tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47755750425321232042024-03-20T23:48:45.863-07:00The Pak MediaThe Pak Media is a Souce of Latest News from Pakistan Top News Channels and News Papers. You can also find Latest Mobiles, Laptops and Gadgets.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.comBlogger1503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-52838709730146395292017-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:002017-01-26T07:41:45.506-08:00Official Thailand Lottery Results – February 1st, 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />Thailand’s official national lottery, The Thai Lottery is administered by The Government Lottery Office (GLO). The Thai Lottery Results are drawn on the first and the sixteenth of every month. It is one of only two forms of legalised gambling permitted in Thailand, the other being horse racing in Bangkok.<br /><br /><br />National Thailand Lottery is the only form of legal gambling that most people in Thailand have access to.<br /> <br /><div>
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<a href="http://thepakmedia.com/thailand-lottery-official-thai-lottery-results-february-1st-2017/">Click To Check Thai Lottery Results for February 1st, 2017</a></h2>
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<br />Thai Lottery Results are drawn on the fist and sixteenth of every month. A television show is built around this that starts at 3PM. Towards the end of the show (just before 4PM) the lottery numbers are displayed.<br /></div>
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How to Claim Thai Lottery Prizes</h3>
<br /><br />Winning tickets can be redeemed for their prize at any Provincial Office of the Comptroller General’s Department (CGD). There is one of these in every province (3 in Bangkok). The tax is 0.5% of winnings. It is possible to redeem at shops though the fee is higher, about 2% is a typical price to negotiate to.<br /></div>
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Thai Lottery Prizes</h3>
<br />First prize for all six correct numbers is 2 million baht (TGL) or 3 million baht (TCL) per ticket. As tickets are sold in pairs, the published prize amount is doubled.[26] Doubling applies to all prizes except for the 22 million and 30 million baht bonus prizes. There are five second prizes of 100,000 baht, ten third prizes of 40,000, fifty prizes of 20,000 for fourth, one hundred 10,000 baht prizes for fifth and a 50,000 baht consolation prize for the six-digit winning number plus or minus one.</div>
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<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><th style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px; text-align: left;">Prize</th><th style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px; text-align: left;">Number of Prizes (Draws)</th><th style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px; text-align: left;">Payout (baht)</th><th style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px; text-align: left;">Notes</th></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">First: Thai Government Lottery (TGL) and Thai Charity Lottery (TCL)</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">1</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">2,000,000 x 2 or 3,000,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digits in first prize draw. Payout for TGL is 2 million; for TCL 3 million</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Second</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">5</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">100,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digits in second prize draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Third</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">10</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">40,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digits in third prize draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Fourth</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">50</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">20,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digits fourth prize draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Fifth</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">100</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">10,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digits in fifth prize draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Special prize (±1)</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">50,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digits in first prize draw plus or minus 1</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 3 digits</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">4,000</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">2,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 3 digit draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 2 digits</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">10,000</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">1,000 x 2</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 2 digit draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">First prize bonus (TGL)*</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">1</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">30,000,000</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digit draw for first prize <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</i> match unit number draw</td></tr>
<tr style="box-sizing: border-box;"><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">First prize bonus (TCL)*</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">1</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">22,000,000</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237); box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2px 8px;">Match 6 digit draw for first prize <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</i> match unit number draw</td></tr>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 21px;"><a href="http://thepakmedia.com/category/lottery-results/thailand-lottery/thai-lottery-tips/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Thai Lottery Tips</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 21px;"><a href="http://thepakmedia.com/category/lottery-results/thailand-lottery/thai-lottery-down/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Thai Lottery Down</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 21px;"><a href="http://thepakmedia.com/category/lottery-results/thailand-lottery/thai-lottery-3up/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Thai Lottery 3UP</a></li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin-left: 21px;"><a href="http://thepakmedia.com/category/lottery-results/thailand-lottery/thai-lottery-results/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Thai Lottery Result</a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-59543304351390927972017-01-26T07:17:00.001-08:002017-01-26T07:17:59.947-08:00Official Lottery | Worldwide Lotteries by Country<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A lottery is a form of legalized government gambling that involves the drawing of numbers for a prize. Lotteries are outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of Official Lottery by governments; the most common regulation is prohibition of sale to minors. Though lotteries were common in the United States and some other countries during the 19th century, by the beginning of the 20th century, most forms of gambling, including lotteries and sweepstakes, were illegal in the U.S. and most of Europe as well as many other countries. This remained so until well after World War II. In the 1960s casinos and lotteries began to re-appear throughout the world as a means for governments to raise revenue without raising taxes.</div>
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Lotteries come in many formats. For example, the prize can be a fixed amount of cash or goods. In this format there is risk to the organizer if insufficient tickets are sold. More commonly the prize fund will be a fixed percentage of the receipts. A popular form of this is the “50–50” draw where the organizers promise that the prize will be 50% of the revenue.[citation needed] Many recent lotteries allow purchasers to select the numbers on the lottery ticket, resulting in the possibility of multiple winners.</div>
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The purchase of lottery tickets cannot be accounted for by decision models based on expected value maximization. The reason is that Official Lottery tickets cost more than the expected gain, as shown by lottery mathematics, so someone maximizing expected value should not buy lottery tickets. Yet, Official Lottery purchases can be explained by decision models based on expected utility maximization, as the curvature of the utility function can be adjusted to capture risk-seeking behavior. More general models based on utility functions defined on things other than the lottery outcomes can also account for lottery purchase. In addition to the lottery prizes, the ticket may enable some purchasers to experience a thrill and to indulge in a fantasy of becoming wealthy. If the entertainment value (or other non-monetary value) obtained by playing is high enough for a given individual, then the purchase of a lottery ticket could represent a gain in overall utility. In such a case, the disutility of a monetary loss could be outweighed by the combined expected utility of monetary and non-monetary gain, thus making the purchase a rational decision for that individual.</div>
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In several countries, <a href="http://thepakmedia.com/category/lottery-results/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">lotteries</a> are legalized by the governments themselves.</div>
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<span id="Australia" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Australia:</span></h3>
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In Australia, lotteries operators are licensed at a state or territory level, and include both state government-owned and private sector companies.</div>
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<span id="Canada" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Canada</span></h3>
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In Canada prior to 1967 buying a ticket on the Irish Sweepstakes was illegal. In that year the federal Liberal government introduced a special law (an Omnibus Bill) intended to bring up-to-date a number of obsolete laws. Pierre Trudeau, the Minister of Justice at that time, sponsored the bill. On September 12, 1967, Mr. Trudeau announced that his government would insert an amendment concerning lotteries.</div>
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<span id="France" style="box-sizing: border-box;">France</span></h3>
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The first known Official Lottery in France was created by King Francis I in or around 1505. After that first attempt, lotteries were forbidden for two centuries. They reappeared at the end of the 17th century, as a “public lottery” for the Paris municipality (called Loterie de L’Hotel de Ville) and as “private” ones for religious orders, mostly for nuns in convents.</div>
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<span id="New_Zealand" style="box-sizing: border-box;">New Zealand</span></h3>
