David Beckham snubbed for knighthood

The three lions of UK entertainment and sport, Simon Cowell, Bruce Forsyth and David Beckham, have been snubbed for a knighthood – despite huge achievements this year.

The trio have been left off next week's New Year's Honours List.

The List, drawn up by a secretive committee of senior

Cabinet Office officials and the Queen's top flunkies from Buckingham Palace, has now sparked fury.

Beckham"The Whitehall mandarins who decide these things are elitist and arrogant and look down their nose at people like Cowell and Beckham, and instead stuff it mostly with their cronies. There is growing concern they are getting ever more badly out of touch with the mood of the people," the Sun quoted a

Honey 'cure' for hangover

Got a bad hangover? Try honey on toast, says a new study. Researchers from the Royal Society of Chemistry claim to have found that taking honey, the natural sweetener, is a great way to help the human body deal with the toxic effects of a hangover. According to them, the fructose in the honey

which is also found in golden syrup is essential to help the body break down alcohol into harmless by-products.

"The happiness comes from alcohol. The hangover comes from acetaldehyde. This is the toxic chemical into which alcohol is converted by the body and it causes a throbbing headache, nausea, and may be even vomiting.

"The hangover disappears as the acetaldehyde is slowly converted to less toxic chemicals," 'The Daily Telegraph' quoted lead researcher Dr John Emsley as saying.

According to him, serving the honey on toast adds potassium and sodium to the meal which also helps the body cope with the alcohol.

Dr Emsley also said that drinking a glass of milk first, sticking to clear alcohols such as gin and mixing in the occasional soft drink were helpful as was sinking a pint of water before you go to bed.

He added: "The milk slows down the absorption of alcohol, which means there is less acetaldehyde for the body to deal with at any one time.

"Gin is alcohol twice purified by distillation and the botanical flavours it contains are mere traces. Avoid dark coloured drinks which contain natural chemicals that can adversely affect you.

"Alcohol increases water loss, hence the frequent trips to the loo. This dehydration makes a hangover worse, so moderate your drinking with a soft drink now and again, and drink a large glass of water before you go to sleep."

Key Pakistani governor assassinated in Islamabad

Salman Taseer, the governor of Pakistan's most politically important province Punjab, was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in Islamabad on Tuesday, apparently for opposing blasphemy laws. Taseer was one of the most moderate political voices in the main ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP),

which this week slumped into a major political crisis when its junior coalition partner walked out of the federal government.

He was outspoken against the Taliban and other Islamist militants hunkered down in the country's northwest, and which have made increasing inroads into Punjab in recent years, and most recently against controversial blasphemy laws.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the killer was a member of Taseer's own security team, who quickly confessed to the crime and who had apparently worked for the governor on five or six previous occasions.

"He confessed that he killed the governor himself because he had called the blasphemy law a black law," Malik said.

"He has confessed his crime and surrendered his gun to police after the attack," he told reporters.

The brazen daylight shooting came as wealthy Pakistanis and expatriates were enjoying a late lunch or afternoon coffee in nearby cafes.

Spent cartridges littered the road outside Kohsar market in Islamabad's upmarket F6 sector, just a short distance from where Taseer kept a home, witnesses said.

Local administration chief Amir Ahmad Ali said Taseer died in hospital after being wounded in the shooting in F6.

"I was in the market. I heard the gunfire and hit the ground," said Shaukat, 28, a terrified labourer.

"Later on, while running for shelter I saw a man in uniform being grabbed by police. Later on, police officials said he was the attacker."

Police and anti-terror forces surround the area and the market closed after the attack. A silver Toyota car with a flat wheel was parked on one side. Blood was smeared on the road in two places, said an AFP reporter.

Taseer was a leading moderate voice in the PPP, which is facing a major political crisis since losing its parliamentary majority on Sunday.

Taseer made his money as a chartered accountant, setting up consultancy firms and a brokerage house, and with investments in telecommunications, the media, insurance and real estate before going into politics.

He served as minister for industry and production under former military ruler Pervez Musharraf from 2007 to 2008.

He was a long-time member of the Punjab provincial assembly and appointed governor by the PPP-led coalition government in 2008.

Potato Salad with Parsley recipe

Ingredients

* 4 medium-sized potatoes, boiled in salted water
* 2 large eggs, boiled & chopped
(For dressing, mix together)
* Half cup mayonnaise
* Half cup sour cream
* 1 cup mustard paste
* 1 small onion, chopped
* Half cup parsley, chopped
* 1 tbsp lemon juice
* Half tsp lemon peel, grated
* 1 tsp salt
* Pepper, a pinch



Potato Salad with Parsley Preparation:

1. Peel and dice potato when warm.
2. Add chopped egg, dressing & mix well.
3. Cool & serve.

Walnut Stuffed-Fish recipe

Ingredients

* 2 kg salmon or hammour, deboned & halved
* 2 potatoes, halved
* Lemon slices, for garnish
* Seasoning, to taste (for marinade, mix together)
* Quarter cup olive oil
* Quarter cup lemon juice
* 1 tsp cumin
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp pepper (for stuffing)
* 2 cups chopped parsley
* 10 cloves garlic
* 2 red chilies
* 1 cup walnuts
* 1 tsp olive oil
* 1 tsp lemon juice
* Salt, to taste



Walnut Stuffed-Fish Preparation:

1. Marinate fish for about half an hour.
2. To prepare stuffing, blend ingredients in a food processor. Keep aside.
3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
4. Place half of the fish on a tray, spread the prepared stuffing & place the other half of the fish on top. (You may tie the fish with thread).
5. Place potato around the fish, season & bake for 30 minutes.
6. Garnish with lemon slices.

The True Story of the World’s Most Dangerous Nuclear Smuggler

A true story of international intrigue, this alarming book is the definitive account of how one man facilitated the spread of nuclear weapons technology to the most dangerous rogue nations on the planet. And it reveals how the U.S. government knowingly allowed that to happen….

Abdul Qadeer Khan is the father of the Islamic bomb. An affable and mediocre scientist, he stole European nuclear plans and established a black market to play a central role in building Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. He did not stop there. He reversed the flow of his smuggling operation to sell the same technology to Iran, North Korea, and  Libya. Intelligence authorities could have stopped him well before Pakistan became a nuclear power, but amazingly, our political leaders consciously chose to wait and concentrate on what they believed to be more immediate strategic priorities.

This important work of history shows how this criminal could have been prevented from jeopardizing our national security. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear annihilation is on the rise. Should such an assault В occur, there is a strong chance that the trail of devastation will lead back to A.Q.Khan. The Man From Pakistan explains how he did it, and why his work continues to endanger us.

Ronald McDonald

 

This is no joke. Ronald McDonald, the famous mascot for the fast food joint is a clown you don’t want to mess with! The reason, however, is slightly different from some of the other entries here. Most countries with McDonald’s have a Ronald McDonald actor who will often be hired for children’t parties. Because he is so famous and drives kids wild, he travels with an entourage of bodyguards – other McDonald’s staff who are trained in the job. Now this is where the danger comes in. If you are a kid and you get too close to Ronald, the bodyguards are trained to keep you back – with violence. My cousin was trained as a bodyguard and the methods he was taught included pinching children and stamping on their feet. So remember – next time you see Ronald, keep your distance. You might end up injured. Incidentally, in case you can’t tell, the photo above is of Ronald McDonald being arrested by the New Zealand police.