New York, Mar 06 : American President Barack Obama recently took some time off from his hectic work schedule to meet Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

The `Twelve Monkey's' actor had arrived at the White House to discuss the New Orleans issue with Obama.

Pitt, who has been working for the upliftment of the hurricane-affected New Orleans, had a brief meeting with Obama.

He later discussed the matter with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and others, reports the New York Daily News.

Washington  - US President Barack Obama will hold bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy when he attends the NATO summit next month, the White House announced Thursday.

Obama will on March 31 begin his first trip to Europe since taking office, stopping in London to attend a conference of the world's largest economies, before heading to the NATO summit co-hosted by the French city of Strasbourg and German town of Kehl.

Washington  - US President Barack Obama will make his first trip to Europe later this month with stops in Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, the White House said Thursday.

During the March 31 to April 5 trip, Obama will attend a conference of the world's largest economies in London before heading to the NATO summit in the French city of Strasbourg and German town of Kehl.

He will then attend an EU gathering in Prague. The Czech Republic currently hold the rotating EU presidency. Obama's maiden trip abroad as president took place last month in Canada.

Washington  - Just six weeks into one of the toughest jobs in the world, could US President Barack Obama be getting some grey strands?

The prospect of the 47-year-old Obama showing some grey hair took the US media by storm on Thursday. The New York Times carried a front page story that prompted networks like Fox News to compare then-and- now pictures of the youthful president.

Washington, Mar 5 : During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama accused his predecessor George W Bush of bullying allies and suggested that he would do a better job of reaching out to old friends and finding new ones.

Most American allies welcomed Obama's election, but at least one country hoped less for change than continuity, said Kim Holmes, a former Assistant Secretary of State and vice president at the Heritage Foundation.

Bush engineered a civil nuclear cooperation deal with India, expanding counter terrorism and defense ties with that country. He also defined separately Washington's relations with New Delhi and Islamabad, The Washington Times quoted Holmes, as saying.

New York, Mar 5 : After facing much criticism for returning a bust of Winston Churchill, US President Barack Obama is giving some British mementos a prominent place in and near the Oval Office.

According to Politico, Obama, in a ten-minute phone call on March 4, gave his regards to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for dropping off the gifts on Tuesday when he visited the White House.