SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean nuclear envoys were set for a rare visit to North Korea Thursday aimed at advancing sputtering disarmament talks, days after it issued tough terms for ending its atomic ambitions.

AP - Most high school seniors and their families have not made final college plans for next fall. But they know this: It's probably going to cost more than they had planned.

AP - Indiana Jones and 'The Mummy' slayer are teaming up on the big screen — to battle not ancient, otherworldly baddies, but a big medical dilemma.

AP - Roger Mason hit a jumper with 10 seconds left and made a free throw after being fouled by Derek Fisher, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-111 on Wednesday night in the first meeting between the teams since the Western Conference finals.

Reuters - South Korean nuclear envoys were set for a rare visit to North Korea Thursday aimed at advancing sputtering disarmament talks, days after it issued tough terms for ending its atomic ambitions.

AFP - Israel struck fresh targets Thursday and waged street battles in Gaza as the international community stepped up efforts to broker a truce to a 20-day-old war that has claimed more than 1,000 lives.

FRANKFURT/TOKYO (Reuters) - Bank of America and Citigroup faced fresh turmoil as investors questioned if they had the capital strength to cope with a global crisis that is set to push the European Central Bank to cut rates later on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be grilled Thursday on how she intends to overhaul an agency widely blamed for failing to help prevent the biggest financial crisis in decades.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks and artillery pounded the city of Gaza on Thursday in the most relentless shelling in nearly three weeks of fighting, despite some signs of progress in international efforts to bring about a ceasefire.

(Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co is expected to agree as soon as Thursday to pay $1.4 billion to settle criminal and civil charges that it illegally marketed its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for unauthorized use in patients vulnerable to its risky side effects, the New York Times said.

AP - Palestinian witnesses say Israeli tanks have fired shells at least three high-rise buildings in downtown Gaza City.

AP - Not quite the president yet and Barack Obama is looking for his first legislative victory.

AP - President George W. Bush's farewell speech is more than a goodbye to the nation that elected him twice. It is his last chance in office to define his tumultuous presidency in his own, unfiltered terms — a mission that will keep his fire burning even after he fades off to a quieter life.

AP - Eric Holder Jr. planned to acknowledge past mistakes as he braced for a Republican grilling in his confirmation hearing, his path to becoming the nation's first African-American attorney general rockier than President-elect Barack Obama's other Cabinet choices.

AP - With no daylight showing between congressional Democrats and the next administration's foreign policy team, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to be swiftly endorsed by a Senate panel as President-elect Barack Obama's new secretary of state.

AP - The avalanche of legal and personal problems tumbling onto a brazen investor grew with the addition of federal charges that he faked a distress call and crashed his plane in an attempt to foil authorities.

Reuters - Bank of America and Citigroup faced fresh turmoil as investors questioned if they had the capital strength to cope with a global crisis that is set to push the European Central Bank to cut rates later on Thursday.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be grilled Thursday on how she intends to overhaul an agency widely blamed for failing to help prevent the biggest financial crisis in decades.

Reuters - Israeli tanks and artillery pounded the city of Gaza on Thursday in the most relentless shelling in nearly three weeks of fighting, despite some signs of progress in international efforts to bring about a ceasefire.

Reuters - Eli Lilly and Co is expected to agree as soon as Thursday to pay $1.4 billion to settle criminal and civil charges that it illegally marketed its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for unauthorized use in patients vulnerable to its risky side effects, the New York Times said.

AFP - Ethiopian troops on Thursday completed their withdrawal from Mogadishu, a Somali government spokesman said.

AFP - Israeli tanks rumbled ever deeper into Gaza cities and jets pummelled the enclave from above on Thursday even as hopes rose for a truce to end the war on Hamas that has claimed more than 1,000 lives.

FRANKFURT/TOKYO (Reuters) - Banks in Europe and the United States faced fresh doubts about their ability to ride out a global financial crisis which is expected to prompt a European Central Bank interest rate cut later on Thursday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces pushed deeper into Gaza city on Thursday and unleashed their heaviest shelling of its crowded neighborhoods in three weeks of war, stepping up pressure on Hamas as the Islamist group weighed a ceasefire.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Thursday security forces had closed five training camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attack, and arrested 124 of its leaders and those of a related charity.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, thought to be recovering from serious illness, has picked his third and youngest known son to succeed him, a South Korean news report said on Thursday.

