Month: August 2009

‘Singh, Zardari want to make possible lessening of tensions’

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London, August 02: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari want to make possible “a lessening of tensions” after the Mumbai attacks, British Premier Gordon Brown has said, expressing willingness to do everything he can to help the two countries build better ties. “I have a very strong affinity with the region. I’m particularly friendly for many years with Prime Minister Singh in India,” Brown told ‘Garavi Gujarat’, a Gujarati-English bilingual weekly and its sister publication ‘Eastern Eye’.

700 companies taking part in financial leasing program

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Jeddah, August 02: Over seven hundred local and international companies are participating in the three-day program under the theme “financial leasing from the legal perspective.”

The program, which began on Saturday, aims to discuss the importance of establishing specialized leasing companies to facilitate local and foreign investment in the Kingdom.

Considered the first legal training program in the Kingdom, it is being held under the supervision of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training and organized by Al-Moor Center for Training in Jeddah.

KSA orders 4m doses of vaccines

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Riyadh, August 02: Saudi Arabia has ordered four million doses of swine flu vaccine from multinational pharmaceutical companies in preparation for the Haj pilgrimage in the year-end, the health minister told a crowded press conference here Saturday.

He was speaking a day after the number of deaths due to A-H1N1 in the Kingdom reached four.

The first shipment of vaccines is expected to arrive by the end of October, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah said. The vaccines, currently under clinical trials, are expected to hit the world market around that time.

Jeddah gets policewomen

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Jeddah, August 02: A Policewomen’s Section was launched Saturday at the Jeddah Governorate.

The policewomen have purely administrative jobs in areas like civil status, criminal evidence, criminal investigation and preventive security, said Maj. Gen. Ali Bin Muhammad Al-Saadi Al-Ghamdi, Director of Jeddah Police.

Bassma Rajb, Director of the Women’s Section, said the women have completed advanced training in police work.

–Agencies–

Haj visas being cleared despite advisory on ban

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Riyadh, August 02: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has forwarded the Arab health ministers’ anti-swine flu recommendations to the higher authorities, on banning vulnerable groups like the elderly, pregnant women and young children from the Haj pilgrimage, said Dr. Ziad Memish, Director of the MoH Preventive Health Department.

Fake currency racket busted

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Ahmedabad, August 02: The Gujarat police have arrested four persons and claim to have busted a major racket involved in pushing fake currency notes into the country through the Nepal border.

The police said fake currency notes worth over Rs. 10.75 lakhs were recovered from the possession of the four persons arrested from a highway near Godhra town in the Panchamahals district. The seized fake notes were in Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 denominations.

Promoting Brand India in Indonesia

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New Delhi, August 02: Over 50 Indian companies will participate in the first major Indian trade fair in Indonesia, whose economy is growing at a fast clip, to promote Brand India.

Organised by the commerce ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the roadshow, titled ‘Made in India’, in Indonesian capital Jakarta will be inaugurated by Minister of State for Commerce Jyotiraditya Scindia and Indonesian Minister of Industry Fahim Idris.

Sarabjit’s family meets Raj Thackeray

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Mumbai, August 02: The family of Sarabjit Singh, who is on death row in Pakistan, met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray on Friday at his residence here.

MNS spokesperson Sachin More told The Hindu that Sarabjit’s daughter Swapandeep, his sister Dalbir Kaur and her husband discussed the matter of his release with the leader.

“They thought he [Thackeray] is their only hope,” Mr. More said.

–Agencies

Prisoner says he was raped by seven inmates

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Dubai, August 02: A man jailed at Al Aweer prison has alleged that he was raped by seven inmates who threatened him with a knife.

A.M., a 24-year-old Syrian, said he was allegedly raped by seven prisoners 10 days ago. He was later transferred to solitary confinement.

Police said A.M. is serving a one-year jail term for theft.

“He finished his sentence 20 days ago, but he is wanted in another emirate for a crime he committed there,” the police official said.

A.M. was crying when he spoke on the phone from jail. “I cannot tolerate the pain physically and morally,” he said.

CPI(M) meet on improving West Bengal’s performance

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Kolkata, August 02: The State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist),which began its two-day meeting here on Saturday, is deliberating on ways to improve the West Bengal government’s performance and enhance the party’s outreach at the grassroots level.

The meeting, chaired by Nirupam Sen, is being attended by party general secretary Prakash Karat and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury.

Obama yet to gain Muslims’ trust?

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Washington, August 02: Distrust still lingers among a majority of Muslim nations over US foreign policy and rabid anti-Americanism persists despite recent overtures by President Barack Obama, a new survey has indicated.

Obamania may be sweeping the rest of the world, but it is not touching the bulk of the Muslim nations, a survey by Washington-based Pew Foundation of 24 countries and the Palestinian region has revealed.

“Large numbers continue to consider the US an enemy, including big majorities in Pakistan (64 per cent) and the Palestinian territories (77 per cent),” the report said.

Congress policy is dialogue irrespective of terror: Jaitley

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Mumbai, August 02: In the light of the India-Pakistan joint statement and the de-linking of terror from the composite dialogue, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday brought India’s foreign policy into question.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was addressing a party gathering in the city.

Ambanis’ gas row: Govt to file new petition

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New Delh, August 02: The government is believed to have decided to amend its petition in the Supreme Court on the Ambani brothers’ gas dispute and is expected to move the apex court with the changes sometime next week.

The amendments in the petition filed by the Petroleum Ministry last month pertain to the part of the MoU that deals with gas supply and will seek to delink Production Sharing Contract between the government and Mukesh Ambani-led RIL from the Ambani family settlement.

US is number one ‘spam nation’

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Berlin, August 02: The US leads the world in the sending of spam, according to a study.

