shameen

Battle Royale on cards as Eng take on Oz

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London, September 04: Strauss`s men can move ahead of their visitors if they win 5-2 or better while Ponting`s side can reclaim number-one position in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship.

Ideal opportunity for both sides to prepare for this month`s ICC Champions Trophy

After consigning Australia to its lowest Test ranking to date, England can leapfrog its old foe in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table as the two sides go head to head in the seven-match ODI series which gets underway at The Oval on Friday.

Arshad says its difficult to break the typecast circuit

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Mumbai, September 04: Arshad Warsi, best known for his portrayal as the lovable goon `Circuit` in `Munnabhai` movies, feels he is typecast in a particular bracket and there is little he can do about it.
“Once a particular character becomes a hit, a slew of similar ones are offered to the actor. I do not have a choice. At times, actors do not really get what they want to do. Most of them are not in a position to pick and choose,” the 43-year-old actor told reporters.

Ramzan Special: Tandoori Chicken

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The Ramadan fast is broken with a range of delicacies of which chicken is an integral part. Try out the traditional Chicken Tandoori this time.
Ingredients:

1 chicken cut into pieces
3 small black cloves
5 red dried chilies
1/2 pint of natural yogurt
2 cloves ground crushed garlic
11/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/8 cup of butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered red food coloring
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Procedure:

Iran taking ‘step backward’ with Vahidi: US

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Tehran, September 04: The United States said Thursday that Iran is taking a “step backward” on US-led efforts to end its international isolation by appointing terror suspect Ahmad Vahidi as defense minister.

“Rather than taking a step forward to engage” the world, it is “taking a step backward by putting into a high office” a man suspected of bombing a Jewish charity in Argentina, the State Department’s PJ Crowley said.

Abbas sees Israeli settlement freeze by October

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Jerusalem, September 04: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Thursday that he hopes for Israel to agree to a settlement freeze on occupied Palestinian land by the end of September.

“Concerning the peace process, we reaffirmed that we were entirely disposed to go forward with negotiations for the (Palestinian territories’) final status if Israel stops settlement building,” Abbas said.

Iraq seeks UN help in recent bombings

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Baghdad, September 04: Iraq’s prime minister has asked the U.N. Security Council to investigate recent bombings outside two government ministry buildings in Baghdad and prosecute the alleged perpetrators, the country’s U.N. envoy said Thursday.

Ambassador Hamid Al Bayati said a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon requested the U.N. chief to ask the Security Council to establish an independent investigation commission and an international tribunal.

US urged to restore protection of Iranians in Iraq

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Washington, September 04: Supporters of an Iranian dissident group based in Iraq called on the Obama administration Thursday to restore U.S. military protection for the exiles, who were attacked by Iraqi security forces on July 28.

They also urged the Iraqi government to release 36 exiles who were taken from the camp during the melee in which 11 Iranians were killed — shot, beaten or run over by military vehicles of Iraqi forces.

Throughout that confrontation, American soldiers who once protected the Iranian opposition group stood by.

Israeli warplanes strike southern Gaza

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Gaza, September 04: Israeli warplanes struck the Gaza Strip early on Friday near the southern city of Khan Yunis, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.

The air strike targeted a tunnel under Israel’s security barrier that was to be used to infiltrate Palestinian militants, an Israeli military spokeswoman said.

Palestinian security officials confirmed the air strike, adding that no one was injured.

Five mortar rounds were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Thursday without causing damage or casualties, according to the Israeli military.

Inmate Guilty of Pushing Drugs

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Dubai, September 04: A 19-year-old unemployed man will spend one in prison after the Court of First Instance on Thursday found him guilty of attempting to smuggle drugs into a police dete-
ntion centre.

The Emirati inmate at the Ghusais police detention centre was found in possession of hashish that concealed in his shoes on January 18 this year.

“We found the drugs as we were carrying out routine search of detainees,” a police officer said.
–Agencies

People Cautioned Against e-fraud

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Abu Dhabi, September 04: Abu Dhabi Police warned residents against e-fraud by international hackers to extract personal data from mobile phones.

The police campaign drew to a close this week after nearly 100,000 text messages, in Arabic and English, were distributed to raise awareness among the public. Police had noticed many cases in which people fell prey to con schemes using phones, email or
 other technology.

Indonesian quake kills 57, leaves dozens missing

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Jakarta, September 04: Children were crowded around a video game console, passing the time before they could break the Muslim holy month’s daily fast, when an earthquake touched off a landslide that smothered their Indonesian village.

Rescuers were searching for those 13 children and several dozen more people buried alive, as officials warned the death toll of 57 is sure to rise.

5.9-Magnitude quake strikes India-Myanmar border

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New Delhi, September 04: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck eastern India near the mountainous border with Myanmar, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Thursday.

The quake hit at 2:21 a.m. local time on Friday/3:51 p.m. EDT/1951 GMT on Thursday about 96 km from Imphal, Manipur, the USGS said. It was 98 km deep.

–Agencies

EU foreign ministers to discuss Iran, Afghanistan

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Stockholm, September 04: EU foreign ministers will discuss efforts to get Iran to return to international talks over its nuclear program at a two-day meeting starting in Stockholm on Friday.

Diplomats say that new sanctions from the 27-member bloc aren’t on the table, and that the focus is on getting Tehran to answer positively to new overtures on negotiations.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU presidency, has led the bloc’s condemnations against the crackdown on protesters in Iran following June’s presidential elections.

