Washington  - The British billionaire Richard Branson unveiled in California's Mojave desert Monday a new launch vehicle for private space flights.

Like its predecessor White Knight One the new craft, White Knight Two is more than twice as large as the original and will be used to haul Space Ship Two to edge of space to launch the first customers flying on the world's first commercial space airline.

"We're naming it Eve after my mother Eve Branson and because it stands for a first and new beginning," Branson said at the unveiling.

Washington  - President George W Bush met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday as Washington seeks to pressure the Pakistani government to crackdown on militants responsible for attacks on US forces in Afghanistan.

The issue has been a source of tension between the two countries, with the United States sceptical of efforts by the Pakistanis to secure peace deals with tribal leaders in remote areas of the country used by militants to launch cross-border raids into Afghanistan.

Washington  - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday he sees a chance for "common ground" in resolving the dispute with the West over the Islamic state's nuclear activities.

Ahmadinejad said on NBC television the United States has exhibited "new behavior" in its approach toward his country that could be an opportunity for better relations.

Washington  - The US Senate Saturday passed a multi-billion- dollar bill to address the ongoing crisis in the American housing market, paving the way for US President George W Bush to sign the long-waited rescue package next week.

The legislation will allow some 400,000 struggling homeowners to refinance into government-backed, low-interest loans and approves a contingency plan in the event that mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are threatened with collapse.

Washington, July 26 : Want to make sure that your kid’s learning process is best in the class? Well, then just read the chapters aloud to him or her, says a new study.

The research, conducted by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) scientists, shows that whether a child has been read aloud to on a regular basis is the single biggest predictor of a child’s success in learning to read.

“Reading aloud to children helps them develop oral language. It teaches them how to listen and how narrative is structured. They also learn vocabulary and how print works and that it is read from left to right,” says UAB Associate Professor of education Kathleen Martin, Ph. D.

Washington, July 26: A new research has suggested that humans have over-exploited the whale shark, the world's largest living fish, to such a degree that the ocean giants are actually shrinking in size.

A team from University of Western Australia conducted the research.

The new study has found that the whale shark population has also fallen by approximately 40 percent over the past decade in Western Australian waters, suggesting that this once prevalent shark, which can reach lengths up to 42 feet, is undergoing a severe decline in certain regions.

"We are all very alarmed at our findings, which really did defy our expectations," said co-author Ben Fitzpatrick, a University of Western Australia biologist.