Berlin  - German President Horst Koehler officially appointed Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg as the country's new economics minister Tuesday.

The retiring minister, Michael Glos, was openly critical of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

During Tuesday's ceremony at the presidential Bellevue palace in Berlin, the outgoing minister was formally relieved of his duties.

Johannesburg  - After 10 years in the pro-democracy trenches, Zimbabwe's longtime opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is set to cement his pact with his arch-nemesis, Robert Mugabe, on Wednesday and be sworn in as prime minister of a unity government.

Supporters of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are expected to throng a football stadium in the capital Harare for a speech after the ceremony, which marks a milestone in the career of the politician derided by Mugabe as a Western lackey.

Johannesburg  - After ten years in the pro-democracy trenches Zimbabwe's longtime opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is set to cement his pact with his arch-nemesis, Robert Mugabe on Wednesday and be sworn in as prime minister of a unity government.

Supporters of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are expected to throng Glamis football stadium in the capital Harare for the ceremony, which marks a milestone in the career of the man derided by Mugabe as a Western lackey and a "teaboy."

Wash

Washington  - US President Barack Obama headed to a small manufacturing town in Indiana to build support for an unprecedented 800-billion-dollar economic recovery package that faced a key vote in the US Senate Monday.

Obama was to hold a townhall meeting with about 1,700 residents of Elkhart, Indiana, where unemployment has surged to more than 15 per cent in the last year as the wider economy suffers a serious recession.

Wellington  - The plaster cast from New Zealand Prime Minister John Keys' right arm, broken after he fell down stairs at a Chinese New Year celebration, fetched
18,500.10 New Zealand dollars (9,435 US dollars) on an online auction concluded on Sunday.

Proceeds will go to a foundation started by Australian Fred Hollows to perform basic sight-restoring eye surgery for people in developing countries.