BEVERLY HILLS (Reuters) - Low-budget movies blew by their major studio rivals at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday as romance 'Slumdog Millionaire' won a leading four honors, including best drama to give it a push in the race for Oscars.

Reuters - Low-budget movies blew by their major studio rivals at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday as romance 'Slumdog Millionaire' won a leading four honors, including best drama to give it a push in the race for Oscars.

AP - Citigroup and Morgan Stanley may announce as early as Monday a deal to combine their brokerages, a move analysts say could trigger a fresh wave of consolidation in the troubled and thinning banking industry.

AP - A request for the remaining $350 billion in financial industry bailout funds could come as early as Monday as the Bush administration and President-elect Barack Obama tag-team uneasy lawmakers for the money.

AFP - Israeli troops clashed with Hamas fighters on Monday across the Gaza Strip after the Jewish state poured reserve troops into the territory and ceasefire talks plodded on in Egypt.

AFP - Europe's energy crisis deepened Monday as the failure to resolve a bitter dispute between Russia and Ukraine left hundreds of thousands enduring a second week of freezing conditions without heating gas.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran called on U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Monday not to repeat what it said were false accusations leveled against the Islamic Republic by the outgoing administration in Washington.

PARE-PARE, Indonesia (Reuters) - Nearly 250 people are still missing from an Indonesian ferry which sank in heavy seas at the weekend, officials said on Monday, as bad weather hampered rescue efforts.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine has removed conditions that had threatened a gas deal to resume Russian supplies to Europe, Russia's gas export monopoly said on Monday.

AP - Israeli warplanes pounded the homes of Hamas leaders and ground troops edged closer to the Gaza Strip's densely-populated urban center Monday, as Israel stepped up the pressure ahead of deciding whether to escalate its devastating two-week offensive.

AP - Heath Ledger got his Golden Globe, and Kate Winslet came away with two. Yet the Globes otherwise went slumming, with 'Slumdog Millionaire' taking top honors and other key prizes going to a newcomer, an underdog and a poster boy for the classic Hollywood comeback.

AP - Asian stock markets retreated Monday, with Hong Kong's benchmark off nearly 3 percent, as a jump in U.S. unemployment heightened concerns the global economy is facing a prolonged slump. European markets were slightly lower in early trade.

AP - The Denver Broncos have hired Mike Shanahan version 2.0 — another bright, young offensive mind.

Reuters - Iran called on U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Monday not to repeat what it said were false accusations leveled against the Islamic Republic by the outgoing administration in Washington.

Reuters - Nearly 250 people are still missing from an Indonesian ferry which sank in heavy seas at the weekend, officials said on Monday, as bad weather hampered rescue efforts.

AFP - Israeli infantry units clashed with Hamas fighters across Gaza on Monday as Israel sent reservists to boost its ground forces and talks on ending the 17-day-old war plodded on in Egypt.

AFP - Europe's energy crisis deepened Monday as the failure to resolve a bitter dispute between Russia and Ukraine left hundreds of thousands enduring a second week of freezing conditions without heating gas.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops fought fierce gun battles with Hamas fighters on Monday, keeping military pressure on the Islamist group while avoiding all-out urban warfare that would complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza war.

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The break-up of U.S. banking powerhouse Citigroup moved a step closer, and Britain took control of a big stake in another top lender on Monday as the reshaping of the global financial landscape gathered pace.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Government efforts to prop up U.S. banks and savings institutions have only partly cushioned the blow from what may have been the industry's worst three-month period since 1990.

PARE-PARE, Indonesia (Reuters) - Nearly 250 people are still missing from an Indonesian ferry which sank in heavy seas at the weekend, officials said on Monday, as bad weather hampered rescue efforts.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine removed conditions on Monday that threatened a gas deal to resume Russian supplies, opening the way for the rival former Soviet states to resolve a row that has plunged much of Europe into an energy crisis.

AP - Blizzard warnings were posted across the Northern Plains early Monday as a bitterly cold wallop of snow threatens the region, while residents of the Midwest and Northeast dug out after their own tussles with weekend storms.

