, adding to the growing toll of civilian deaths that has caused international outrage.

AP - The United States inaugurated its largest embassy ever in the heart of the Green Zone on Monday, officially opening the fortress-like compound that was built as a testament to America's commitment to Iraq.

AP - Apple Inc. founder and Chief Executive Steve Jobs, a survivor of pancreatic cancer, said Monday that a hormonal imbalance is to blame for the weight loss that has prompted worries about his health.

Reuters - Israeli tanks, planes and ground forces pounded Gaza on Monday and the defense minister said the offensive against Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave would go on until Israel was safe.

Reuters - The prospect of tax cuts in Germany and the United States brought investors a measure of New Year cheer on Monday, and a survey of euro zone investor sentiment showed an unexpected improvement.

Reuters - A letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Monday explained he has a hormone imbalance and will continue as CEO during recovery.

Reuters - India said it had handed over evidence on Monday that linked Pakistani militants to the Mumbai attacks and demanded a prompt investigation by Islamabad, piling diplomatic pressure on its nuclear-armed rival.

Reuters - The European Union on Monday scheduled talks with Russia to press for a speedy resolution of a dispute with Ukraine that has hit gas supplies to countries in eastern and southern Europe facing freezing temperatures.

AFP - Israeli troops tightened their military grip on Gaza with new air strikes and ground battles on Monday while Europe led a diplomatic offensive to secure a ceasefire.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said on Monday he expected 'sobering' unemployment figures at the end of this week as he went to Capitol Hill to campaign for his economic stimulus package.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs sought to soothe investor concerns about his health on Monday, saying his weight loss was caused by a hormone imbalance that is relatively simple to treat.

VIENNA (Reuters) - More countries should offer to take in Guantanamo prisoners to help U.S. President-elect Barack Obama close the detention camp for terrorism suspects, the U.N.'s torture investigator said on Monday.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama, commencing face to face consultations with congressional leaders Monday, is embracing an unexpectedly large tax cut of up to $300 billion. Obama said the country faces an 'extraordinary economic challenge.'

AP - Israel seized control of high-rise buildings and attacked houses, mosques and smuggling tunnels as it pressed its offensive against the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers on Monday, even as a stream of European leaders headed to the region to push for a truce.

AP - Authorities in Ohio have arrested a man in the shooting death of a woman whose 4-year son was abducted by the gunman and left unharmed at a highway rest area.

AP - Griffin B. Bell, the shrewd Southern lawyer who grew up with Jimmy Carter and became U.S. attorney general after Carter was elected president, died at an Atlanta hospital Monday. He was 90.

AP - The first family leaving the White House this month will be without one of its longtime members: the Bush family's 18-year-old cat has died.

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said on Monday he expected 'sobering' unemployment figures at the end of this week as he went to Capitol Hill to campaign for his economic stimulus package.

Reuters - Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs sought to soothe investor concerns about his health on Monday, saying his weight loss was caused by a hormone imbalance that is relatively simple to treat.

Reuters - More countries should offer to take in Guantanamo prisoners to help U.S. President-elect Barack Obama close the detention camp for terrorism suspects, the U.N.'s torture investigator said on Monday.

AFP - Israeli troops tightened their military grip on Gaza with new air and ground attacks that claimed more than 20 more lives on Monday, while the Israeli government rejected European-led calls for an immediate ceasefire.

AFP - India on Monday handed to Pakistan what it said was evidence linking the country to the Islamic militants who attacked Mumbai in November, India's foreign minister announced.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - The prospect of new tax cuts in the United States and Germany injected a measure of New Year cheer on Monday, and a euro zone investor survey indicated new hope that the worst of the financial crisis had passed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama went to the U.S. Capitol on Monday to press for swift passage of a huge spending and tax-cut package amid signs his centerpiece economic stimulus plan may face delays.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than 8,000 forms have been mailed to customers of accused swindler Bernard Madoff so they can make claims by March or July for any money they may have lost, the trustee overseeing the liquidation of Madoff's firm said on Monday.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia will reduce gas flows to Europe via Ukraine from Monday by the same amount it says Kiev is siphoning off, a measure that could further hurt supply to European countries facing freezing temperatures.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama, commencing face to face consultations with congressional leaders Monday, is embracing an unexpectedly large tax cut of up to $300 billion.

AP - Ford Motor Co.'s U.S. sales plummeted 32 percent in December and Toyota Motor Corp.'s fell 37 percent as car and truck buyers continued to steer clear of showrooms due to the dismal economy.

AP - The Minnesota Supreme Court has rejected Republican Norm Coleman's request to count an additional 650 rejected absentee ballots in the state's U.S. Senate recount.

AP - Israel seized control of high-rise buildings and attacked houses, mosques and smuggling tunnels as it pressed its offensive against the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers on Monday, while the U.S. joined a stream of countries pushing for a cease-fire.

