Turkish Cypriots form coalition: Two Turkish Cypriot parties on

Turkish Cypriots form coalition: Two Turkish Cypriot parties on Sunday agreed to form a coalition government with a pledge to work towards a deal reuniting the divided Mediterranean island before Cyprus joins the European Union (EU) on May 1. The accord will be welcomed in Turkey, the only country to recognize the self-declared northern Cypriot republic. Turkey is also keen to resolve the Cyprus problem by then in order to smooth its own path towards EU membership. -- Reuters

Tony Blair says will resign if found lying: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Sunday he would resign if an imminent report into the suicide of a government expert on Iraq finds that he lied about the incident. Senior Judge Lord Hutton is due to publish his report into the death of weapons expert David Kelly in coming weeks and is likely to apportion some blame to the government for Kelly's death, which rocked Blair's premiership last year. -- Reuters

NASA's Mars rover almost ready to roll: The Mars Spirit rover has fully unfolded and extended its wheels, and may be ready to drive off its landing platform onto the Martian surface by mid-week, NASA said. "The rover now stands at its full height and all six wheels are in position for driving on the surface of Mars," mission manager Jennifer Trosper said from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California late Saturday. -- AFP