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Lotteries in New Zealand are controlled by the Government. A state owned trading organisation, the New Zealand Lotteries Commission, operates low prize scratch ticket games and Powerball type lotteries with weekly prize jackpots. Official Lottery profits are distributed by the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board directly to charities and community organisations. Sport and Recreation New Zealand, Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Film Commission are statutory bodies that operate autonomously in distributing their allocations from the Lottery Grants Board.</div>
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<span id="United_Kingdom" style="box-sizing: border-box;">United Kingdom</span></h3>
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Check Official Lottery Results here: <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.uklottoresult.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">National Lottery (United Kingdom)</a></strong></div>
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There is one National Lottery in the United Kingdom which is called The National Lottery currently has four games Thunderball, Lotto, Lotto Hotpicks and EuroMillions which is played on a pan-European basis. The National Lottery is operated on a franchise basis from the National Lottery Commission and is currently held by Camelot Group. A new Privately run lottery called <a href="http://www.uklottoresult.com/category/health-lottery/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">The Health Lottery</a> has recently launched.</div>
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India</h3>
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There are many state lotteries in India but the most popular lottery in India is Kerala State Lotteries.</div>
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Check Official Lottery Results here: <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.todaykeralalotteryresult.com/category/irish-lotto/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Kerala State Lotteries</a></strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.todaykeralalotteryresult.com/category/florida-lotto/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Kerala State Lotteries</a> was established in 1967, under the lottery department by the Government of Kerala, the first of its kind in India.</div>
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In 1967 all private lotteries were banned and the Government of Kerala started the Kerala State Lotteries. The idea behind the setup of the new department under the Ministry of Finance, (Government of Kerala) was from the then Finance Minister of the state, Shri. P. K. Kunju Sahib.</div>
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The objectives of starting Kerala state lottery were providing employment.[ to and supplementing the government finance without disturbing the public.</div>
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The department soon became a model for other states in India. Soon many other states jumped into the bandwagon by starting their own lotteries.</div>
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Thailand:</h3>
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Thailand’s official national lottery is administered by The <a href="http://thepakmedia.com/category/lottery-results/thailand-lottery/thai-lottery-results/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;">Government Lottery Office (GLO)</a>. The lottery is drawn on the first and the sixteenth of every month. It is one of only two forms of legalised gambling permitted in Thailand, the other being horse racing in Bangkok.</div>
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The lottery in Thailand is hugely popular despite the low odds of winning and the unfavourable payout ratio. The payout ratio for the Thai lottery is 60%, as compared with world-wide averages of 74% for bingo, 81% for horse racing, 89% for slot machines, and 98% in blackjack (basic rules). It is the most popular legal form of gambling in Thailand.</div>
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Check Official Lottery Results here: <a href="http://www.thailandlotterypaper.com/category/thai-lottery-result/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4db2ec; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Thailand Lottery</strong></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-52633256322647478012014-01-30T00:39:00.002-08:002014-01-30T00:39:19.604-08:00Going Bananas to Reduce Heart Disease and Boost Energy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://abbtakk.tv/eng/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://abbtakk.tv/eng/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/banana.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Banana is the most valuable food crop, rank fourth worldwide behind rice, wheat and potatoes. Other than tasty and rich in fiber, banana is very popular healthy snack for fitness minded and athletes as it is sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free fruits that contains high-grade protein with three of the essential amino acids, high level of sucrose, glucose, fructose and potassium to boost energy.<br /><br />It is one of the few fruits which contain both easily digested complex and simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrate give you endurance energy and simple carbohydrate give you quick energy.<br /><br />Eating just two bananas might provide enough energy for an intense 90 minute workout.Banana contains five times the vitamin A and iron, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus and four times protein than found in apples.<br /><br />Anemia – Contains high iron Alzheimer – Protect neuron cells against oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity and may play an important role in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders Baby Food & Growing kids – Help supply the energy needs of growing, active children. Blood Pressure – contains low in salt and yet high in potassium to reduce high blood pressure and stroke. Adding bananas to your diet is not only great for boosting energy.Fascinating Facts About the Natural Healing Power of Bananas.<br /><br />Bone health – contains high potassium benefits to muscles and helps promote bone health. Brain Power Enhancement – More Alert and Focus. Constipation – High in fiber Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – Contain natural mood enhancer tryptophan make you relax and feeling happier. Digestion – Riper bananas help relieve diarrhea.<br /><br />Eye health – Lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration ( ARMD ) in older adults. Hangover – Calm the stomach, sooth and re-hydrate the body. Heart Burn – Acts as antacid Heart disease – High fiber foods help prevent heart disease.<br /><br />Morning sickness – Calms the stomach and increases blood sugar levels. Mosquito bites – Reduce the swelling and irritation of an insect bite. Nerves – High in Vitamin B that calms the nervous system. Overweight – To avoid panic-induced food cravings, control the blood sugar levels to keep the carving away. PMS – Contain vitamin B6 that regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.<br /><br />Stress – Potassium helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we got stress , our metabolic rate rises hence reducing potassium levels. Strokes – Reduce the risk of death from strokes by 40%. Quit Smoking – Recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Temperature control – A ‘cooling’ fruit to lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-33837393062988076042014-01-30T00:38:00.000-08:002014-01-30T00:38:00.604-08:00Amazing Benefits Of Guava For Skin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br />Guavas are a very common type of fruit but are often neglected because of their hardness & presence of seeds. But it is what I call as super food! It contains goodness that will make you definitely want to eat this fruit but we are not talking about having sugar rich guava jams or jellies. For getting these super benefits of guava, you need to grab a fresh one and bite on it.<br /><br />Guava contains Vit C and it helps protect cells and lower cancerous damage to them.Fibre is important for lowering blood sugar levels. At the same time, it is good in cleansing digestive system and maintaining free bowel movement. Guavas are rich in fibres. The more your system stays clean, the happier you will be from inside.Potassium in guavas helps normalise blood pressure levels. A banana and a guava contains almost the same amount of potassium.<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-33829703287322534052014-01-30T00:37:00.000-08:002014-01-30T00:37:02.052-08:00RIO Olympics Operating Budget Rises by 27 Percent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">RIO DE JANEIRO:</span> The operating budget for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 was announced at 7 billion reals ($2.9 billion) by organizers on Thursday, an increase of 27 percent over the figure submitted in the 2009 bid.<br /><br />The operating budget is only for organizing the games themselves, and has been delayed for months with Brazil’s three levels of government debating over who pays what.<br /><br />A separate and much larger capital budget – a mix of private and public funds – will be unveiled next week and could top $11 billion. This is for building roads, subway lines and other improvements triggered by the games.<br /><br />Organizers moved many costs from the operating budget to the public treasury, making comparisons to the original submission in 2009 difficult.<br /><br />In addition, the Brazilian currency, the real, has fallen in value against the dollar. The real was calculated at $1 equals 2 reals in the 2009 bid document. On Thursday, $1 equaled 2.4 reals.<br /><br />Organizers said inflation in Brazil from January 2009 to December 2013 was 39 percent.<br /><br />”There was a negotiation process with the government,” said Leo Gryner, the chief operating officer of the organizing committee. ”They signed off on our budget. … They agreed that this is a good use of the 7 billion reals, so you are going to spend that. Everything else will be covered by us (government).”<br /><br />IOC President Thomas Bach called it a ”very reasonable” operating budget after meeting on Tuesday in Brasilia with President Dilma Rousseff.<br /><br />”All the recent games, in the operational budget, have delivered a profit,” Bach said.<br /><br />However, Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, who studies the Olympics, said Bach’s use of the word ”profit” was misleading.<br /><br />”This (operating budget) is a small portion of the investment that gets made,” Zimbalist said. ”They can talk about it all they want. More often than not there is a deficit. Sometimes it’s balanced, though it can be balanced by accounting chicanery. And a few times there have been modest surpluses. But it just doesn’t mean a heck of a lot.”<br /><br />Income in the operating budget comes from the Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee, and from marketing, tickets sales and local sponsorship sales.<br /><br />The size of Rio’s operating budget, in line with the budgets of recent Summer Olympic hosts, has come under increased scrutiny since demonstrations seven months ago during the Confederations Cup, the warm-up for the World Cup.<br /><br />Protesters, initially upset about rising bus fares, took aim at the billions being spent on the World Cup in a country with poor schools and hospitals, and stark social inequality.<br /><br />Overall spending for the Olympics is expected to be slightly more than the World Cup.<br /><br />The 2009 bid document showed $700 million in subsidies from the national and local governments. That funding is out of the latest operating budget.