The study by IT security solutions provider Sophos showed that spam originating in Russia has dropped significantly. It also claimed that some 16.5 percent of all spam mails sent in the second quarter of this year came from the United States.

Russian spammers – previously a highly active bunch – were only responsible for 3.2 percent of all spam sent, which puts them in ninth place on the list.

Second place went to Brazil (11.1 percent), followed by Turkey (5.2) and India (5.0).

SRK brushes off Hashmi controversy

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Mumbai, August 02: Brushing aside the Emraan Hashmi controversy as a “one-off” episode, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said that such incidents should not be given importance.

The actor, who is a practicing Muslim but prefers to call himself a “secular Indian”, said, “I have never been treated differently because of my religion. I am 44 years old now and never in my life have I felt discriminated.”

Mah to challenge MCOCA court’s order in Malegaon blast case

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Mumbai, August 02: Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has said the government would challenge in Supreme Court, the special court’s decision of dropping the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) invoked against 11 accused in 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.

“We would initiate MCOCA against those involved in terrorist activities irrespective of caste and religion of the accused,” Chavan said addressing a party rally here last night.

Vidya Balan dumps stylist Manish Malhotra

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Mumbai, August 02: Vidya Balan launching a skin care product in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon and the actress seems to have gone in for a wardrobe overhaul.

Sporting a red and black salwar kameez, the lady seemed far from the icon of fashion disasters that she once was.

Vidya will next be seen with the Bachchans in Pa and the actress seemed particularly impressed with the Big B’s look in the film.

17-yr-old raped, filmed by two in Mohali

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Mohali, August 02: Accused extorted money from the victim, threatening to circulate the video they made while raping her on July 8

A 17-year-girl was allegedly raped by two men, who abducted her from Mohali on July 8. The accused reportedly filmed the girl in an objectionable position and later extorted money and jewellery from her, the police said.

After keeping silent about the incident for over three weeks, the girl on Friday told her mother about it.

The accused were reportedly demanding Rs 2 lakh from her, threatening to upload her pictures and videos on Internet.

After Shah Rukh-Kajol, watch out for Shah Rukh-Aishwarya!

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Mumbai, August 02: After watching one of the most romantic onscreen couples Shah Rukh and Kajol in ‘My Name is Khan’, gear up to see SRK perform flawlessly with the ethereal Aishwarya in an unnamed film. Yes, you guessed it right the two biggies are set to reunite years after an unsavoury event during the shoot of SRK’s ‘Chupke Chupke’ (all thanks to Ash’s ex-beau Sallu). After the tussle, Rani Mukerji replaced Ash in the film and SRK-Ash turned sworn enemies.

Saif has refused ‘Dostana’ for Aishwarya and Abhishek..

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Mumbai, August 02: Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan could have been a part of Karan Johar’s hit film “Dostana” but refused as industry heavyweights Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were expected to be a part of the movie when it was offered to him.
Contrary to popular belief that Saif declined the offer because its theme was homosexuality, the 38-year-old actor says he “didn’t really chicken out” of the role.

Manmohan Singh – We are sending Indians to the moon next year.

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Manmohan Singh – We are sending Indians to the moon next year.

Bush – Wow! How Many?

Manmohan Singh – 100- 25 – OBC, 25 – SC, 20 – ST, 5 – Handicapped, 5 – Sports Persons ,5 – Terrorist Affected, 5 – Kashmiri Migrants, 9 – Politicians, and if possible 1 – Astronaut

TAJ MAHAL

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As a Bachelor
____________________________________

Takdir hai, magar kismat nahi khulti
tajmahal banana chahata hoon
lekin mumtaz nahi milti!

As a Lover
____________________________________
Takdir hai, magar kismat nahi khulti
tajmahal banana chahata hoon,
mumtaz mil gayi hai magar
woh shaadi nahi karti

As a married one
____________________________________
Takdir hai, magar kismat nahi khulti
tajmahal banana chahata hoon
lekin mumtaz nahi marti

Shahi Paneer

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Ingredients (Serves: 6)

250 gm: Paneer (cottage cheese)
1/4 cup: Beaten curd
1/2 cup: Milk
1 1/2 cup: Tomatoes (chopped fine)
1/2 cup: Onion (chopped into strips)
1/2″ piece: Ginger chopped fine
2-3: Green chillies chopped fine
2-3: Cardamoms (crushed)
1/2 tsp: Garam masala
1/2 tsp: Red chilli powder
2 tsp: Tomato sauce
3 tsp: Ghee or butter
Salt to taste
For Garnish
2 tsp: Grated paneer
1 tsp: Chopped coriander

Method
Chop paneer into 2″ fingers.

Railways’ Tatkal scheme earns Rs 600 cr in last fiscal

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New Delhi, August 02: Indian Railways have earned over Rs 600 crore during the last fiscal from tatkal tickets, with Northern Railways topping other zones with the best earning from this scheme.

Of the Railways’ total earning of Rs 605.48 crore, the Northern Railway shared Rs 144.50 crore, which was 13 percent of the total tickets sold, official sources said.

They said earnings this fiscal is expected to cross the figures of the last financial year, expecting a good response from the revised tatkal scheme, which came into effect from August 1, 2009 with more relaxations.

Delhi to witness high security for I-Day

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New Delhi, August 02: As the country prepares to observe its 63rd Independence Day, the national capital is being put under an impregnable security cover to pre-empt any terrorist attack ahead of the celebrations.

Thousands of security personnel, including sharpshooters of the elite National Security Guards, will keep a hawk-eyed vigil in the city in the run up to the August 15 celebrations at the historic Red Fort where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will unfurl the tri-colour and address the nation.