LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Britain is set to unveil its second bank rescue plan on Monday and the incoming U.S. administration said it will make its bailout funds work harder to get credit flowing again to cash-starved consumers and companies.

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 in a bone-jarring AFC Championship game Sunday to set up a Super Bowl XLIII clash against the darkhorse Arizona Cardinals.

AP - Israeli troops, some smiling and dancing, began to withdraw from Gaza Sunday after their government and Hamas militants declared an end to a three-week war. But neither side achieved long-term goals, and the burden of consolidating the fragile calm fell to world leaders.

AP - Arizona and Pittsburgh will play a historic Super Bowl in Tampa in two weeks: a team with a history as bad as any in the NFL against one that will try to win a record sixth title.

AP - Most major Asian stock markets gained modestly Monday as a weaker yen underpinned exporting stocks in Japan but expectations of dire fourth quarter results from U.S. companies kept a lid on gains.

Reuters - Britain is set to unveil its second bank rescue plan on Monday and the incoming U.S. administration said it will make its bailout funds work harder to get credit flowing again to cash-starved consumers and companies.

Reuters - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 in a bone-jarring AFC Championship game Sunday to set up a Super Bowl XLIII clash against the darkhorse Arizona Cardinals.

AFP - Barack Obama will pay homage to slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King on Monday as he vows to revive the spirit of sacrifice to overcome war and economic crisis during his upcoming presidency.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain launched a second bank rescue plan on Monday, one of the recipients, Royal Bank of Scotland, said it lost over 20 billion pounds ($30 billion) last year and Japan said bad loans worldwide had further to climb.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces were pulling out of the Gaza Strip on Monday following a tentative truce with Hamas that allowed Palestinians to take stock of the devastating three-week war.

AP - Israeli officials say their troops will leave the Gaza Strip before President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated on Tuesday.

AP - Fresh off a rollicking celebration in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, President-elect Barack Obama is shaping the final day of his pre-presidential life around another giant figure, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

AP - Tough and mean, like the original Steel Curtain.

Reuters - Britain launched a second bank rescue plan on Monday, one of the recipients, Royal Bank of Scotland, said it lost over 20 billion pounds ($30 billion) last year and Japan said bad loans worldwide had further to climb.

Reuters - Israeli forces were pulling out of the Gaza Strip on Monday following a tentative truce with Hamas that allowed Palestinians to take stock of the devastating three-week war.

Reuters - At least seven people were killed and more than 50 were injured on Sunday after the ceiling of an evangelical church in Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city, collapsed, fire officials said.

AFP - A tenuous ceasefire held Monday in Gaza, where Israeli troops withdrew from some key areas and Palestinians dug out from the rubble of the Jewish state's deadliest assault on the Hamas stronghold.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain launched a second bank rescue plan on Monday, one of the recipients, Royal Bank of Scotland, recorded the biggest loss in British corporate history and Japan said bad loans worldwide had further to climb.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces were pulling out of the Gaza Strip on Monday following a tentative truce with Hamas that allowed Palestinians to take stock of the devastating three-week war.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine aim to sign an agreement on Monday to restart gas flows after finally agreeing a price for 2009, potentially ending a dispute that has severed supplies to a freezing Europe for nearly two weeks.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Two Iranian doctors, whose arrests last year sparked concern in the West, are among people accused of involvement in a U.S.-sponsored plot to overthrow the Islamic system of government, Iranian media said on Monday.

AP - Israel plans to pull all of its troops out of the Gaza Strip by the time President-elect Barack Obama is inaugurated Tuesday, but only if Hamas militants hold their fire, Israeli officials said.

AP - The black boxes recovered from the US Airways jetliner that safely splashed down in the Hudson River last week captured thumping sounds, the sudden loss of engine power and the pilot's calm mayday request, evidence that seems to back up the crew's account of hitting a flock of birds shortly after take off.

AP - The Ukrainian prime minister headed to Moscow on Monday as Russia and Ukraine prepared to sign a deal ending a contentious dispute that cut off Russian natural gas shipments to Europe for nearly two weeks.

AP - Britain revealed Monday a second bailout plan for its ailing banks, aimed at protecting them from bad assets in an effort to boost lending to the wider economy.

AP - Most Asian stock markets rose modestly Monday as exporters got a boost from hopes a massive stimulus package will kick-start the U.S. economy but expectations of dire fourth quarter earnings kept a lid on gains. European bourses opened higher as Britain announced plans for a second bailout of banks.

AP - A woman in eastern China has died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Health Ministry said, the second death from the virus this year as the country's biggest festive season approaches and contact with poultry increases.

Reuters - Britain launched a second bank rescue plan on Monday, one of the recipients, Royal Bank of Scotland, recorded the biggest loss in British corporate history and Japan said bad loans worldwide had further to climb.

