World


Obama heads to Washington
WASHINGTON — Barack Obama was starting a new life in Washington yesterday, with his top priority an economic rescue plan that allies said could pass soon after his presidential inauguration in two weeks. Flying into Andrews Air Force Base, the president-elect was to join his wife Michelle and their two daughters here later in the day as Sasha, 10, and Malia, 7,...

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Mugabe on leave, may delay new govt
HARARE — Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has started a month-long annual leave, which could delay the formation
of a government which a spokesman has said was being prepared by the veteran leader, state media reported. Mugabe has fired nine ministers and three deputy ministers from his ZANU-PF party who lost their seats in March parliamentary elections.

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Merkel seeks unity among Germany’s conservatives
BERLIN — Germany’s fractious coalition will squabble this week over a second boost for the ailing economy, but yesterday Chancellor Angela Merkel first had to restore harmony among her own conservative allies. Sparks were set to fly at a meeting
in Berlin yesterday of her Christian Democratic Union with the Christian Social Union, its powerful Bavarian sister party.

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Kidnapped British, Spanish journalists freed
NAIROBI — Two journalists, from Britain and Spain, were released yesterday after almost six weeks in captivity in Somalia’s breakaway Puntland state, police and the Spanish government said. “The two journalists are free after their ordeals,” said the head of Puntland police, Abdullahi Said Samatar. “They’re taking some rest now and they will be available later.

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Irish PM says balancing budget may take 5 years
DUBLIN — Ireland will need 4 to 5 years to bring its recession-hit public sector finances back into balance, PM Brian Cowen said. After more than a decade of prosperity that saw the country dubbed the Celtic Tiger economy following a prolonged period of double-digit growth in the 1990s, Cowen said Ireland was facing a period of cuts in public expenditure...

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Spirit and Opportunity rovers mark five years on Mars
WASHINGTON — The US space agency’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity this month mark their fifth anniversary on the Red Planet, where they have endured harsh conditions and revealed a deluge of information. The twin robots, which landed on Mars three weeks apart in January 2004, were initially expected to have just 90-day missions, but have since sent back to Earth...

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