<br /><br />The IOC requires that host cities and governments cover any deficit.<br /><br />A recent study by Said Business School at Oxford University of Olympic Games since 1960 showed each one has had cost overruns.<br /><br />”The games overrun with 100 percent consistency,” authors Bent Flyvberg and Allison Stewart wrote. ”No other type of megaproject is this consistent regarding cost overrun. Other project types are typically on budget from time to time, but not the Olympics.”<br /><br />They concluded: ”The data thus show that for a city and nation to decide to host the Olympic Games is to take on one of the most financially risky type of megaproject that exists, something that many cities and nations have learned to their peril.”<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-49784749636206207262014-01-30T00:34:00.002-08:002014-01-30T00:34:41.539-08:00Facebook Shares Leap with Profit Jump<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">SAN FRANCISCO: </span>Facebook said Wednesday that profit soared in 2013 on the back of sizzling mobile ad revenue as the social network’s membership swelled.<br /><br />The world’s biggest social network reported that profit in the fourth quarter jumped eightfold from a year earlier to $523 million, raising its net income for the year to $1.5 billion.<br /><br />Revenues in the past quarter rose to $2.58 billion and $7.87 billion for the year.<br /><br />Facebook shares rallied more than 12 percent in after-hours trading to a new high of $60.05 after release of the earnings figures.<br /><br />“It was a great end to the year for Facebook,” said Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.<br /><br />“We’re looking forward to our next decade, and to helping connect the rest of the world.”<br /><br />The Menlo Park, California-based company will mark its 10th birthday on February 4.<br /><br />Facebook said the number of monthly active users rose 16 percent from a year ago to 1.23 billion, with 945 million using mobile devices.<br /><br />Revenue from advertising surged to $2.34 billion in the quarter, up 76 percent over the past year. Mobile advertising revenue represented some 53 percent of that figure, an increase from 23 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The surge in revenue from members accessing Facebook from smartphones or tablet computers served as a validation of sorts for Zuckerberg and his team.<br /><br />Facebook made a dismal stock market debut in May 2012, with shares plunging due to fears the social network wouldn’t be able to make money from members shunning desktop computers for mobile devices.<br /><br />Since then, however, Facebook has lifted its profits, and boosted the mobile segment of ad revenues.<br /><br />A recent Pew Research Center survey found 73 percent of Americans over age 18 on the Internet use at least one social network — or about 63 percent of the total adult population.<br /><br />Facebook is the preferred network, used by 71 percent of online adults, or 57 percent of all American adults, according to Pew researchers.<br /><br />“Facebook once again grew not just its total number of users, but the percentage of those users who visit the site each day,” said Forrester analyst Nate Elliott.<br /><br />“That’s an impressive feat for a site of this size, and an important statement about the health of its user base.”<br /><br />Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives sidestepped a question on an earnings call with analysts about whether the social network was seeing a drop in use by teenagers.<br /><br />Some analysts have expressed fears that young people are succumbing to “Facebook fatigue” and scaling back use, if not dropping out all together.<br /><br />“We don’t believe young users are fleeing the site, and it appears that Facebook still dominates young people’s social usage, but the company’s silence on the matter won’t have calmed any nerves,” Elliott said.<br /><br />And while Facebook touted increased revenue as a sign of happy advertisers, Forrester research indicates they are more satisfied with email and search marketing or even standard online ad banners.<br /><br />“Facebook’s growing ad revenues merely indicate that marketers are chasing the site’s huge user base, not that the site is delivering the results marketers want,” Elliot said.<br /><br />Zuckerberg stressed that Facebook was increasing the size of its community and the level of engagement at the social network.<br /><br />Facebook is positioned to focus on long-range goals of “letting you share any content you want with any person you want,” Zuckerberg said.<br /><br />That strategy will include spinning features of Facebook into dedicated mobile applications like Messenger for sharing things like video, games or music.<br /><br />“We want to build a handful of great experiences separate from what people think Facebook is today,” Zuckerberg said.<br /><br />Facebook said that it was looking to artificial intelligence technology to enable its platorm to understand the meaning of pictures, posts and more so it can ramp up how well it connects people with what their interests.<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-84825466649235403662014-01-30T00:31:00.000-08:002014-01-30T00:32:28.068-08:00 Pakistan Steel Mills Privatization still undecided Pakistan Steel Mills Privatization still undecided<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">ISLAMABAD: The government is undecided about privatizing the financially troubled Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM). The entity needs an injection of over Rs100 billion for restructuring and revival before it can be put for sale within 12 months.<br /><br />According to sources, the government has realized that the accumulated liabilities of PSM are too big to be met through the sale of its current assets and any financial commitment to its revival carries a high degree of risk.<br /><br />It is also considering carrying out a technical audit of the machinery and plants to verify claims that with financial support the mill would be able to run at 80% of its capacity, compared to the current 3%.<br /><br />The audit would not only determine the status of the machinery but also suggest whether aged plants would be attractive enough for potential investors.<br /><br />Sources disclosed that five options were placed before the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet in a meeting on January 16. These included maintaining the status quo, selling assets, making attempts to revive the mill with no decision on privatization, keeping the mill ticking and privatizing within 12 months, or restructure and revive and privatize in one year.<br /><br />A comparative statement covering all these possibilities in terms of cash and non-cash facilities was also presented to the ECC.<br /><br />The last option is aimed at utilizing the time between now and the final phase of privatization to revive PSM’s activities. It also offers a chance to keep the mill in the public sector if restructuring is done properly.<br /><br />In order to opt for this option, the government would need to pump Rs19.1 billion into PSM in a single tranche, provide sovereign guarantees (non-cash) for 120 days of letters of credit with National Bank amounting to Rs11 billion, undertake financial restructuring through parking Rs50.712 billion, offer voluntary separation scheme to 4,000 employees worth Rs14.167 billion and waive SSGC surcharge worth Rs6.56 billion.<br /><br />Meeting participants told the ECC that PSM losses would start declining after restructuring and the mill would be able to return to profit by 2016. Debt-to-equity ratio would gradually improve, enabling PSM to borrow funds on its own instead of banking on the government.<br /><br />Current ratios would also improve steadily and by 2018 current assets will exceed current liabilities.<br /><br />They were of the view that rationalization of manpower would lead to savings of Rs15.5 billion over seven years, making PSM more attractive for privatization.<br /><br />Depending on the management’s capability and a qualified and capable workforce, PSM’s revival could be possible, they remarked. The government will then have a choice either to sell or keep it as a state-owned enterprise.<br /><br />The ECC was told that besides mitigating the government’s high risk exposure, the privatization should also bring dividends in the form of economic efficiency, better supply of products to the domestic industry and privatization proceeds for the government.<br /><br />The ECC agreed that bad governance, overstaffing and financial and technical mismanagement had brought PSM to its present condition.<br /><br />It was of the view that the PSM board of governors should consider all proposals for the revival and restructuring of the mill and share the plan with the Privatization Commission and the Ministry of Industries and Production.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-80327255471426140022014-01-30T00:24:00.002-08:002014-01-30T00:24:55.843-08:00Karachi Chamber of Commerce decides to set up Anti-extortion Cell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">KARACHI:</span> Deputy Inspector General of Police, CIA, Sultan Khawaja, has agreed to establish an anti-extortion cell at Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on complaints of small traders about increasing threats from extortion mafia. Speaking at a meeting of Special Committee of the small traders of KCCI, he said that the cell would be manned by a sub-inspector and an ASI and he would monitor the progress of the cell.<br /><br />He assured that representation will be given to KCCI in the existing anti-extortion cell at CIA centre and their input would be taken for evolving an action plan to eradicate extortion. He said that the cell would receive complaints on daily basis and take prompt action. He said that identity of complainant will be kept secret.<br /><br />He assured the traders that all their complaints will be forwarded to CCPO for prompt action. Sultan Khawaja advised business community that they must register their complaints with police so that prompt action could be taken against criminals. He said that three groups of Bhatta mafia were operating in the city. One of them operate through phone and made threatening call demanding extortions.<br /><br />He advised traders to provide the phone numbers of those making these calls to police so that these phones should be blocked. Closure of phone will help reduce number of calls, he added. “The second group is a well organised group comprising some powerful elements. This group operating in paper market, cloth market etc. Action has already been initiated against this group,” he added.<br />a</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-38581466986031760112014-01-04T00:24:00.002-08:002014-01-04T00:24:37.865-08:00Top Fitness Trends for 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you're one of the many people who made a New Year's resolution to up the ante on your health and fitness, take a look below at what experts believe will be 2014's biggest fitness trends in the Los Angeles area.<br /><br />From virtual personal trainers to a new variation of SUP Yoga, these trends could help you in whatever fitness resolutions you take on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A new variation of SUP Yoga<br /><br />Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga may have been a popular fitness trend in 2013, but this year you won't have to get into the water to get the same kind of workout. The Indo Yoga Board, developed by Hunter Joslin, is a 6-foot-long board on four rockers that provides the same instability as SUP Yoga, requiring you to engage your muscles even more than traditional yoga in order to keep your balance.