Washington, Oct 2: General David McKiernan, the commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, has reportedly not ruled out holding talks with the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar for ensuring peace in the country. He also called for enlisting tribes to help achieving the desired objective.

He said that the US-led coalition needed more troops for what, according to him, was increasingly a “tough fight” in eastern and southern Afghanistan.

Islamabad - The death toll in the weekend suicide car bombing at a polling station in Pakistan's north-western Buner district rose to 40 on Monday as more victims died in hospitals, police said.

A suicide bomber riding an explosives-laden car struck a government school, where hundreds of voters were casting ballots, in Shal Bande village at 11:00am (0600 GMT) Sunday, killing more than 15 people instantly.

The powerful blast destroyed the school building and adjacent shops serving as camps for contesting political parties and damaged nearby houses and a mosque. Rescuers dug through the rubble until late Sunday night to pull out dozens of trapped victims.

Dhaka- Arafat Rahman Koko, the younger son of jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia, was released from prison in Bangladesh Thursday on an eight-week parole on humanitarian ground, Home Ministry officials said.

"The government has ordered the temporary release from prison purely on humanitarian considerations," said Home Affairs adviser M A Matin after the military-backed regime decided to give the mother and son limited reprieve from detention.

An official announcement on Zia's release was being delayed due to last minute differences between the government and her lawyers.

Event:44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards - Press Room
Venue & Location:MGM Grand Hotel / Las Vegas, NV. USA
Event Date:4/5/2009
Photographer:Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

New Delhi, Apr 21: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for inclusive growth, which will ensure that the process of social and economic change would reach out to the marginalized sections of the population.

With an aim to reach out to millions of marginalised farmers left out of India''s booming economy, Dr. Singh''s government announced, in the last budget for the year ended March 2009, a 15 billion dollars loan waiver for small farmers who had borrowed from banks.

Event : Ringo Starr Celebrates 71st Birthday in Germany

Melbourne, Oct 10 : American rapper will. i. am of the band Black-Eyed Peas has nothing but praise for Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, saying that he is a source of inspiration.

Will. i. am, 34, said at the Melbourne opening of reconciliation-inspired art project Nomad Two Worlds, that Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations inspired people around the world,

Event : More Magazine Reinvention Convention - May 17, 2010
Venue & Location : Navy Pier / Chicago, IL, USA
Event Date : 5/17/2010
Photographer : Daniel Locke / PR Photos

Event:Ben Westood's "SPAWN:BOUND" Photography Exhibition - Arrivals
Venue & Location:Bodhi Gallery in Brick Lane / London, UK
Event Date:05/28/2009
Photographer:Solarpix / PR Photos

Washington, July 9 : An official attached with U. S. Vice President Dick Cheney''s office has been accused of editing out six pages from a global warming-related testimony given by Julie L. Gerberding, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a letter to Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat-California), former Environment Protection Agency (EPA) deputy associate administrator Jason K. Burnett said Gerberding had planned to say that the "CDC considers climate change a serious public health concern."

Event:   Paris Hilton Celebrates Her 29th Birthday at Tao Nightclub in Las Vegas
Venue & Location:   Tao Nightclub at the Venetian Hotel and Casino / Las Vegas, NV, USA
Event Date:   02/20/2010
Photographer:   PRN / PR Photos

Washington, Jan. 25 : Many Cuban-Americans are anticipating a change in policy toward their homeland during the tenure of the Barack Obama administration.

Obama has won more than one-third of Florida''s Cuban-American vote in November, a voter base that in the past has favored Republican presidential candidates by margins of more than 80 percent.

Taipei- Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Sunday ordered that the government make tourism one of the six key industries for active development on the island as warming cross-strait relations have helped reduce the risk of war with China.

"With reconciliation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, we no longer need to spend time in worrying about war," he said.

Washington, August 18 : Miley Cyrus has denied reports that she is set to star in the forthcoming sequel of ‘Sex And The City’.

The teen actress was previously reported to have been approached for a role in the movie.

But the “Hannah Montana” star, who recently finished filming of her new movie, “The Last Song”, dismissed the story, reports Contactmusic.

Board Meeting :Interim Dividend.

Karachi, Apr. 19 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the country is ready with its own anti-terrorism strategy which it would be sharing with the United States soon.

"Our policy is ready, and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would visit the US in the first week of May to share this policy with the American administration," The Daily quoted Gilani, as saying.

Nokia is planning to impress mobile phone users with XpressMusic 5800 phone, which is also dubbed as 'Tube'. As per industry experts, the set would be available in North America by 26th February.

However, the Nokia Xpress Music comes with a higher price tag of $400.

It would be very pleasing to know that Nokia 5800 XpressMusic device is not like any other lay phone as Nokia has positioned it as its first mass-market touchscreen device. But what has ignited the interest of the users is the free year-long music subscription called 'Comes With Music' that came with the phone.

Event :Justin Long playing table tennis V Festival 2010 held at Hylands Park - backstage - Day Two
Venue & Location : Chelmsford, England
Event Date : 24.08.10
Credit: IANS-WENN