shameen

India invests in US debts worth $38.8 bn till May ’09

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New York, August 09: India has invested in US debt securities worth USD 38.8 billion till May this year, nearly four-fold rise when compared to the same month in 2008.

Even as the world’s largest continued to reel under one of the worst recession in 80 years, India has been steadily increasing its exposure to American debt since May last year, when the holdings were worth just USD 10.3 billion.

According to data available with the US Treasury Department, India bought American debt worth USD 38.8 billion till May 2009.

Pulses consumption decreased due to price rise

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New Delhi, August 09: Soaring prices have forced households to cut down the intake of pulses, a study by industry body Assocham said.

During 1960’s, per capita consumption of pulses was around 27 kg per year which has slipped to less than 11 kg a year during January-June 2009, it said.

“Rising prices of pulses has forced common households to curtail their pulses consumption,” Assocham said, adding, the per capita consumption has now come down to less than 11 kg in the first half of this calendar year.

Australia on verge of victory as England slump

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Leeds, August 09: Australia inflicted a dramatic England collapse for the second time in the match as they eyed a fourth Test win inside three days at Headingley that would leave the Ashes level at 1-1.

England, at stumps on the second day were 82 for five, still needing a further 261 runs to make Australia bat again after Marcus North’s 110 had been the centrepiece of the visitors’ 445 all out.

In England’s meagre first innings 102 their numbers three, four and five had managed nine runs between them.

Afghan Taliban peace talks remote

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Kabul,August 09: The Taliban have no trust in the Western-backed Afghan government and no immediate incentive to accept calls for talks which could stop their insurgency dragging on for decades, analysts say.

President Hamid Karzai has made peace a pillar of his campaign for re-election at polls in 10 days’ time. As Western militaries lose record numbers of soldiers in Afghanistan, NATO powers have backed talks as an option.

India to target beggars in 2010 Commonwealth Games

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New Delhi, August 09: India plans to round up beggars to shield foreigners from New Delhi’s rampant poverty during the Commonwealth Games, seen as a showcase of the country’s emerging economic might.

The drive comes as the government is rushing to build 39 plush hotels to house visitors, new roads and overpasses and an air-conditioned Games village to accommodate athletes for the sporting event to be held in October 2010.

Feared toll from Tongan ferry tragedy rises to 95

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Nuku’ Alofa, August 09: The feared death toll from a ferry disaster in Tonga has risen to 95, police said on Sunday as devastated Tongans packed churches across the tiny Pacific island kingdom in a day of mourning.

Police commander Chris Kelley said it was now believed there were 149 people on board the Princess Ashika, which went down just before midnight on Wednesday.

Two bodies and 54 survivors have been found, and 93 people are unaccounted for.

ETA claims responsibility for various attacks

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Madrid, August 09: The Basque separatist organisation ETA claimed in a statement issued on Sunday responsibility for various attacks, including those that killed two Civil Guard officers and a police inspector it called a “torturer”.

In the statement released to the pro-independence Basque daily Gara, a regular channel for ETA communications, the group claimed the June 19 car bomb attack that killed 49-year-old police inspector Eduardo Puelles Garcia in the Basque town of Arrigorriaga.

DNA test awaited to confirm Noordin’s death

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Jakarta, August 09: Indonesian police said on Sunday it could take two weeks to confirm the death of Asian terror mastermind Noordin Mohammed Top, reported killed in a dramatic standoff with police special forces.

“The whole process of DNA testing will take two weeks. It’s a standard procedure,” national police spokesman Nanan Soekarna told.

“The test is being conducted at the Kramat Jati police hospital,” he said, referring to a hospital in Jakarta where a body believed to be Noordin’s was taken after the end of the 17-hour siege at a remote house in Central Java.

TOMATO SOUP RECIPE

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of ripe tomatoes remove seeds, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Onion chopped
1 Clove of garlic crushed
1 Small red pepper chopped (optional)
4 Cups of chicken or vegetable stock
2 oz of tomato paste
1/4 cup of Basil

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a heavy pan, cook the onion, garlic and red pepper till soft.
Add the tomato and cook another 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and put the mixture in a blender until it is smooth.

