President Barack Obama has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will look into India’s concerns on the H-1B visa issue as part of his comprehensive immigration reform, US officials said on Monday.
Obama told Prime Minister Modi that his administration would be in touch with the Indian government on issues related to H-1B visas, popular among Indian techies.
Protesting US President Barack Obama’s visit to India, Maoists on Monday called for a shutdown in the Latehar district of Jharkhand.
A few petrol pumps have been shut down as well, despite tight security in the state.
The Maoists have also decided to observe January 26 as a Black Day to protest against the US President’s visit.
An impregnable security ring with 20,000 security personnel guarding the national capital has been kept intact even after the Republic Day parade as US President Barack Obama stays overnight in the capital till Tuesday afternoon.
The stringent security measures have turned the capital into a fortress for President Obama and his delegation’s three-day visit.
Obama, who arrived here on a state visit Jan 25 morning, attended the 66th Republic Day parade as the chief guest Monday.
A 20-year-old woman who had come to visit the Taj Mahal with her parents and younger brother went missing while standing in a queue at the monument, police said Monday, adding she has still not been traced.
Daughter of Mumbai realtor Farooq, the woman, a CA student, was suddenly found to be missing from the queue she was standing in. Her family frantically searched for her but there was no trace of her.
“There is still no clue of the missing daughter of the Mumbai businessman. We are taking help of CCTV cameras,” a police officer said.
BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, who attended the Republic Day celebrations on Monday, mocked AAP rival Arvind Kejriwal for “playing sob sob” over not being invited on the occasion.
Bedi, who in 1975 had led the Delhi Police contingent, was seen seated in the VIP enclosure at the venue.
“I think he is playing sob sob. I think he must grow up. Invitations come not when you desire. They come by something else but they are never demanded, they come by rules and regulations, by protocols whatever it is,” Bedi told a TV channel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday condoled the death of eminent cartoonist R.K. Laxman, saying “India will miss you”.
“We are grateful to you for adding the much needed humour in our lives and always bringing smiles on our faces,” he said in a statement.
“My condolences to the family and countless well-wishers of a legend whose demise leaves a major void in our lives. RIP R.K. Laxman,” the prime minister said.
The famous cartoonist died in a private hospital in Pune Monday evening after a brief illness. He was 94
(IANS)
Mumbai Ranji team skipper Suryakumar Yadav Monday stepped down from the top spot following his team’s dismal loss by an innings and 44 runs against Tamil Nadu in an away encounter.
Mumbai are placed sixth in Group A with 11 points from six games so far this season. Their only victory came against Uttar Pradesh which required a heroic effort from pacer and number nine batsman Shardul Thakur. They had also lost earlier against minnows Jammu and Kashmir at home.
Days after a woman was brutally tortured by police in West Bengal, another woman Monday alleged that she was tied naked to a tree and beaten and branded in the state’s South 24 Parganas district on allegations of stealing.
Police Monday arrested a man and his wife for the incident that occurred Sunday in Kultoli under Baruipur subdivision of the district.
While the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused the involvement of Trinamool Congress, the state’s ruling party has denied the charges.
BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Monday called on senior party leader and Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu as the Delhi election battle peaks.
Briefing reporters on the occasion, Naidu praised Bedi as as a dynamic and dedicated person.
“It is really a boon for people of Delhi because she has the character, capacity, conduct, discipline, dynamism, and dedication,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the people of Delhi are “very enthusiastic about her as the future leader of Delhi government”.
The Church of England Monday consecrated its first female bishop, the Reverend Libby Lane, at a historic ceremony in the Cathedral of York, in northern England.
Lane, who was appointed to the post December 17, 2014, will become the eighth bishop of Stockport, a city in northern England, in an event witnessed by a thousand guests.
In an interview with Radio Manchester, Lane, 48, said, “It is a remarkable thing that this happens to me, and people have been very supportive of me personally, but actually this is about a moment in the Church’s history.”
BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi today called on senior party leader and Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu as the Delhi election battle peaks.
Briefing reporters on the occasion, Naidu praised Bedi as as a dynamic and dedicated person.
“It is really a boon for people of Delhi because she has the character, capacity, conduct, discipline, dynamism, and dedication,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the people of Delhi are “very enthusiastic about her as the future leader of Delhi government”.
Asserting that there was a natural convergence between the United States and India, U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday said he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were interested in smart regulation.
“PM (Modi) and I are interested in smart regulation. There is a natural convergence between the two countries. An incredible business talent exists in India,” President Obama said while addressing the India-US CEO Forum meeting here.
