U.S. Army Captain Michael Kelvington, commander of the Battle company, 1-508 Parachute Infantry battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, bows next to remains of Gulam Dostager, a member of Afghan Local Police who was killed in the blast of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during the joint Tor Janda (Black Flag in Pashtu) operation, in Zahri district of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan May 25, 2012.  REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov  (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: MILITARY CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Reuters Photojournalism

Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography.  See more | Photo caption 

Members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan as part of the 25th annual Fleet Week celebration in New York, May 23, 2012.  REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz (UNITED STATES - Tags: MILITARY ANNIVERSARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Fleet Week

The U.S. Navy takes Manhattan for a week.  Slideshow 

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The SpaceX mission

A privately owned unmanned rocket blasts off on a mission to be the first commercial flight to the International Space Station.  Slideshow 

FACTBOX: Global stimulus rescue plans

Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:58pm EST

(Reuters) - As world leaders arrive in Washington on Friday to discuss a response to the global financial crisis, some governments have already announced fiscal stimulus packages to help their economies withstand its effects.

Below are some details:

* AUSTRALIA:

-- The government has announced a A$10.4 billion ($6.8 billion) package of cash handouts and family benefits.

-- It is providing A$1.5 billion to boost the housing and home building markets and doubling the grant for first-time home buyers. They will now get A$14,000 from an original A$7,000.

* CHINA:

-- China approved a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) government spending package to bolster demand. The fiscal policy, which runs through 2010, will target investments in roads, railways and airports infrastructure.

-- China also confirmed a change in value added tax (VAT), which will allow companies to deduct the cost of capital equipment, saving them about 120 billion yuan a year.

* GERMANY:

-- The government has announced a package which will generate about 50 billion euros ($64.22 billion) in investment and contracts.

- A new lending program of up to 15 billion euros will be introduced for German state-owned development bank Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) to strengthen its lending activities. KfW's infrastructure program for structurally weak local authorities will be raised by 3 billion euros.

-- Urgent investment in transport will be accelerated via a new program totaling 1 billion euros in both 2009 and 2010.

-- The government will make available an additional 200 million euros in 2009 for states to boost regional economies.

* HUNGARY:

-- Hungary announced plans for a 1,400 billion forint ($6.88 billion), two-year stimulus package to kick-start economic growth. The package does not involve new spending but a regrouping of existing funds to assist small and medium-sized businesses.

-- 680 billion forints will be allocated to provide lending guarantees primarily to SMEs and 260 billion forints will provide liquidity for lending.

* SOUTH KOREA:

-- The government unveiled an economic stimulus package worth 14 trillion won ($11 billion). It comprises 11 trillion won of public expenditure to support low income groups and local economies and 3 trillion won of tax reductions.

-- Measures also include an extension of 1.3 trillion won to state-owned banks to help SMEs. The government is to expand credit guarantees to SMEs by 6 trillion won.

* SPAIN:

-- In the last six months, Spain announced various measures to cushion the impact of the economic slowdown and soaring unemployment including a 38 billion euro ($49.28 billion) fiscal stimulus package.

-- The package includes 6 billion euros in tax cuts and 4 billion euros of liquidity to credit strapped companies and households.

-- It also includes a 400-euro income tax rebate for employees, pensioners and the self-employed.

* SWITZERLAND:

-- The government announced an economic stimulus package worth 890 million Swiss francs ($753 million). It includes government spending of 340 million francs on flood defense, natural disasters and energy efficiency projects.

-- Spending plans also include up to 1 billion francs on roads and railways and 550 million francs as tax breaks to 650 firms for job creation programs.

* TAIWAN:

-- Taiwan has announced T$122.6 billion worth of subsidies and tax cuts and T$58.3 billion of infrastructure spending. The steps unveiled are expected to generate T$1 trillion ($31.2 billion) in investment and consumption.

* UNITED KINGDOM:

-- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on November 11 the he was ready to borrow to provide the British economy a fiscal boost and he urged other countries to do the same. British finance minister Alistair Darling will unveil the spending plans in a pre-budget report due within weeks.

* UNITED STATES:

-- President George W. Bush signed a $168 billion, two-year economic stimulus package into law in early 2008. Of that total, $152 billion was earmarked for 2008.

-- The package includes tax rebates of up to $600 per individual earning $75,000 in adjusted gross income or less and $1,200 per couple plus $300 per child. Businesses would be able to deduct half the costs of purchases of new equipment.

-- President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats call for further fiscal action to help the economy.

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