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Google, Yahoo call off advertising deal

Google, Yahoo call off advertising dealSan Francisco - Google has officially called off its proposed advertising alliance with Yahoo following antitrust opposition from the US Justice Department, the companies said Wednesday.

The move was seen as a setback to both companies, but especially to the ailing Yahoo, which had hoped to book as much as 450 million dollars per year in added operating income by running Google's more lucrative ads next to its own search results.

Russian missile deployment plans "disappointing," US says

Washington - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's announcement Wednesday of plans to deploy missiles in its Baltic Sea enclave to counter the US basing of a missile-defence system in Eastern Europe is "disappointing," the US State Department said.

"The steps that the Russian government announced today are disappointing," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

McCormack repeated US assertions that the 10 interceptor missiles planned for deployment to Poland and the radar system to the Czech Republic does not threaten Moscow's vast strategic nuclear arsenal. The shield is designed to protect against Iran's growing ballistic missile capability, he said.

Obama's election "extraordinary step forward" for US, Rice says

Obama's election "extraordinary step forward" for US, Rice says Washington - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised president-elect Barack Obama for his victory and said Wednesday the United States has taken an "extraordinary step" by electing the first African American to the White House.

"One of the great things about representing this country is that it continues to surprise. It continues to renew itself. It continues to beat all odds and expectations," Rice said in a brief appearance before reporters.

Chavez congratulates Obama, suggests rebuilding relations

Caracas - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama Wednesday on his "historic" win and said the time had come for the two countries to establish new relations.

Chavez emphasized Caracas' will to "build, on the basis of absolute respect for sovereignty, a constructive bilateral agenda for the welfare of the Venezuelan and the US people," according to a statement issued by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.

"The historic election of an African American to lead the most powerful nation in the world is symptomatic of a changing era that has been conceived in South America and could be knocking on the doors of the United States," he said.

Uribe congratulates Obama, sure of further Colombia-US cooperation

Uribe congratulates Obama, sure of further Colombia-US cooperation Bogota - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Wednesday congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama on his election victory, and said he was sure that the two countries would continue to cooperate.

Uribe, widely regarded as US President George W Bush's main ally in Latin America, said his government's main interest in further cooperation lay in the fights against drug trafficking and terrorism.

US author Michael Crichton dies at 66

US author Michael Crichton dies at 66Los Angeles - US author M

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