Lakh jobs in UK created by Indian cos says British report

Apr 4,  12:22 PM Indian companies are playing an important role in the growth of the British economy and contributing to GDP and creating employment opportunities, according to Grant Thornton UK LLP’s India Tracker 2014 report. The report, which is prepared in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), monitors UK registered businesses with Indian parent companies and identifies the fastest growing corporates by turnover and employment size. It finds there are currently over 700 Indian-owned small to large-sized businesses in the UK, collectively employing over 100,000 individuals.Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India to the UK,launched the report earlier this week at an exclusive dinner attended by some of the fastest growing and largest Indian employers. The report also identifies 12 Indian corporates, each employing more than 1,000 people in the UK.

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Gazprom announces over 40% increase in price of gas

5 04 2014

Gazprom announces over 40% increase in price of gas exports to Ukraine

Russian energy giant Gazprom has announced a more than 40 percent increase in the price of gas exports to Ukraine, scrapping a previous discount amid mounting strains between the two countries. Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller said in a statement today, the debt currently owed by Ukraine to Gazprom, amounts to 1.7 billion dollars.
The gas price rise by Gazprom although widely expected, is a new blow to the Ukrainian economy which needs an international rescue to stave off the risk of default. Europe currently receives about a third of its gas needs from Russia. While the current crisis has prompted new calls for a diversification of energy sources, there is little chance of this happening fast.

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Categories : Business, Uncategorized

RBI gives banking licenses to IDFC and Bandhan;

5 04 2014

Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan today defended handing out just two licences out of the 25 banking applicants saying the selection panel felt that some of them were better placed to serve as differentiated banks. While talking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual convocation of the RBI-run National Institute of Bank Management in Pune he said those were the set of applicants that the Jalan committee as well as the Reserve Bank were comfortable with . RBI Governor said that the RBI has opened up the possibility that those left out applicants can apply again once. Ending a process that began three years ago, the RBI on April 2 handed out just two licences from the 25 applicants to infra lender IDFC and Kolkata-based micro-lender Bandhan— leaving out notable biggies like Reliance Anil Ambani Group, the Birlas, Bajaj Group among 22 others, after the Election Commission gave the go-ahead a day earlier. The RBI agreed to consider the application of India Post in consultation with the government and advised other applicants to apply afresh after the central bank comes outwith new guidelines on granting licences ‘on tap. The RBI originally received 27 applications in July 2013, but Tata Sons and Videocon Group withdrew from the race, leaving 25 contenders.

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Turkey’s apex court orders an end to ban on YouTube

5 04 2014

Two days after lifting the ban on Twitter, Turkey’s apex court has ordered an end to the ban on YouTube. The orders to ban the YouTube were issued on March 27 by Prime Minister Erdogan, three days before local elections that his AKP Party won by a landslide. Erdogan had accused Twitter and YouTube of being propaganda tools for Opposition forces such as the Hizemt Movement, led by self-exiled US based Islamic cleric Fetullah Gulen.

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Afghanistan goes to the polls

5 04 2014

Afghanistan goes to the polls today to elect a new President and representatives to about 450 seats in the Provincial Council. Polling begins at 8 this morning and about 20 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. The eight candidates are in the fray for the President’s post.
They include two former Afghan Foreign Ministers – Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmai Rassoul, two former Finance Ministers – Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Hidayat Amin Arsala, Islamist leader Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf, former Governor Ghul Agha Sherza, former member of Afghan Parliament Daoud Sultanzoy and former Hizb-e-Islami leader Qutubuddin Hilal.
Afghanistan has closed down all crossing points with Pakistan to ensure smooth polling for Presidential elections. Pakistani military has deployed additional troops on the Afghan border since 20th of March to reinforce existing security arrangements.

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Categories : Media, Politics, Uncategorized, world News

5 04 2014

No exit polls from 7th April,until on May 12

By sagarmedia on April 5, 2014 | Leave a comment | Edit

The Election Commission, EC, has banned the publication and dissemination of exit polls of any kind from April 7, the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, till May 12 when the last phase of the polling ends. The Commission said the ban or restriction on exit polls would also be applicable for elections to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh Assemblies that are being held along with Lok Sabha polls. The exit polls will be banned from 7 AM on April 7th when polling in the first phase starts till 6.30 PM on May 12 when the polling in the ninth and last phase ends. The Commission has also banned the publication of results of any opinion polls 48 hours before polling in respective areas.