<br /><br />With classes already on the East Coast, Indo Yoga Board is making its debut in Los Angeles this month with a class at Yoga Loft in Manhattan Beach. Or you can purchase the board for home use for about $375.<br /><br />SurfSet Boards are slightly different than Indo Yoga Boards but the concept is the same. Classes are offered at a variety of locations throughout the Los Angeles area, including SURFSET LA in Hermosa Beach, 220 Fit in Santa Monica, and a variety of Crunch gyms. Donna Cyrus, senior vice president of programming for Crunch, says they were the first to have the program and confirms it's becoming incredibly popular. "It's going to pop up everywhere pretty soon," she says.<br /><br />H.I.I.T.<br /><br />High-intensity interval training continues to be a popular exercise method this year. H.I.I.T. sessions can last four to 30 minutes with short, intense bursts of cardio followed by a period of recovery. In October, the American College of Sports Medicine said H.I.I.T.would be 2014's top fitness trends. The P90X and Insanity workouts, which were popular the last couple years, are good examples of this form of exercise.<br /><br />Christine Bullock, a Los Angeles fitness, nutrition and wellness expert whose DVD "10 Minute Solution: Butt Lift" was released in 2013, says H.I.I.T. is popular because people's busy lifestyles leave them wanting a quick but effective workout.<br /><br />Cyrus agrees - many of Crunch's classes are now this style of workout - citing the popularity of CrossFit has made an impact on programming for gyms and personal trainers. She also notes a popular H.I.I.T. workout is Jillian Michael's 3-2-1 interval system, which is a 24-minute workout mixing two minutes of strength, two minutes of cardio and one minute of abs.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br />Combo classes<br /><br />Both Cyrus and Bullock were quick to mention the trend of combo classes, where 60-minute classes are divided into two different styles of workout. Particular classes that are becoming popular are those that include indoor cycling. Cyrus notes the various spin studios that have continued popping up have increased people's awareness of the benefits of spin.<br /><br />One such studio is Kimberly Fowler's Yas Fitness Centers, which now has locations from Silver Lake to Costa Mesa. Fowler is considered the first person to combine spin and yoga into a hybrid class. Other popular combination classes include yoga and TRX, yoga and weights, or spin and weights.<br /><br />Clean eating<br /><br />Clean eating, a popular hashtag on Instagram and Twitter, is a simple concept based on eating foods at their purest form, says Bullock. "While there's no hard and fast definition, clean eating is a very simple concept: Eat real, wholesome food unprocessed, while avoiding processed and fast foods packed with added ingredients that compromise the health," Bullock says. For instance, Bullock says if you're a "clean eater" you would choose a fresh orange over processed orange juice or quinoa instead of white flour.<br /><br />Nothing is off limits and it's not about counting calories, and because of this, Bullock says the trend isn't going anywhere. "Eating clean has come full circle from times before technology made everything available to us, to the times when we had to eat off the land and eat in-season foods. Eating clean is trending in response to our need for better health," she explains.<br /><br />Cyrus also believes this is a trend that will stay.She thinks its popularity is due to people becoming more savvy with diets and also because healthy body sizes, rather than skin and bones, is the look more desirable in today's society. "Super, super skinny is not what people are looking for anymore, they want muscle tone," Cyrus explains.<br /><br />Virtual Fitness Classes<br /><br />Group fitness classes and personal trainers are nothing new, but in today's technology-obsessed world, you can do it virtually, either at the gym or in the privacy of your own home. Live-skype training is available from many instructors, like Mary Helen Bowers, who trained Natalie Portman for her role in "Black Swan" and also trains many Victoria Secret models. Bowers, who is based in New York, offers Ballet Beautiful virtual group training or personal instruction.<br /><br />There are many types of virtual classes available, but you can also get virtual personalized fitness routines, says Bullock. "After speaking with you via email or phone, qualified personal trainers customize a workout program for you based on your individual goals and level," Bullock says. "Because technology has made the world a much smaller place, trainers give plenty of motivation via emails, texts and phone calls to keep you on track."<br /><br />Bullock says these virtual instructors are particularly good for people who need the flexibility of when they can do the class. She also says many of the trainers keep the cost to a minimum and if you don't like the class, you can just turn it off.<br /><br />Anytime Fitness already has a program called Fitness on Request, which is a 24-hour kiosk providing virtual classes at the gym. The gym is currently in a pilot phase of a new program called Les Mills Virtual classes. Video versions of five classes (BodyPump, , BodyCombat, BodyFlow,, CXWorx, Sh'Bam) led by professional instructors will be available 24 hours a day at 10 Anytime Fitness locations.<br /><br />The classes are screened on a projector with a sound system to provide the feeling of a real group exercise experience. Though not currently available in Los Angeles, Anytime Fitness' Director of Exercise Programming Shannon Fable says that once it is fully rolled out, it will be available for any club that already has Fitness on Request.<br /><br />"Launching Les Mills Virtual in select Anytime Fitness locations is the start of something big," Fable said. .<br /><br />Fun group classes<br /><br />Fun workouts are always trending because they help take people's minds off the fact they are actually working out. One such class is Crunch's Pound program which brings out your inner rock star while working up a sweat. Using weighted drum sticks, participants use the floor as their drum in a variety of movements, hitting it to the rhythm of the music.<br /><br />"It's a lot of fun and people feel like rock stars afterward and they forget how hard they're working," Cyrus says. "It's like nothing else in fitness right now, but it's doing really well."<br /><br />Another fun workout is Equinox's Tread & Shred class which looks similar to OK, Go's music video for their song "Here it Goes Again" where the band does a choreographed routine using treadmills. Equinox's Tread & Shred class uses the treadmill to do more than just walk or run. Participants do a variety of exercises aimed at strengthening, balancing and toning, including side shuffles, backwards running, and more. The class, and its West Hollywood and Beverly Hills instructor David Siik, were featured by Huffington Post in October. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-89524056439132664202014-01-04T00:18:00.002-08:002014-01-04T00:18:30.624-08:00How to Land more Fish on your Table this Year 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Eating more seafood can be a key to a healthful diet. But it also can seem easier said than done. The hurdles? The people you cook for, and with, might not like fish. You might not know how to cook it. The cost can be daunting, and environmental questions can be confusing. Thankfully, each obstacle can be overcome.<br /><br />For the fish-phobic: Start with mild, white-fleshed fish, such as tilapia, cod and sole. Avoid the oily choices with darker flesh, such as mackerel and bluefish. Dark-fleshed fish have more healthful omega-3 fatty acids, but they're an acquired taste. Mild fish, meanwhile, can take on the flavor of whatever spices, seasonings and sauces you desire, and they absorb marinades in minutes.<br /><br />For the novice: Overcooking can render a delicate fillet tough and unappealingly fishy, and it can happen in a flash because fish cooks so quickly — but that's also one of its best qualities. Your job is to keep an eye on it. Quickly pan-fry thin fillets, browning them on each side until just opaque. Finish larger, thicker pieces in the oven or on the stove top in a vibrant broth or stew.<br /><br />For the budget-minded: Shop wisely, control portion sizes and extend the seafood with other ingredients. Mix a handful of shrimp with vegetables, pastas, grains, beans. If the fish is particularly pricey, remember: A mere pound can yield four servings. Shop for sales, get to know your fishmonger and don't forget cold storage. Mild fish takes particularly well to freezing, so you can buy when the price is right, with no pressure to cook it right away.<br /><br />For the environmentally conscious: Turn to such sources as the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which use color-coded rankings online to help you make smart choices. (The Natural Resources Defense Council, meanwhile, can help you identify fish that are low in mercury.)<br /><br />Keep those strategies in mind, and you can make the most important change of all: no more excuses.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Shrimp, Fennel, Pea and Pancetta Rigatoni<br /><br />4 servings<br /><br />The taste of the fennel bulb alone is a little subtle; finishing with some of the chopped fennel fronds really lets the flavor come through.<br /><br />Already-diced pancetta is now widely available in grocery stores.<br /><br />From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br /><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 ounces dried mezze rigatoni (may substitute any shell-shaped pasta)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 ounces fennel bulb, stems and fronds attached</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for optional garnish</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp, preferably 31-40 count, each cut into four pieces</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 ounces diced pancetta</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6 ounces sweet onion, cut into</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup dry white wine</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Steps<br /><br />Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander.<br /><br />Meanwhile, trim off the fennel stalks; reserve them for another use, if desired. Finely chop enough of the feathery fronds to yield 2 tablespoons. Core the fennel bulb, then cut the bulb into 1/4 -inch dice.<br /><br />Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the shrimp and cook, stirring, just until they are pink and barely opaque. Transfer to a plate.<br /><br />Add the pancetta to the pan; cook over medium-high heat just until the pancetta pieces start to crisp.<br /><br />Add the diced fennel and onion, stirring to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium; cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion and fennel soften. Add the peas and the wine; cover and cook for about 4 minutes, until the peas are heated through.<br /><br />Uncover; return the shrimp to the pan. Toss to incorporate and heat through. Remove from the heat; add the pasta and chopped fennel fronds. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.<br /><br />Serve warm. If desired, drizzle each portion with oil.