Reports that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had obtained a potentially illegal loan to pay back illegal campaign contributions from 1999 have cost Sharon's Likud party political support, according to polls. The Likud party, which had been expected to win the most seats in Israel's parliamentary election on Jan. 28, now faces a stiffer challenge from Israel's Labor party. Sharon denied the allegations. (Wa.Post)

A Turkish Airlines flight crashed as it approached a landing in heavy fog in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Five of the 80 passengers and crew on board the plane survived; the exact cause of the crash was not known. (CNN)

The Venezuelan bank workers' union, Fetrabanca, said it would shut down banking services for two days this week. The strike is intended to support opposition demands that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez resign. Experts indicated the move would have limited impact on Venezuela's overall economy. (Reuters)

President Bush signed a bill extending federal unemployment insurance payments for some 2.5 million job seekers. The bill had been approved by the U.S. Senate yesterday, and by the House of Representatives this morning. (NYTimes)

The U.S. Airways Express plane crashed as it was taking off in Charlotte, N.C., killing all 21 on board. The cause of the crash was unknown. (Wa. Post)

A report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid found that the nation's combined private- and public-sector spending for health care rose from $1.310 trillion in 2000 to $1.424 trillion in 2001. (CBS)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 150.63 points (1.7 percent) to 8,589.96. The Nasdaq closed at 1,402.69, down 28.88 points (2 percent). The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 13.33 points (1.4 percent), to 909.60. (IHT)

President Bush signed a bill extending federal unemployment insurance payments for some 2.5 million job seekers. The bill had been approved by the U.S. Senate yesterday, and by the House of Representatives this morning. (NYTimes)

The aluminum manufacturer will cut staff in units that supply aircraft and power-plant turbine makers, and will also sell some of its businesses. It hopes to cut costs by $1 billion by the end of the year. The Pittsburgh-based company reported a net loss of $223 million on sales of $5.06 billion in the fourth quarter of 2002. (Reuters)

The study found that obesity -- weighing 20 percent more than one's maximum healthy body weight -- at the age of 20 shortens one's lifespan by 13 years. (CNN)