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U.S. politics

Governor to be new commerce secretary

CHICAGO - Democratic officials say president-elect Barack Obama plans to name New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his choice for commerce secretary. The Democratic officials say Obama will join Richardson at a news conference in Chicago for the announcement today. Richardson was energy secretary and United Nations ambassador in the administration of President Bill Clinton. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year, but eventually dropped out and endorsed Obama. Richardson is one of the most prominent Hispanic politicians in the United States. He was in the House of Representatives before joining Clinton's cabinet.

Defence

U.S. looks to speed up Iraq pullout

WASHINGTON - U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates is signalling a willingness to forge ahead with two key priorities for the incoming Obama administration. They are: accelerating the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Gates, the only Republican cabinet member asked to stay on by president-elect Barak Obama, says that military commanders are looking at ways to more quickly pull troops out of Iraq. Gates also says it will be a high priority to close Guantanamo. More than 200 detainees suspected of terrorism are still being held there, including Canadian Omar Khadr.

Health

Bush discharged from hospital

HOUSTON - Former U.S. first lady Barbara Bush has been released from a Houston hospital a week after undergoing ulcer surgery. A spokeswoman for Methodist Hospital says the former first lady was discharged Tuesday morning. She's in good condition and recovering as expected. Bush, 83, was hospitalized a week ago for abdominal pains and underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer Nov. 25.

Justice

Man guilty of getting toddler to smoke pot

FORT WORTH, Texas - One of two men videotaped coaxing two toddlers into smoking marijuana has pleaded guilty to reduced charges. Vanswan Polty was sentenced Tuesday to up to seven years in prison. He pleaded guilty to two charges of causing injury to a child, and three unrelated burglary charges before his trial began. Polty, 20, and Demetris McCoy, 18, were videotaped coaxing McCoy's then two- and four-year-old nephews into smoking marijuana. McCoy was sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to injury to a child and burglary charges this summer, and agreed to testify against Polty.

Health

More melamine-tainted eggs found

HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government says it has found excessive amounts of the industrial chemical melamine in another batch of eggs from mainland China. A statement Tuesday said the government found 4.7 parts per million of melamine in eggs from northeast China's Jilin province. Hong Kong's legal limit is 2.5 ppm. China has been struggling to get melamine out of its food chain after the industrial chemical was found in infant formula and other dairy products. Six babies died and nearly 300,000 were sickened by melamine-tainted formula.

International

Russian warships hold exercises

CARACAS, Venezuela - Russian warships have ended training exercises with Venezuela's navy in Moscow's first such Caribbean deployment since the Cold War. Russian television on Tuesday showed images of a Venezuelan-operated Sukhoi fighter jet swooping low over Russian warships in a simulated air attack. The exercises that ended late Monday included an air defence exercise and joint actions to spot, pursue and detain an intruding vessel, Russian navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said. The Russian ships arrived in Venezuela last week in an operation widely seen as a show of Kremlin anger over the U.S. decision to deliver aid to Georgia.