<br /><br />Nutrition Per serving: 420 calories, 20 g protein, 59 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugar<br /><br />---<br /><br />Chili-Crusted Tilapia With Corn-Jalapeno Saute<br /><br />4 servings<br /><br />Tilapia fillets are thick at one end and thin at the other. For this recipe, cut them down the center line, then cut each half-fillet in half, to create 4 pieces. You'll be able to cook the thick pieces separately and avoid overcooking the thinner ones.<br /><br />From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /></span></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tablespoons olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 bunch scallions, white and light-green parts, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large or 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4 -inch dice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 cups fresh or frozen/defrosted corn kernels</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon unsalted butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 pound tilapia fillets, each cut into four pieces (see headnote)</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Steps<br /><br />Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the scallions and jalapeno, stirring to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring every minute or so, until the jalapeno is soft.<br /><br />Add the corn and butter, stirring to melt the butter and coat; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn is heated through. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat; stir in the cilantro.<br /><br />Meanwhile, place the chili powder in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper (to taste), stirring to blend well.<br /><br />Lay the fish pieces out on a large sheet of aluminum foil or a platter. Sprinkle the fish generously with the chili powder mixture.<br /><br />Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thicker pieces of fish; cook, flipping each piece to brown both sides evenly, until cooked through, about 4 minutes for the thinner pieces and about 8 minutes for the thicker pieces.<br /><br />Divide among individual plates. Serve right away, with the corn saute alongside each portion.<br /><br />Nutrition Per serving: 280 calories, 26 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar<br /><br />---<br /><br />Panko-Crusted Teriyaki Fish Strips<br /><br />4 servings<br /><br />Not quite chicken fingers, these soy-marinated fish strips have their own appeal and are a great alternative to boxed fish sticks. They are egg-free and are quickly sauteed instead of deep-fried. The coating is lighter than the traditional flour-egg-bread crumb approach.<br /><br />These are best cooked on a large pancake-style griddle, where they all can be cooked in one batch. They are very fragile, so use a large spatula to safely move the fish strips from the griddle to the serving plate. Flounder or any sole-type fillets can be substituted.<br /><br />Serve with roasted pineapple, steamed broccoli tossed with toasted sesame oil, and rice.<br /><br />From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /></span></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 pound skinless fillets of flounder or similar fish (see headnote), cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup plain panko bread crumbs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Steps<br /><br />Whisk together the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil in a shallow dish. Add the fish strips and gently turn them over in the marinade to thoroughly coat each piece; marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.<br /><br />Place the panko in a shallow dish. Line a large platter with paper towels.<br /><br />Heat the oil in a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Working with one piece of fish at a time, remove from the marinade and coat on both sides with the panko. Work quickly to bread all of the pieces and get them on the griddle. Cook the pieces for about 3 minutes, until browned on the first side, then turn them over and cook on the second side just until cooked through.<br /><br />Use a large spatula to carefully transfer the fish to the paper-towel-lined platter to drain for a minute or two. Serve hot.<br /><br />Nutrition Per serving: 200 calories, 15 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 530 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar<br /><br />---<br /><br /> Cajun-Style Braised Cod<br /><br />4 servings<br /><br />This recipe proves you can lose the butter and still produce a Cajun-style dish with plenty of flavor. Shop for a Cajun seasoning mix that contains more spice than salt, or create your own.<br /><br />From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /></span></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1-pound piece skinned cod fillet, cut into four equal pieces</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 teaspoons Cajun spice blend (see headnote)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 ounces smoked, cooked andouille sausage, cut lengthwise into quarters, then thinly sliced (3/4 cup)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup finely diced onion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 medium rib celery, cut into1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste (may substitute 2 tablespoons regular tomato paste)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/3 cup dry white wine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup no-salt-added chicken broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kosher salt (optional)</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Steps<br /><br />Lay the cod on a large plate or sheet of aluminum foil. Evenly coat each piece with the Cajun spice mix.<br /><br />Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, shallow braising pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the cod fillets, skinned side up. Cook for about 2 minutes, just until lightly browned. Flip and cook for 2 minutes. Carefully transfer to a plate.<br /><br />Add the andouille to the pan (over medium-high heat); cook, stirring every minute or so, for about 5 minutes, until the sausage pieces start to brown. Add the onion, green pepper and celery; if the pan seems dry, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Reduce the heat to medium; cook, stirring every minute or so, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.<br /><br />Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, then pour in the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high; cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half. Add the broth and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover, taste and add salt if needed.<br /><br />Add the cod, skinned side down. Spoon the broth and vegetables over the fish pieces to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and cook just until the cod is done, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.<br /><br />Serve immediately.<br /><br />Nutrition Per serving: 210 calories, 25 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar<br /><br /><br />Salmon With Lentil and Bacon Ragout<br /><br />4 servings<br /><br />This dish is full of good-for-you ingredients, so why not walk on the bad side with a little bacon? It's a small indulgence that packs a lot of flavor. Choose a smoky bacon to maximize its impact.<br /><br />From Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /></span></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 cup dried green lentils</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 ounces thick-sliced, smoky bacon, cut into roughly</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4 -inch dice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup finely diced onion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Freshly ground black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large carrot, scrubbed well and cut into</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4-inch dice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 large rib celery, cut into</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/4-inch dice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2/3 cup homemade or no-salt-added chicken broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Four 4-ounce salmon fillets, preferably center-cut (skin-on or skinned)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish (optional)</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Steps<br /><br />Place the lentils in a medium saucepan. Cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a low boil. Partially cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain.<br /><br />Meanwhile, heat a 10-to-12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon; reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the bacon starts to crisp. Add the diced onion; season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the onion starts to soften, then stir in the diced carrot and celery; cook, stirring every minute or so, for 5 to 6 minutes, until those vegetables start to soften. Add the broth; once it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.<br /><br />Uncover the skillet and stir in the cooked lentils. Increase the heat to medium-high; bring the broth to a boil and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until almost all of the broth has evaporated and the lentils are moist yet not soupy. Remove from the heat; add the vinegar. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Season the salmon fillets lightly with salt and pepper.<br /><br />Heat the olive or vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets, skin/skinned side up; cook for about 2 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn the fillets over and brown on the second side. Transfer the fillets to the baking sheet. Bake to the desired doneness.<br /><br />Place one salmon fillet, skin/skinned side down, on each plate. Top each portion with the lentil ragout, then drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil, if using.<br /><br />Nutrition Per serving: 450 calories, 37 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 16 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-46356305701178011402014-01-04T00:15:00.002-08:002014-01-04T00:15:35.607-08:00Condemnatory Reactions Pouring in over Altaf Hussain's Statement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">KARACHI: </span>The mainstream political parties of Pakistan have taken strong exception to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader, Altaf Hussain’s demand of a separate province for Urdu-speaking residents of Sindh if the government deems they so intolerable, Geo News reported.<br /><br />Following the London-based MQM supremo’s fiery telephonic broadcast, condemnatory reactions started pouring in from all the political schools of thought.<br /><br />The keenest of counter-statements came form Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, Bilawal Bhuotto Zardari.<br /><br />Bilawal, on his Twitter account, posted: Marsoon Marsoon, Sindh na Ddaisun ("We will die, we will die, but won't give Sindh [to others]").<br /><br />It is a famous quote by Hoshu Sheedi --General Hosh Muhammad Sheedi-- Supreme Commander of Sindh's Talpur army, who fought with valor against the British in the Battle of Dabbo and laid down his life in defense of his country.<br /><br />Bilawal Bhutto Zardari posted this message on Twitter shortly after MQM chief Altaf Hussain statement, but not without drawing fire from many sides.<br /><br />The firebrand PPP chief also responded to his critics rather curtly.<br /><br />He tweeted: "If my tweets freak you out so much wait and see what I can do from Parliament."<br /><br />On the other hand PPP leader Sharjeel Memon expressed grave concern over Hussain's separatist demands.