More telephone diplomacy for Obama

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

Mr Obama, who also held his first post-election news conference, spoke with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain.