Month: July 2009

Two UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan

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Kabul, July 05: Two British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand, where US forces are carrying out a major offensive against the Taliban.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that the two were killed in separate attacks which took place during an operation near Gereshk in Helmand Saturday night.

While the first soldier –from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment– was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade, the second –from The Light Dragoons– was killed in a roadside bomb explosion.

Iranian opposition rallies hit Brussels

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Tehran, July 05: Hundreds of anti-Iran demonstrators have gathered in the European quarter of Brussels to protest the recent Iranian presidential election and its aftermath.

The protestors — mostly Iranians traveling from neighboring countries such as Germany and the Netherlands– called the recent election as a complete sham and demanded a re-run.

Some wore T-shirts marked “Where Is My Vote?”, others carried banners that read “Stop Death and Terror in Iran” and “Revolution is the Only Solution”, AFP reported

Aussies upbeat after draw with Lions

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Melhourne, July 05: Australia coach Tim Nielsen said his side are in the best possible shape ahead of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff next week.

The tourists drew their final warm-up match after the England Lions were set 445 runs to win from 60 overs before reaching 162 for four by the close of play on the fourth and final day.

Despite it being the tourists’ second successive draw, the match answered many of Australia’s questions before they start their Ashes defence on Wednesday.

Only a Dalit will be my successor: Mayawati

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Lucknow, July 05: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national general secretary Satish Misra may continue to remain her confidant, but Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has no intentions of letting him don the mantle of her successor as she on Saturday said only a Dalit will succeed her.

Iran ‘to release’ another British Embassy employee

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Tehran, July 05: Britain says Iran is to release one of the two remaining British Embassy employees detained in the aftermath of the post-election unrest in Tehran.

Iran had initially arrested nine local employees of the British Embassy over having a role in fomenting mass public protests following the June 12 vote.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry released seven of the nine detainees following primary investigations keeping two of the staffers for further investigations into their role in the country’s post-election unrest.

Ahmadinejad paid for votes: Mousavi

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Tehran, July 05: The main Iranian Opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi has issued a new 25-page report detailing alleged fraud and irregularities in last month’s presidential election.

The report has been prepared by the Committee for the Protection of Votes, which is run by Mr Mousavi’s campaign office.

It accuses President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of abusing state machinery during the campaign and handing out cash to secure the votes of working-class Iranians.

Yousuf, Misbah fight for Pakistan

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Karachi, July 05: Mohammad Yousuf hit an unbeaten 82 on his return to big-time cricket after 18 months to lead Pakistan’s fightback in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Misbah-ul-Haq chipped in with 56 as Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka’s 292, recovered from 80-4 to post 225-5 by tea on the second day at the Galle International Stadium.

Yousuf and Misbah put on 139 for the fifth wicket after batting through a major part of the post-lunch session which was extended by half-an-hour to make up for the 36-minute interruption due to rain.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

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Serves 4

Preperation Time 30 Minutes

Contents
Potato

Ingredients

18-20 small-sized potatoes
Oil to deep fry
5-6 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 cups of yogurt
½ tspn of cardamom powder
1 tspn of dry ginger powder
2 tblspns of fennel powder
¼ cup of mustard oil
A generous pinch of clove powder
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
½ tspn of roasted cumin powder
½ tspn of garam masala powder

Method :

Chocolate Almond Delight

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Ingredients

butter – 200gms
castor sugar – 150gms
eggs – 4
plain flour – 120gms
baking powder – 1 tsp
ground almonds – 30gms
cooking chocolate – 100gms

Method :

Cream butter & sugar together.Add in egg yolks.Whisk egg whites until smooth.Fold in sieved flour, ground almonds, egg whites and melted cooking chocolate.
Bake in a loaf tin at 350 degrees Fahrenhit or 180 degrees celcius for
about 30 minutes.
For the topping, melt 200gms cooking chocolate over hot water and pour
onto cake. Decorate with almond flakes and cherries.

Serves: 8 People

Pak to share proof of foreign elements behind terror

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Islamabad, July 05: Pakistan will share with the international community the evidence of foreign elements supporting terrorists to destabilise the country, a foreign ministry official said on Saturday.

“We have gathered proofs of some anti-Pakistan foreign elements supporting terrorists in our tribal areas to destabilise Pakistan and we would share it with the concerned countries at international level, foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit was quoted as saying by the Online news agency.

Akshay Kumar And Priyanka To Sizzle

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Mumbai, July 05: Akshay Kumar fans who thought he bonded better on screen with the hot Priyanka Chopra than the sexy Kareena Kapoor and captivating Katrina Kaif, may be in for a total surprise.

The Khiladi, whose pairing with Priyanka came to an end when gossip mills alleged his wife Tina had forbidden their jodi over relationship rumours, is open to working with the actress again.

British Islamic group plans coup in Pakistan: report

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London, July 05: An Islamic militant group based in Britain plans to overthrow the Pakistani government, a British media report said on Sunday.

Followers of the fundamentalist group Hizb ut-Tahrir have called for a “bloodless military coup” in Islamabad and the creation of a caliphate in which strict Islamic laws would be rigorously enforced, The Sunday Times reported.

The group is believed to have been set up in Pakistan in the early 1990s by Imtiaz Malik, a British-born Pakistani who may still be secretly operating as its leader in the country.

SKorea says NKorean missiles can hit key targets

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Seoul, July 05: The ballistic missiles that North Korea test-fired this weekend were likely capable of striking key government and military facilities in South Korea, a defense official said Sunday, amid growing concerns over Pyongyang’s firepower.

