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UK hostages on Saudi tanker named The families of two British crew men held by pirates aboard a hijacked Saudi Arabian oil tanker said they hoped the men would be "home safely very soon". Peter French and James Grady are on the Sirius Star, a supertanker which was sailing from Saudi Arabia to the US when it was attacked last weekend. Mr French, of County Durham, is the chief engineer. Mr Grady is a second officer from the Strathclyde area. Their families said they appreciated the concern shown for the two men. Palin: I'm proud of Obama and pray for him Former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has said she is optimistic about Barack Obama's incoming administration and that she prays for the president elect and his family. The Alaska governor appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday to discuss the historic campaign, how she thought she affected the Republican ticket, the concession speech she never got to make, her family's coverage in the media and her plans now that the election is over. Palin emphasized her admiration for the president-elect in the interview. "I'm proud of Barack Obama," she told King. "I pray for him, his family, the new administration. I look forward to the good things that are in store for this nation." She said that despite characterizing Obama during the campaign as inexperienced and "palling around with terrorists" she had no fears for the United States under his presidency. Obama team reviewing 'virtually every agency,' aide says The head of President-elect Barack Obama's transition team said Sunday that the incoming administration is conducting an extensive review of President Bush's executive orders.Asked about reports that the transition team already has identified a number of areas where Obama could issue executive orders as soon as he takes office, John Podesta said he would not "preview decisions that [Obama] has yet to make." "I would say that as a candidate, Sen. Obama said that he wanted all the Bush executive orders reviewed and decide which ones should be kept and which ones should be repealed and which ones should be amended, and that process is going on. It's been undertaken," Podesta said Sunday on "Fox News." Podesta pointed out that there is a lot the president can do without waiting for Congress, and voters can expect to see Obama do so to try and restore "a sense that the country is working on behalf of the common good." "I think that we're looking at -- again, in virtually every agency -- to see where we can move forward, whether that's on energy transformation, on improving health care, on stem cell research," he said. US elects Obama: World cheers victory Obama victory sparks cheers around world. World leaders rushed to congratulate Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday following his historic victory in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. And across the globe, people in city squares and villages, living rooms and shacks cheered his success, boosting hopes that America's first black commander-in-chief might herald a less aggressive approach to the rest of the world. Many were amazed and jubilant that the United States could beat racial divisions and send an African-American -- and one with Hussein as a middle name -- to the White House. "What an inspiration. He is the first truly global U.S. president the world has ever had," Pracha Kanjananont, a 29-year-old Thai sitting at a Starbucks in Bangkok, told The Associated Press. "He had an Asian childhood, African parentage and has a Middle Eastern name. He is a truly global president." Leading the congratulations by world leaders, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown described a "vital" relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom and said he was excited about the prospect of working with the new U.S. president. "I know Barack Obama and we share many values," he said. "And I look forward to working extremely closely with him in the coming months and years." Watch as Brown hails 'friend of Britain' » German Chancellor Angela Merkel also offered her congratulations and said she would work with Obama to deal with the challenges facing the world. "I'm convinced that through a close and trusting cooperation between the United States and Europe we will be able to confront new risks and challenges in a decisive manner and will be able to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that are opening up in our world," Merkel said. "Rest assured that my government appreciates hugely the meaning and value of the transatlantic relationship for our common future." Obama met both Brown and Merkel over the summer while on an international trip through Europe and the Middle East and held a huge rally in Berlin that revived memories of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 visit. Chinese President Hu Jintao offered similar congratulations, urging Obama to join China in shouldering "important common responsibilities." Lewis Hamilton becomes youngest ever F1 champion McLaren's Lewis Hamilton became the youngest world champion in Formula One history by the skin of his teeth after a nail-biting Brazilian Grand Prix. The 23-year-old Englishman's title rival Felipe Massa won the race in his Ferrari but Hamilton grabbed the fifth place he needed at the last corner. A late-race rain shower looked to have cost Hamilton the title when he dropped to sixth after a stop for wet tyres. But he passed Toyota's Timo Glock as they entered the pit straight. Renault's Fernando Alonso, the previous youngest champion, was second ahead of Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton's success buries the ghosts of last year, when after a remarkable debut season he let slip a massive lead in the final two races and Raikkonen sneaked in to win the title. Ultimately, there were no similar mistakes this time around - but as he entered the final lap Hamilton was not going to win the title. He - like Massa - had stopped to change to wet tyres as the rain fell in the closing laps. But while the Brazilian held on to his lead, Hamilton dropped to fifth place behind Glock - who stayed on dry tyres. Hamilton then lost that position - which was the minimum he needed if Massa won - when he was passed at the start of the penultimate lap by Vettel. Hamilton tried hard to get back past the German, but he could not get close enough to him and he would have thought he had lost the title until he came to the last two corners of the lap. There, Glock - who had started the final lap 18 seconds ahead of Hamilton - was struggling badly on the now-slick track and the McLaren slipped passed the Toyota as it accelerated up the hill towards the finish line. "It's pretty impossible to put into words," Hamilton said. "I thought do I have it? Do I have it? And when they told me I was ecstastic." US Presidential campaigns in whistlestop final push The U.S. presidential campaigns push for votes in battleground states as the race for the White House enters its final weekend. Busiest of all will be Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The Alaska governor has rallies scheduled in five cities in three key states -- Florida, North Carolina and Virginia

UK hostages on Saudi tanker named
The families of two British crew men held by pirates aboard a hijacked Saudi Arabian oil tanker said they hoped the men would be "home safely very soon". Peter French and James Grady are on the Sirius Star, a supertanker which was sailing from Saudi Arabia to the US when it was attacked last weekend. Mr French, of County Durham, is the chief engineer. Mr Grady is a second officer from the Strathclyde area. Their families said they appreciated the concern shown for the two men.

