New York  - The British relief group Oxfam confirmed Wednesday that its license to operate in northern Sudan was revoked by the Sudanese government.

The United Nations reported six to 10 other groups had also lost their right to continue humanitarian work after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir.

Oxfam said it was appealing the decision, hoping for a quick resolution.

Washington  - The United States launched an effort Wednesday to help homeowners pay off their mortgages, hoping to stabilize a housing crisis that lies at the centre of the country's deep recession.

President Barack Obama last month announced a 75-billion-dollar plan to help up to 9 million homeowners refinance their mortgages and avoid foreclosure.

The Hague  - The International Criminal Court (ICC) and its chief prosecutor went to great lengths on Wednesday to emphasize that Sudan is obligated, under international law, to arrest its President Omar al-Bashir and transfer him to The Hague.

In its official statement after announcing that the international arrest warrant has been issued, the ICC said if Sudan, which so far has defied United Nations resolutions to cooperate with the court, fails to arrest him, it would refer the case back to the UN Security Council.

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet agreed Wednesday on the structure of a 100-billion-euro (125 billion dollars) government fund to aid struggling firms.

Companies hard hit by the global economic downturn will be able to apply for state assistance from the first half of March under the terms of the deal that runs until the end of
2009.

Gaza City  - The de-facto government of the radical Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza condemned the International Criminal Court Wednesday for ordering the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

The Hague court issued a warrant against al-Bashir over atrocities committed in Sudan's western Darfur province.

Hamas' government spokesman Taher al-Noono in a written statement sent to reporters called the decision "unjust."

Washington - President Barack Obama promised to cut waste across all government agencies, announcing a review Wednesday of the administration's methods for awarding contracts.

With an economic crisis that has forced the government to run up a massive budget deficit, Obama said he could cut billions of dollars of spending in the Defence Department and other agencies by reducing cost overruns, ending needless projects and limiting the use of private contractors.