AP - Bernard Madoff could be forced to trade his luxurious penthouse for a jail cell.

AP - President George W. Bush is set to take questions from news reporters at a previously unannounced news conference in the final days of his administration.

AP - The Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsbrugh Steelers have advanced to next weekend's NFL conference championship games.

Reuters - Israeli troops fought fierce gun battles with Hamas fighters on Monday, keeping military pressure on the Islamist group while avoiding all-out urban warfare that would complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza war.

Reuters - The break-up of U.S. banking powerhouse Citigroup moved a step closer, and Britain took control of a big stake in another top lender on Monday as the reshaping of the global financial landscape gathered pace.

Reuters - Policymakers facing growing job losses prepared new moves to bolster their economies on Monday, with Germany finalizing stimulus steps, Britain striving to protect jobs and the next U.S. president aiming to reshape rescue plans.

Reuters - Nearly 250 people are still missing from an Indonesian ferry which sank in heavy seas at the weekend, officials said on Monday, as bad weather hampered rescue efforts.

AFP - Russian energy giant Gazprom is ready to resume gas supplies to the EU 'as soon as possible' once Ukraine fulfils conditions on gas transit, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on Monday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops fought fierce gun battles with Hamas fighters on Monday, keeping military pressure on the Islamist group while avoiding all-out urban warfare that would complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza war.

LONDON (Reuters) - Policymakers facing mounting job losses prepared new measures to ease the pain on Monday and a gathering of top central bankers said the world's major economies would shrink this year but should then recover.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad Monday for talks with leaders of Iraq, where the withdrawal of some 140,000 American troops is seen as a key challenge facing the incoming U.S. administration.

MOSCOW/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine signed a deal on Monday for a second time to help secure the resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, cut off for nearly a week in freezing temperatures.

AP - President George W. Bush said Monday in the final news conference of his presidency that he would ask Congress to release the remaining $350 billion in Wall Street bailout money if President-elect Barack Obama asks him to do so. But he said Obama hasn't so far.

AP - President George W. Bush is repeating his long-standing call for creation of a Palestinian state and says Hamas must back off from its attacks on Israel.

AP - Huge waves and driving rain hindered rescuers Monday as they searched for about 250 people missing and feared dead after a ferry packed with passengers and cargo capsized in a cyclone off Indonesia's Sulawesi island.

AP - The Army has been dismissing so many overweight applicants that its top recruiter, trying to keep troop numbers up in wartime, is considering starting a fat farm to transform chubby trainees into svelte soldiers.

AP - General Motors Corp.'s chief operating officer said Monday that the automaker has presented a worst-case scenario to Congress in which it would need more money than the $13.4 billion allocated by the Treasury Department.

Reuters - Israeli troops fought fierce gun battles with Hamas fighters on Monday, keeping military pressure on the Islamist group while avoiding all-out urban warfare that would complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza war.

Reuters - Policymakers facing mounting job losses prepared new measures to ease the pain on Monday and a gathering of top central bankers said the world's major economies would shrink this year but should then recover.

Reuters - Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad Monday for talks with leaders of Iraq, where the withdrawal of some 140,000 American troops is seen as a key challenge facing the incoming U.S. administration.

AFP - Israeli infantry units battled with Hamas fighters across Gaza on Monday as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he hoped Egyptian peace efforts could bring about a swift end to the war.

AFP - Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, cut last week, are set to resume Tuesday morning, the Czech EU presidency said Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama has asked President George W. Bush to seek the remaining $350 billion of the $700 billion financial industry bailout, and he agreed to do so, the White House said on Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge rules on Monday on whether or not to send accused swindler Bernard Madoff to jail while investigators probe a worldwide $50 billion investment fraud they said he confessed to last month.

MOSCOW/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine signed a deal on Monday for a second time to help secure the resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, cut off for nearly a week in freezing temperatures.