North Korean state media did not mention the launches but boasted that the country’s military could impose “merciless punishment” on those who provoke it.

Pyongyang launched seven missiles into waters off its east coast Saturday in a show of force that defied U.N. resolutions and drew international condemnation.

Ambani Brothers May Come Together For Prayer Meet

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Mumbai, July 05: Their fight, despite a family settlement of June 2005, may have reached the Supreme Court but Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil are expected to come together once again – this time for a prayer meeting on their father Dhirubhai’s death anniversary.

The country’s richest siblings may join their mother Kokilaben at the family residence ‘Sea Wind’ on Dhirubhai’s seventh death anniversary on Monday, family sources indicated.

Exiled Honduran leader vows return for showdown

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Honduras, July 05: Honduras braced for a threatened confrontation Sunday as ousted President Manuel Zelaya insisted he was coming home to reclaim his post, urging his supporters to mass at the airport for a showdown with the interim government in power since the army sent him into exile a week ago.

High Court Gay Judgment, Govt Wants Reason

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New Delhi, July 05: The view that the Delhi High Court judgment de-criminalising sex among consenting adults of the same sex is “reasonable and well-balanced” has gained ground in the Manmohan Singh government, which is unlikely to oppose the order in the Supreme Court.

The government feels that the judgment touched but on a small part of Article 377 when it decriminalised sex between two consenting adults of the same sex in private, and that the alarmist interpretation that the law itself has been upturned should not guide the Centre’s action.

Obama heads to Russia, G8 and Ghana

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Washington, July 05: US President Barack Obama was headed to Russia later Sunday, then on to Italy for the G8 meetings on Wednesday and a stop in Ghana on Saturday. In Moscow, Obama is seeking to “reset” relations by finding cooperation on a number of challenges, including confronting Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions.

Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev are to discuss replacement of a nuclear arms-control agreement that expires in December. Both leaders have expressed hope that they can move beyond the strained ties of the past.

Tripping on medicine

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Mumbai, July 05: As the details of Michael Jackson’s medication come out in the open, it reminds us that it’s not just narcotics that can addict us but prescription drugs, too, can be just as addictive.

Dr Shrikant Shinde is a 25-year-old post-graduate medical student with a reputed Pune hospital for a specialisation in pediatrics — hardly the addict kind. Yet, his addiction to painkillers has followed a similar path.

Australian foreign minister hails relationship with Malaysia

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Sydney, July 05: Australia and Malaysia have put past troubles behind them and are the best of friends, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Sunday. Speaking ahead of his visit to Kuala Lumpur this week with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Smith said cooperation was the way forward.

“The relationship in recent historical terms has had its moments,” Smith said on local television. “We want to put that, and have put that, behind us, but it is, we think, open to both Australia and Malaysia to enhance and further entrench a very good relationship.”

UPA failed to use Rs.72,500 crore for Dalits: Study

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New Delhi, July 05: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) may wax eloquent about empowering the downtrodden, but in the last five years it has denied the Scheduled Castes (SCs) a whopping Rs.72,500 crore ($15.16 billion) that should have been earmarked for them under a special scheme.

This has been underlined by voluntary organisation National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) after a study of India’s budget documents.

Workplace harassment: Women turn the tables

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Makkah, July 05: Cases of sexual harassment usually involve men as the perpetrators and women as the victims. The tables are, however, turning, as men report increasing incidence of women harassing them, usually in the workplace.

Muhammad Naif, a young Saudi who works at a store, said a woman entered his shop and asked for his number before leaving. “I gave her the shop’s card, which had a landline number on it. She then asked me to write my name on the back, which I did. She then left,” said Naif, adding that the woman began ringing him at work everyday.

Shahbir Shah has links with Lashkar-e-Taiba: Police

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Srinagar, July 05: In a confidential report, Jammu & Kashmir Police has accused moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Shabir Ahmed Shah of having links with Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In the report to the state home department, the police have suggested some pro-active measures to curb the anti-national activities of separatist leaders and also slapped the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

N Korea’s leader convalescing by sea: Report

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Seoul, July 05: North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has been living at an east coast villa since mid-May and is likely convalescing after reportedly suffering a stroke last year, a newspaper said on Sunday citing US and South Korean intelligence.

Kim’s health has been the focus of keen attention since Western intelligence officials said he suffered a stroke in August before publicly naming his successor.

South Korean officials say he has recovered, yet the 67-year-old looked gaunt when he appeared at the country’s rubber-stamp Parliament in April.

Russia mulls upgrading diplomatic ties with Vatican: Medvedev

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Moscow, July 05: Russia and the Vatican are in the final stages of deciding to upgrade their diplomatic relations to ambassadorial level, President Dmitry Medvedev has said.

“We have relations at the level of representatives, now we are discussing the possibility of boosting ties to a full format, to make them ambassadorial, fully-fledged diplomatic relations,” Medvedev said.

“And it seems to me that this would be perfectly normal,” state-run Itar-Tass news agency today quoted Medvedev as telling an Italian media.

Morality can’t be a ground to deprive fundamental rights: HC

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New Delhi, July 05: The Delhi High Court has ruled a person cannot be deprived of his fundamental rights because of public disapproval of his acts on moral grounds and constitutional morality must dominate over public morality.

“Moral indignation, howsoever, strong, is not a valid basis for overriding individual’s fundamental rights and privacy. In our scheme of things, constitutional morality must outweigh the argument of public morality, even if it be the majoritarian view,” a two-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice A P Shah said.