Reuters - Israeli forces were pulling out of the Gaza Strip on Monday following a tentative truce with Hamas that allowed Palestinians to take stock of the devastating three-week war.

Reuters - Russia and Ukraine aim to sign an agreement on Monday to restart gas flows after finally agreeing a price for 2009, potentially ending a dispute that has severed supplies to a freezing Europe for nearly two weeks.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Two Iranian brothers, whose arrests last year sparked concern in the West, are among people accused of involvement in a U.S.-funded plot to overthrow the Islamic system of government, Iranian media said on Monday.

AP - The Saudi king says his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after Israel's devastating three-week offensive in the Palestinian territory.

AP - Arizona and Pittsburgh will play a historic Super Bowl in Tampa in two weeks: a team with a history as bad as any in the NFL against one that will try to win a record sixth title. Pittsburgh opens as a 6 1/2-point favorite. The Steelers topped the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 last night after the Arizona Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25.

AP - The black boxes recovered from the US Airways jetliner that safely splashed down in the Hudson River last week captured thumping sounds, the sudden loss of engine power and the pilot's calm mayday request, evidence that seems to back up the crew's account of hitting a flock of birds shortly after take off.

AP - Britain announced a second rescue plan for the country's ailing banks on Monday, hoping to thaw frozen lending by offering to insure banks against large-scale losses on bad assets they already hold.

AFP - A tenuous ceasefire held Monday in Gaza, where Palestinians dug out from the rubble and Hamas put on a show of defiance vowing to fight on after the Jewish state's deadliest war on the strip.

AFP - A regional bid to resolve Zimbabwe's unity government deadlock was underway Monday as rivals President Robert Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai entered crunch talks with southern African mediators.

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinians took stock on Monday of the devastation from a three-week war in the Gaza Strip as a ceasefire took hold and Israeli forces pressed on with their gradual withdrawal from the Hamas-ruled territory.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Nariman Mostafavi says many Iranian students no longer hold the fierce anti-American views that drove their predecessors to seize the U.S. embassy in 1979.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Editorial writers around the world have been taking their final printed whacks at George W. Bush, accusing the president of tarnishing America's standing with what many saw as arrogant and incompetent leadership.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Two Iranian brothers, whose arrests last year sparked concern in the West, are among people accused of involvement in a U.S.-funded plot to overthrow the Islamic system of government, Iranian media said on Monday.

AP - With history intersecting the transfer of power, large crowds thronged to the capital Monday, on the eve of Barack Obama's elevation to the presidency as America honored slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

AP - The Saudi king said Monday his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive and told Israel that an Arab initiative offering peace will not remain on the table forever.

AP - The 'black box' recorders recovered from the US Airways jetliner that splashed down in the Hudson River captured thumping sounds, the sudden loss of engine power and the pilot's calm 'Mayday' call, evidence that seems to back up the crew's account of hitting a flock of birds shortly after takeoff.

AP - The Ukrainian prime minister arrived in Moscow on Monday as Russia and Ukraine prepared to sign a deal ending a contentious dispute that cut off Russian natural gas shipments to Europe for nearly two weeks.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Reuters - Palestinians took stock on Monday of the devastation from a three-week war in the Gaza Strip as a ceasefire took hold and Israeli forces pressed on with their gradual withdrawal from the Hamas-ruled territory.

Reuters - Nariman Mostafavi says many Iranian students no longer hold the fierce anti-American views that drove their predecessors to seize the U.S. embassy in 1979.

Reuters - Editorial writers around the world have been taking their final printed whacks at George W. Bush, accusing the president of tarnishing America's standing with what many saw as arrogant and incompetent leadership.

AFP - A regional bid to resolve Zimbabwe's unity government deadlock was underway Monday as rivals President Robert Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai entered crunch talks with southern African mediators.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of his historic inauguration, Barack Obama joined on Monday in honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, underscoring racial barriers the Illinois Democrat overcame to be elected the first black U.S. president.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine signed a 10-year gas supply deal on Monday to clear the way for the resumption of supplies to a freezing Europe, cut off for nearly two weeks by a dispute between the ex-Soviet states.

AP - On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama talked with wounded troops at a military hospital and then visited an emergency shelter for homeless teens, grabbing paint roller to help give the walls a fresh coat of blue. He appealed to the nation he will soon lead to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. through service to others.

AP - Russia and Ukraine signed a deal Monday that restores natural gas shipments to Ukraine and paves the way for an end to the nearly two-week cutoff of most Russian gas to a freezing Europe.

AP - A Paris zoo officially introduced its newest — and cutest — arrivals Monday, two Chinese leopard cubs, six-week-old brothers Wei, or 'big and strong,' and Xun, meaning 'fast' or 'quick.'