AP - By turns wistful, aggressive and joking in the final news conference of his presidency, President George W. Bush vigorously defended his record Monday but also offered an extraordinary listing of his mistakes — including his optimistic Iraq speech before a giant 'Mission Accomplished' banner in 2003.

AP - President George W. Bush agreed to ask Congress on Monday to release the remaining $350 billion in financial sector rescue funds after receiving a request to do so from President-elect Barack Obama, the White House said.

AP - A fast-moving blizzard brought snow and high winds to North Dakota Monday, closing schools and causing more headaches for residents still trying to dig out from a record snowfall last month.

AP - Huge waves and driving rain hindered rescuers Monday as they searched for more than 230 people missing and feared dead after a ferry packed with passengers and cargo capsized in a cyclone off Indonesia's Sulawesi island.

AP - Heath Ledger was honored with a Golden Globe, and Kate Winslet came away with two. But the top dog was 'Slumdog Millionaire,' the Bollywood fantasy that took four awards, including best drama.

Reuters - A U.S. judge rules on Monday on whether or not to send accused swindler Bernard Madoff to jail while investigators probe a worldwide $50 billion investment fraud they said he confessed to last month.

AFP - Israeli tanks punched their way towards the outskirts of Gaza City on Monday in some of the fiercest fighting on the ground of the conflict so far as the death toll from the war against Hamas passed 900.

AFP - Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, cut last week, could resume Tuesday morning provided Moscow is satisfied that no hurdles remain, the Czech EU presidency said Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff will be allowed to stay in his Manhattan apartment under house arrest, a U.S. judge ruled on Monday, rejecting a government request to throw him in jail.

AP - Seeking to reassure wary lawmakers, President-elect Barack Obama's top economic adviser told congressional leaders Monday that Obama intends to broaden the goals of the remaining $350 billion financial bailout and impose tougher restrictions and oversight on how the money is spent.

AP - A judge allowed disgraced money manager Bernard Madoff to remain free on bail Monday, rejecting an attempt by prosecutors to send him to jail for mailing more than $1 million in jewelry to family and friends over the holidays.

AP - More than 230 passengers and crew were missing and presumed dead at nightfall Monday, after the boat suddenly capsized before dawn Sunday in a cyclone off the coast of Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing hundreds aboard.

AP - Democrat Al Franken is asking the Minnesota governor and secretary of state to issue an election certificate that would let him take office in the Senate.

AP - Shopping online can be a way to find bargains while steering clear of crowds — and sales taxes. But those tax breaks are starting to erode. With the recession pummeling states' budgets, their governments increasingly want to fill the gaps by collecting taxes on Internet sales, which are growing even as the economy shudders.

AP - A lawyer for Amy Winehouse's jailed husband said Monday his client will be seeking a divorce on the grounds of the soul diva's alleged infidelity.

AP - The man who ran the New England Patriots' high-scoring offense is taking over as coach of the Denver Broncos, charged with revitalizing a team that failed to make the playoffs the past three seasons. Josh McDaniels, the Patriots' 32-year-old offensive coordinator, agreed to a four-year deal to replace Mike Shanahan, who was fired Dec. 30 after 14 seasons with a 146-91 record.

Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff will be allowed to stay in his Manhattan apartment under house arrest, a U.S. judge ruled on Monday, rejecting a government request to throw him in jail.

AFP - The European Union secured Russian assurances on Monday that gas shipments to Europe would resume shortly after Moscow and Kiev re-signed a deal to monitor the flow to EU markets.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff will be allowed to stay in his Manhattan apartment under house arrest, a U.S. judge ruled on Monday, rejecting a government request to throw him in jail.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel won renewed support from its key ally the United States on Monday when President George W. Bush said a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip depended on Hamas ending its rocket fire on Israeli towns.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc inched closer to selling a stake in its Smith Barney retail brokerage business to Morgan Stanley, but its shares tumbled as investors fretted over the bank's expected fourth-quarter loss and future capital needs.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush agreed on Monday to seek the remaining half of $700 billion in aid for the beleaguered financial industry as a potential breakup of U.S. banking powerhouse Citigroup marked renewed upheaval in the global banking system.