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6 dead as magnitude-8.2 quake hits northern Chile

5 04 2014

High intensity  quake sent panicked residents pouring into the streets, with more than 900,000 people along Chile’s coast heeding government orders to evacuate their homes and seek higher ground. Similar warnings were issued in a ripple effect up the Pacific coast of South America and into Central America. But about 10 hours after the two-minute quake yesterday, the Chilean government lifted what remained of a nationwide tsunami alert. People began trickling home after spending hours outside in the middle of the night although the Interior Ministry asked them to remain on alert, as sea levels will remain as much as a metre higher than usual. Some fires broke out, roads were damaged and power was knocked out in the northern city of Arica, although there was no widespread destruction from the latest mighty quake in one of the world’s most seismically active countries, said the disaster relief agency ONEMI. “The street lights were busted, people ran terrified. After the earthquake there were several aftershocks,” Veronica Castillo told AFP from Arica, 1,000 miles north of the capital Santiago. The government said that so far there have been 17 aftershocks and there will be more in coming days as some energy from the quake zone has yet to be released, according to Sergio Barrientos of the seismological service at the University of Chile. President Michelle Bachelet declared parts of northern Chile to be disaster zones and said soldiers will be dispatched to the areas to prevent looting and disorder from breaking out as they did after a deadly 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010. More than 500 people died and USD 30 billion in damage was wrought in that quake.<

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IRNSS 1B onboard PSLV-C24 launched

5 04 2014

India on Friday successfully launched its second navigational satellite IRNSS 1B onboard PSLV-C24 from this spaceport.

Indian Space Research Organisation’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C24 placed the IRNSS IB in precise orbit about 19 minutes after a perfect lift-off at 5.14 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.”PSLV, in its 25th successive successful flight, injected IRNSS-1B very precisely. I thank the entire ISRO team that made this major milestone for the country, thus proving again that India’s PSLV has a place of pride,” a beaming ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan announced.
The 1,432 kg satellite would form part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), an equivalent to Global Positioning System of the US.
The IRNSS 1B is the second of the seven navigational satellite planned by India under the Rs 1,420 crore IRNSS programme.

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Brussels Police disperse protesters

5 04 2014

Demonstrators clash with riot police officers during a European trade union protest against austerity measures, in central Brussels April 4, 2014. (Reuters/Francois Lenoir)

Brussels police used tear gas and water cannon in clashes with protesters, as thousands gathered at a trade union rally against austerity. Violence in the area where many government offices are situated caused a lockdown at the US embassy.
Around 25,000 people, according to Brussels police spokeswoman, Ilse Van de Keere, marched against austerity and unemployment. They were faced with a heavy-handed police response.
Initially, the trade unions expected to see 40,000 demonstrators on the streets of Brussels.
Some demonstrators threw oranges and cobblestones at police. Violent clashes also took place near the US embassy.
Trade unions representatives from across the EU gathered in Brussels, following a call from the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC). This is the first “euromanifestation” in 2014, with the participants demanding “a new way for Europe.”
It has been reported that clashes happened between the police and dockers from Antwerp and Gent, who led the march and started throwing projectiles at police.The  unions are demanding an economic policy that involves “no austerity, but big investment aimed at steady economic growth and quality jobs,” said the ETUC press secretary, Emanuela Bonacina.
Demonstrators are urging EU citizens to vote for candidates that “will change the order of governing the EU,” during the European elections that are set to take place on May 22-25.
The ETUC is also suggesting measures to battle austerity, such as yearly investments at 2 percent of GDP over the next 10 years to stimulate new private investment.

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Categories : Politics, Trade, Uncategorized, world News

AAP Q ‘s BJP and Congress

5 04 2014

BJP and Cong both need to answer on Babri Masjid

The sting operation conducted out by the Cobrapost on the Babri Masjid demolition, whose authenticity has not been questioned by the various outfits of the Sangh Parivar so far, raises very serious questions about the role played by the top BJP and Congress leadership of that time. The sting operation has confirmed the widespread belief that the demolition was a pre-planned conspiracy by the various affiliates of the Sangh Parivar and top BJP leadership had a direct role in the entire incident. It also nails the Congress, whose central government led by the then Prime Minister the late PV Narasimha Rao, was not only aware about the conspiracy to demolish the Mosque, but also appears to have helped the Sangh parivar in its nefarious designs by abetting the unpardonable crime.  It is shocking that even after more than two decades of the demolition, the trial against those who committed the crime and were a part of the conspiracy, has not been completed so far.      One of the worst crimes committed in the country after independence, reflects very badly on the functioning of the country’s investigating agencies. After 1992, the successive Congress-led and BJP-led governments for obvious reasons have attempted to brush the whole conspiracy under the carpet. Babri Masjid demolition is a glaring example of the BJP doublespeak. Its leaders who had a direct hand in the demolition and are facing charges in a criminal trial, have said one thing in their public statements and completely contradicted themselves in the court. Why are the BJP leaders reluctant to accept in court what they have done and what they believe in ? Why is the BJP running away from taking responsibility for the demolition ? The Congress, which has always avoided answering its role in the demolition, should come out clean on the role of its central government in 1992. What does it have to say that its Prime Minister was aware of the entire controversy ? Is the Congress satisfied with the speed at which the demolition case has been progressing ? what did the UPA government do for ensuring a speedy trial to bring the guilty to book ? There are a lot of unanswered questions about the demolition and the Aam Aadmi Party is of the view that justice should be done and no guilty should be allowed to go scot free since this crime had shaken the basic secular foundations of the country.
Regards AAP Media Cell