Month: July 2014

Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Kalraj Mishra inaugurated the fourth edition of the India International Leather Fair on Thursday. The three-day B2B event has been organised by the India Trade Promotion Organizations (ITPO). Speaking at the function, Mishra said the Indian leather industry holds a prominent place in the economy with an annual turnover of USD 11 billion. He described it as an employment intensive sector, providing jobs to about 2.5 million people in the country, and added that women employment is predominant in leather sector with about 30 per cent share.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to install three more roof top solar power plants in its premises, as a continuation of its policy to encourage eco friendly work practices and technologies. These three plants will come up at the Anand Vihar ISBT and Pragati Maidan Metro stations along with DMRC’s residential complex at Pushp Vihar. These plants will have a joint power generation capacity of 250 kwp.

The Australian Government has moved to meet a growing demand in the Punjab for visas to Australia by opening a brand new Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Jalandhar, operated by its commercial partner, VFS Global. The new centre was inaugurated by Mr.Jose Alvarez, the Australian Government’s Minister Counsellor for Immigration and Regional Director (South Asia) on July 3, 2014. Mr Vishal Jairath, Regional Head- South Asia, VFS Global, was also present.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati on Thursday denied that he has ever said that small carriers would not be encouraged to fly on metro routes. According to an official statement issued by the civil aviation ministry, he was responding to a news item carried by the `Economic Times that said Raju had said that smaller carriers will not be encouraged to fly in the metro routes. The ET report further said that this stand was likely to impact the plans of operating carriers like Air Costa and some others waiting for flying permits.

The Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Ms. Sheryl Sandberg, called on the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, today. She said India is a very important country for Facebook, considering the high number of active Facebook users in India. An official statement said the Prime Minister discussed with Ms. Sandberg, ways through which a platform such as Facebook can be used for governance and better interaction between the people and governments. He also talked about how Facebook can be used to bring more tourists to India. Prime Minister Modi also spoke to Ms.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Thursday has called for the rapid development of the dairy sector to meet the future demand of the country. He said that by 2020, the demand for milk would touch more than 200 million tonnes. The minister said this while inaugurating a new plant of dairy project in Haryana today. According to an official statement, he highlighted the National Dairy Development Board’s report which shows that during the year 2021-22, the demand of milk will surpass the earlier projection of 180 million tonnes,and may go up to 210 million tonnes.

President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted the resignation of M.K. Narayanan, as Governor of West Bengal. A communique issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said that President Mukherjee has appointed Dr. D.Y. Patil, Governor of Bihar, to discharge the functions of the Governor of West Bengal, in addition to his own duties, until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of West Bengal are made. (ANI)

U.S. Embassy Charge D”Affairs Ambassador Kathleen Stephens on Thursday said the United States and its mission in India is eager and ready to match New Delhi”s promise of taking the bilateral strategic partnership between the two countries forward with equal vigor, energy and enthusiasm.

The ICC Cricket World Cup trophy will visit countries that will participate in next year’s extravaganza to be staged in Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced today. The first stopover of the trophy* will be Sri Lanka, which won cricket’s ultimate prize in Lahore when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka jointly hosted the tournament in 1996.

A wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the death anniversary of Brigadier Mohammad Usman, MVC, was organised at Jamia Millia Islamia University Cemetary on Thursday. Several retired and serving officers, including Lieutenant General N.S. Ghei, AVSM*, Commandant National Defence College and Colonel of the Parachute Regiment attended the function. Vice Chancellor and Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia University also paid his tributes by laying a wreath.

Former champion Petra Kvitova beat fellow Czech Lucie Safarova in straight sets on Thursday to enter the Wimbledon final . Sixth seed Kvitova won 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 in the first all-Czech semi-final at a Grand Slam. The 2011 champion will now face either third seed Simona Halep or 13th seed Eugenie Bouchard in Saturday”s final, and is hoping to win a second Grand Slam title. Kvitova and Safarova are good friends, Fed Cup team-mates and train at the same club in Prostejov. At 24, Kvitova was the younger by three years, but the senior partner in terms of achievement.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday reviewed steps to check the price rise of essential commodities, including potatoes and onions in Delhi. The meeting was attended by Delhi”s Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami and senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

An overbridge under construction collapsed Thursday afternoon in southeast Brazil, killing at least two people and injuring 22 others.

The collapse of the overbridge in Belo Horizonte, capital of Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais, smashed and trapped several vehicles, including a passenger bus, two cargo trucks and a compact car, Xinhua reported.

