London, July 27 : The humble ice cream vans may soon become a thing of the past, courtesy the credit crunch.

Their jingling tunes, a sound that epitomises summer, are in danger of being silenced by the rising price of fuel and key ingredients.

Van owners have been struggling to cope as the price of powdered milk, used to make ice cream, rocketed by nearly 70percent last year.

Despite a brief respite earlier this year, the cost is now rising sharply again. Wheat flour is also going up adding to the cost of cones.

Overheads such as diesel and council permits also add to the pressures that could spell the end of a British institution.

London, July 27 : British and Japanese researchers have developed a robot that may give bartenders a run for their money.

The robot called Mr. Asahi can pull pints, pour shots and open bottles at high speed without asking for orders to be repeated.

It has been named after Japanese beer company Asahi, which is looking after it on its US tour these days.

"I think everyone loves the novelty of a robot that can pour beer. We''ve had a few bartenders who have said ''with this guy on the scene, my job''s in danger'', but given that he cost £100,000 to make, it may be a while before that happens," the Scotsman quoted Martin Leppard, the technical manager for the company, as saying.

London, July 26 : US presidential hopeful Barack Obama''s 67-year-old step mother, Kezia Obama, believes that he will change the way the world thinks once he takes charge at the White House in Washington.

As he arrived in London on Saturday, Kezia Obama, Barack Senior''s first wife, said proudly: "The things Barry Junior says are the things the world needs to focus on.”

"I believe he''s the right person at the right time. He''s the one to make the changes we need. If he does win he will be a president for the whole world," The Mirror quoted her, as saying.

London, July 26 : U. S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Saturday met former British Prime Minister and The Quartet''s Middle East envoy Tony Blair during the final day of his foreign tour.

Blair had a breakfast meeting with Obama at the latter''s London hotel, and The News quoted Blair''s spokesman as saying that their talks focused on the Middle East peace process.

Obama -- who has been travelling abroad in a high-profile effort to show US voters how he can handle foreign policy issues -- was in Jordan, Israel and the West Bank earlier in the week.

London, July 26 : Meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and former premier Nawaz Sharif in London is unlikely to take place here.

According to The Nation, Sharif is getting ready for a brief visit to some other European country from where he will set off for Pakistan.

Prime Minister Gilani is reaching London on Sunday night.

“Neither has the Prime Minister expressed any desire for a meeting, nor has any such event been scheduled,” said a spokesman of the PML-N.

London, July 26 : Should Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States in January 2009, he can look forward that having some members of his family from Britain visiting him at the White House.

One of them could be 37-year-old Bernard Obama, his stepbrother, who lives in a Bracknell council house.

"I''m very proud of my big brother. It''s quite a funny feeling that he might be the next President of the USA," The Sun quoted Bernard, as saying.

An avid Manchester United fan and Sun reader, Bernard stays with his bingo-loving mum Kezia, 67, who has lived in the Berkshire new town for six years.