Palin: I'm proud of Obama and pray for him
Former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has said she is optimistic about Barack Obama's incoming administration and that she prays for the president elect and his family. The Alaska governor appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday to discuss the historic campaign, how she thought she affected the Republican ticket, the concession speech she never got to make, her family's coverage in the media and her plans now that the election is over. Palin emphasized her admiration for the president-elect in the interview. "I'm proud of Barack Obama," she told King. "I pray for him, his family, the new administration. I look forward to the good things that are in store for this nation." She said that despite characterizing Obama during the campaign as inexperienced and "palling around with terrorists" she had no fears for the United States under his presidency.

Obama team reviewing 'virtually every agency,' aide says
The head of President-elect Barack Obama's transition team said Sunday that the incoming administration is conducting an extensive review of President Bush's executive orders.Asked about reports that the transition team already has identified a number of areas where Obama could issue executive orders as soon as he takes office, John Podesta said he would not "preview decisions that [Obama] has yet to make." "I would say that as a candidate, Sen. Obama said that he wanted all the Bush executive orders reviewed and decide which ones should be kept and which ones should be repealed and which ones should be amended, and that process is going on. It's been undertaken," Podesta said Sunday on "Fox News." Podesta pointed out that there is a lot the president can do without waiting for Congress, and voters can expect to see Obama do so to try and restore "a sense that the country is working on behalf of the common good." "I think that we're looking at -- again, in virtually every agency -- to see where we can move forward, whether that's on energy transformation, on improving health care, on stem cell research," he said.

US elects Obama: World cheers victory
Obama victory sparks cheers around world. World leaders rushed to congratulate Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday following his historic victory in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. And across the globe, people in city squares and villages, living rooms and shacks cheered his success, boosting hopes that America's first black commander-in-chief might herald a less aggressive approach to the rest of the world. Many were amazed and jubilant that the United States could beat racial divisions and send an African-American -- and one with Hussein as a middle name -- to the White House. "What an inspiration. He is the first truly global U.S. president the world has ever had," Pracha Kanjananont, a 29-year-old Thai sitting at a Starbucks in Bangkok, told The Associated Press. "He had an Asian childhood, African parentage and has a Middle Eastern name. He is a truly global president." Leading the congratulations by world leaders, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown described a "vital" relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom and said he was excited about the prospect of working with the new U.S. president. "I know Barack Obama and we share many values," he said. "And I look forward to working extremely closely with him in the coming months and years." Watch as Brown hails 'friend of Britain' » German Chancellor Angela Merkel also offered her congratulations and said she would work with Obama to deal with the challenges facing the world. "I'm convinced that through a close and trusting cooperation between the United States and Europe we will be able to confront new risks and challenges in a decisive manner and will be able to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that are opening up in our world," Merkel said. "Rest assured that my government appreciates hugely the meaning and value of the transatlantic relationship for our common future." Obama met both Brown and Merkel over the summer while on an international trip through Europe and the Middle East and held a huge rally in Berlin that revived memories of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 visit. Chinese President Hu Jintao offered similar congratulations, urging Obama to join China in shouldering "important common responsibilities."

Lewis Hamilton becomes youngest ever F1 champion
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton became the youngest world champion in Formula One history by the skin of his teeth after a nail-biting Brazilian Grand Prix. The 23-year-old Englishman's title rival Felipe Massa won the race in his Ferrari but Hamilton grabbed the fifth place he needed at the last corner. A late-race rain shower looked to have cost Hamilton the title when he dropped to sixth after a stop for wet tyres. But he passed Toyota's Timo Glock as they entered the pit straight. Renault's Fernando Alonso, the previous youngest champion, was second ahead of Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel. Hamilton's success buries the ghosts of last year, when after a remarkable debut season he let slip a massive lead in the final two races and Raikkonen sneaked in to win the title. Ultimately, there were no similar mistakes this time around - but as he entered the final lap Hamilton was not going to win the title. He - like Massa - had stopped to change to wet tyres as the rain fell in the closing laps. But while the Brazilian held on to his lead, Hamilton dropped to fifth place behind Glock - who stayed on dry tyres. Hamilton then lost that position - which was the minimum he needed if Massa won - when he was passed at the start of the penultimate lap by Vettel. Hamilton tried hard to get back past the German, but he could not get close enough to him and he would have thought he had lost the title until he came to the last two corners of the lap. There, Glock - who had started the final lap 18 seconds ahead of Hamilton - was struggling badly on the now-slick track and the McLaren slipped passed the Toyota as it accelerated up the hill towards the finish line. "It's pretty impossible to put into words," Hamilton said. "I thought do I have it? Do I have it? And when they told me I was ecstastic."

US Presidential campaigns in whistlestop final push
The U.S. presidential campaigns push for votes in battleground states as the race for the White House enters its final weekend. Busiest of all will be Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The Alaska governor has rallies scheduled in five cities in three key states -- Florida, North Carolina and Virginia