The two fatal victims of the accident included the bus driver and a woman bus passenger, whose child was injured. Authorities believe the driver of the small car was also killed, but the body is yet to be recovered by rescue workers.

At least one person was killed and several people were injured Thursday when Mexico’s notorious cargo train “La Bestia” (The Beast) derailed, an official source said.

Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) issued a press release saying the accident occurred along a stretch of rail in the southern state of Oaxaca’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec region, Xinhua reported.

The train is regularly used by Central American and Mexican migrants, who ride atop the cargo cars on their way north to the US border.

The leader of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region Thursday asked the regional parliament to prepare for a referendum on the independence of the region as well as the disputed areas adjacent to the country’s north, an official Kurdish website said.

Masoud Barzani, leader of Iraq’s Kurdistan, asked the regional parliament “to organise a referendum on the right of self-determination for the region and to set a date for it,” Xinhua quoted the website of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani as saying.

The US has warned its citizens in Uganda of a possible terror attack at the country’s Entebbe International Airport in capital Kampala.

The US embassy in Uganda, in a statement on its website Thursday, said it received information from the Uganda police force that there was a specific threat to attack the airport located 40 km south of Kampala, Xinhua reported.

At least 150 people have been killed and 100 others injured in clashes between two groups belonging to Mesiria tribe in al-Dibaib area in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, the Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) reported Thursday.

“The clashes took place between Awlad Omran and Al-Ziyoud groups of Mesiria tribes at Al-Dibaib area in West Kordofan state,” the SMC quoted Mohamed Omer Al-Ansari, a Mesiria tribe leader, as saying, according to Xinhua.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria(ISIS) captured the biggest oil field in eastern Syria Thursday, according to human rights activists.

The Al Qaeda splinter group seized al-Omar oil field, the biggest oil field in Syria’s eastern province of Deir al-Zour, after the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front withdrew from the field, Xinhua quoted the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying in a report.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has reported that nearly 100,000 people are seeking protection in its bases across the country, and the number is likely to remain high, a spokesperson said Thursday.

“Humanitarian partners are working together with UNMISS to improve the situation, wherever possible, both by improving the situation in existing sites and by creating new sites that will decongest the current, improvised protection sites,” Xinhua quoted UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric as saying at a daily news briefing.

At least 17 suspected militants were killed Thursday in security raids in Rafah city of Egypt’s North Sinai province, a security source said.

Egyptian troops killed 12 militants, who are believed members of Al Qaeda-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, destroying their vehicles which were used in attacks against Egyptian soldiers in southern of Rafah, Xinhua quoted the source as saying.

Also in Rafah, five suspected militants were killed and three others arrested while they were trying to plant bombs.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan is at risk of losing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s backing after a “leak” dragged two Sangh stalwarts into an exam scandal in his state, Sangh and BJP insiders have told The Telegraph.

They claimed the Sangh was “furious” with the Madhya Pradesh chief minister after the names of late Sangh chief K.S. Sudarshan and current joint general secretary Suresh Soni were “allowed” to figure in the scandal.

After a training exercise for its newly-elected MPs, BJP on Thursday held a day-long session of its leaders who lost out in the elections in a bid to boost their morale.

BJP President Rajnath Singh, also the Union Home Minister, met each of them and told them to remain connected with people in their constituencies and continue working for their welfare.

He also told the 140-odd candidates to introspect on their defeat and continue their efforts so that they get elected in the next election. As part of the soul searching exercise, these leaders also listed reasons for their defeat.

American military personnel in Baghdad are currently assessing the situation and finding ways to help and assist Iraqi security forces, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said today adding that the situation in Iraq, where Islamic militants have taken control of a large part of the country, is “complex and fluid”.

The new Indian government is ready to step up its engagement with the world for mutual benefit and the partnership with the US is a critical part of this outreach, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said on Thursday.

Congratulating the US on its 238th Independence Day on July 4, Singh said as both look at the latter half of this year, it is already clear that this will be an extremely busy period for India and the US.

“Producing an agenda that is commensurate with expectations on both sides and the latent potential of our partnership, will be critical.

A 17-year-old Dalit girl, who was allegedly set afire by her neighbours died on Thursday at a civil hospital here after battling for life for 18 days, police said.

The incident took place on June 16 outside her house in Ambedkarnagar area of Sayla town of Surendranagar district.

The girl, Chandrika Parmar was cleaning a drain outside her house when some of her neighbours including women picked up fight with her over the cleaning issue and allegedly set her on fire.