Plans under way for State Department to have more influence on foreign policy. Hillary Clinton?s strong personality will serve the country well when she takes over as secretary of state in the Barack Obama administration.

One lesson from the economic meltdown ? OPEC?s grip can be loosened. Officials representing members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, at a meeting in Algeria last week, voted to announce a drastic production cut to shock the major oil-consuming countries and drive prices upward.

Bush should use what influence he has to defuse Pakistan-India tensions. Just as the Pakistani Army was showing some muscle in the fight against al-Qaida and Taliban forces, new orders came down that appear to severely weaken its commitment.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and its former nonprofit partner have agreed on a framework to end their 8-month-old court battle over the profits from book sales.

CORRECTION

Attorney general asked to review appointment made without interview. CARSON CITY Gov. Jim Gibbons ignored state law in appointing the friend of a top adviser to head the states Commission on Tourism an appointment that even the governors staff acknowledges did not follow normal protocol.

As state payments shrink and more patients lack insurance, two hospitals consider an extreme move. Nevada hospitals are in such dire financial condition that at least two are considering closing their emergency rooms and refashioning themselves as something other than full-service hospitals, according to the head of the Nevada Hospital Association.

That big sigh you hear is Nevada catching its breath.

Bangladesh was to vote under tight security Monday in the first elections since campaign violence two years ago caused polls to be cancelled and an army-backed government to take power.

Time is running out for Russia and Ukraine to reach a last minute deal by midnight at New Year to prevent a Russian cut of gas deliveries to its neighbour and a possible bitter diplomatic conflict.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has not bought the Honda Formula One team and is not even in negotiations for the Japanese outfit, a source at the businessman's industrial and financial empire said on Sunday.

Police charged a 35-year-old man on Sunday with the kidnapping of a nurse who was found in the boot of her car after being missing for more than a week.

A nurse found in the boot of her car suffering from hypothermia and dehydration could have been there for up to 10 days, police have said.

Bangladesh goes to the polls on Monday for the first time since 2001 in elections that will bring democratic rule back to the impoverished nation after two years under an army-backed regime.

Relatives wail as the mangled bodies of loved ones are brought into Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital on Saturday following Israeli air strikes that killed at least 228 people in the Palestinian enclave.

Egypt condemned as "murder" Israel's Saturday air raids on Gaza that killed at least 228 Palestinians, opening its Rafah border crossing with the territory to allow the wounded through for treatment.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Saturday said he was "deeply concerned" by rocket attacks into Israel and retaliatory air strikes by the Jewish state, and called for restraint from both sides.

The United States have blamed Hamas "thugs" for provoking bloody Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip and said they would end when the Islamist movement halts its rocket fire on the Jewish state.

Sixteen children were left orphaned in the Christmas Eve massacre carried out by a gunman dressed as Santa Claus who slaughtered his ex-wife and her family, according to reports.

President Rafael Correa said Saturday he ordered Italy's Agip Oil company to halt production so Ecuador can meet OPEC's agreed output cut for the country of 40,000 barrels a day.

Australian maxi yacht Wild Oats XI won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race here Sunday.

Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 228 people in retaliation for rocket fire, in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.

Two Al-Qaeda prisoners who broke out of a police jail in the western Iraqi city of Ramadi were arrested early Sunday, hours after their accomplice was killed by Iraqi police snipers, police said.

Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp said Saturday that he will not be forced to pay an inflated transfer fee to bring England striker Jermain Defoe back to White Hart Lane from Premier League rivals Portsmouth.

Australian maxi yacht Wild Oats XI won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race here Sunday.

US president-elect Barack Obama is "monitoring" the deadly violence in the Gaza strip and spoke to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the situation, his aides said Saturday.

Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 228 people in retaliation for rocket fire, in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.

A nurse found in the boot of her car suffering from hypothermia and dehydration could have been there for up to 10 days, police said Saturday.

Fabio Capello insisted on Saturday that he does not yet deserve to be compared to Sir Alf Ramsey, the man he hopes to emulate by transforming England into world-beaters.

Australian maxi yacht Wild Oats XI won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race here Sunday.

Australian maxi yacht Wild Oats XI won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race here Sunday.

Relatives wail as the mangled bodies of loved ones are brought into Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital on Saturday following Israeli air strikes that killed at least 225 people in the Palestinian enclave.

Relatives wail as the mangled bodies of loved ones are brought into Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital on Saturday following Israeli air strikes that killed nearly 200 people in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 225 people in retaliation for rocket fire, in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.

Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called on Saturday for Palestinians to wage a new intifada against Israel, including a return to suicide missions.

In the impoverished Israeli town of Netivot where a Palestinian rocket killed a man on Saturday, residents want the military to keep hitting the nearby Hamas-run Gaza Strip, and hit it hard.

Guinea's new military leader promised to renegotiate mining contracts and crack down on corruption Saturday as he met with local people as part of a charm offensive after leading a bloodless coup.

Batsman Neil Broom is the one new face in the New Zealand cricket side named Sunday for the first two one-day internationals against the West Indies.

The two contenders in Ghana's presidential run-off Saturday accused each other of planning to rig the decisive round of voting even as outgoing President John Kufuor called for a peaceful poll.

The United States holds Hamas "responsible" for the renewal of deadly violence in Gaza after the Islamist group broke its ceasefire with Israel, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

Saudi King Abdullah told US President George W. Bush by telephone on Saturday that major countries must take action to halt Israel's attacks on Gaza, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

The Detroit Lions have one last chance on Sunday to prevent their 2008 National Football League season from going into the books as a total failure.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world's second richest man, has rescued the Honda Formula One team, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported on Saturday.

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, the world's second richest man, has rescued the Honda Formula One team, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported on Saturday.

Israel hammered Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 225 people in retaliation for rocket fire, in one of the bloodiest days of the decades-long Middle East conflict.

Belgium's political deadlock remained unresolved Saturday, with the man seen as the favourite to become prime minister reportedly resisting the post after the previous government collapsed.

Thousands of people marched through the northern Spanish city of Bilbao Saturday to demand the Basque football team be allowed to take part in international competitions.

Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Saturday there is a "50-50" chance that Russia will cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on January 1 over Kiev's failure to pay its debts.

Germany's foreign minister and Social Democrat rival to conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel says he is in favour of state aid for German automakers, a German Sunday newspaper reported.

Welsh international scrum-half Mike Phillips ended his nine-month injury nightmare in style on Saturday, making a try-scoring return in the Ospreys 20-6 win over Scarlets in the Celtic League.