Washington, September 18: A new study has determined that the Viking warriors were driven to seek their fortunes to better their chances of finding wives, which suggests that there was a shortage of Scandinavian women due to female infanticides during the Viking Age.

According to a report in Discovery News, James Barrett, deputy director of Cambridge University’s McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, has conducted the study.

Barrett said that it was the selective killing of female newborns that led to a shortage of Scandinavian women in the first place, resulting later in intense competition over eligible women.

Washington, Sept 18 Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, has been immortalized by an American artist, who has created a bare-chested sculpture of the 44-year-old lawyer.

The work, by controversial sculptor Daniel Edwards, shows Michelle in the style of an African Queen, wearing large hooped earrings and an "afro pick" comb in her Egyptian-influenced hairstyle.

Islamabad, Sept 18 : Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the US didn’t inform Pakistan about today’s fresh attack inside Pakistan’s territory.

All countries should respect each other sovereignty. The cross border violations will not benefit US on long-term basis, The News quoted Quereshi as saying.

During talks with Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Kayani on Tuesday, top US defence man Admiral Michael Mullen had assured us that Pakistan’s sovereignty would be respected.

However, US launched a fresh attack inside Pakistan today.

Washington, September 18 : A new research has shown that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years.

The findings follow an unprecedented four-year study of sealed, 12-ton containerized grassland plots at DRI (Desert Research Institute).

Washington, September 18 : An analysis, carried out by a scientist of Indian origin, along with his colleagues, has shown that irreversible global warming will lead to biodiversity loss and substantial glacial melt.

The scientist in question is Professor V. Ramanathan from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC (University of California) San Diego.

Peshawar, Sept 18 : The Ahmedzai Wazir tribesmen have resolved to fight the US forces on Afghani soil if their incursions into South Waziristan continue. The decision was taken at a 3000-strong jirga held in Wana last evening.

The jirga consisted of pro-government tribal elders and pro-Taliban clerics. “Each and every Ahmedzai Wazir tribesman, be young or old, will take up arms against the US and fight alongside the Pakistan Army,” eyewitnesses told Daily Times, quoting pro-Taliban Noor Muhammad reading a unanimous resolution at the end of the jirga.