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New York, June 18 : A substantial majority of Americans believe that President Barack Obama has not developed a strategy to deal with the budget deficit, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll also found that support for President Obama's plans to overhaul health care, rescue the auto industry and close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, falls well below his job approval ratings.

London, June 18 : To turn the main support base of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan commander Baitullah Mehsud against him, the Mehsud tribesmen, Pakistan has imposed an economic blockade on his mountain stronghold to encourage civilians to flee before a planned ground offensive.

Authorities are also arresting dozens of Mehsud tribesmen and shutting down the businesses of others on the fringes of South Waziristan , according to local officials.

The Times quoted a local intelligence official as saying that the Pakistan Army had blocked all three main roads leading to Mehsud's territory in South Waziristan and allowed only civilians to leave the area.

Frankfurt - A Chinese takeover bid could still be on the cards for German car manufacturer Opel, after Beijing's state-owner car-maker was granted access to the troubled firm's accounts, the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported Thursday.

Opel's US owner General Motors had agreed to the request by Beijing Automotive Industry Corp (BAIC), the paper said.

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) has announced that it has inked a joint venture agreement with Helios SinoGulf Property Development.

The company has entered into this JV in order to develop a logistics and business park under free zone regulation adjacent to Al Ain International Airport.

According to sources, the first phase of development will attract an investment of Dh900 million, which is slated to be finalized by fiscal 2010-end.

Madrid - A Spanish cruise ship with swine flu patients on board has left the Venezuelan Caribbean island of Margarita, the company owning the ship said Thursday.

Pullmantur said MS Ocean Dream had set off for Aruba in the Lesser Antilles after the 376 Venezuelans among its 759 passengers had disembarked.

The ship had been barred from entering Grenada and Barbados after three of the 400 crew members were diagnosed with the new type of influenza A(H1N1), known as swine flu.

Islamabad, June 18 : In yet another drone strike in less than a week in South Waziristan, at least five people were killed and several others injured when two US Predator aircrafts fired missiles at a suspected Taliban hideout in the Wana region on Thursday.

According to the sources, the drones targeted the hideouts of Taliban commander Mullah Nazir in Shah Alam and Raghzai area near Wana, firing five missiles.

The hideouts were completely destroyed in the missile hit.