AP - The U.N. chief says he has expressed 'strong protest and outrage' to Israel over the shelling of a United Nations compound in Gaza City.

AP - World stock markets dived Thursday, particularly in Asia where investors played catch-up with previous losses in Europe and the U.S., after dismal U.S. retail sales data and fresh worries about the global banking system.

AP - Chris Paul made a big statement in Dallas. Down the road in San Antonio, the Spurs sent a message to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reuters - Banks in Europe and the United States faced fresh doubts about their ability to ride out a global financial crisis which is expected to prompt a European Central Bank interest rate cut later on Thursday.

Reuters - Israeli forces pushed deeper into Gaza city on Thursday and unleashed their heaviest shelling of its crowded neighborhoods in three weeks of war, stepping up pressure on Hamas as the Islamist group weighed a ceasefire.

Reuters - Pakistan said on Thursday security forces had closed five training camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attack, and arrested 124 of its leaders and those of a related charity.

Reuters - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, thought to be recovering from serious illness, has picked his third and youngest known son to succeed him, a South Korean news report said on Thursday.

AFP - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees suspended its operations inside Gaza on Thursday after its compound was hit by an Israeli strike, a spokesman said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co's fourth-quarter profit fell 76 percent as it wrote down bad loans and set aside more money to cover credit losses at its investment bank.

(Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co said it will pay about $1.42 billion to settle both criminal and civil investigations related to the marketing of its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa and has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces pushed deeper into Gaza city on Thursday and unleashed their heaviest shelling of its crowded neighborhoods in three weeks of war, stepping up pressure on Hamas as the Islamist group weighed a ceasefire.

AP - Israeli forces shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, setting fire to the compound filled with hundreds of refugees as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was in the region on a mission to end Israel's devastating offensive against the territory's Hamas rulers.

AP - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to be endorsed by a Senate panel today as President-elect Barack Obama's new secretary of state. Indications from both parties this week were that Clinton would win a near-unanimous vote Thursday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

AP - Roland Burris gets sworn in as Illinois Senator today as President-elect Barack Obama's replacement, with Senate Democrats still carrying a bitter aftertaste from being shamed into seating him.

AP - Patients with a sore throat, high fever or mystery rash in Hawaii will now be able to bypass the waiting room and find a physician's care just a click away.

AP - Ricardo Montalban, the Mexican-born actor who became a star in splashy MGM musicals and later as the wish-fulfilling Mr. Roarke in TV's 'Fantasy Island,' died Wednesday morning at his home, his family said. He was 88.

Reuters - JPMorgan Chase & Co's fourth-quarter profit fell 76 percent as it wrote down bad loans and set aside more money to cover credit losses at its investment bank.

Reuters - Eli Lilly and Co said it will pay about $1.42 billion to settle both criminal and civil investigations related to the marketing of its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa and has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Reuters - Israeli forces pushed deeper into Gaza city on Thursday and unleashed their heaviest shelling of its crowded neighborhoods in three weeks of war, stepping up pressure on Hamas as the Islamist group weighed a ceasefire.

AFP - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Thursday suspended its operations inside Gaza after its compound was hit by several Israeli shells, injuring three of its employees, a spokesman said.

AFP - Russia and Ukraine remained deadlocked in their energy war Thursday with European governments becoming increasing angry and exasperated over the dispute.

FRANKFURT/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a half point on Thursday in response to a global crisis which is casting fresh doubt on the ability of top banks to survive intact.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple chief and tech visionary Steve Jobs will take a leave of absence till end-June because of health problems 'more complex' than thought, backtracking on reassurances, stunning investors and sending its shares skidding 10 percent on Wednesday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel unleashed its heaviest shelling of Gaza's crowded neighborhoods on Thursday, hitting a U.N. compound and a media building in what might be a final push against Hamas before a ceasefire deal.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday it will pay about $1.42 billion to settle criminal and civil investigations into the marketing of its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa and has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Department official Stuart Levey has agreed to act as treasury secretary pending confirmation of Timothy Geithner, a transition official said on Thursday.