AP - Griffin B. Bell, the shrewd Southern lawyer who grew up with Jimmy Carter and later became U.S. attorney general after Carter was elected president, died Monday. He was 90.

AP - A family doctor for John Travolta was observing the autopsy Monday of the actor's teenage son, who died unexpectedly in the family's Grand Bahama island vacation home.

AP - James Harrison slams down the current version of the Steel Curtain better than any Pittsburgh Steeler, earning him The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award.

Reuters - The prospect of new tax cuts in the United States and Germany injected a measure of New Year cheer on Monday, and a euro zone investor survey indicated new hope that the worst of the financial crisis had passed.

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama went to the U.S. Capitol on Monday to press for swift passage of a huge spending and tax-cut package amid signs his centerpiece economic stimulus plan may face delays.

Reuters - More than 8,000 forms have been mailed to customers of accused swindler Bernard Madoff so they can make claims by March or July for any money they may have lost, the trustee overseeing the liquidation of Madoff's firm said on Monday.

AFP - Israeli troops battled Hamas fighters in Gaza's main city for the first time Monday -- after dozens died in a day of clashes -- while the government fended off worldwide calls for a ceasefire.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Leon Panetta, who was White House chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, to lead the CIA, Democratic officials said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A congressional hearing into the alleged $50 billion Bernard Madoff fraud provided a platform on Monday for proponents of sweeping financial oversight reforms.

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - The abduction of a U.S. anti-kidnap expert in northern Mexico last month remains a mystery with no clues to the man's whereabouts and no ransom demanded by his captors, police said on Monday.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia reduced gas flows to Europe via Ukraine on Monday, a measure it said was to stop its neighbor siphoning off fuel but which Kiev said could jeopardize supplies to European countries including Germany.

AP - Two Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to run the CIA. Panetta was a surprise pick for the post, with no experience in the intelligence world. An Obama transition official and another Democrat disclosed his nomination on a condition of anonymity since it was not yet public.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama declared the national economy was 'bad and getting worse' Monday as he began crisis talks with congressional leaders on emergency action. He predicted lawmakers would approve hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending and tax cuts within two weeks of his taking office.

AP - Defiant and upbeat, Illinois U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris said Monday that upon arriving in Washington, he plans to tell Democratic leaders: 'I'm here to take my seat.' But Burris faces an uphill battle on Capitol Hill, where his fellow Democrats have pledged not to accept anyone appointed by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat left vacant by Barack Obama's election as president.

AP - A Minnesota board has certified results showing Democrat Al Franken winning the state's U.S. Senate recount over Republican Norm Coleman, but a legal challenge probably will keep the race in limbo. The Canvassing Board's declaration Monday starts a seven-day clock for Coleman to file a lawsuit protesting the result. If he doesn't, Franken will get the election certificate he needs to take the seat in Washington.

AP - Toyota and Honda's U.S. sales fell more than their U.S. competitors' in December, with Toyota's 37 percent decline and Honda's 35 percent drop showing the Japanese company's popular fuel-efficient models were little help as consumers steered clear of showrooms due to the dismal economy.

AP - Doctors in the Bahamas conducted an autopsy Monday on John Travolta's 16-year-old son, but authorities did not immediately disclose the results.

AP - A man who police said was shot by his stepfather ended up in the same jail with him after officers discovered outstanding arrest warrants against the victim. Police told The Daily News of Jacksonville that 37-year-old Richard Hayes shot his stepson Thursday night.

AP - A bomb squad took a live mortar shell that a man found among his grandfather's possessions and detonated it at an undisclosed site. The sheriff's department said the grandson, whose name wasn't released, discovered the shell from the Korean War era at a home on Friday.

Reuters - Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Leon Panetta, who was White House chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, to lead the CIA, Democratic officials said on Monday.

Reuters - A congressional hearing into the alleged $50 billion Bernard Madoff fraud provided a platform on Monday for proponents of sweeping financial oversight reforms.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama pressed congressional leaders on Monday to pass his huge spending and tax-cut package amid signs the centerpiece of his economic stimulus plan may face delays.

Reuters - Democrat Al Franken beat Republican incumbent Norm Coleman to win the U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota, officials conducting a final recount said on Monday nearly two months after the November 4 election.

Reuters - The abduction of a U.S. anti-kidnap expert in northern Mexico last month remains a mystery with no clues to the man's whereabouts and no ransom demanded by his captors, police said on Monday.

AFP - Israel ignored growing international demands for a ceasefire and took its war against Hamas into Gaza's main city on Monday as dozens more bodies were taken to the enclave's hospitals.