<br /><br />"No one shall have even a single part of Sindh", said he..<br /><br />PPP’s Khurshid Shah brushed aside MQM leader's statement saying, Altaf Hussain was like a king, who could say anything to anyone, but he should mind his ramblings.<br /><br />"Someone is always incurring Hussain's wrath, but today he rained all his ire over Sindh."<br /><br />Jamat e Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawar Hasan did not stay behind in slamming Hussain's statement.<br /><br />In a statement, JI chief said that the statement reeked of a conspiracy to divide the country on top of fanning anarchy.<br /><br />Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Arif Alvi said Altaf Hussain should refrain from issuing such statements.<br /><br />Awami National Party's (ANP) Zahid Khan in his statement stressed that his party had always been against Sindh's division.<br /><br />Ayaz Paleejo, the leader of Qaumi Awami Movement, went a step further ans demanded of Altaf Hussain to withdraw his statement or else his party would take to streets against it. He also announced to stage protest demonstrations on Monday, February 6, 2013.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-51830265420133788552014-01-04T00:13:00.003-08:002014-01-04T00:13:51.171-08:00Sharjeel Memon Reacts to Altaf Hussain’s Speech<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">KARACHI: </span>Responding to Altaf Hussain’s speech, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said that even an inch of Sindh province would not be given to anybody.<br /><br />He said it seemed that Hussain’s statement was aimed at joining the provincial government. Memon said that there was no difference between the common people living in Sindh.<br /><br />The minister said: “Such statement also seems to be a ploy to divert attention from on going targeted operation in Karachi”<br /><br />He said that MQM had its governor in Sindh for 11 years and it should contact him for its demands.<br /><br />“It is not appropriate to create ethnic division through public meetings, everybody knows who is behind hooliganism,” he said and added that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would not allow creating law and order situation.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-27264229989362186512014-01-04T00:12:00.003-08:002014-01-04T00:12:35.797-08:00Munawar sees Conspiracy to Split Country in Altaf Hussain’s Statement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">KARACHI:</span> Jamat e Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawar Hasan has slammed the statement of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief, 'demanding' to form a new province in Sindh.<br /><br />In a statement, JI chief said that the statement is a part of the conspiracy being hatched to spread anarchy and to split the country.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-77984634323558709302014-01-04T00:07:00.001-08:002014-01-04T00:07:54.263-08:00Bangladesh to Hold Elections Sunday Despite Boycott<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">DHAKA: </span>Bangladesh is expected to hold its scheduled national elections Sunday, despite a boycott by opposition candidates.<br /><br />While the ruling Awami League is assured a victory in a field devoid of challengers, analysts still expect the election to deepen the south Asian nation's political turmoil.<br /><br />Winners have already been declared without a contest in more than half of the national assembly seats because of the opposition's boycott.<br /><br />The opposition, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has stayed away from the polls, saying the election process is too heavily tilted in favor of the ruling party.<br /><br />Opposition groups accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League of standing in the way of fair elections by scrapping a neutral interim-administration system that has overseen elections since 1996.<br /><br />In 2011, the Awami League changed the constitution to get rid of the caretaker system, allowing the ruling party to stay in power until elections ended.<br /><br />Ms. Hasina denies that she is attempting to influence the election. "We took an oath as an elected government to uphold democracy," she said in a televised speech Thursday. "That is why the elections will take place on January fifth in accordance with the constitution."<br /><br />For decades, Ms. Hasina, the 65-year-old daughter of Bangladesh's first president and independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has alternated in power with the BNP and its 67-year-old leader Begum Khaleda Zia —the widow of Ziaur Rahman, a former president and military commander during the country's 1971 war of independence.<br /><br />With the election just days away, opposition leaders say police in riot gear have blocked Ms. Zia from leaving her house in Dhaka to take part in opposition rallies.<br /><br />"The police have kept her house cordoned off for days and she is under de facto house arrest," said Selima Rahman, a senior BNP leader.<br /><br />The government denies Ms. Zia is under house arrest. On Friday, police maintained a heavy presence in front of the opposition leader's walled compound. Police officials said the measures had been taken for Ms. Zia's protection.<br /><br />The U.S. and the European Union have declined to send election observers to Bangladesh, casting further doubt on the credibility of the elections.<br /><br />"We're disappointed that the major political parties have not yet reached a consensus on a way to hold free, fair, and credible elections," a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said in a statement Friday.<br /><br />Human rights groups say more than 200 people have died in political violence since November, when opposition parties started sometimes-violent street protests to try to force Ms. Hasina to reinstate the caretaker system.<br /><br />Ms. Hasina has responded by cracking down on her opponents. The police have arrested dozens of opposition leaders and rounded up thousands of opposition activists.<br /><br />The strikes called by the opposition have hurt the economy, especially the $20 billion garment industry, which was already struggling to recover from a series of deadly industrial accidents.<br /><br />Political analysts say Sunday's election is unlikely to improve conditions in Bangladesh.<br /><br />"If the country is closed for political dialogue, it will be difficult to convince the world that it is open for business," said Shahiduzzaman, a professor of security studies and international relations at Dhaka University who uses one name. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-90994264122841583322014-01-03T23:57:00.000-08:002014-01-04T00:03:42.939-08:00Chinese Ship used in Antarctic Rescue Stuck in Ice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">SYDNEY:</span> A Chinese icebreaker that went to the aid of a Russian ship stuck in heavy floes in Antarctica has now itself become trapped by ice, officials said Saturday, sparking anger about the impact of the rescue on polar expeditions.<br /><br />The Xue Long, which on Thursday used its helicopter to ferry dozens of passengers on the stranded Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy to the safety of an Australian vessel, has been unable to free itself, authorities said.<br /><br />"Xue Long has confirmed to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority it is beset by ice," the authority said in a statement.<br /><br />Speculation about whether the Xue Long was stuck had mounted for several days given the ship had hardly moved after its failed attempt to cut through the ice to reach the Shokalskiy.<br /><br />By late Friday, Australian officials said the Xue Long, or Snow Dragon, had reported that it had concerns about the heavy ice that surrounded it and would attempt to free itself early Saturday.<br /><br />AMSA said while this attempt had failed, the master of the Chinese ship had confirmed that the vessel was safe, was not in immediate distress and did not require assistance. The ship has food supplies for several weeks.<br /><br />The Shokalskiy remains stuck in ice 100 nautical miles from the French Antarctic base of Dumont d´Urville with 22 crew on board.<br /><br />Several attempts by icebreakers to reach the Russian ship failed, including by the Xue Long and the Australian Antarctic supply ship the Aurora Australis, while poor weather initially delayed helicopter rescue plans.<br /><br />The 22 scientists, 26 paying passengers and four journalists on board the Shokalskiy who were helicoptered off the ship are now on the Aurora Australis, which had been asked to remain on standby in the area to help the Xue Long.<br /><br />However, AMSA said Saturday the Aurora Australis was now free to continue its journey to Australia´s Antarctic base Casey, where it is due to deliver supplies before heading to the Australian city of Hobart.<br /><br />"The masters of both Akademik Shokalskiy and Xue Long agree that further assistance from Aurora Australis is no longer required and they will be able to provide mutual support to each other," AMSA said.<br /><br />Australian authorities have said that any inquiry into how the Shokalskiy came to be stranded would have to be conducted by Russian authorities but have acknowledged that the incident could impact guidelines for polar expeditions.<br /><br />The rescue mission, which also initially involved the French ship the Astrolabe, has also impacted some Antarctic research programmes, according to Yves Frenot, director of the French Polar Institute.<br /><br />The rescue mission forced French scientists to scrap a two-week oceanographic campaign this month using the Astrolabe, he said.<br /><br />"But we are relatively lucky. The Chinese have had to cancel all their scientific programme, and my counterpart in Australia is spitting tacks with anger, because their entire summer has been wiped out," he said.<br /><br />The Aurora was forced to suspend its resupply of the Australian base to rush to the aid of the Shokalskiy, but authorities said it was not yet known what impact the incident would have on scientific programmes.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-50160965438213482562014-01-03T23:55:00.000-08:002014-01-04T00:04:18.155-08:00Deadly Freeze Hits Northern US<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_lblDetail" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">NEW YORK: </span>A fierce winter storm brought chaos to the northern United States on Friday, killing at least 11 people and forcing the cancelation of thousands of flights.<br /><br />More than 24 inches (61 centimeters) of snow fell in parts of Massachusetts town as a state of emergency was declared in New York and New Jersey states.<br /><br />One worker was killed when a 100-foot pile of salt being prepared to treat roads in the Philadelphia region fell on him, media reports said.<br /><br />A 71-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimers disease froze to death after walking out into the cold and getting lost in northern New York state, authorities said.<br /><br />At least nine other deaths were blamed on the storm -- named Hercules -- that caused traffic accidents and other disruption across 22 states and parts of Canada.<br /><br />Hercules closed major roads for several hours with snowdrifts built up by Arctic winds of up to 65 miles (105 kilometers) per hour.<br /><br />Weather experts said the windchill temperature would plummet to -13 Fahrenheit (-25 Celsius) in New York state.<br /><br />More than 4,200 international and domestic flights were cancelled at airports along the east coat and as far as Chicago on Thursday night and Friday. Thousands more were delayed.