Yushchenko clears last hurdles to inauguration

KIEV, Ukraine -- Western-leaning reformer Viktor Yush-chenko's long and tension-filled drive to become Ukraine's president cleared its final hurdles before dawn Thursday when the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the losing candidate and government newspapers printed election results. After deliberations that stretched to 2:30 a.m., the court announced it had rejected the appeal of Viktor Yanukovych, the former prime minister who was seen as likely to bring Ukraine closer into Russia's sphere of influence. But the verdict came only after government newspapers went to press with the election results -- a move that means the inauguration date can be set. Yushchenko's camp has said it hopes for the inauguration to be held Friday or Saturday.

Israel to renew security talks with Palestinians

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli and Palestinian leaders met Wednesday to discuss ways to stop militants from firing rockets and mortars in Gaza, heading off the possibility of a large-scale Israeli invasion to curb the surging violence. The decision came as the top Palestinian security chief ordered a deployment of troops along the Gaza-Israel frontier to stop the attacks -- the first concrete steps to rein in militants since the election of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. Israel broke off contacts with Abbas' government after a Jan. 13 attack on a vital Gaza-Israel crossing point killed six Israelis.

Strikes disrupt French rail services, hospitals

PARIS -- Commuters crammed aboard the few trains left running and surgeons operated only on emergency cases as strikes over job cuts and pay disrupted French rail service and hospitals Wednesday. The strikes were part of consecutive protests this week by trade unions seeking to brake reforms of France's welfare system, public sector and labor laws pursued by President Jacques Chirac's conservative government. Paris' suburban rail network was hit badly by the strike, which started Tuesday and was to last until today, with between 60 percent and 84 percent of trains canceled, rail operator SNCF said. In 200 regional hospitals, surgeons are demanding a 15 percent pay increase.

Japanese react calmly to latest tsunami warning

TOKYO -- Japan issued a tsunami warning Wednesday after a strong earthquake struck off its coast, its first such warning since last month's tsunami disaster in southern Asia. The advisory by Japan's higly advanced warning system proved largely accurate. The warning -- issued by the Meteorological Agency moments after the 6.8-magnitude quake -- said the tsunami would reach a maximum of 20 inches. As it turned out, waves 4 to 12 inches high were recorded among the Izu islands, the agency said later.

Europe's space agency plans trips beyond Mars

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Titan wasn't enough for Europe. Now it has plans to explore Venus, Mars and a comet so distant it will take a decade to reach. After decades of running third in space headlines behind the U.S. and Soviet-Russian programs, the 15-country European Space Agency last week captured center stage with the successful landing of the Huygens probe on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, after a seven-year voyage. The Titan mission, operated in cooperation with NASA, crowned a string of successes over the past year.