Washington  - US President Barack Obama's economic recovery package was set to clear its final hurdles Friday as both houses of Congress voted on a nearly
790-billion-dollar compromise bill.

The House of Representatives approved the stimulus package - the largest single spending proposal in US history - by a vote of 246-183 Friday afternoon, with no support from the chamber's minority Republicans. The Senate was expected to follow suit Friday evening.

Washington  - The US House of Representatives app

Washington  - The United States is prepared to normalize relations and sign a peace treaty with North Korea if the Stalinist state abandons its nuclear weapons programme, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday.

Clinton, speaking at the Asia Society in New York days ahead of her trip to Asia, said Washington would also provide economic and energy aid to North Korea as long as Pyongyang adhered to a 2006 disarmament agreement.

Los Angeles  - Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce won major honours at the NAACP Image Awards Thursday night, where The Secret Life of Bees was named best picture.

But both Rihanna and Chris Brown stayed away from the most prestigious African-American awards show of the year, which took place less less than a week after Brown,
19, was arrested for making criminal threats against Rihanna, 20.

Los Angeles  - Kevin

Washington  - US President Barack Obama's economic recovery package was expected to clear its final hurdles Friday as both houses of Congress prepared to vote on a 789-billion-dollar compromise bill.

Obama, addressing business leaders at the White House, called the stimulus package a "once-in-a-generation chance to act boldly and turn adversity into opportunity."