S monthly vehicle sales onMonday as well as U

The Cabrillo acquisition, alongwith the acquisition of a 150-bed skilled nursing facility in Lufkin, Texasthat occurred at the same time, brings Ensign's growing portfolio to 65facilities, 33 of which are Ensign-owned. Ensign affiliates hold purchaseoptions on nine of the 32 leased facilities. About Ensign(TM)The Ensign Group, Inc.'s independent operating subsidiaries provide a broadspectrum of skilled nursing and assisted living services, physical,occupational and speech therapies, and other rehabilitative and healthcareservices for both long-term residents and short-stay rehabilitation patientsat 65 facilities in California, Arizona, Texas, Washington, Utah and Idaho.More information about Ensign is available at http:// SOURCEThe Ensign Group, Inc.Gregory Stapley, Investor & Media Relations, The Ensign Group, Inc.,1-949-487-9500, . KIEV, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Fuel and Energy Ministrysaid on Monday it had asked a local court to annul agreementswith Russia on the transit of gas through Ukraine.

Stocks Russia "The Fuel and Energy Ministry has filed a suit in a Kievcourt asking it to recognise as no longer valid agreements onthe transit of Russian gas over Ukrainian territory, which wereactive until the end of 2010," the ministry said in a statement. It argued the deals were not valid because they had beensigned by an official from the state-run energy firm, Naftogaz,who did not have authority from the government to sign the deal. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, writing by Guy Faulconbridge,editing by Amie Ferris-Rotman) Stocks Russia. U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower openon Wall Street on Monday, as gloomy comments by U.S. andEuropean policymakers overshadowed hopes that U.S.President-elect Barack Obama's plan for massive tax cuts willhelp revive economic growth.

Stocks Global Markets Bonds At 0958 GMT, futures for the S&P 500 futures SPc1, DowJones futures DJc1 and Nasdaq 100 NDc1 were down between 0.1and 0.2 percent. Senior Democratic aides said on Sunday Obama plans topropose up to $310 billion in tax cuts for businesses and themiddle class as part of his massive economic stimulus package.Obama intends to discuss his proposal during private meetings onMonday with Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate andHouse of Representatives, the aides said. nN04350872 Over the weekend, both Janet Yellen, president of the SanFrancisco Federal Reserve Bank, and Lucas Papademos, vicepresident of the European Central Bank, highlighted the risks ofdeflation an economically damaging spiral of falling pricesand demand ID:nN04296451 Investors were bracing for U.S monthly vehicle sales onMonday, as well as U.S. Auto sales in Japan, excluding 660cc minivehicles, plunged22 percent in December from a year earlier to the worst level onrecord for the month, capping a dismal 2008 when demand fell toa 34-year low. Pharmaceutical stocks will be in focus after the CEO ofPfizer Inc (PFE.N), the world's biggest pharmaceutical group,told the Financial Times in an interview the company is open toacquisitions.

Japan's Sony Corp (6758.T) is likely to announce closuresof Japanese factories and major divisions early next month, theTimes of London said on Monday, but the company denied any suchplan existed U.S. Seniors will get their last hurrah, and teams will attempt to end their seasons on the winning side in the hopes of improving recruiting that follows afterwards.The Sportmeisters will preview each of the 34 games that lie ahead and provide our predictions as well Lets get to it! Emerald Bowl, Dec 26, 8:00 PM, San Francisco, CA No 24 University of Southern California (8-4) vs. Boston College (8-4) About USCDespite having a true freshman at QB, the stakes and expectations were still high for a USC team that has owned the better part of this decade. Even after a week three upset to Washington, the Trojans still had solid BCS hopes, defeating ranked teams such as Ohio State, California, and Notre Dame.Then the wall hit. USC lost three of its next five games, all to Pac-10 opponents, to fall completely off the BCS radar and be relegated to the Emerald Bowl.For a team that had finished second nationally in defense the past two seasons, this year's squad was a far cry from that. After losing a number of players, including their entirelinebackers corps to the NFL draft, the Trojans were 43rd in defense (342.83 yards per game).Leading the team was senior safety Taylor Mays, with 91 tackles and one interception No other player on the team had 70 or more tackles. However, USC does get pressure, finishing 16th in NCAA FBS in tackles for loss (7.08 per game) and 17th in sacks (2.75 per game).The Trojans were also just mediocre on the offensive side of the game, finishing outside the top 30 in all major categories, including scoring (64th with 26.67 points per game).