AP - Working closely with President-elect Barack Obama, House Democrats on Thursday called for $825 billion in federal spending and tax cuts to revive the economy, with strong emphasis on energy, education, health care and jobs-producing highway construction.

AP - More than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, an 81 percent increase from 2007, with the worst yet to come as consumers grapple with layoffs, shrinking investment portfolios and falling home prices.

Reuters - The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a half point on Thursday in response to a global crisis which is casting fresh doubt on the ability of top banks to survive intact.

Reuters - Israel unleashed its heaviest shelling of Gaza's crowded neighborhoods on Thursday, hitting a U.N. compound and a media building in what might be a final push against Hamas before a ceasefire deal.

Reuters - Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday it will pay about $1.42 billion to settle criminal and civil investigations into the marketing of its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa and has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

AFP - The UN on Thursday suspended its operations in Gaza after Israeli shells smashed into its compound, setting fire to warehouses of badly-needed aid and prompting outrage from UN chief Ban Ki-moon as he arrived in Israel.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives will push for quick passage of a $825 billion economic stimulus bill being unveiled on Thursday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc tumbled to multiyear lows on worries the banks are ill-prepared to handle soaring credit losses as the economy sinks.

FRANKFURT/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a half point on Thursday in response to a global crisis which is casting fresh doubt on the ability of top banks to survive intact.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's pick to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said her top priority would be to reinvigorate enforcement at the agency, according to prepared testimony.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton was approved by a Senate panel on Thursday to become the next U.S. secretary of state, despite misgivings about the charitable fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

AP - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted overwhelmingly on Thursday for Hillary Rodham Clinton to become the next secretary of state, with Democrats predicting her leadership would mark a turn from warfare toward diplomacy.

AP - Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder Jr. forcefully broke from the Bush administration's counterterrorism policies Thursday, declaring that waterboarding is torture and pledging to prosecute some Guantanamo Bay detainees in U.S. courts.

Reuters - Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives will push for quick passage of a $825 billion economic stimulus bill being unveiled on Thursday.

Reuters - Shares of Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc tumbled to multiyear lows on worries the banks are ill-prepared to handle soaring credit losses as the economy sinks.

Reuters - The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a half point on Thursday in response to a global crisis which is casting fresh doubt on the ability of top banks to survive intact.

Reuters - Apple Inc chief and tech visionary Steve Jobs will take a leave of absence till end-June because of health problems 'more complex' than thought, backtracking on reassurances, stunning investors and sending its shares skidding 10 percent on Wednesday.

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama's pick to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said her top priority would be to reinvigorate enforcement at the agency, according to prepared testimony.

AFP - Israeli strikes set UN and media buildings and a hospital ablaze Thursday as tanks rolled deep into Gaza City while diplomats struggled to halt the war that has killed nearly 1,100 people.

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas told Egypt it would agree to a year-long renewable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if Israel pulls out its forces within a week and reopens border crossings immediately, Hamas and diplomatic sources said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Thursday it is drawing up a plan for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq that would meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign timetable for a 16-month pullout.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Thursday security forces had closed five training camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attack, and arrested 124 of its leaders and those of a related charity.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's pick to head the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told lawmakers she would reinvigorate an agency beset by regulatory missteps and blamed for missing one of the biggest investment frauds in history.

AP - Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder Jr. forcefully broke from the Bush administration's counterterrorism policies Thursday, declaring that waterboarding is torture and pledging to prosecute some Guantanamo Bay detainees in U.S. courts.

AP - President George W. Bush's farewell speech is more than a goodbye to the nation that elected him twice. It is his last chance in office to define his tumultuous presidency in his own, unfiltered terms as he rides off to a quieter life.

AP - Howie Mandel is back at work and says his heart and health are fine.

AP - Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Reuters - Hamas told Egypt it would agree to a year-long renewable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if Israel pulls out its forces within a week and reopens border crossings immediately, Hamas and diplomatic sources said on Thursday.

Reuters - The Pentagon said on Thursday it is drawing up a plan for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq that would meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign timetable for a 16-month pullout.

Reuters - Pakistan said on Thursday security forces had closed five training camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the Mumbai attack, and arrested 124 of its leaders and those of a related charity.

