Johannesburg/Harare  - A court in Zimbabwe on Monday cleared two South African employees of a satellite broadcasting company who were arrested last month on charges of working without accreditation

Belfast  - Peter Robinson, 59, has been elected leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to replace Ian Paisley, who announced he would step down in March.

The DUP's 36-member Assembly Group recommended Robinson for the top party job on Monday in Belfast. It was expected that Robinson's elevation to leader after 28 years as deputy would be formally ratified at a party executive meeting on Thursday.

Robinson, who is a member of the British parliament for East Belfast, will now also replace Paisley as first minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly in June.

Robinson will face his first test later Monday when he meets with the future Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, who takes over from Bertie Ahern in May.

Dresden, Germany  - The premier of Saxony, Georg Milbradt, 63, announced his resignation Monday after the subprime financial crisis rippling across the globe blew a hole in the budget of his easter

Zagreb - Croatia will definitely not hold a referendum on its membership in NATO as opponents of the alliance have failed to gain enough support to force a vote on the issue, reports said Monday.

Dublin - Ireland's

Madrid - Spain's first female-dominated government was sworn in Monday, with nine female and eight