Washington - President-elect Barack Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday, keeping with the pre- inaugural tradition of sitting down with the leader of the United States' sout

Washington - US President George W Bush asked Congress Monday to sign off on the remaining 350 billion dollars of the finance bailout package after receiving a request to release the funds from president-elect Barack Obama.

Bush had said earlier Monday that he was willing to do so if Obama, who takes office in eight days, asked the president to move forward on the next phase of the
700-billion-dollar bailout for the embattled financial industry.

"President Bush agreed to the president-elect's request," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement.

"We will continue our consultations with the president-elect's transition team, and with Congress, on how best to proceed in accordance with the requirements of the statute," she said.

Washington  - With only eight days left in office, US President George W Bush Monday wished his successor Barack Obama good luck in the White House and warned that his biggest task will be protecting the homeland.

"The most urgent threat that he'll have to deal with and other presidents after him will have to deal with is an attack on our homeland," Bush said. "I wish I could report that's not the case, but there's still an enemy out there that would like to inflict damage on America."

Washington  - US President George W Bush asked Congress Monday to sign off on the remaining 350 billion dollars of the finance bailout package after receiving a request to release the funds from president-elect Barack Obama.

Bush had said earlier Monday that he was willing to do so if Obama, who takes office in eight days, asked the president to move forward on the 700-billion-dollar bailout for the embattled financial industry.

Washington  - With only eight days left in office, US President George W Bush Monday delivered an emotional defence of the country's moral standing in the world, lashing out at Europe for its constant criticism and at countries that have refused to take detainees from Guantanamo military prison.

Bush, who is ending eight years in office with one of the lowest popularity ratings ever, stood before the White House press corps for what was billed as his last press conference, bridling under pointed questions about his shortcomings.

Washington  - President George W Bush in a final press conference before leaving office said he felt honoured to witness the "historic moment in racial relations" with the swearing in of the United