Colombo  - President Mahinda Rajapaksa renewed his call for Tamil rebels to lay down weapons and enter the political mainstream after government troops captured a key coastal town in northern Sri Lanka Saturday.

"Our troops have made a significant victory. Even at this moment I call the LTTE (Tamil rebel) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to surrender and come for negotiations," Rajapaksa said in a nationwide address after the army announced it had taken control of Pooneryn, 360 kilometres north of the capital.

Sydney  - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd received a frosty welcome from US President George W Bush when he arrived for the White House dinner that opened the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Washington, news reports said Saturday.

While other leaders of the world's top 20 developed and emerging economies received smiles and backslaps, Rudd earned a perfunctory handshake and a stony glare, Australia's AAP news agency reported.

Rudd raised Bush's ire by telling dinner guests after taking a call from Bush on October 20 that the leader of the free world had asked him, "What's the G20?"

A dinner guest at the prime minister's Sydney residence leaked the slur to the press. It was published locally and then taken up by US newspapers.

Washington, Nov 15 : Mourning Jennifer Hudson has thanked her fans for their support following the tragic deaths of her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew.

Oscar-winner used her MySpace blog to post a message of thanks to all those who have expressed their sympathy since the horrific killings.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time... My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your love and concern," Contactmusic quoted her, as writing on the blog.

Hudson''s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason, were shot dead at their home in Chicago, Illinois on 24 October (08).

Kathmandu, Nov 15 : Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda returned home on Friday after wrapping up his three-day visit to India.

Addressing a press meet at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) here, Prachanda described his India visit as ''fruitful.''

He said that Indian leaders had expressed a desire to see Nepal''s peace and constitution writing process proceed in an "understanding" manner.

Prachanda was in New Delhi to attend the second summit of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

On the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit, he met his Indian counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh and requested him to release Maoist cadres, who are languishing in prisons in India.