Washington, Feb. 5 : President Barack Obama''s pick for deputy attorney general, David Ogden, used to represent Playboy, and in one case, he successfully paved the way for blind people to enjoy the magazine at the Library of Congress. 

According to Fox News, questions are now being asked whether it would be proper to name a strident defender of Playboy and other purveyors of nudity as the number two at the nation''s top law enforcement agency.

"There''s essentially a question of propriety," said Brian Burch, president of the religious conservative group, Fidelis -- which released a critical report on Ogden''s past representation.

Amsterdam - Obama flowers are expected be the trend of the upcoming gardening season in Europe.

Dutch flower farm Royal van Zanten in Valkenburg in the southern Netherlands has developed a special chrysanthemum that it has named after the new US President Barack Obama.

"We expect to sell 250 million Obama flowers in the next three years," Ton Griekspoor of Royal van Zanten told Dutch TV.

"Yes, we can," he added, laughing.

Washington  - President Barack Obama warned of an economic "catastrophe" if US lawmakers were unable to pass an unprecedented economic stimulus package and slammed Republicans for failing to recognize the outcome of the country's general election last year.

"A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe and guarantee a longer recession," Obama warned Wednesday at the White House.

Washington - US President Barack Obama Wednesday announced new restrictions on the salaries of Wall Street executives seeking government aid and lambasted financial firms for shirking their responsibilities as the country suffers a severe recession.

Obama said executives from companies getting "exceptional assistance" from the government would be limited to a salary of 500,000 dollars per year, which Obama described as a "fraction" of the millions of dollars that top executives typically receive.

Wiesbaden, Germany - Representatives of six major powers met Wednesday to discuss how they could resolve the stand-off with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

The meeting of China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States is the first on the subject since the administration of US President Barack Obama took office last month.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said the talks in the city of Wiesbaden were intended to demonstrate the unity of the six powers in their approach to Iran.

Islamabad, Feb. 4 : Pakistan's Special Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir has decided to send a memorandum to US President Barack Obama to remind him of his commitment to resolve the Kashmir issue.

The decision came after the committee''s meeting at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl
(JUI-F) chief, Fazlur Rehman.