The body of Poland's first lady was flown home from Russia to an emotional welcome today.

Bodies remain trapped in the wreckage of a Polish plane that crashed in Russia on Saturday, killing 96 people including President Lech Kaczynski.

President Mary McAleese joined the country’s Polish community today to mourn the loss of their head of state and scores of other passengers in a devastating plane crash.

Thousands of people stood silent in the streets of Poland’s cities today in a silent memorial to President Lech Kaczynski and the other 95 people killed in a devastating plane crash.

Poles wept before their televisions, lowered flags to half-mast and taped black ribbons in their windows after hearing that President Lech Kaczynski and the upper echelons of the establishment lay dead in woods a short drive from the site of the Katyn forest massacre, where 22,000 Polish officers were killed by Soviet secret police in one of Poland’s greatest national traumas.

US President-elect Barack Obama spoke with seven world leaders by phone yesterday, as he continues to prepare for taking office January 20.

POLAND’S prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said yesterday that his country had moved closer to hosting a US missile defence facility after President George Bush’s visit last week, according to Associated Press reports.

The US coalition in Iraq saw its size dwindle today as Ukraine and Bulgaria said all of their troops had left the country while Poland said it would remain, but reduce its number of troops by 600 next year.