California (US), Mar. 20 : President Barack Obama has confirmed that a presidential dog in the White House will come sooner than later.

Confirming a timetable for the First Family''s acquisition of a canine companion, Obama told The Tonight Show host Jay Leno here that the dog would arrive after his planned trip to Europe in early April.

"When we get back, the dog will be in place," Fox News quoted Obama, as saying, and adding that his daughters Sasha and Malia were not the only ones looking forward to its arrival.

Washington, Mar. 20 : President Barack Obama has attracted controversy again by saying that his poor bowling skills make him a likely candidate for the Special Olympics.

His spokesman, however, quickly said Obama did not mean any offense by his comment.

According to Politico, the late-night turn is a political risk for a president overseeing a recession.

Washington  - The United States is considering sending dozens more civilians to Afghanistan along with thousands of additional troops set to arrive later this year, a spokesman said Thursday.

The US is looking at adding 51 civilian posts to work on various projects and could also send more diplomats to beef up local reconstruction teams, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.

Washington  - US President Barack Obama announced a 2.4- billion-dollar plan Thursday to promote hybrid vehicles and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

The initiative allows companies to apply for grants administrated by the Department of Energy to develop better batteries for hybrid electric vehicles and related technologies and components.

Obama announced the plan while visiting electric power company Southern California Edison's electric vehicle centre in Pomona, just outside downtown Los Angeles.

New York, March 19 : Barack Obama has topped Rolling Stone’s list of ‘100 Agents of Change’, featuring those who “have powerful ideas” rather than the conventional meaning of the word.

The U. S. President grabbed the top spot followed by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who were hailed as “Lewis and Clark of the Internet”.