While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Feb 3 edition

An image grab taken from an exclusive Al-Jazeera English interview broadcast yesterday shows Australian journalist Peter Greste in his first media appearance since leaving an Egyptian prison. -- PHOTO: AFP
An image grab taken from an exclusive Al-Jazeera English interview broadcast yesterday shows Australian journalist Peter Greste in his first media appearance since leaving an Egyptian prison. -- PHOTO: AFP

Freed Australian journalist Peter Greste speaks of 'angst' over colleagues in Egypt jail

Australian journalist Peter Greste has urged Egypt to free his jailed colleagues at Al-Jazeera, describing his "angst" at having to leave them behind after being released.

Greste, 49, was arrested for allegedly aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood, along with workmates Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Egypt, in moves that sparked worldwide condemnation.

The award-winning correspondent was freed and deported on Sunday after more than 400 days behind bars in Cairo, and he immediately flew with his brother Michael to Cyprus, where he has been resting before returning to Australia.

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Obama set for showdown with US Congress after unveiling US$4 trillion budget proposal

US president Barack Obama laid out an ambitious US$4 trillion (S$5.4 million) budget in Washington DC, that sets the stage for tough negotiations with Congress.

With the US economy finally showing signs that it is finally recovering from the global financial crisis, Mr Obama put forward a proposal that pushes spending back to pre-crisis levels and lifts the automatic spending caps known as "sequestration".

The budget includes a US$38 billion boost in defence spending,

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Long winter in US? Groundhogs disagree

American meteorologists were in the hot seat last week for erroneously forecasting blizzards would shut down New York, but this week, it was groundhogs that clashed over the onset of spring.

It is one of the more bizarre folklore traditions still practised in parts of contemporary America: groundhogs that emerge from their burrows on Feb 2 indicate whether spring will come early.

Those who see their shadows spell six more weeks of winter.

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Football: Andre Schuerrle quits Chelsea for Wolfsburg in 30 million euro deal

VfL Wolfsburg signed Germany's World Cup-winning forward Andre Schuerrle from Chelsea on a four-and-a-half year contract.

The Bundesliga high-flyers announced the transfer in a brief statement on their Twitter feed but did not reveal any financial details. According to media reports, the fee was a club record 30 million euros (S$45.92 million).

Shortly after the deal was done, Chelsea signed Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee believed to be around 35 million euros (S$53.6).

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Football: Barcelona accused of tax fraud in Neymar signing

Spanish public prosecutors have asked for Barcelona and their former president Sandro Rosell to be tried for two charges of tax fraud committed in the signing of Brazilian star Neymar.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have also asked for the investigation of current Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the club on an extra tax charge in 2014, which could rise to 2.85 million euros.

In a judicial file released on Monday, prosecutor Jose Perals Calleja suggests that Rosell and Barca declared an inferior fee to that which they paid for Neymar in 2013.

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