Reuters - On the eve of his historic inauguration, Barack Obama joined on Monday in honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, underscoring racial barriers the Illinois Democrat overcame to be elected the first black U.S. president.

Reuters - Russia and Ukraine signed a 10-year gas supply deal on Monday to clear the way for the resumption of supplies to a freezing Europe, cut off for nearly two weeks by a dispute between the ex-Soviet states.

AFP - A tenuous ceasefire held Monday in Gaza, where Palestinians dug out from the rubble and Hamas put on a show of defiance vowing to fight on after the Jewish state's deadliest war on the territory.

AFP - UN chief Ban Ki-moon is set to visit the Gaza Strip on Tuesday following the deadly Israeli offensive on Hamas in the enclave, a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry told AFP.

LONDON/MADRID (Reuters) - Britain launched a second bank rescue plan on Monday and Royal Bank of Scotland recorded the biggest loss in UK corporate history, while a cut in Spain's credit rating caused fresh market wobbles.

GAZA (Reuters) - More Israeli forces left the Gaza Strip on Monday after a 22-day assault on Hamas militants, and both sides kept a ceasefire, allowing dazed Palestinians to survey the destruction and mourn their dead.

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - The Guantanamo war crimes court convened in a chaotic session on Monday with accused September 11 plotters disrupting the proceedings while U.S. government lawyers debated whether an administrative hiccup had left them facing any charges at all.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday named as his unification minister an architect of his hardline policy on the communist North two days after the latest military threats by Pyongyang.

AP - On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama visited wounded troops at a military hospital, helped paint a wall at a shelter for homeless teens and paid tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the civil rights leader's national day. He said there can't be 'idle hands' at a time of national hardship and pledged to make the government do its part.

AP - In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the prison sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration.

AP - The investigation into the crash-landing of a US Airways jetliner will last a year, and the lessons will go on for decades.

AP - The New York Jets reached an agreement with Rex Ryan on Monday to make the Baltimore defensive coordinator their head coach, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

Reuters - Britain launched a second bank rescue plan on Monday and Royal Bank of Scotland recorded the biggest loss in UK corporate history, while a cut in Spain's credit rating caused fresh market wobbles.

Reuters - More Israeli forces left the Gaza Strip on Monday after a 22-day assault on Hamas militants, and both sides kept a ceasefire, allowing dazed Palestinians to survey the destruction and mourn their dead.

Reuters - The Guantanamo war crimes court convened in a chaotic session on Monday with accused September 11 plotters disrupting the proceedings while U.S. government lawyers debated whether an administrative hiccup had left them facing any charges at all.

Reuters - Two Iranian brothers, whose arrests last year sparked concern in the West, are among people accused of involvement in a U.S.-funded plot to overthrow the Islamic system of government, Iranian media said on Monday.

AP - At the dawn of a new era in race and politics, President-elect Barack Obama practiced the age-old virtue of service on Monday and summoned memories of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 'Everyone's got to be involved,' said the man in line to become the first black chief executive.

AP - Two of the five men accused of orchestrating the Sept. 11 attacks offered unapologetic admissions of guilt Monday in a sometimes chaotic — and possibly final — session of the Guantanamo war crimes court.

AP - A Russian human rights lawyer renowned for his work on abuses in Chechnya was shot to death Monday by a masked gunman who followed him from a news conference, officials said. A young journalist who tried to intervene also was gunned down.

AP - The probe into the crash-landing of a US Airways jetliner will take a year, and the lessons learned from the spectacular accident will last much longer, a senior investigator said Monday. 'I think this one is going to be studied for decades,' said Robert Benzon, chief investigator on the case for the National Transportation Safety Board.

AP - Kellogg Co. said Monday federal authorities have confirmed that salmonella was found in a single package of its peanut butter crackers, as a Midwestern grocer recalled some of its products because of the scare.

AP - The wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden let it slip to Oprah Winfrey Monday that her husband had a pick of two jobs in the Obama administration. Jill Biden said President-elect Barack Obama gave Biden the choice of being secretary of state or vice president. The vice president-elect tried to hush his wife as soon as the words came out of her mouth, with a loud 'shhh!' that sent the audience into laughter.

AP - Sheboygan County prosecutors say a 21-year-old man who crashed his uncle's car called police to report that he stole the car and had been drinking. The man was charged Friday with a felony count of taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

AFP - A tenuous ceasefire held throughout Monday in Gaza, where Palestinians sifted through the rubble and Hamas vowed to fight on after the Jewish state's deadliest war on the territory.

AFP - Barack Obama called Monday on a nation reeling from economic crisis and war to march together in the spirit of Martin Luther King as he prepared to take office as America's first black president.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Did Joe Biden have his choice of two jobs for Barack Obama, vice president or secretary of state?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. food companies recalled more products containing peanut butter as the U.S. government continued its investigation into an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning that have may have contributed to six deaths.