AFP - US president-elect Barack Obama has chosen former lawmaker and White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the Central Intelligence Agency, a Democratic Party official told AFP Monday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to revoke the bail terms for alleged swindler Bernard Madoff and detain him on Monday, claiming he was a flight risk.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The prospect of new tax cuts in the United States and Germany injected a measure of New Year cheer on Monday, even as automakers wrapped up 2008 as their worst in more than 15 years with yet another month of slumping U.S. sales.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama pressed congressional leaders on Monday to pass his huge spending and tax-cut package amid signs the centerpiece of his economic stimulus plan may face delays.

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Democrat Al Franken beat Republican incumbent Norm Coleman to win the U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota, officials conducting a final recount said on Monday, though the loser promised to challenge the result.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's decision to fill the nation's top intelligence jobs with two men short on direct experience in intelligence gathering surprised the spy community and signaled the Democrat's intention for a clean break from Bush administration policies.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama plunged into rare pre-inaugural crisis talks with congressional leaders Monday, declaring the national economy was 'bad and getting worse' and embracing tax cuts now expected to reach $300 billion. He predicted lawmakers would approve a mammoth revitalization package within two weeks of his taking office.

AP - Israel's expanding ground and air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers took a heavy civilian toll Monday, including three young brothers reported killed by a crashing shell and wounded who filled hospital corridors.

AP - Senate Democrats struggled to avert a showdown steeped in race and corruption Monday as a defiant Roland Burris declared, 'I'm a United States senator' despite boiling controversy over his appointment to President-elect Barack Obama's seat in Congress.

AP - A Minnesota board on Monday certified results showing Democrat Al Franken winning the state's U.S. Senate recount over Republican Norm Coleman, whose lawyer promised a legal challenge that probably will keep the race in limbo for months.

AP - Chrysler LLC's December U.S. sales plunged by more than half and it sold 30 percent fewer vehicles in 2008, dwarfing the steep declines at the other major automakers as consumers remained uncertain about the economy and their jobs.

AP - Jett Travolta's body shows no sign of head trauma and his death certificate says he was killed by a 'seizure,' an undertaker said Monday, as the 16-year-old's celebrity parents prepared for a Florida funeral.

AP - Police say a woman who begged from a wheelchair was caught running from a crime scene on foot in Monterrey, Mexico. Police spokeswoman Sidlayin Robles says 30-year-old Ana Victoria Perez fled on foot after she and her husband allegedly threw a stone through the front window of a furniture store.

Reuters - Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.

Reuters - U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to revoke the bail terms for alleged swindler Bernard Madoff and detain him on Monday, claiming he was a flight risk.

Reuters - The prospect of new tax cuts in the United States and Germany injected a measure of New Year cheer on Monday, even as automakers wrapped up 2008 as their worst in more than 15 years with yet another month of slumping U.S. sales.

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to jail accused swindler Bernard Madoff on Monday, saying he sent jewelry and other items worth more than $1 million to family and friends in violation of his bail.

AP - Police say a 4-year-old boy in southern Ohio shot his babysitter because the sitter accidentally stepped on his foot. Police said 18-year-old Nathan Beavers and several other teenagers were babysitting several young children in a mobile home in Jackson on Sunday when the shooting occurred.

AP - Pat Burrell went from one World Series team to the other. The Tampa Bay Rays added a big bat to the middle of their lineup, agreeing Monday on a $16 million, two-year contract with Burrell.

Reuters - U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to jail accused swindler Bernard Madoff on Monday, saying he sent jewelry and other items worth more than $1 million to family and friends in violation of his bail.

AFP - The heaviest fighting of Israel's war on Hamas raged in Gaza City early on Tuesday as the Israeli government parried appeals to stop the death toll from mounting further.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The legal battle over gay marriage in California turned on Monday to whether the state's top court could strike down a change in the state constitution that was approved by voters.

AP - A prosecutor on Monday asked that Bernard Madoff be jailed pending trial, saying the disgraced financier violated an agreement with the court by mailing watches, jewelry, cufflinks and mittens worth more than $1 million to relatives and friends.

AP - Anthrax mailing suspect Bruce Ivins tormented his wife with rudeness and behaved erratically in the weeks before the Army scientist took his own life by overdosing on Tylenol, according to documents released Monday.

AP - The Chicago Cubs and free agent Milton Bradley reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $30 million, three-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The deal is subject to a physical scheduled for Thursday, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.

Reuters - Israel pressed on with its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip for a fourth day on Tuesday despite new international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict in which more than 540 Palestinians have been killed.

Reuters - Toyota Motor Corp, reeling from its worst U.S. sales decline in more than a quarter of a century, will shut all its factories in Japan for 11 days as the global economic slump hits demand and company profits.

Reuters - The legal battle over gay marriage in California turned on Monday to whether the state's top court could strike down a change in the state constitution that was approved by voters.

AFP - The heaviest fighting of Israel's war on Hamas raged in Gaza City early on Tuesday as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rebuffed appeals to stop the death toll from mounting further.