Washington  - US President Barack Obama's will make his

Cairo - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak met Wednesday US President Barack Obama's envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, for talks on ways to secure a lasting ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israel, with the US envoy praising Cairo's efforts.

Mitchell arrived in Cairo on Tuesday at the beginning of a tour of the region. After Egypt he is to travel on to Israel and to the West Bank for talks with leaders there.

He and Mubarak also discussed the Egyptian initiative aimed at restoring relative calm between Israel and the Palestinians and the re-opening of Gaza's border points.

Chicago, Jan. 28: Riding the wave of friendly feeling for President Barack Obama, the Chicago White Sox have announced plans to release two new versions of their hat with some Obamanian features on the back and side, reports the Chicago Sun Times.

The Sports Business Journal reports, "The hats have been approved by MLB Properties, and the White Sox now are awaiting a formal blessing from the Obama administration before league licensee New Era goes into production. Both designs will be made if accepted by Obama."

Washington, Jan 28 : A group of Pakistani-American have urged US President Barack Obama to pursue a "partnership of peace" with Pakistan that should begin with respect for "statehood and sovereignty" of its long-time South Asian ally.

The Pakistan-American National Alliance (PANA) appealed to the Obama Administration and the US Congress to shun the notion of `coercive diplomacy' in dealing with Pakistan, the Daily Times reported.

Washington  - US President Barack Obama headed to the US Congress Tuesday for a rare meeting with opposition Republican lawmakers to convince them of the merits of his 825-billion-dollar economic stimulus package.

But despite the meeting, Republican leaders have reportedly urged their members to oppose the measure when it comes up for a vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Obama has sought bipartisan support for the legislation, which includes a mix of tax cuts and government spending and is the centrepiece of his efforts to revive the struggling US economy.

Washington - US President Barack Obama was headed to the US Congress Tuesday for a rare meeting with opposition Republican lawmakers to convince them of the merits of his 825-billion-dollar economic stimulus package.

Obama has sought bipartisan support for the bill, which includes a mix of tax cuts and government spending and is the centrepiece of his efforts to revive the struggling US economy.