Security assigned to watch guards at Kabul embassy

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Kabul, September 04: The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan has banned alcohol and assigned American personnel to watch the embassy’s security guards following allegations of lewd behavior and sexual misconduct at their living quarters.

The announcement of the crackdown on embassy guards came as NATO reported the deaths of two U. S. service members in southern Afghanistan. A British soldier was also killed, according to the U.K. military.

California wildfire started by arson

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Los Angeles, September 04: A huge wildfire burning in the mountains above Los Angeles, the largest ever in the county, was started by arson and will be investigated as a homicide, authorities said on Thursday.

The arson declaration was made after investigators found evidence of arson at the point of origin for the so-called Station Fire, which has blackened an area the size of Chicago, started.

US must stay in Afghanistan to defeat Al-Qaeda

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Washington, September 04: Top US military chiefs sought Thursday to convince a war-weary public that President Barack Obama’s new strategy will work in Afghanistan, saying troops must stay there to defeat Al-Qaeda.

“There is a limited time for us to show that this is working,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters at a Pentagon press conference held after new polls showed American support for the war had waned.

Show of force in restive China city after protests

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Beijing, September 04: Armed police deployed en masse Friday across China’s restive Urumqi city after tens of thousands of people protested over mysterious syringe attacks that have revived ethnic tensions here.

Contingents in riot gear, some of them 500-strong, were stationed at key points in the capital of northwestern Xinjiang region, where violence erupted in July between mainly Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese, leaving nearly 200 dead.

10 killed, 25 injured in Mumbai landslide

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Mumbai, September 04: At least 10 people were killed and 25 injured after a landslide triggered by heavy rains hit Saki-Naka area of northeastern Mumbai, authorities said Friday morning.

According to fire brigage officials, the landslide, which occurred around 11.30 p.m. Thursday at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar slums, buried more than two dozen shanties in the area.

The officials with help from locals have so far managed to save two dozen people who were trapped under the debris. Several people are still feared trapped under the debris, the police said.

NATO airstrike hits Afghan fuel truck

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Kunduz, September 04: An airstrike carried out by the NATO force in Afghanistan targeted a fuel tanker hijacked by Taliban insurgents causing dozens of casualties on Friday, officials and witnesses said.

“Last night, the Taliban tried to take a fuel tanker that they hijacked on the highway to Angorbagh village,” said Baryalai Basharyar Parwani, police chief of the Ali Abad district in northern Kunduz province.

Soldier killed in cross LoC firing

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Jammu, September 01: An Indian Army soldier was killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Tuesday when Pakistani troops fired from across the Line of Control (LoC), Army officials here said.

In what is being termed as “another case of ceasefire violation”, a senior Army official said the firing came from across the LoC, which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, in Mendhar sector, about 230 km from here, in the early hours of the morning.

SC notice to Gujarat govt over Jaswant book ban

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New Delhi, September 01: Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Gujarat government on a petition filed by Jaswant Singh challenging banning on his book on Pakistan founder Md Ali Jinnah.

A bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph while issuing the notice to the Gujarat government decided to hear Singh’s lawsuit Sep 8.

The apex court has asked the Gujarat government to explain the basis on which it imposed the ban.

The Gujarat government had banned Jaswant Singh’s controversial book on Jinnah alleging it defamed former Home Minister of India Sardar Patel.

Won’t quit as PAC chief: Jaswant Singh

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New Delhi, September 01: A defiant Jaswant Singh on Tuesday said he would not quit as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, a day after the expelled BJP leader was told by his former party to quit the parliamentary post.

Asked by reporters if he would oblige the BJP by quitting the PAC, Jaswant Singh said he would not.

“The decision (to ask him to quit the PAC) is of the (Lok Sabha) Speaker, and not of a political party,” he said.

Lt Gen PC Bhardwaj to be next Army Vice Chief

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New Delhi, September 01: Northern Commander Lt Gen PC Bhardwaj has been named the next Vice Chief of Army, bypassing seniormost three-star officer Lt Gen VK Singh.

Bhardwaj will assume office on October 1 when the incumbent Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj retires.

The appointment of Lt Gen Bhardwaj comes after Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor had recommended to the Defence Ministry that an officer with around two years of service left with him should take over the office so that he can get a grip of things and continue for a longer tenure.

One more death due to swine flu in Gujarat

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Ahmedabad, September 01: A 40-year-old man died of swine flu here Tuesday, taking the toll in the viral infection in Gujarat to nine.

Principal Secretary, Health, Ravi Saxena, said the patient Dinesh Agera was first admitted to a private hospital on August 30 and the following day, he tested positive for the virus.

“Subsequently, he was shifted from the private hospital to the municipal-run VS hospital last night and today morning he succumbed to viral infection,” Saxena said.

So far, 113 people have tested positive for the virus in Gujarat.

Britain to release documents on Lockerbie bomber

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London, September 01: Britain will publish all “relevant” correspondence with Scotland on the Lockerbie bomber, an official said, amid suggestions oil deals with Libya played a role in his release.

London will publish Tuesday its communication with Scottish ministers over Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, whose release from prison earlier this month sparked outrage in the United States, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.

“We will release all relevant documents with Scottish ministers,” the spokeswoman told AFP, declining to give details.