Washington - The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday approved a new programme to provide emergency loans to countries facing serious cash shortages in the wake of an ongoing financial crisis. 

Countries with a "track record" of solid economic policies can now apply for three-month loans without the usual conditions attached, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said. 

Typical IMF loans are linked to often-strict policy requirements, such as privatizing industries or reducing subsidies. Countries with shaky economic pasts, such as Argentina, would not be eligible for the new loans, Strauss-Kahn said. 

Washington - NASA's Phoenix Mars lander is slowly dying on the red planet, after the US space agency shut off one of the craft's heaters in a bid to save energy. 

The move was designed to briefly extend the life of the craft, but as NASA gradually turns off three other heaters to keep Phoenix running, the probe will cease to function as exposure to the harsh atmosphere increases. 

Phoenix uncovered water ice on Mars while examining soil samples, but also found a toxin in the soil that could make the existence of life on the planet less likely. 

Buenos Aires - Diego Maradona said Wednesday that he was looking forward to working as head coach of Argentina and refuted criticism from those who consider he lacks experience for the job. 

"They talk about my lack of experience, but I have 20-some years in the Argentine national team. That is why it sounds funny to me that they talk of a lack of experience," Maradona said as he left his home in the Buenos Aires suburb of Ezeiza. 

The appointment was met with cautious surprise by fans in football-crazy Argentina. While Maradona's past talent on the field is unquestioned, many are casting doubts on his qualifications to coach the senior team, based on his scarce experience managing club teams and the poor results he obtained. 

Tokyo (dpa) - The Tokyo stock market opened higher Thursday after the US Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate to spur the economy. 

A recent study presented to the American Public Health Association by Janice Sabin of the University of Washington in Seattle stated that the doctors subconsciously favored whites over blacks. To quote Sabin "This supports speculation that subtle race bias may affect health care, but does not imply that it will". Although the study did show a common racial bias among the general population, quoting Sabin "but we have to remember people are not racist if they hold an implicit bias."

Washington - The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday offered to trade 30 billion dollars each to the central banks of South Korea, Singapore, Brazil and Mexico in an effort to stop the financial crisis from spreading to the developing world. 

The creation of the new currency swap lines, which will remain open until April 30, comes as the International Monetary Fund created its own new emergency lending programme to help countries facing cash shortfalls amid the ongoing credit crisis. 

The dollar swap will "mitigate the spread of difficulties in obtaining US dollar funding in fundamentally sound and well managed economies," the Fed said in a statement.