Month: October 2012

The issue of US visa fee hike, which has hurt several Indian IT firms, is expected to come up for discussion when External Affairs Minister SM Krishna meets US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton here on Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

India has “consistently” taken up the issue of the visa fee hike with the US and the issue will figure in talks between Krishna and Clinton, official sources said.

The US had raised visa fee in 2010 to fund its enhanced costs on securing border with Mexico under the Border Security Act.

The Centre has decided to launch a special drive to ensure adequate representation of minority communities in paramilitary forces. Besides, the government is also going to strengthen the number of women in the security forces.

Criticising BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s statements on judiciary, Congress on Sunday said he should have the conviction of saying things clearly instead of “casting aspersions by insinuation”.

“Rather then cast aspersions by insinuation, he should have the conviction of saying certain things squarely if he knows them to be true,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said here.

He was referring to the statement of Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, that “pre-retirement judgements are influenced by a desire for a post-retirement job.”

The Centre on Sunday rejected Punjab’s charge that it was “deliberately denying” the state drought package in the wake of deficient monsoon rains.

“There is no such thing. There is no truth in this,” Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said in Mohali on the sidelines of a function. He also denied that Centre was apathetic towards genuine demands raised by Punjab from time to time.

“I don’t think it is fair (on Punjab’s part) to say this,” he said.

Iran has exported 15 million tonnes of iron ore worth over $600 million, despite Western sanctions against the country, a media report said Sunday.

China is a major buyer of Iran’s iron ore. Other countries include Pakistan, Austria, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and Vietnam.

Iran has produced 23,218,093 tonnes of iron ore in the first 10 months of 2011, the ISNA news agency reported.

The Brazilian embassy in Islamabad is organising free of charge classes for Capoeira, a native Brazilian art form that combines music, wrestling, dance, rhythm, song and movement into a martial art.

The News International said the art form was practiced across Brazil and was recently spreading all over the world.

The art form “emphasises the struggle for freedom” and the need for community in taking an inclusive approach to building healthier, stronger ties between its practitioners and with the wider society at large.

The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) late Sunday night called off the Telangana march.

Hundreds of protestors dispersed peacefully at midnight after JAC convenor M. Kodandaram announced that they were calling off the march.

Earlier, the JAC leaders had declared that they would not leave the Necklace Road on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake unless the central government announces a roadmap for the formation of separate Telangana state.

Though the police permission for the march ended 7 p.m. Sunday, the protestors refused to leave the place.

Andhra Pradesh State Hajj Committee has advised the Hajj aspirants of waiting list between 2351 to 2600 to submit their passport along with passport size photograph with white background on or before October 3, 5 pm, at office of the Hajj committee.

Hajj committee chairman Mr. Khaleeluddin and executive officer Mr. Abdul Hameed in a press statement told this. They further stated that the office will remain open on October 2. They requested the applicants of waiting list to obtain details from website hajcommiitteee.com.

An extension lecture entitled ‘First-hand account of Assam’ will be held on Monday, October 1, 7 pm, at Taher Function Hall, Moghalpura. Dr. Mohammed Mateenuddin Quadri Mujahed joint general secretary All India Majlis Tameer-e-Millat will deliver the lecture.

Dr. Mohammed Mateenuddin Quadri has recently returned after his visit to riot-hit areas of Assam and carrying out relief work among the victims by All India Majlis Tameer-e-Millat.

Iran has exported 15 million tonnes of iron ore worth over $600 million, despite Western sanctions against the country, a media report said Sunday.

China is a major buyer of Iran’s iron ore. Other countries include Pakistan, Austria, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India and Vietnam.

Iran has produced 23,218,093 tonnes of iron ore in the first 10 months of 2011, the ISNA news agency reported.

Rising cases of Hepatitis B infection in Bhutan has become a major health concern.

Last year alone, 744 Hepatitis B cases were reported, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, a doctor at the National Referral Hospital here, said.

The higher rate of detection was due to the increasing number of testing centres. But Bhutan also has Hepatitis A and C, The Bhutanese daily quoted Wangchuk as saying.

Hepatitis B infection could lead to liver cirrhosis and cancer. The virus is spread through blood transfusion, unsafe sex or sharing of needles contaminated by the virus.

Pakistan has reduced the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil and CNG (compressed natural gas) in a bid to boost the economy.

The maximum reduction was in petrol (by six rupees ($0.0632) per litre), followed by CNG (five rupees per kg), kerosene (40 paisa) and diesel (14 paisa), Geo TV reported.

The new prices will be effective from Oct 1. The government approved the new prices of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Sunday.

Petrol will now cost Rs.102.45 per litre, diesel Rs.113.16, kerosene Rs.101.23, light diesel Rs.96.22 per litre and CNG by about Rs.5 per kg.

