Hamburg - An apology from Torsten Frings appears to have restored the peace to the German national team set-up after a mini-revolt threatened to upset the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Coach Joachim Loew had found himself having to deal with a number of brush fires in the last few weeks despite Germany's solid start to its World Cup qualifying campaign.

Late Tuesday he met Werder Bremen's Frings in Berlin to tell him in no uncertain terms he would have to prove himself if he wants to win back his place in the team.

Loew had last week summoned his captain, Michael Ballack, for talks after the Chelsea midfielder had made some highly critical comments in a newspaper interview.

Tehran - A senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader welc

Brussels - NATO expects "ever stronger cooperation" from US president-elect Barak Obama at a crucial time for the transatlantic alliance, Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Wednesday.

"Today's security challenges require an ever stronger cooperation and solidarity between Allies, and I look forward to the role the United States will continue to play in this regard under president-elect Obama's leadership," the NATO chief said in a statement.

Kabul - Barack Obama winning in the US presidential election could be a starting point for a leadership change in Afghanistan, opposition politicians predicted, as many ordinary Afghans welcomed the victory and hoped the new administration could put an end to the country's decades-long conflict.

"I think the change in the leadership of the US government could be a starting point for a change in Afghanistan," Doud Sultanzoy, member of lower house of parliament said Wednesday.

Ankara - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday congratulated president-elect Barrack Obama and said that he hoped the next president of the United States will do more for international peace.

Speaking in Ankara, Erdogan said the United States had a "heavy burden to carry" and that he hoped Obama would do more to bring peace to the Middle East. He said that the election put an end to discussions that there was a black-white divide in US politics, noting that many white people voted for Obama.

Zagreb  - Barack Obama's election victory opens "a new chapter" in US relations with the rest of the world, Croatia's president said Wednesday.

Stjepan Mesic congratulated the US president-elect in a statement.

"I am convinced your arrival as US president will mark the start of a new chapter, not only in the lives of many of your compatriots, but also of US relations with the world and of the world's relations with the US," Mesic said.