AFP - Russia and Ukraine agreed Thursday to hold new talks on their gas war as Europe batted aside a Kremlin proposal for a summit in Moscow to resolve a feud that has left millions of Europeans freezing.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc plummeted Thursday on worries the banks may need more government help to handle soaring credit losses.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces thrust deep into central Gaza on Thursday, killing a senior Hamas leader, in what may be a final push against the Islamist group before agreeing to a ceasefire in the 20-day-old war.

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Doubts about whether the top three U.S. banks can manage rising credit losses jumped on Thursday while the European Central Bank cut interest rates to ease a global crisis that shows little sign of abating.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc chief and tech visionary Steve Jobs will take a leave of absence till end-June because of health problems 'more complex' than thought, backtracking on reassurances, stunning investors and sending its shares skidding 10 percent on Wednesday.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Corrupt officials inside Mexico's security forces have leaked U.S. anti-drugs intelligence directly to drug traffickers to help them escape raids, a senior U.S. law enforcement agent said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sen. Hillary Clinton was approved by a Senate panel on Thursday to become the next U.S. secretary of state, despite misgivings about the charitable fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

AP - A US Airways plane has crashed into the Hudson River, sending passengers fleeing for safety in the frigid waters. New York City firefighters are responding to the crash. It was not immediately clear if there were injuries.

AP - Democrats in Congress rolled out proposed spending increases and tax cuts totaling a whopping $825 billion on Thursday and debated whether to release a huge new infusion of cash for the financial industry, a rapid response to President-elect Barack Obama's plea to tackle national economic woes.

AP - Roland Burris took his place as Barack Obama's successor in the Senate on Thursday, ending a standoff that embarrassed the president-elect and fellow Democrats who initially resisted the appointment by scandal-scarred Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

AP - Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder forcefully broke from the Bush administration's counterterrorism policies Thursday, declaring that waterboarding is torture and pledging to prosecute some Guantanamo Bay detainees in U.S. courts.

AP - They can't match Harry Potter yet, but scientists are moving closer to creating a real cloak of invisibility.

AP - In a scene straight out of the movie 'A Christmas Story,' a 10-year-old boy got his tongue stuck to a metal light pole. Police said the unidentified fourth-grader was able to tell them that a friend dared him to lick the pole Wednesday night. Temperatures in Hammond were around 10 degrees at the time.

AP - Convicted steroids dealer Kirk Radomski appeared Thursday at the federal court house in Washington where a grand jury is being asked to determine whether Roger Clemens should be indicted on charges of lying to Congress.

Reuters - Shares of Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc plummeted Thursday on worries the banks may need more government help to handle soaring credit losses.

Reuters - Israeli forces thrust deep into central Gaza on Thursday, killing a senior Hamas leader, in what may be a final push against the Islamist group before agreeing to a ceasefire in the 20-day-old war.

Reuters - A small plane carrying more than a dozen people splashed down in the frigid waters of the Hudson River off Manhattan on Thursday and survivors were seen standing on the wings awaiting rescue, Reuters witnesses said.

Reuters - Corrupt officials inside Mexico's security forces have leaked U.S. anti-drugs intelligence directly to drug traffickers to help them escape raids, a senior U.S. law enforcement agent said.

Reuters - Sen. Hillary Clinton was approved by a Senate panel on Thursday to become the next U.S. secretary of state, despite misgivings about the charitable fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

AFP - Israel set Gaza's main city ablaze and killed a senior Hamas leader on Thursday as a possible halt to its massive offensive that has killed nearly 1,100 people appeared within reach.

AP - A US Airways pilot ditched his disabled jetliner into the frigid Hudson River on Thursday afternoon after a collision with a flock of birds apparently knocked out both engines, but rescuers pulled all 155 people on board into boats as the plane sank, authorities say.

AP - Congress laid the foundation for President-elect Barack Obama's economic recovery plan on Thursday with remarkable speed, clearing the way for a new infusion of bailout cash for the financial industry while majority Democrats proposed spending increases and tax cuts totaling a whopping $825 billion.

AP - Reflecting on two tumultuous terms in the White House, President George W.

