United States

US still to find out details of the ‘sharia deal’: Duguid

Washington, Feb. 18 : The United State has said that it is still trying to find out the details of the accord signed between the Pakistan Government and the Taliban to implement the `sharia' law in the Swat Valley.

Talking to media persons here, US State Department deputy spokesperson, Gordon K. Duguid said Washington was still trying to find out the strategy of the Pakistani government for dealing with the militants operating in the Swat Valley.

Duguid said the Pakistan's Constitution has a provision for such laws, and the issue is not of great concern for the international community.

Pierce Brosnan’s flick latest victim of economic slump

Pierce Brosnan’s Mamma Mia! leads race for National Movie AwardsWashington, Feb 18 : Hollywood actor Pierce Brosnan is the latest celebrity to feel the heat of global economic crisis, as his forthcoming flick has been deferred due to lack of funds.

The former James Bond actor was all set to begin shooting for `Heaven and Earth', a 20 million dollar flick based on biopic of James Miranda Barry, a woman doctor who masqueraded as a man to follow a medical career.

A-Rod blames cousin for injecting him with steroids when he was young, naive

A-Rod blames cousin for injecting him with steroids when he was young, naiveWashington, Feb 18 : Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez has admitted that his cousin repeatedly injected him with a substance from the Dominican Republic.

The New York Yankees star blamed his 2003 positive test on being young and naive.

"I knew we weren't taking Tic Tacs," said Rodriguez, who was joined at the head table by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi.

Dog owners’ aggression rubs off on their pets: Study

Washington, Feb 18 : Dogs owned by people who use confrontational or aversive methods to train their violent pets will continue to remain aggressive, unless training techniques are modified, according to a new survey.

Researchers at University of Pennsylvania conducted a year-long survey of dog owners, which also showed that using non-aversive or neutral training methods-such as additional exercise or rewards-elicited very few aggressive responses.

Beheading of wife by US Muslim TV head appears to be honour killing

Muzzammil HassanWashington, Feb 18 : The beheading of 37-year-old Aasiya Hassan by her husband and Pakistani origin American entrepreneur, who is the founder of a US Muslim TV network, has all the markings of an honor killing, psychologists and Islamic experts have said.

Muzzammil Hassan, 44, remains jailed after being charged with the second-degree murder of his wife, whose body was found on Thursday at the office of Bridges TV, their television station in Orchard Park, near Buffalo.

Orchard Park Police Chief Andrew Benz said Hassan has not confessed to the crime, despite media reports to the contrary, FOX News reported.

Facebook says it won''t sell your photos

Washington, February 18 : Social-networking giant Facebook has attempted to clear the hysteria created after it made changes to its user Terms of Service (TOS).

A cry spread amongst the users after one blog''s commentary claimed that the free-access website now held a perpetual license to use its members' uploaded content to promote itself or create or sell advertisements, even after their accounts had been deleted.

Consumer advocacy blog The Consumerist had dubbed the popular website's rephrased policy as "We Can Do Whatever We Want With Your Content. Forever."

However, a statement from Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt explained what the revision really meant.

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