slamabad  - A Chinese engineer held hostage by Islamist militants in north-western Pakistan since August 2008 has been freed, the Chinese embassy said on Sunday.

Long Xiawei along with a colleague went missing in Pakistan's Dir region on August 29. Militants in neighbouring Swat district later claimed they had the duo in their captivity.

Long "safely" reached the embassy in Islamabad early Sunday, a day after his captors released him, according to a statement issued by the mission.

Details of the release were not immediately known.

"He (Long) will go back to China soon to get together with his family," the statement said.

New Delhi, Feb 15 : Following his visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Barack Obama''s Special Envoy to these two countries, Richard Holbrooke, will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday.

Holbrooke is likely to hold discussions with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser M K Narayanan on Monday on the situation prevailing in India after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Holbrooke''s visit provides a first opportunity to India to present an account to the Obama administration on the terrorism threat from Pakistan.

Karachi, Feb. 15: In a bid to prepare its players for the forthcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is organising a conditioning camp where cricketers will undergo "mental therapy" sessions.

This special camp is aimed at preparing players `mentally' for the longer version of the game, as Pakistan has not featured in any Test match for more than a year.

Islamabad, Feb. 15 : Attempts were made to hack the official website of the Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), minutes after the Pakistan Government acknowledged that part of the attack was planned in Pakistan.

According to The Dawn, the FIA managed to restore its website within 15 minutes.

Islamabad, February 15 : Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Nandita Das graced the second-last day of the KaraFilm Festival in Karachi, Pakistan.

The two of them are known to be the "oldest supporters" of the Kara festival.

Pakistani newspaper the News says in one of its reports that Das and Bhatt were welcome signs, and a massive statement of commitment from the neighbours across the border.

Islamabad - Pakistani government on Saturday dismissed the demands of the captors of a United Nation's official as unrealistic but expressed willingness to negotiate with them.

A separatist group in Pakistan's south-western Balochistan province set a 72-hours deadline on Friday to kill John Solecki, the local head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, if 141 women held in the torture cells of country's intelligence agencies were not freed.