PINEAPPLE PUDDING RECIPE

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Here’s a yummy pineapple pudding recipe with cake and custard and can be served as a sweet dish. Learn how to make pineapple pudding.

Ingredients:

For Cake
1/2 tin condensed milk
2 cup refined flour (maida)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp eating soda
1 cup butter
1 tsp pineapple essence
1 tsp yellow colour
For Custard
3 tbsp custard powder
3 cup milk(doodh)
1/2 cup sugar
Other Ingredients
1 tin pineapple
1 packet pineapple jelly
few almond (badam)

How to make pineapple pudding:
Blend condensed milk, butter and sugar properly for making cake.

INDIAN TANDOORI FISH RECIPE

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Ingredients:

2 lbs of any white fish fillets (cut into 2-3-inch pieces)
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup vinegar
Salt To Taste
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp ground cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

How to make barbecued fish :

Blend together ginger, garlic, vinegar, salt, coriander, cumin, cayenne and oil in the blender to form a fine paste.
Marinate the fish pieces into the paste for about 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Pre-heat the oven on maximum heat at broil.
Cover the oven tray with foil to avoid mess.

INDIAN FISH CURRY RECIPE

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Ingredients:

250 gms fish washed, sliced
1 cup coriander leaves chopped
2 tomatoes finely chopped
8 cloves garlic
2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp methi seeds
1 tsp coriander powder
A pinch turmeric powder
Salt To Taste
oil as required.

How to make indian fish curry:

Marinate the fish in salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes.

Shallow fry the fish pieces, drain and keep aside.

Grind the coriander leaves, garlic and green chillies.

Heat oil, add masala paste and fry till the oil separates out.

RECIPE FOR DEEP FRIED FISH

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Ingredients:

700 gms steaks with bone fish
Salt To Taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cup fresh green coriander
6 green chillies
4 – 6 cloves garlic peeled
3/ 4 cup plain yogurt
oil for deep frying

How to make deep fried fish :

Cut fillets into pieces that are about 5-6. 5 cm long and 4 cm wide.
Spread the pieces out in a single layer in a large plate and sprinkle with about 1/3 tsp of salt and 1 tbs of lemon juice.

Turn the pieces over and repeat with another 1/3 tsp of salt and 1 tbs of lemon juice. Set the plate at a tilt and leave it tilted for 2-3 hours.

French accused in Iran are innocent: families

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Tehran, August 09: Relatives of a French lecturer and an embassy staffer who went on trial in Iran Saturday on charges related to the post-election protests, denounced the charges against them.

Both families said they were apolitical — and the son of a French embassy employee said his mother had been coerced into making false confessions.

Nazak Afshar, an Iranian employee of the French embassy who went on trial with French lecuter Remi Reiss, was an “innocent French citizen,” Arash Naimian told AFP in Paris.

U.S. government will not get secret company Internet data

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Washington, August 09: Telecommunications providers will not have to give the government sensitive revenue and Internet speed data for a program to map broadband use in U.S. homes and bring high-speed Internet service to more people.

The U.S. Commerce Department said on Friday that companies such as Verizon Communications Inc, Comcast Corp and AT&T Inc do not have to share how much money they make from each Internet subscriber. Nor must they say how fast their Internet connections typically run.

India, China to set up hotline

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New Delhi, August 09: India and China have decided to set up a hotline between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao as a confidence building measure. The decision was taken during the 13th Round of India-China Special Representatives talks on the boundary question which concluded here on Saturday in a “cordial and friendly atmosphere.”

Bilateral relations and regional issues were also discussed.

Shahid unhappy over `A` certificate for `Kaminey`

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Chandigarh, August 09: Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor, who is looking forward to the release of his latest film `Kaminey`, is upset over the `A` certificate it has been given by the censor board.

