San Francisco - Taipei-based company Elan Microelectronics has sued Apple for the alleged infringement of two of its touch screen patents in the iconic US technology company's iPhone and other devices.

The suit was filed Tuesday in the US District Court in San Francisco, close to Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters, court papers posted Wednesday showed.

Elan, which makes touchpads, claims it owns the patents covering the touch screen technology that has helped the iPhone, MacBook and other Apple products become huge hits.

Bonn, Germany  - German's main competition agency, the Federal Cartel Office, fined US software company Microsoft 9 million euros (12 million dollars) Wednesday for imposing a retail price for its Office Home & Student 2007 software.

Microsoft said it would pay the fine to avoid a lengthy legal dispute and was reviewing its internal processes in Germany to ensure they complied with German law in future.

According to a new study related to belly fat and heart failure, the body mass index (BMI) and the waist size of people influence their risk of being hospitalized with the heart failure condition or even death from the same.

The findings of the study indicated that each additional BMI point increased the risk of heart failure hospitalization or death by 3 percent in women and 7 percent in men; while a waist-size increase of 10 centimeters furthered the risk by 19 percent in women and 30 percent in men.

Los Angeles  - After a sudden suicide in the hit US TV medical drama House MD, actor Kal Penn found a new role Wednesday in the White House where he will work as a liaison to several ethnic communities and the arts world.

Penn, 31, who also starred as an inveterate stoner in the hit Harold and Kumar film franchise, told CNN that he will "do outreach with the American public and with different organizations."

Harare - The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe on Wednesday warned of new targeted sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and senior members of his party unless they show willingness to reform.

In an interview with journalists in Harare, ambassador James McGee said current US sanctions against Mugabe and senior members of his party would remain in place "until we see some positive movement."

Baghdad - Even as the second bombing in as many days struck a Shiite shrine in Baghdad Wednesday, many Iraqis welcomed US President Barack Obama's commitment to withdraw US soldiers from Iraq.

"Our role is to train Iraqis to take control of their own country so we can start bringing our folks home," Obama said, to rousing cheers from the US troops gathered to greet him during his four-hour trip to Baghdad Tuesday evening.