London City Hall Will Fly US Flag Tomorrow

Briefed military last night, will reveal number and other details tomorrow

(NEWSER) - After weeks of deliberation, President Obama has settled on a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan and ordered the military to carry it out. The exact size of the troop escalation has not been announced, but sources put the number in the neighborhood of 30,000 more troops. The president started informing military leaders last night and will explain his plan in detail in a national speech tomorrow from the US Military Academy at West Point. More»

Underground out of service, but strikers have little support

(NEWSER) - London commuters faced a trial to get to work today as a subway strike pushed millions onto buses, bikes, and boats. The 48-hour strike began last night after talks broke down with one of the Tube's unions over disciplinary measures against two train drivers. Some lines are running irregularly, however, as dissenting Tube workers showed up to work in defiance of the union, reports the Evening Standard. More»

Ceremonies fully funded by trinkets, donations

(AP) - Barack Obama's inauguration fundraisers had no problem capitalizing on a hot market for keepsakes. Obama-themed clothing, jewelry, rulers, and piggy banks raked in a grant total of $2 million for the inaugural committee. Even before the tchotchke change, the committee was already debt-free—the $53 million in individual donations disclosed earlier this week put total fundraising well ahead of the $50 million cost of the swearing-in. More»

President and PM want tougher bank rules to end recession

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and British PM Gordon Brown today urged G20 members to “do whatever is necessary” to fix the global economic crisis, the Guardian reports. The two world leaders held a joint press conference on the eve of the G20 summit, at which Obama declared “the separation between various parties involved has been vastly overstated." More»

(NEWSER) - Barack and Michelle Obama set off this morning for Great Britain, the first stop in an ambitious European tour centered on the G-20 meeting Thursday. Obama will be pushing a hefty agenda on this trip, Reuters reports, championing proposals to bring greater international regulatory oversight to hedge funds and “too big to fail” institutions. He'll also be seeking support for more stimulus for the global economy, and more troops and resources for his new Afghanistan strategy. More»