Ben Evans

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the use of Canadian crops such as canola and corn in U.S. biofuels on Thursday, a move that lifted Canadian canola prices and may help the U.S. meet its ambitious targets for biofuels.

Title favourite Charl Schwartzel and Garth Mulory birdied the final hole to share the lead with long-time front runner Thomas Aiken Saturday after three rounds of the Joburg Open.

Questions arise about GOP House members' cutting their office budgets. Fresh off their victories in November, Republicans are talking a good game about bringing fiscal conservatism to Washington. But so far, at least, it promises to be more talk than action. We've mentioned previously that Republicans have championed getting rid of earmarks, but many of these same "champions" were still working to slip into legislation their pet projects. Let's also not forget all three Republican House members on the president's deficit reduction commission petulantly voted against a plan that would have trimmed $4 trillion from the national deficit over the next decade ? all because the plan didn't address health care in a way they wanted.Into the aforementioned mix comes an intriguing Associated Press story about an austerity pledge made by Republican House leaders, who will take control in January, to cut the budgets of individual House members, committees and leadership posts by 5 percent, which i

Pelosi seeks to remain the leader of House Democrats despite huge election losses. Despite widespread complaints about massive losses that will put Democrats in the minority, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday she will try to stay on as leader of her party in the House.

A long way from 2008, an anxious, frustrated nation grumbles to the polls. The millions of Americans voting in midterm elections Tuesday were not always sure what they wanted, or even whom. But many knew they were unhappy ? uneasy about the economy, frustrated with the direction of the country and dissatisfied with politics.

Desperately seeking Sharron: Nevada GOP candidate largely a no-show in campaign's final weeks. Sipping beers and sporting Sharron Angle t-shirts, Republican partisans mingled with the happy hour crowd at Shari's rock n' roll diner one recent evening and waited to cheer their candidate.

Candidates give us dirty laundry, pile up threatens to define political hopefuls. It's hard to see over the pile of dirty political laundry this election.

To avoid government shutdown by end of week, Senate advances stopgap spending bill. A stopgap spending bill that's needed to avert a government shutdown on Friday advanced in the Senate as lawmakers prepared to head for the exits for the midterm elections.

Afghan president questions US timeline for leaving Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai on Thursday criticized the U.S. plan to begin withdrawing troops starting next July and said the war on terror cannot succeed as long as the Taliban and their allies maintain sanctuaries in Pakistan.

Ex-official Shirley Sherrod refuses to return to Agriculture Dep't to work on civil rights. Shirley Sherrod, ousted from the Agriculture Department during a racial firestorm that embarrassed the Obama administration, rejected an offer to return to the USDA on Tuesday. But at a cordial news conference with the man who asked her to leave ? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack ? she said she may do consulting work for him on racial issues.

Analysis: USDA flap shows Obama administration still struggling to find balance on race issues. The Obama White House is back to a teaching moment on race, once again playing the student.

Senate panels requires strong oil spill response plans, removes limits on liability. Congress began advancing legislation Wednesday that imposes new safeguards on offshore oil drilling in hopes of preventing a repeat of the devastating spill that has brought environmental and economic havoc to the Gulf coast.

Newly released documents from the Clinton White House provide glimpses into how Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan approached a number of controversial issues, including abortion, assisted suicide, religious freedom and strategies to defend the president in scandals that later led to his impeachment.

While Obama plans another Gulf visit, govt sends BP a $69 million bill for oil spill cleanup. The federal government slapped BP with a $69 million bill Thursday to cover initial costs of responding to the largest oil spill in U.S. history. An angry President Barack Obama said he was convinced that BP has not moved quickly enough to stop the flow of oil and clean up the mess.

APNewsBreak: Feds halt new drilling in Gulf amid criticism for lifting shallow-water ban. The Obama administration is blocking all new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a day after regulators approved a new permit for drilling in shallow water.

Obama heading for Gulf Coast, defends actions, says fixing oil disaster is his responsibility. Thrown on the defensive, President Barack Obama acknowledged his administration could have done better in dealing with the biggest oil spill in the nation's history and misjudged the industry's ability to cope with a worst-case scenario. Obama will make his second tour of the battered Gulf Coast on Friday.

In private pitches to Democrats, President Barack Obama says he will persuade Congress to pass his health care overhaul even if it kills him and even if he has to ask deeply distrustful lawmakers to trust him on a promise the White House doesn't have the power to keep.

Obama tells Democrats to have faith in him, and voters, as he makes final health care pitch. In private pitches to Democrats, President Barack Obama says he will persuade Congress to pass his health care overhaul even if it kills him and even if he has to ask deeply distrustful lawmakers to trust him on a promise the White House doesn't have the power to keep.

Support from his own party in doubt, President Barack Obama summoned more than a dozen House Democrats to the White House Thursday, pleading with them to put aside their qualms, seize a historic moment and vote for his massive health care overhaul.

Support from his own party in doubt, President Barack Obama summoned more than a dozen House Democrats to the White House Thursday, pleading with them to put aside their qualms, seize a historic moment and vote for his massive health care overhaul.