NAPLES, Italy, Dec. 4  -- A vendor spokesman in Naples, Italy, says police shut down a shopping area offering nativity figurines, including one of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.

The unidentified spokesman said police shut down the Via San Gregorio Armeno shopping area of the city in an attempt to stop certain open-air vendors who are suspected of operating without authorization, the Italian news agency, ANSA, reported Wednesday.

Among the nativity statue offerings set to be offered by the Christmas vendors were ones featuring the U.S president-elect. Also included in the holiday theme are Inter Milan soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his coach, Jose Mourinho.

Washington, Dec. 4 : US President-elect Barack Obama is considering naming veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke his special envoy to South Asia, officials said.

While his chief spokeswoman for national security, Brooke Anderson, did not deny reports that Holbrooke is being considered, she said that Obama will not interfere in the Bush administration’s efforts to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan.

New York, Dec 4 : Want to take home an apology letter written by US President elect Barack Obama? Well, all you need to do is dish out 24,000 dollars.

A 2007 letter written by Obama apologising to the father of a slain soldier is up for sale.

In the letter, Obama is apparently expressing regret for having said that more than 3,000 lives of the "bravest young Americans" were "wasted" in Iraq.

The letter was addressed to Bernie Hennessey, who had ripped him for his "deeply insulting" statement.

Baghdad - US president-elect Barak Obama has told the Iraqi prime minister he will implement the security agreement between the two countries and is ready to cooperate in fighting terrorism and insurgents in Iraq, national television reported on Thursday.

Obama told Nuri al-Maliki in a phone conversation on Wednesday night that the two countries have entered "a new phase" in their relations after the signing of the security deal in November.

Thw agreement calls for US forces to pull back from Iraqi towns and cities by the end of June 2009, and for a complete withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2011.

New York, Dec 4 : Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey will take her popular daytime show to Washington DC during the week of Barack Obama''s inauguration.

She strongly supported Obama during his run for White House last spring, even joining him on some campaign stops along the way.

Ever since her announcing her support for Obama, Winfrey vowed not to use her daytime show to provide a platform for any political candidates.

But, once the election was over she devoted her show to discussing Obama, and the implications of his historic win.

Washington, December 4 : Tom Hanks will mingle with the crowd and take a back seat to watch President-elect Barack Obama''s inauguration ceremony.

The Oscar-winner, who had voiced his favour for the Democrat throughout the presidential campaign, said he would not miss out on the chance of watching America create a new chapter in history.

"Look, I''ll be in the back. I''ll sit on the Lincoln steps and just watch it from the distance on a Jumbotron,” Contactmusic quoted the actor as saying.