London, Feb 9: In a new record, an American aged 56 has become the first woman to swim the Atlantic Ocean, after propelling herself across thousands of miles of ocean while inside a 6 metre by 4 metre cage to protect her from sharks.

According to a report in the Guardian, the woman in question is Jennifer Figge, an endurance athlete from Aspen, Colorado.

She took nearly a month to make the crossing from the Cape Verde Islands to Trinidad, propelling herself across 2,000 miles of ocean.

Islamabad, Feb 9: Pakistan will urge US special envoy Richard Holbrooke to adopt a regional approach to solve the prevailing issues of terrorism and extremism.

"We believe that not only Pakistan and Afghanistan, but the whole region is badly affected by terrorism and extremism and we hope that Ambassador Holbrooke would see the issue in the regional context," diplomatic sources said ahead of Holbrooke's visit to the region on Monday.

Washington, Feb 9: Pakistan is the most urgent foreign policy challenge for the Obama Administration, according to a study carried out by the US Central Command.

The Centcom, which is directly responsible for all American military activities in the Afghan-Pakistan region, is expected to submit the report to President Barack Obama in a few days.

The Obama Administration is conducting a high-level strategic review of the war in Afghanistan, and says it will unveil the results before NATO holds a 60th anniversary summit in early April, The Dawn reported.

Dhaka  - The United States wants to help Bangladesh protect mineral-rich waters it claims in the Bay of Bengal through maritime patrolling, a senior US official said Sunday.

"I think there is some interest in maritime patrols to protect your sea areas better. There are some areas where we can help ...," Richard A Boucher, the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, told a press conference.

Wrapping up a two-day visit to Bangladesh, the US official said the modalities of the proposed cooperation in maritime patrols depends on Bangladesh's requirements and US ability to meet them.

Munich  - Russia's deputy premier said on Sunday that he was "cautiously optimistic" on relations with the US after talks with US Vice President Joe Biden in Munich - the highest-level meeting yet between a Russian official and the new US administration.

"We are cautiously optimistic but let's wait and see. We need to be realistic, (US President Barack) Obama's administration has been in power for a very limited time," Sergei Ivanov said at the end of the prestigious Munich Security Conference.

Kabul  - A bomb detonated by Taliban militants in southern Afghanistan killed four people including two American nationals on Sunday, police said.

Afghan police forces found a roadside bomb device in Nad Ali district of southern Helmand province and called the US military advisors in area to defuse it, Kamal Khan, deputy provincial police chief said.

"When the advisors and district police chief arrived at the scene, the bomb was remotely detonated, killing two US citizens, their interpreter and one Afghan policeman," Khan said.