“I am quite surprised with the decision of censor board to have given an `A` certificate to `Kaminey`. One should not go by the title of the movie as there is no other offensive word or abusive language used in the entire film,” Kapoor told reporters here Saturday.

Each district hospital to be given 10,000 Tamiflu tablets: Azad

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New Delhi, August 09: As swine flu cases rise sharply across the country, each district hospital will be given 10,000 Tamiflu tablets, the only medicine against the deadly disease, on a priority basis, the government said on Saturday.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the tablets will be given to keep the stocks ready.

He said doctors and scientists have succeeded to a great extent to restrict the spread of the disease.

Azad said the government yesterday decided to send Tamiflu to eight major cities including Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai.

NRI in Ahmedabad dies of swine flu, toll rises to four

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Ahmedabad, August 09: A 43-year-old man died of swine flu early on Sunday morning at the city civil hospital here, a senior official said.

Confirming the first swine flu death in Gujarat, State Health Secretary Ravi Saxena said Praveen Patel, an NRI, died of swine flu at city civil hospital at around 1.30 am.

“He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition yesterday morning. His left lung was badly damaged,” Saxena said.

Patel, who had returned from Atlanta (in US) on July 31, was admitted to a private hospital for pneumonia and common flu on Friday.

Discount Offers Under Scanner

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Ajman, August 09: Promotional and discount offers will be under the scanner as part of Ajman Municipality’s efforts to ensure that buyers are not taken for a ride before or during the holy month of Ramadan.

There are shops which offer up to 70 per cent discount on certain items, and the civic body’s effort will be to ensure that the offers are genuine, Yahya Al Rayaysa, head of the municipality’s Licensing Section told Khaleej Times.

Licensing inspectors will be also supervising the raffle draws organised by some commercial outlets so that there is no malpractice.

Thailand in Bid to Boost Tourist Arrivals from UAE

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Abu Dhabi, August 09: The governments of Thailand and the United Arab Emirates are discussing a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost tourism, Thailand’s Ambassador to the UAE Karn Chiranond told Khaleej Times.

The ambassador said the UAE serves as one the largest tourist markets 
in the Middle East for Thailand. 
Tourists from the UAE consist of holidaymakers as well as those seeking medical treatment.

Abu Dhabi Students Back from Germany

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Abu Dhabi, August 09: A group of 20 university students from the emirate of Abu 
Dhabi returned home this week after attending a five-week internship program in Dresden, Germany.

The students learned about the basics of chip technology and manufacturing through a mixed schedule of lectures, observation and hands-on experience in the foundry.

The initiative, sponsored by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), is designed to encourage high-achieving engineering students to develop their skills and acquire practical experience that complements their studies.

Awareness, Precautions Curb Fire Incidents

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Sharjah, August 09: Increased awareness among building owners and cooperation with Civil Defence authorities in implementing safety measures led to a decrease in the number of fire incidents in Dubai and Sharjah.

According to the Director-General of Dubai Civil Defence, Maj-Gen. Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, there was a drop of 42 per cent in the number of fire incidents in Dubai during the first half of the current year, as compared to the same period last year.

Controversial Private Detective Services ‘Common in UAE’

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Controversial Private Detective Services ‘Common in UAE’

Dubai, August 09: Jealous husbands and wives are paying private detectives up to Dh73,000 for a few weeks’ work to stalk their partners in the UAE, despite the practice being severely limited by the law. Three international firms have said that they offer infidelity checks in the UAE, which involves following spouses and making notes on their whereabouts.

Hospitals, Clinics Call for Guidelines on Swine Flu

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Dubai, August 09: Private hospitals and clinics in the UAE have demanded for the immediate release of guidelines to handle suspected and confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1) after the health ministry warned them of legal action against failure to notify cases.

The Supervisory Committee for Combating Swine Flu on Monday warned healthcare facilities that legal action would be taken if any of them failed to comply with the Ministry of Health (MoH) directives and the Federal Law pertaining to the notification of infectious diseases, for prevention 
of epidemics.