Wilmington, Delaware/Washington  - There was a moment of hesitation Saturday before vice-president-elect Joe Biden knocked on the door of the Amtrak Pullman coach.

Biden was looking to board the historic inaugural train, which carried president-elect Barack Obama on the historic final journey towards Washington and his inauguration on Tuesday.

But no one answered, and he opened and stuck his head through the door on the last car on the train, as if to say "anyone home?" broadcast images showed.

Washington/Philadelphia  - Calling for the country to work toward a more "perfect union," Barack Obama embarked Saturday on a historic train journey, the kick-off leg of four days of celebration leading up to his inauguration as the country's first African- American president on Tuesday.

Tel Aviv/Gaza  - The Israeli security cabinet was to convene Saturday night to discuss a ceasefire proposal, as the military campaign entered its fourth week and airstrikes and artillery fire continued overnight and during the day across the Gaza Strip.

In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak demanded an immediate ceasefire.

"I call on the (Israeli) leadership for an immediate unconditional ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip," Mubarak said in an address on national television.

Gaza City /Tel Aviv  - Israeli ground troops pulled back to the outskirts of Gaza City Friday, as Israel said it would likely convene its security cabinet the following night to discuss progress made in Egyptian-mediated talks for a ceasefire.

"During the talks with the Egyptian intelligence chief, there were signs of significant progress," said a statement from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office after an Israeli delegation returned from its second trip to Cairo in two days.

Washington  - The US slapped sanctions Friday on four alleged al-Qaeda members believed to be in Iran, including a son of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and said Iran must make clear its efforts to rein in the terrorist group.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Saad bin Laden, Mustafa Hamid, Muhammad al-Bahtiyti and Ali Saleh Husain. The designation freezes their assets and prevents any US citizen from having financial dealings with the individuals.

Washington  - The White House expects the US recession to continue through at least the first half of 2009 and unemployment to surge to 7.7 per cent this year, according to a forecast issued Friday.

But the White House said the chips were in place for a strong recovery under president-elect Barack Obama, who takes office on Tuesday.

A "vigorous" recovery is forecast in 2010 and 2011, when growth should jump back to 5 per cent, on a fourth quarter to fourth quarter basis. Unemployment should fall back down to 5 per cent by 2012.