MIAMI (Reuters) - A pilot accused of attempting to avoid financial fraud charges by faking his death has been transferred from a hospital bed to a jail cell in northern Florida, authorities said on Monday.

AP - Barack Obama stood at the threshold of the White House on Monday, summoning fellow Americans to join him in service as tens of thousands flocked to the nation's capital to celebrate his inauguration as the first black president. 'Tomorrow we will come together as one people on the same Mall where Dr. King's dream echoes still,' said the president-elect, invoking the memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the national holiday in his honor.

AP - Uniformed Hamas security teams emerged on Gaza City's streets Monday as leaders of the Islamic militant group vowed to restore order in the shattered Palestinian territory after a three-week pummeling by the Israeli military.

AP - Two alleged orchestrators of the 2001 attacks on America casually declared their guilt on Monday in a messy and perhaps final session of the Guantanamo war crimes court. This week's military hearings could be the last at Guantanamo — President-elect Barack Obama has said he would close the offshore prison and many expect him to suspend the military tribunals and order new trials in the U.S.

AP - Faced with their favorite foods, women are less able than men to suppress their hunger, a discovery that may help explain the higher obesity rate for females, a new study suggests. Researchers trying to understand the brain's mechanisms for controlling food intake were surprised at the difference between the sexes in brain response.

AP - Nature turned against one of America's early civilizations 3,600 years ago, when researchers say earthquakes and floods, followed by blowing sand, drove away residents of an area that is now in Peru.

AP - Police on Long Island arrested a man after he allegedly kicked a police car and asked to be deported back to his home country of Guatemala. Police said the 27-year-old man called the Southold Police Department early Sunday and asked to be arrested so he could be deported.

Reuters - Did Joe Biden have his choice of two jobs for Barack Obama, vice president or secretary of state?

Reuters - U.S. food companies recalled more products containing peanut butter as the U.S. government continued its investigation into an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning that have may have contributed to six deaths.

AP - Joe Biden's wife said Monday that he had his pick of being Barack Obama's running mate or the secretary of state nomination that eventually went to Hillary Rodham Clinton, a slip that the vice president-elect immediately tried to shush.

AP - Faced with their favorite foods, women are less able than men to suppress their hunger, a discovery that may help explain the higher obesity rate for females, a new study suggests. Researchers trying to understand the brain's mechanisms for controlling food intake were surprised at the difference between the sexes in brain response.

AP - Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan was hired as the coach of the New York Jets on Monday, a day after the Ravens lost in the AFC championship. The 46-year-old Ryan replaces the fired Eric Mangini, taking over a team that started last season 8-3 but missed the playoffs with quarterback Brett Favre after losing four of its last five games.

GAZA (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon planned to visit Gaza on Tuesday, and Israeli political sources said Israel would complete its troop pullout before Barack Obama was sworn in as U.S. president later in the day.

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - Two accused September 11 plotters boasted of their guilt on Monday when the Guantanamo war crimes court convened in a chaotic final session before the United States inaugurates a new president widely expected to halt the proceedings.

AP - Nick Markakis reached a preliminary agreement on a $66 million, six-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, and Ryan Madson struck a $12 million, three-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies as players and teams rushed Monday to settle salary arbitration cases. A day before the scheduled exchange of proposed figures, teams announced contracts for 13 players and six more reached deals that weren't publicly confirmed by the clubs.

Reuters - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon planned to visit Gaza on Tuesday, and Israeli political sources said Israel would complete its troop pullout before Barack Obama was sworn in as U.S. president later in the day.

Reuters - Two accused September 11 plotters boasted of their guilt on Monday when the Guantanamo war crimes court convened in a chaotic final session before the United States inaugurates a new president widely expected to halt the proceedings.

LONDON (Reuters) - Most voters in leading European countries believe their governments should resist any request by incoming U.S. President Barack Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea, which analysts suspect is trying harder to grab the attention of incoming U.S. president Barack Obama, on Tuesday accused the South of driving the divided peninsula back into war.

MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia's state-controlled gas firm Gazprom said it would resume supplies to Europe via Ukraine at 0700 GMT on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after a contract row cut flows to freezing European countries.

AP - WASHINGTON — Federal safety investigators say the US Airways jetliner that crashed into New York's Hudson River last week experienced a compressor failure two days earlier.

AP - Rajon Rondo scored 23 points in the first three quarters, and Ray Allen scored 20 before sitting out the fourth with the rest of the Boston starters on Monday night as the Celtics opened a 30-point lead and coasted to a 104-87 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Reuters - Most voters in leading European countries believe their governments should resist any request by incoming U.S. President Barack Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday.

Reuters - North Korea, which analysts suspect is trying harder to grab the attention of incoming U.S. president Barack Obama, on Tuesday accused the South of driving the divided peninsula back into war.