Highlights of legislation to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, extend unemployment benefits, provide flood aid, boost GI Bill college benefits and provide flood aid to the Midwest:

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Thursday to scrap its sanctions against Cuba, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel this month to Chengdu, China, the capital of Sichuan province that was struck by a massive earthquake in May, the State Department said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Congressional ethics panel is examining allegations that two Senate Democrats, including the sponsor of a major housing bill, received preferential loans by troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp, a member of Congress said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Thursday on whether to provide as much as an additional $1.245 billion in emergency global food aid funding for this year and next.