<br /><br />New York´s John F. Kennedy Airport closed for several hours because of poor visibility and high winds.<br /><br />Flights were also canceled at Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and other key airports.<br /><br />Boston woke up to a temperature of about three degrees Fahrenheit (minus 16 Celsius) but with the wind chill, it felt much worse.<br /><br />Essex county in Massachusetts recorded 24 inches (61 centimetres) of snow. Much of the state´s Atlantic coastline was put on flood alert.<br /><br />The New York and New Jersey governors ordered major roads closed during the worst of the blizzard, but they were reopened on Friday morning.<br /><br />Government leaders still appealed for people to stay home unless they had urgent business.<br /><br />The storm was the first big test for New York City´s new Mayor Bill de Blasio, who only took up his job Wednesday.<br /><br />De Blasio had vowed a "laser focus" on the storm. But the mayor also urged residents to stay indoors and warned against going out in the freezing temperatures.<br /><br />De Blasio shoveled snow from in front of his Brooklyn house Friday before repeating appeals for drivers to stay off the streets to help the city clear its 6,200 miles (9,900 kilometers) of roads.<br /><br />"If you want safe, clear streets, stay home," he said.<br /><br />Tourists lobbed snowballs at each other in Times Square and more than six inches of snow fell on Central Park.<br /><br />But 450 salt spreaders were out across the city and 1,700 refuse trucks had been fitted with plows in a bid to keep New York moving. The city set up a special website and app, PlowNYC, so residents could follow street clearances in real time.<br /><br />Many metro trains were canceled or delayed however and schools and many businesses remained closed in all the affected states.<br /><br />And sub-freezing temperatures are expected as far south as Florida, the National Weather Service said.<br /><br />Officials backed de Blasio´s warning about going out in the cold as night fell again and temperatures plummeted. Experts said that winds of 30 miles per hour could cause frostbite in about 30 minutes. (AFP)</span></i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-9641382646451703212014-01-03T23:53:00.002-08:002014-01-04T00:05:38.627-08:00One More Polio Case Surfaces in Karachi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">KARACHI: </span>One more fresh case of polio has been reported in Karachi with the beginning of New Year, thus, proving that the virus has not been eradicated completely in the country, Geo News reported Wednesday.<br /><br />The victim child named Fatima belongs to Karachi and is the resident of Gadap area. The National Institute of Health has verified the virus attack. The samples of the affected girl were collected on December 19.<br /><br />It may be mentioned that a total number of 85 polio cases were reported in the year 2013. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-42059947946538603232014-01-03T23:47:00.001-08:002014-01-04T00:05:34.438-08:00China says Vaccines didn’t Cause 9 Kids Deaths<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">BEIJING: </span>Vaccines did not cause the deaths of nine children shortly after they were inoculated for hepatitis in a Chinese government program and no links have been found in eight other cases still being investigated, health officials said Friday after safety concerns arose.<br /><br />At the same time, China's national product safety watchdog said three drug makers - one of whom was scrutinized over the recent deaths - had suspended production because they failed to meet new manufacturing standards.<br /><br />Public confidence in Chinese health authorities and the country's drug safety regime is shaky at best, though improvements have been made in recent years since government agencies withheld information about the spread of SARS and bird flu.<br /><br />Concerns over vaccine safety have surfaced after reported problems with vaccines for encephalitis, hepatitis B and other diseases. In those cases, the health ministry said the vaccines had been improperly stored but were unrelated to subsequent illnesses that were reported.<br /><br />In the recent cases, China's National Health and Family Planning Commission investigated 17 deaths of children between Dec. 13 and Tuesday shortly after they received shots for the liver disease hepatitis B, the commission said in a statement on its website.<br /><br />Nine were clearly unrelated to the vaccines, the commission said, while a preliminary investigation found no links in the remaining cases. The cause of those eight deaths would only be confirmed after autopsies are completed.<br /><br />The causes of the deaths instead were acute pneumonia, suffocation, kidney failure, severe diarrhea, death of intestinal tissue, sudden infant death, congenital heart disease and so on, the commission said. The children were all younger than 5 and lived in nine provinces across China, the commission said without further details.<br /><br />Late last month after the first few deaths were reported, Chinese authorities sent health experts to investigate the manufacturer of most of the hepatitis B vaccines, Biokangtai, a drug maker based in the southern city of Shenzhen.<br /><br />The China Food and Drug Administration said Friday that Biokangtai and two other manufacturers of hepatitis B vaccines had to suspend production because they failed to meet new safety and quality standards for manufacturing. It said the companies could resume production after obtaining the new certification.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-18580559042627791072014-01-03T23:31:00.001-08:002014-01-04T00:06:15.666-08:00Australia Experiences Hottest Year On Record<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">SYDNEY (AFP) - </span>Australia experienced its hottest year on record in 2013, the Bureau of Meteorology said Friday, enduring the longest heatwave ever recorded Down Under as well as destructive bushfires.<br /><br />"2013 was Australia s warmest year since records began in 1910," the bureau said in its annual climate statement, released as inland areas of the country suffer scorching heatwave conditions.<br /><br />"Mean temperatures across Australia have generally been well above average since September 2012. Long periods of warmer-than-average days have been common, with a distinct lack of cold weather."<br /><br />The bureau said that Australia s 2012-2013 summer was the warmest on record, and included a prolonged national heatwave which ended on January 19, 2013 -- the first day since 31 December, 2012 that it did not reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) somewhere in the nation.<br /><br />Spring was also the warmest on record and winter the third warmest, meaning that overall, the annual national mean temperature was 1.20 degrees Celsius above average.<br /><br />The bureau pointed to destructive fires, in the island state of Tasmania in early 2013, which were followed by a record warm and dry winter across the country.<br /><br />Spring appeared to arrive early and culminated in "the most destructive fires in the Sydney region since at least 1968".<br /><br />The weather authority, which last year introduced new colours on its temperature scale to cater for more extreme highs, said the Australian warming was very similar to that seen on the global scale.<br /><br />"And the past year emphasises that the warming trend continues," it said.<br /><br />This year is also starting warmly, with records already under threat in some Outback towns. In Moomba in northern South Australia, the temperature topped 48 degrees Celsius on Thursday. The highest temperature ever recorded in Australia was 50.7 Celsius in Oodnadatta in 1960.<br /><br />Sarah Perkins, a climate system science researcher at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, said the report confirmed that the impacts of global warming were starting to be felt.<br /><br />"While records are occasionally broken here and there, the amount of temperature records broken in the last year is extraordinary," she said.<br /><br />"Studies have already shown that the risk of summers like 2013 occurring have increased by up to five-fold, because of human induced climate change."<br /><br />Professor Roger Jones, a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change s Working Group II Fifth Assessment Report to be released later this year, said the findings should concern all Australians.<br /><br />"While the increases in average temperatures may seem to be benign -- heat waves are increasing faster than those averages," said Jones, a research fellow at Victoria University in Melbourne.<br /><br />"Why heat waves are longer and hotter than anticipated is not yet clear, but they are contributing to greater fire danger and heat stress than projected by climate impact studies, affecting animals, plants and humans."<br /><br />University of Melbourne climate scientist David Karoly said the record high average temperature was remarkable because it did not occur in an "El Nino" year, when conditions in Australia are usually drier and warmer.<br /><br />He said that in climate modelling experiments conducted so far it was not possible to reach such a temperature record due to natural climate variations alone.<br /><br />"Hence, this record could not occur due to natural variability alone and is only possible due to the combination of greenhouse climate change and natural variability on Australian average temperature," he said.<br /><br />Ian Lowe, emeritus professor of science, technology and society at Queensland s Griffith University and president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, said the report confirmed expectations.<br /><br />"2013 was the hottest year on record for Australia, showing that there is no rational basis for the claim that warming has slowed in recent years," he said.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-12204420836716260222014-01-03T21:56:00.000-08:002014-01-03T21:56:05.782-08:00Academics Petition Against America's 'Blanket Surveillance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br />250 academics around the world signed an online petition calling for an end to "blank surveillance.<br /><br />WASHINGTON: (AFP) - More than 250 academics from around the world signed an online petition this week calling for an end to "blanket mass surveillance" by intelligence agencies.<br />The petition said revelations of mass surveillance in documents leaked by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden violate "a fundamental right" protected by international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.<br />"This has to stop," said the petition (academicsagainstsurveillance.net), an initiative of four academics from the University of Amsterdam.<br />"Without privacy people cannot freely express their opinions or seek and receive information. Moreover, mass surveillance turns the presumption of innocence into a presumption of guilt... secret and unfettered surveillance practices violate fundamental rights and the rule of law, and undermine democracy.<br />"The signatories of this declaration call upon nation states to take action. Intelligence agencies must be subjected to transparency and accountability. People must be free from blanket mass surveillance conducted by intelligence agencies from their own or foreign countries."<br />The signatories include academics in the Netherlands, Britain, Germany and the United States.<br />Among them are Oxford University's Joss Wright, Alessandro Acquisti of Carnegie Mellon University, Aleecia McDonald of the Center for Internet & Society at Stanford University and Bruce Schneier of the Berkman Institute for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.