Washington, Nov 22: New York Senator Hillary Clinton has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s offer of the job of secretary of state.

Hillary is expected to accept the position of secretary of state in the Obama Administration. A formal announcement is planned for after Thanksgiving, FOX News reported.

Reports indicate that Clinton made her decision to accept quite recently, after persistent courting by Obama and his transition team.

Singapore - A Singapore father was sentenced to 28 years in jail and 28 strokes of the cane for raping his teenage daughter 23 times, a newspaper reported Saturday.

"As her father, you should have protected her," High Court Judge Woo Bih Li was quoted by the Straits Times as telling the 39-year-old. "Instead, you engaged in a campaign of sexual abuse against her."

Los Angeles - With one eye on the present and the other on the future, the New York Knicks made a bold move by unloading their top two scorers, Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, in separate trades.

The Knicks on Friday acquired forward Al Harrington from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for sharpshooting guard Crawford.

Just a few hours later, New York shipped starting forward Randolph and backup guard Mardy Collins out west to the bottom-feeding LA Clippers in exchange for guard Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas.

Bangkok - Unknown assailants launched a grenade at anti-government protestors Saturday, injuring eight people and fanning worries that Thailand was heading for more street violence this weekend, media reports said.

Witnesses said two young men fired the device from an M-79 grenade launcher at guards for the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) outside Government House, the seat of the Thai government, injuring eight people, one of whom was listed in critical condition with shrapnel wounds to his body and neck, The Nation newspaper's online news service said.

On Thursday, a similar early morning attack on the PAD left one man dead and 24 injured.

Tokyo  - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo departed the western Japanese city of Osaka Saturday for a summit in Lima, leaving her husband at hospital after he fell ill on their flight, media reports said.

The condition of Jose Miguel Arroyo, 62, was not announced.

Philippine Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno had denied reports that Mr Arroyo had suffered a heart attack, saying he had "stomach cramps and back pains."

Bangkok  - Nikon Corp's unit in Thailand laid off 1,500 of its subcontracting staff amid signs that Thailand's exports are slowing, media reports said Saturday.

The Japanese camera-manufacturing giant has decided to terminate the employment of 1,500 non-permanent staff at its factory in Ayuthaya province, the Bangkok Post said, quoting provincial labour official Pongthai Musikapong.