AP - The CIA has hampered al-Qaida's free rein in the tribal region of western Pakistan, and Iran appears to be nearing a decision on whether to build a nuclear warhead, departing CIA chief Michael Hayden said Thursday.

AP - There will be a powerful new scientific eye in the sky come summer. NASA and Northrop Grumman on Thursday unveiled two unmanned drones that will be used for atmospheric research. One of the two Global Hawks, a version of the Air Force's top-of-the-line unmanned spy plane, will be outfitted with science instruments this spring and conduct its first earth science mission in June for NASA.

AP - Authorities detained Johnny Knoxville on Thursday for allegedly bringing an inert grenade into Los Angeles International Airport. After security screeners spotted the grenade in the 'Jackass' star's carry-on luggage, a bomb squad determined it lacked a firing pin or explosive. Police say Knoxville was later released and allowed to board an American Airlines flight to Miami.

AP - All postseason games will be played to their conclusion under a change to the major league rules approved Thursday by baseball owners. Owners also voted to use head-to-head records to replace coin flips when determining home-field advantage for tiebreaker games in division and wild-card races.

Reuters - A US Airways jet with more than 150 people on board came down into the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese on Thursday and officials said everyone was rescued.

Reuters - The Democratic-led U.S. Congress took steps on Thursday to give President-elect Barack Obama the weapons he wants to fight a worsening economic recession by advancing legislation to provide nearly $1.2 trillion in emergency spending.

Reuters - Bank of America Corp may receive a $15 billion government infusion to help absorb Merrill Lynch, but shares of the bank and Citigroup Inc fell on Thursday on worries over their ability to handle soaring credit losses.

Reuters - Israeli forces thrust deep into the city of Gaza on Thursday in what may be their final push against Islamist Hamas militants before agreeing to a ceasefire in the 20-day-old war.

AFP - A US Airways plane carrying 155 people crashed into New York's Hudson River Thursday, but all on board had a miraculous escape as the freezing waters rose around them, US officials said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A US Airways jet with more than 150 people on board came down into the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese on Thursday and officials said everyone was rescued.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led U.S. Congress took steps on Thursday to give President-elect Barack Obama the weapons he wants to fight a worsening economic recession by advancing legislation to provide nearly $1.2 trillion in emergency spending.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp may receive a $15 billion government infusion to help absorb Merrill Lynch, but shares of the bank and Citigroup Inc tumbled on Thursday on worries over their ability to handle soaring credit losses.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces thrust deep into the city of Gaza on Thursday in what may be their final push against Islamist Hamas militants before agreeing to a ceasefire in the 20-day-old war.

Wall Street knows all about him, but among ordinary Americans on Main Street, the hiccup to a smooth nomination for Timothy Geithner as the next U.S. Treasury secretary seems barely to have registered.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy plans an aggressive effort to capture pirates off the coast of Somalia with the aid of a country in the region that would agree to prosecute and hold them, a naval commander said on Thursday.

AP - A US Airways pilot guided his jetliner into the frigid Hudson River after a flock of birds knocked out both its engines just after takeoff Thursday, and all 155 people on board were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank. 'We had a miracle on 34th Street. I believe now we have had a miracle on the Hudson,' Gov. David Paterson said.

AP - In his final address to the nation, President George W. Bush defended his tumultuous two terms and reached back to a day when the public rallied around him after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying anew that the U.S. will 'never tire, never falter and never fail.'

AP - Bank of America and the Treasury Department are near an agreement that will provide $15 billion to $20 billion in new government support to the banking giant, a source close to the discussions said Thursday. This source said that the injection of fresh capital will come from the government's $700 billion rescue fund and will be similar to assistance provided last November to Citigroup.

AP - CIA Director Michael Hayden strenuously defended the effectiveness of the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques Thursday, only moments after Attorney General-designate Eric Holder said the use of waterboarding was torture. Though U.S. officials say interrogators have not engaged in waterboarding in the past five years, Hayden said the coercive techniques and other harsh tactics were useful in the war on terror.

AP - Jim Schwartz insisted he loves challenges. Well, he's got one. The Detroit Lions, the NFL's first 0-16 team, agreed Thursday on a four-year deal with Schwartz to make him their next coach. The former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator will be introduced at a Friday news conference at Ford Field, where Detroit lost its home games last year by an average of 21.4 points to break another dubious league record.

