The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF) on Tuesday rejected The New York Times reports that the military alliance commanders are planning to conduct military operations against militants into Pakistani soil, a statement of the alliance released here said. The U.S. influential daily The New York Times on Monday reported that U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan are pushing for expansion of ground operations across the border into Pakistan 's lawless tribal areas. The NATO-led troops almost regularly carry out drone attacks against militants hideouts in Pakistan's areas from where the Taliban militants and associated insurgents, according to Afghan officials, often infiltrate into Afghanistan and target security forces. (Afghanistan-NATO) KABUL -- A soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed Tuesday in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Afghanistan's restive southern provinces, the military alliance said. 'An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today,' ISAF said in a brief statement released here to media. (Afghanistan-NATO) MANILA -- Despite a 482-million-peso (10.90 million U.S. dollars) budget surplus in November, the Philippine government will continue on its path of judicious spending, President Benigno Aquino III said on Tuesday. The president made the statement in an ambush interview when asked whether the government will continue with its prudent spending, even with the budget surplus posted in November. The Philippines posted a modest 482 million pesos budget surplus in November, limiting the government's deficit position to only 269.8 billion pesos (6.10 billion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of the year. (Philippines-Budget) 