<br />Other signatories were from as far as Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.<br />On Thursday, a report indicated that the NSA is making strides toward building a "quantum computer" that could break nearly any kind of encryption.<br />The Washington Post said leaked documents from Snowden indicate the computer would allow the secret intelligence agency to break encryption used to protect banking, medical, business and government records around the world.<br />Quantum computing has been a goal among commercial firms such as IBM because it could harness the power of atoms and molecules, vastly increasing speed and security of computers and other devices.<br />Snowden leaked explosive details of the secret surveillance schemes to media including The Washington Post and The Guardian.<br />After fleeing the United States, he ultimately landed in Russia, where he has been granted temporary asylum. US federal prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint against Snowden, charging him with espionage and felony theft of government property.<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-73703166863240487842014-01-03T21:19:00.003-08:002014-01-03T21:19:59.058-08:00Drone Bombs?: US Drones to make Decisions on their Own<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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(Web Desk) - Despite international criticism, US has planned to arm military drones with stronger chemical weapons that will act as ‘drone-bombs’. It has also aimed to equip drones with improved sensors and navigation equipment in order to cut down expenses.<br /><br />According to a report published in UK newspaper, the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) revealed its Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap, setting out its technology aims for the next 25 years.<br /><br />Drones that can choose to deviate from a set mission and hunt in ‘swarms’ could be patrolling skies within the next 25 years, according to a new roadmap.<br /><br />Unmanned aircraft carrying stronger chemical weapons could also be on the horizon, the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) revealed in its Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap.<br /><br />While the document sets out plans for unmanned maritime, land and air vehicles, there is a lot of focus on the future capability of controversial drones, which, if the plans come to fruition, could deviate from mission commands set by humans if they spot a better target.<br /><br />Current drones require intensive manpower on the ground to fly, which is expensive and the DoD plans on cutting costs by letting the machines make more decisions themselves.<br /><br />At the moment drones follow precise commands to complete a predetermined step-by-step mission, but the unmanned aircraft of the future could deviate from tasks, informed by ‘laws’ that govern their behaviour, laid out in algorithms and machine learning, as well as advanced sensors.<br /><br />While drones, or unmanned aircraft, currently use GPS to navigate war zones and remote areas, the satellite signals used by the systems can be jammed easily, so the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on jam-proof ‘inertial guidance systems’.<br /><br />The DoD s roadmap also features plans for deadly ‘swarms’ of drone-bombs that are launched from an unmanned ‘mothership’ to circle the skies while a human operator searches for targets for the drones to crash into, guided by the bots’ on-bard cameras.<br /><br />Thanks to the unmanned mothership, the kamikaze drones could have a range of over 250 nautical miles (463km) the roadmap said.<br /><br />The weapons dropped by more traditional drones are also set to get more deadly under the plans, as researchers are working on ‘energetic nanoparticles’ with a larger surface areas so that the chemicals within the ammunition reach faster and create a more powerful explosion.<br /><br />The technologies combined are intended to help the U.S. military be ‘more effective through greater automation and greater performance,’ the report says.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-2514842987894346832014-01-02T14:18:00.003-08:002014-01-02T14:18:39.578-08:00Now we can all Watch Earth in HD | First Public Video of our Planet is Beamed back from Space<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br />While satellites frequently beam down mesmerising images of Earth, detailed video footage of our planet has, up until now, been lacking.<br /><br />Now one San Francisco-based start-up is aiming to change this by using its own low-cost satellite to provide the first ever public high-definition video of Earth from space.<br /><br />The footage reveals details down to the metre-scale, such as cars moving on roads and vessels travelling through shipping lanes – all from a satellite positioned 600 kms above the planet.<br /><br />The video was taken by the SkySat-1 satellite and showcases high-resolution views of Tokyo, Bangkok, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Aleppo, Syria.<br /><br />While it’s currently available for free, the group, Skybox Imaging, plans to sell the footage to businesses in the near future.<br /><br />SkySat-1, which was launched in November, captured up to 90-second video clips at 30 frames per second to create the footage.<br /><br />The U.S. group is now planning a constellation of 24 satellites that will be able to cover almost the entire expanse of the Earth.<br /><br />Its larger goal is to sell what it can analyse about the global economy to companies, providing details such as supply chain monitoring and the movement of humanitarian aid.<br /><br />‘The most revolutionary fact is that SkySat-1 was built and launched for more than an order of magnitude less cost than traditional sub-meter imaging satellites,’ said Tom Ingersoll, chief executive of Skybox.<br /><br />Satellites today are capable of taking imagery better than a metre in resolution, but they weigh thousands of kilograms. SkySat-1 is 20 times smaller than traditional satellites.<br /><br />The circuitry that drives it is about the size of a phone book and consumes less power than a 100w light bulb.<br /><br />‘Their small size means we can afford to launch lots of satellites, and provide you lots of timely, sub-meter imagery and video, along with powerful derived analytics,’ the group said on their website.<br /><br />SkySat-2, an identical version of SkySat-1, is scheduled to launch in early 2014.<br /><br />It competitor, Vancouver-based UrtheCast, is also planning to mount both a still and video camera onto the International Space Station to provide a similar service.<br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-56433720653721150762014-01-02T14:17:00.001-08:002014-01-02T14:17:20.856-08:00Bluetooth Vibrating Smart Fork Aims to Coach you Back to Health<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br />Hapifork, launched earlier this year, helps you maintain perfect timing between your bites so that you can remain healthy without counting steps on.<br /><br />Hapifork, the vibrating Bluetooth fork was launched on Kickstarter earlier this year and is now available exclusively at Brookstone for 99.99 dollars.<br /><br />The device has got two modes, Alarm and Coaching, and it issues vibrational feedback and a glowing red or green light at the end of its handle to tell whether the user has timed the bites properly,reports.<br /><br />The device could be paired with an Android or iOS device to send feedback, can be USB synced to a PC or Mac, and has a built-in accelerometer to track hand motion, the report added.<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-63675285027965065662014-01-02T14:15:00.006-08:002014-01-02T14:15:36.771-08:00First Private Supersonic Jet Promised in 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br />For billionaire executives, a 16-hour flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo is just too damn long to spend out of pocket. The Spike Aerospace S-512 promises to cut that time in half, and it won’t cost more than a measly $80 million.<br /><br />The Boston-based Spike crew is made up of former Airbus, Bombardier, and Gulfstream engineers, along with a handful of entrepreneurs and investors that have set out to create the world’s first supersonic private jet.<br /><br />Their goal is to create a new breed of business aircraft that can reach a cruising speed of Mach 1.6 (1,218 mph) and a top speed of Mach 1.8 (1,370 mph). At those speeds, the S-512 is theoretically capable of flying from New York to London in less than four hours, all while carrying up to 18 passengers in the opulence they’re accustomed to.<br /><br />It’s no accident that Spike is quoting flight times over oceans and not the continental U.S. The FAA prohibits supersonic flight over land, with few exceptions. But Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and even NASA have been working on ways to redesign supersonic aircraft to reduce the boom when breaking the speed of sound, but to no avail.<br /><br />And Spike isn’t the first to promise a supersonic jet. Aerion announced plans in 2009 to create its own 12-seat supersonic business jet (which, ironically, was pegged to cost $80 million). That jet was supposedly due in 2015 — and Spike’s is promised to take off in December 2018.<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247884132469574947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4775575042532123204.post-8177204190356050452014-01-02T14:14:00.002-08:002014-01-02T14:14:50.188-08:00Death Ray Drone Bot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><br />In a move that wouldn’t look out of place in an Austin Powers movie, a student from Illinois has fitted a spider-shaped robot with laser beams.<br /><br />The remote-controlled Death Ray Laser Drone Bot is fitted with a beam so powerful it can pop balloons and make paper and card burst into flames.<br /><br />It was created by 20-year-old Drake Anthony who demonstrated the full force of his creation on his Styropyro YouTube channel.<br /><br />To build the device, Anthony, 20, modified an Attacknid robot.<br /><br />An Attacknid toy traditionally fires foam darts and disks, can walk around, and is designed to battle against other robots.<br /><br />By removing the top of the robot and tweaking the firing mechanism, Anthony was able to replace the foam thrower with a 2W blue laser diode.<br /><br />By connecting the laser to existing wires, Anthony was able to move the Attacknid using the robot’s remote control.<br /><br />This control can make the Attacknid walk, spin the lasers 360-degrees, and fire the laser at targets.<br /><br />He then fires the laser at a piece of paper, which bursts into flames within three seconds.<br /><br />According to Anthony: ‘I present my most terrifying laser creation as of yet – the remote controlled death ray drone bot!<br /><br />‘This beast packs a potent 2W blue laser that fries anything in it’s path. It can walk around and shoot its death ray at the touch of a button.’<br /><br />Anthony posts videos under the username the DIY Laser Guy and has previously created other laser-powered devices.<br /><br />For example, in May, the chemistry student from Southern Illinois University created a handheld lightsaber.<br /><br />A video, created by Anthony, showed the invention cutting through paper, tape and cardboard – and even melting a ping pong ball.<br /><br />This laser used a 9mm 450nm diode that was powered by two 18650 Li Ion batteries.<br /></div>
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