Television actor Gurmeet Choudhary has won the fifth season of dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Ja after beating co-contestants Rashami Desai Sandhu and Rithvik Dhanjani.

Chandigarh-born Gurmeet, 28, the only finalist who was part of the show from the beginning, wooed the audiences and judges with his stylish grooves along with choreographer Shampa.

Actress Rani Mukherjee, who will be seen playing the role of a Maharashtrian girl in the upcoming ‘Aiyyaa’, says the film is a pure family entertainer.

She also expressed confidence that the film would be liked by people of all ages.

Produced by Anurag Kashyap, ‘Aiyyaa’ stars Rani and Prithviraj in the lead roles. Rani plays the role of a Marathi girl, who falls in love with a South Indian boy.

“Though I was born and brought up in Mumbai and studied Marathi during my school days, I was not fluent in Marathi.

Director-producer Karan Johar, who is launching Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter Alia in his upcoming film “Student Of The Year”, says the newcomer wasn’t the first choice for the movie.

The 19-year-old debutante plays the role of a rich brat named Shanaya Singhania in the film, which also stars newbies Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra.

Model-turned-actress Malaika Arora Khan, who has a string of successful item numbers like Chhaiya Chhaiya, Munni Badnaam and Anarkali Disco Chali to her credit, says she never wanted to be an actor, and so she doesn’t miss it at all.

“Except for some small roles, I have never acted so I can’t really miss it. I never wanted to do acting so it never really cropped up my mind. I love dancing and will continue to do till I can,” Malaika told IANS.

The 39-year-old, who is married to actor-filmmaker Arbaaz Khan, has done cameo in films like Bichhoo, Indian, Kaante and Housefull.

Over 28,000 pilgrims from different parts of India have arrived so far in Saudi Arabia for Haj, Indian mission in the Gulf Kingdom has said.

According to India’s Jeddah Consulate, Haj pilgrims from India started arriving in the Saudi from September 17 at Jeddah and Medina airports.

The first flight carrying over 400 pilgrims from Kolkata landed in Jeddah on September 17, which was received by Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, Consul General of India in Jeddah.

After clashing with security forces during the day, Telangana protesters stayed put at Necklace Road here Sunday night, vowing not to leave unless the central government declares a roadmap for a separate Telangana state.

With the number of protesters coming down due to heavy rain, police were also not making any attempts to evict them well past the 7 p.m. deadline set for them to leave.

The Andhra Pradesh Capital would host the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity beginning today. The event would kickstart with meeting of the parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP MOP 6) followed by 11th meeting of the Conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11) at the HITEX venue in the city. While COP MOP 6, a five-day meet will conclude on October 5, COP 11 will be held between October 8 and 19 and is expected to see participation of delegates and heads of some countries.

Telangana Nagara Samithi MLA Dr Nagam Janardhan Reddy has said here that it was shameful that the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has not met the MPs of his own party.

Speaking to the media, Dr Nagam alleged that the State is under “Governor’s rule”, He took the Government to task for adopting all sorts of methods to suppress the people, even after giving permission for the ‘Telangana March’. (NSS)

Legislators of opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were also arrested in front of the assembly building as they blocked the traffic in support of the march.

With fears of protestors targeting vital installations and the properties of people from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, the police and paramilitary forces sealed off many roads with police chief Dinesh Reddy himself monitoring the situation from a helicopter.

Tension gripped Hyderabad till late Sunday evening as pro-Telangana activists clashed with the police, while hundreds of people were reaching the venue of the rally – Necklace Road on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake – to participate in the “Sagara haram” or “T-march” for a separate state. Police burst teargas shells to disperse protestors who tried to remove barricades and advance towards NTR Marg.

Andhra Pradesh State Haj Committee requested the Haj applicants bearing waiting list no. 2351 to 2600 to deposit their original Passport along with a copy of passport size photograph with white background and written undertaking, in the Office of Haj Committee before 5 pm on October 3.

In a press release here, the Chairman of the State Haj Committee Khaleeluddin and executive officer Abdul Hameed said that their seats may be confirmed against cancellation of already confirmed seats. The office of the State Haj Committee will remain open on October 2, 2012 also.

Telangana activists resorted to vandalism during the Telangana March, protesting against the restrictions imposed by the police and arrests of activists.

The Telangana activists removed the barricades setup by the police at Buddha Bhavan, Telugu Talli Flyover, I Max theatre and Khairatabad. They set on fire the Necklace Road MMTS railway station and attacked two-hostels. They set ablaze two police vehicles near people’s plaza. They also damaged three DSNG live vehicles including the vehicle belonging to a state run TV channel Dooradarshan.

Prof Kodandaram, Convenor of the TJAC made light of the state police chief Dinesh Reddy making aerial survey to oversee the Telangna March at Necklace Road.