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered his officials on Monday to re-start gas supplies via Ukraine to Europe on Tuesday, six days after a contract row cut off customers in freezing temperatures.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office — and perhaps his first day — to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers.

AP - A federal grand jury is investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress last year, two people briefed on the matter told The Associated Press on Monday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because grand jury proceedings are supposed to be secret.

AP - A couple accused of assaulting each other over an unappreciated Christmas gift have been ordered to stay away from each other. Randi Young, 24, and Heath Blom, 26, were arrested on Christmas day. Police said the pair argued after Blom complained about getting a Wii game system from Young instead of the remote control airplane he asked for. When Young started to leave, Blom allegedly grabbed her by the hair and she turned around and hit him,

AP - Rickey Henderson sped his way into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot Monday, and Jim Rice made it in on his 15th and final try. Henderson, baseball's career leader in runs scored and stolen bases, received 94.8 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, well above the 75 percent needed.

Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff will be allowed to stay in his Manhattan apartment under house arrest, a U.S. judge ruled on Monday, rejecting a government request to throw him in jail.

Reuters - Israel won renewed support from its key ally the United States on Monday when President George W. Bush said a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip depended on Hamas ending its rocket fire on Israeli towns.

Reuters - The incoming Obama administration sought from Congress the remaining $350 billion of the $700 billion financial industry bailout, promising more Americans would benefit directly and stricter limits would be imposed on companies getting government help.

Reuters - Citigroup Inc inched closer to selling a stake in its Smith Barney retail brokerage business to Morgan Stanley, but its shares tumbled as investors fretted over the bank's expected fourth-quarter loss and future capital needs.

Reuters - President George W. Bush agreed on Monday to seek the remaining half of $700 billion in aid for the beleaguered financial industry as a potential breakup of U.S. banking powerhouse Citigroup marked renewed upheaval in the global banking system.

AFP - The defiant leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip vowed on Monday the Islamists would emerge victorious from the war in the Palestinian territory as Israeli tanks advanced on the main city.

AFP - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the resumption of gas supplies to the European Union, easing a crisis that has hit a swathe of countries and highlighted their dependence on Russia.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate officials on Monday approved Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, which would give Democrats 58 of the Senate's 100 seats, their biggest majority since 1981.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Monday sought the remaining $350 billion of federal financial bailout funds from Congress, pledging a major overhaul that would distribute the money more widely and impose tougher restrictions on recipient companies.

AP - Eager to put the scandal-tainted standoff behind them, Senate Democrats accepted Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's Senate successor on Monday and said they expect to swear in the new Illinois senator soon. 'He is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect,' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a joint statement.

AP - Seeking to reassure wary lawmakers, President-elect Barack Obama said Monday he will fundamentally change the way the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout fund is spent, focusing some of the relief on housing and small businesses. Obama asked President George W. Bush to submit a request to Congress so that the remaining $350 billion would be available quickly after the inauguration next Tuesday. Bush agreed to do so.

AP - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stood within Hamas rocket range Monday and warned Islamic militants that they face an 'iron fist' unless they agree to Israeli terms for an end to war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas showed no signs of wavering, however, with its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying the militants were 'closer to victory.'

AP - The length of a man's ring finger may predict his success as a financial trader. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England report that men with longer ring fingers, compared to their index fingers, tended to be more successful in the frantic high-frequency trading in the London financial district.

Reuters - U.S. Senate officials on Monday approved Roland Burris to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, which would give Democrats 58 of the Senate's 100 seats, their biggest majority since 1981.

Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Monday sought the remaining $350 billion of federal financial bailout funds from Congress, pledging a major overhaul that would distribute the money more widely and impose tougher restrictions on recipient companies.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors said on Monday they will appeal a judge's decision that allows accused swindler Bernard Madoff to stay in his Manhattan apartment under house arrest.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc inched closer to selling a stake in its Smith Barney retail brokerage to Morgan Stanley, but its shares fell on concerns about the health of the bank's balance sheet and its fourth-quarter results.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Automakers at the world's premier auto show have pinned their hopes on 'green' models but for some companies the immediate future is shaping up as a battle for survival.