President Barack Obama’s historic visit to India received prominent coverage in US media with major newspapers focusing on the breakthrough on the nuclear deal and splashing pictures of the pomp and pageantry.
The influential New York Times carried on top of the front page a four-column picture of Obama reviewing the guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan captioned “Pomp and Progress”.
A detailed story inside was headlined “Obama clears a hurdle to better ties with India”.
Four low intensity blasts were Monday triggered near the venue of the main Republic Day function here in the Manipur capital, police said. No one was injured.
“The blasts occurred at Polem Leikai, Yaiskul, New Chekkon and Hatta, all near the Kangla Fort, where the main function of the Republic Day was held. No one was injured in the blasts,” a police official said.
All blasts occurred between 7 a.m. and noon.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Monday celebrated the Republic Day with pomp and gaiety with the governor flying from one state to the other to hoist the national flag.
ESL Narasimhan, who is serving as the governor of both the Telugu states, had the honour of unfurling the Tricolor at the main official functions both in Vijayawada and Hyderabad.
The governor, who had reached Vijayawada last night, began the day by hoisting the national flag at 8 a.m. at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Vijayawada.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic ended Gilles Muller’s inspired Australian Open run Monday night with a 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 victory over the Luxembourg native to reach the quarter-finals.
In his 23rd consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, Djokovic will face Milos Raonic for the fifth time. Djokovic leads 4-0 in their career meetings and has only lost one set against the Canadian.
Djokovic is yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park as he looks to become the second man in history to win the Australian Open for the fifth time.
President Barack Obama has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will look into India’s concerns on the H-1B visa issue as part of his comprehensive immigration reform, US officials said Monday.
Obama told Prime Minister Modi that his administration would be in touch with the Indian government on issues related to H-1B visas, popular among Indian techies.
US President Barack Obama met a Congress delegation Monday afternoon after witnessing the 66th Republic Day parade, said a party leader.
A four-member Congress delegation, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, party president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi, and former union minister Anand Sharma called on the visiting US president at the ITC Maurya hotel where he is staying, the party source said.
Britain’s Andy Murray Monday said he is ready to take on the challenge that will be thrown at him when he faces Nick Kyrgios in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The two are going to battle it out for a semi-final spot Tuesday night.
Both have met on tour once with Murray pocketing the encounter in straight sets in Toronto last year, and the Briton also clinched the set they played at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) exhibition in India.
A 120-year-old Hindu temple here was today thrown open to devotees after undergoing a 4.5 million dollar renovation, with senior ministers calling it a cornerstone to Singapore’s cultural and racial harmony.
Thousands of devotees attended the consecration ceremony at the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple in the suburb
Katong on the East Coast of the country.
Former President S R Nathan, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam, Manpower
Minister Tan Chuan-Jin and a Member of Parliament Fatimah Lateef attended the ceremony
A dispute over property led to a woman killing her mother before committing suicide in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, police said Monday.
The bodies of Gautami Acharya was found hanging from the ceiling while that of her mother Nibha Sanyal was found at a adjacent room in their house near Barasat in the district Monday morning.
A young male leopard was Monday killed by angry villagers after it strayed into a village in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district and mauled few of them, a forest official said.
The leopard strayed out of Baikunthapur forest division into Bandhunagar village where it attacked and injured five people. While forest officials had tranquilised the animal, a large number of villagers, enraged over the attack, beat the unconscious animal to death.
Ranchi Rays came from two goals behind to hold defending champions Delhi Waveriders 2-2 in a Hero Hockey India League encounter at the Astroturf Hockey Stadium here Monday.
Waveriders took the 2-0 lead through Akashdeep Singh (third minute) and Danish Mujtaba (27th) before the hosts got their goals from Australian Nick Budgeon (30th) and Mandeep Singh (36th).
Sardar Singh-led side Waveriders looked the better side from the beginning, looking more organised in the midfield and the defence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told business leaders at the India-US CEO Forum meet here that pro-people, good governance is the solution to all their problems.
“The solution to all your problems is good governance…pro-people, good governance is the solution,” Prime Minister Modi said at the meet with business leaders and U.S. President Barack Obama.
“The issues that you have flagged are good for me to know, helps to know how investors feel about how government should work. Policy driven state with consistency will solve many problems,” added Prime Minister Modi.
US President Barack Obama accompanied by his wife Michelle were the star guests at President Pranab Mukherjee’s traditional At Home reception on the manicured lawns of Rashtrapati Bhavan here Monday, an event that was briefer than usual and saw a much-trimmed guest list than before.