Athens  - Greece on Monday said it will appear before the International Court of Justice in The Hague to defend its position against accusations by Macedonia.

Earlier in the day Macedonia filed a lawsuit against Greece accusing Athens of violating international legal obligations earlier this year by blocking Macedonia's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Washington  - US president-elect Barack Obama and former opponent Senator John McCain pledged to "launch a new era" on Monday during their first meeting since the election.

Obama hosted McCain at his transition team headquarters in Chicago and met privately after appearing for photographs. They later issued a joint statement promising to work together on government reform and across Republican and Democratic party lines to tackle the nation's economic problems.

London  - A leading convicted member of the militant Basque separatist group ETA, who is wanted by Spain, will fight his extradition from Britain, a court in Northern Ireland was told Monday.

Ignacio de Juana Chaos, 53, was granted bail by a judge at the Recorder's Court in Belfast Monday, where he will have to appear again on November 28. He had earlier surrendered for "arrest by agreement."

Judge Tom Burgess said the Spaniard was granted bail under a series of strict conditions, including a night-time curfew and daily reporting to the police.

New York  - Georgia on Monday renewed a charge that more Russian troops were being deployed in South Ossetia and Abkhazia despite a ceasefire brokered by the European Union following the brief war in August.

The two breakaway regions have seceded from Tbilisi and are recognized by Moscow.

Nicosia  - The political leadership of the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on Monday held talks in a "good climate" on Monday, said UN special envoy Alexander Downer.

Downer added that the two will again meet for talks on reunifying the divided Mediterranean island on November 25.

Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias spoke with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Mehmet Ali Talat on topics related to the justice system and supreme court on Monday, Downer said on Cypriot broadcaster RIK.

Washington  - The White House and Congressional Democrats agreed Monday that something must be done to rescue the US automotive industry, but they were far apart on how to get there.

Congressional Democrats appeared intent on taking 25 billion dollars from the 700-billion-dollar emergency bail-out legislation to help the industry, and were formulating further legislation expected to be introduced later Monday.