Washington - The new US Congress was sworn in Tuesday with stronger Democratic majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate that are expected to help president-elect Barack Obama push through his legislative agenda.

But the first day of the 111th Congress was overshadowed by controversy, as the Senate refused to seat Roland Burris, the candidate selected by embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill Obama's vacated Senate seat.

The Election Commission has filed a criminal case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi's son M K Stalin after Stalin was shown on the television giving money to the voters during campaigning.

The Election Commission has also given a notice to Jayalalitha's party for the similar action of bribing the voters.

The DMK said that giving money to parents after roadside christening ceremonies is a common practice. To testify its complaint, the opposition AIADMK, televised it as an illegal means being adopted by the ruling DMK to woo voters in Thirumangalam.

Jammu: 38 year old Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir at a sparkling swearing-in ceremony here yesterday. In the presence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Governor NN Vohra administered Omar the oath of office and secrecy at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium on the Jammu University campus.

Omar is the third generation leader of the J& K National Conference (NC). He is the son of former chief minister Farooq Abdullah and grandson of Sheikh Abdullah, another chief minister of the state.

Seoul - South Korea's opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Tuesday ended 12 days of sit-ins at Seoul's parliament triggered by policy disagreements.

Party chairman Chung Sye Kyun promised to allow work at the assembly to normalize after parliament Speaker Kum Hyong agreed Sunday to delay votes on controversial legislation.

Kim urged the DP and the ruling conservative Grand National Party (GNP) to negotiate their differences.

Washington - President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former congressman and White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the Central Intelligence Agency, the New York Times reported online Monday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Panetta would take over an agency responsible for tracking down al-Qaeda leadership, and also one that has experienced turmoil during the administration of President George W Bush.

Panetta, 70, is widely respected in Washington as a bipartisan operative, but he does not have a deep background in the field of intelligence. He served as a member of the Iraq Study Group, which made recommendations in 2006 for revising policy in Iraq.

Washington - The cloud of political corruption hanging over the state of Illinois threatens to cause a storm in Washington when the US Senate opens its new session on Tuesday.

Former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris, 71, will arrive in Washington on Monday, calling himself the new senator from the state to fill the seat being vacated by president-elect Barack Obama.

But Democratic Senate leaders don't see it that way after the state's governor who made the appointment was caught in a broad corruption probe.