AP - Acting at Barack Obama's behest, President George W. Bush on Monday asked Congress for the final $350 billion in the financial bailout fund, effectively ceding economic reins to the president-elect in an extraordinary display of transition teamwork. Obama also sharply criticized Bush's handling of the money and promised radical changes.

AP - With rare public emotion, George W. Bush sat in judgment on his controversial, consequential presidency on Monday, lamenting mistakes but claiming few as his own, heatedly defending his record on disasters in Iraq and at home and offering kindly advice to a successor who won largely because the nation ached for something new.

AP - The length of a man's ring finger may predict his success as a financial trader. Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England report that men with longer ring fingers, compared to their index fingers, tended to be more successful in the frantic high-frequency trading in the London financial district.

Reuters - Federal prosecutors said on Monday they will appeal a judge's decision that allows accused swindler Bernard Madoff to stay in his Manhattan apartment under house arrest.

Reuters - Citigroup Inc inched closer to selling a stake in its Smith Barney retail brokerage to Morgan Stanley, but its shares fell on concerns about the health of the bank's balance sheet and its fourth-quarter results.

Reuters - Automakers at the world's premier auto show have pinned their hopes on 'green' models but for some companies the immediate future is shaping up as a battle for survival.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops tightened their grip on urban areas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday on the 18th day of an offensive against Hamas guerrillas, while world leaders struggled to coax the sides to a ceasefire.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama will issue an executive order, probably within his first week in office, to close the prison at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an Obama transition adviser said on Monday.

PARE-PARE, Indonesia (Reuters) - Driving rain on Tuesday hit the hunt for more survivors from an Indonesian ferry that sank off Sulawesi island at the weekend, with the number of survivors creeping up to 34, officials said.

AP - Eager to put the scandal-tainted standoff behind them, Senate Democrats accepted Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's Senate successor on Monday and said they expect to swear in the new Illinois senator this week. 'He is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect,' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a joint statement.

AP - Acting at Barack Obama's behest, President George W. Bush on Monday asked Congress for the final $350 billion in the financial bailout fund, effectively ceding economic reins to the president-elect in an extraordinary display of transition teamwork. Obama also sharply criticized Bush's handling of the money and promised radical changes.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office — and perhaps his first day — to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers.

AP - A couple accused of assaulting each other over an unappreciated Christmas gift have been ordered to stay away from each other. Randi Young, 24, and Heath Blom, 26, were arrested on Christmas day. Police said the pair argued after Blom complained about getting a Wii game system from Young instead of the remote control airplane he asked for. When Young started to leave, Blom allegedly grabbed her by the hair and she turned around and hit him,

Reuters - Israeli troops tightened their grip on urban areas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday on the 18th day of an offensive against Hamas guerrillas, while world leaders struggled to coax the sides to a ceasefire.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama will issue an executive order, probably within his first week in office, to close the prison at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an Obama transition adviser said on Monday.

Reuters - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered the resumption of gas supplies via Ukraine to Europe on Tuesday, six days after a Russian- Ukrainian price row cut deliveries in freezing temperatures.

AFP - Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen fought fierce night-time clashes around the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday, as a war on Hamas that had killed more than 900 Palestinians entered its 18th day.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks rolled into densely populated parts of the city of Gaza on Tuesday and troops fought intense battles with Hamas militants as world leaders struggled to coax the sides into a ceasefire.

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama sought the remaining half of $700 billion in financial bailout funds from Congress, as sinking corporate earnings underlined the depth of the gathering recession.

Reuters - Israeli tanks rolled into densely populated parts of the city of Gaza on Tuesday and troops fought intense battles with Hamas militants as world leaders struggled to coax the sides into a ceasefire.

AFP - Russia was set to resume Tuesday pumping gas to the European Union, easing a crisis that has hit a swathe of countries and highlighted their dependence on Moscow.