Reuters - A US Airways jet with more than 150 people on board came down into the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese on Thursday and officials said everyone was rescued.

Reuters - Bank of America Corp may receive a $15 billion government infusion to help absorb Merrill Lynch, but shares of the bank and Citigroup Inc tumbled on Thursday on worries over their ability to handle soaring credit losses.

Reuters - Timothy who?

Reuters - The U.S. Navy plans an aggressive effort to capture pirates off the coast of Somalia with the aid of a country in the region that would agree to prosecute and hold them, a naval commander said on Thursday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A US Airways jet with 155 people on board ditched in the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese on Thursday and officials said everyone was rescued.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp is on the cusp of receiving a government infusion to help it absorb Merrill Lynch & Co, but shares of the bank and Citigroup Inc tumbled on Thursday on worries over their ability to handle soaring credit losses.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Thursday defended his actions to avert a collapse of the financial system and protect America from another terrorist attack as he mounted a farewell bid to polish his troubled legacy.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister flies to Washington on Friday to cement U.S. guarantees on stopping the flow of arms to Hamas, a core Israeli condition for ending its 20-day-old offensive in the Gaza Strip. Tzipi Livni's mission followed a proposal by the besieged Palestinian Islamist faction for a year-long, renewable truce under which the Jewish state would withdraw its troops within a week and all Gaza border crossings would open immediately.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Bernie Madoff's investment fund may never have executed a single trade, industry officials say, suggesting detailed statements mailed to investors each month may have been an elaborate mirage in a $50 billion fraud.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leaders no longer feel safe in Afghan-Pakistan border areas, where they face heavy U.S. and Pakistani pressure and their local welcome has worn out, CIA chief Michael Hayden said on Thursday.

AP - Unpopular but unbowed, President George W. Bush defended his tumultuous two terms in a farewell address to the nation Thursday night, claiming a hard-won record of achievement. Reaching back to the Sept. 11 attacks, when the public rallied behind him, Bush declared the United States will 'never tire, never falter and never fail.'

AP - Pentagon officials said Thursday they will be ready on Inauguration Day with plans for a quick pullout of U.S. combat troops from Iraq if Barack Obama orders one, as he pledged to do during his White House campaign.

AP - The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online.

AP - Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis both finished in the top three of the AL Most Valuable Player voting. Now the two Boston stars will be sharing the Fenway infield for a few more seasons, too.

Reuters - A US Airways jet with 155 people on board ditched in the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese on Thursday and officials said everyone was rescued.

Reuters - President George W. Bush on Thursday defended his actions to avert a collapse of the financial system and protect America from another terrorist attack as he mounted a farewell bid to polish his troubled legacy.

Reuters - Israel's foreign minister flies to Washington on Friday to cement U.S. guarantees on stopping the flow of arms to Hamas, a core Israeli condition for ending its 20-day-old offensive in the Gaza Strip. Tzipi Livni's mission followed a proposal by the besieged Palestinian Islamist faction for a year-long, renewable truce under which the Jewish state would withdraw its troops within a week and all Gaza border crossings would open immediately.

Reuters - Bernie Madoff's investment fund may never have executed a single trade, industry officials say, suggesting detailed statements mailed to investors each month may have been an elaborate mirage in a $50 billion fraud.

Reuters - Al Qaeda leaders no longer feel safe in Afghan-Pakistan border areas, where they face heavy U.S. and Pakistani pressure and their local welcome has worn out, CIA chief Michael Hayden said on Thursday.

AP - A cool-headed pilot maneuvered his crippled jetliner over New York City and ditched it in the frigid Hudson River on Thursday, and all 155 on board were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank. It was, the governor said, 'a miracle on the Hudson.'

AP - Fanboys rejoice! Rival studios say they have resolved their battle over the release of 'Watchmen.'

AP - Mark Sanchez dropped some bad news on Southern California. Defending national champion Florida said goodbye to one star while welcoming back another.

AFP - Israel's offensive on Gaza ploughed on into its 21st day on Friday after new deadly strikes that set ablaze the enclave, while diplomatic efforts gathered pace and Hamas offered a conditional truce.