The Starting Point: U.S. named top brand & long-lost van found

The Starting Point is a snapshot of the news stories that occurred overnight. Look for updates throughout the day on Yahoo! News and in the news box on Yahoo.com.

Top story overnight: Another victim from yesterday's shooting spree at Fort Hood succumbed to their injuries overnight, bringing the death toll to 13. According to The Associated Press, 30 others were also wounded in the attack. Despite earlier reports, the suspected gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, survived the shooting. He is currently on a ventilator after being shot four times by first responders. At the time of this writing, detailed information about the injured and slain victims has not been released. The motive for the shooting is still under investigation, but interviews with friends and family lead authorities to believe Hasan was upset about an upcoming deployment overseas. Click here to learn more about the alleged shooter.

In other news: Israel rejected a U.N. General Assembly resolution ordering an investigation of possible war crimes during the Gaza conflict, The AP reported. The 192-member world body approved the resolution by a vote of 114-18, with 44 abstentions and 16 countries not voting. Israel's Foreign Ministry responded to the motion, saying it was "detached from realities on the ground" and that during the fighting, Israel's army "demonstrated higher military and moral standards than each and every one of this resolution's instigators."

The United States was named the top country brand in an annual survey that ranks nations like retail brands, Reuters reported. The U.S. took the top spot for the first time, unseating Australia which had previously led the list. Australia came in third this year, Canada rose to second place and New Zealand and France rounded out the top five. The annual list, which is complied by The Country Brand Index, gave high marks to the U.S. as an ideal place for business, families, shopping and quality products.

And British Airways announced plans today to cut an extra 1,200 jobs after the company's net loss more than quadrupled during the first half, Agence France Press reported. The airline posted a $361 million loss during the six months to Sept. 30 compared with a loss of $81 million during the equivalent period in 2008.

Most read stories: Gospel singer BeBe Winans has been pulled from an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," The AP reported. Winans was scheduled to take part in the program's "karaoke challenge," but was removed after bloggers criticized Winfrey for including him despite her strong public stand against domestic violence. Winans was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault last February for allegedly pushing his ex-wife to the ground during an argument. He is scheduled to face those charges in court on Jan. 20.

Readers were also interested in this AP article about the unexpected discovery of a long-lost vehicle. The 1965 Volkswagen van was stolen from an upholstery shop in Spokane, Wash., on July 12, 1974. Last month, customs agents in California found the van inside a shipping container bound for The Netherlands. Authorities have turned the vehicle over to Allstate because the insurance company paid off the original owner's theft claim.

Looking ahead: President Barack Obama is expected to sign a $24 billion economic stimulus bill offering homebuyer and unemployment assistance.

Today's poll: A woman in South Korea passed her driver's license exam on the 950th attempt. How many times did it take you to pass the test? Click here to share your thoughts.

Yesterday's poll: Were you happy that the New York Yankees won the World Series? Sixty-six percent of respondents said no, 28 percent said yes and 6 percent said they weren't "into baseball."

Today in history: Five years ago, the designers of SpaceShipOne, the first privately manned rocket to burst into space, won a $10 million check and the Ansari X Prize trophy.

Birthdays: Tennis player Ana Ivanovic, 22. Actress Zoe McLellan, 35. Model/actress Rebecca Romijn, 37. Actress Thandie Newton, 37. Actor Ethan Hawke, 39. Actress Kelly Rutherford, 41. Actor Peter DeLuise, 43. Singer Corey Glover (Living Colour), 45. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, 45. Actress Lori Singer, 52. California's first lady Maria Shriver, 54. Musician Arturo Sandoval, 60. Musician Glenn Frey, 61. Actress Sally Field, 63. Singer Stonewall Jackson, 77. Director Mike Nichols, 78.

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--Jade Walker is the overnight editor of Yahoo! News. News doesn't stop when the lights go out, and neither does Jade.

**Yahoo! News bloggers compile the best news content from our providers and scour the Web for the most interesting news stories so you don't have to.Th