New York, Sept 23: In the aftermath of the Saturday’s hotel blast in Islamabad killing 60 persons, the US State Department has said that Washington needed to carry on working with Pakistan and Afghanistan in combating terrorism.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said that the massive blast showed why all the three – the US, Pakistan and Afghanistan – needed to work together in fighting out terrorism.

“If you look at what happened on Saturday, this is an example of why we, the Pakistanis, the Afghans, need to work and redouble our efforts to counter extremism in this region. We’ll continue to work with the Pakistanis on trying to deal with the Taliban and Al Qaeda threat,” the Daily Times quoted Wood as saying.

Frankfurt, Sept 23 : India should not pin much hopes on Wednesday’s meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, says Harish Khare, Senior Editor of Indian English daily The Hindu.

He said that since Zardari was new to the office of Pakistan President, not much should be expected from the meeting.

Islamabad - At least three army troops were killed and sev

Peshawar- Thousands of people on Monday protested the killing of three civilians, allegedly at the hands of Pakistani security forces, in the restive Swat valley in the country's North West Frontier Province, witnesses said.

The demonstration started after a mortar round hit a house in the Allah Abad area of Swat district, leaving a women and her two children dead, local journalist Nisar Ali Khan said.

Islamabad, Sept. 22 : India and Pakistan have reportedly finalised the modalities for facilitating cross-border trade through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalkot routes from next month.

Officials of the two countries finalised the modalities on Monday, including the list of items that would be traded. A final decision on when this trade along these two routes will start, will be taken after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in New York.

Islamabad- Pakistan on Monday claimed Indian border security forces opened fire on the de facto border, called the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir on Monday, injuring one young girl.

"India troops resorted to unprovoked firing on the LoC this morning in Rawalakot sector, injuring a girl Ruina (in Pakistan-administered Kashmir)," Pakistan Army spokesman Major Murad Khan told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

He said Pakistani troops responded briefly with small arms' fire. Islamabad later registered a strong protest with India.