Author PTI

IndiGo to commence flight operations to Kuwait, Abu Dhabi

Indian budget carrier IndiGo said on Friday that it will add Kuwait and Abu Dhabi to its international destination from October this year. The carrier will operate a daily flight from Chennai to Kuwait and from Calicut to Abu Dhabi from mid October. Besides, it will operate a daily flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi, a statement issued by the airline said. Beginning October 1, it will also operate a daily flight between Doha and Thiruvanathapuram and a daily flight between Doha and Ahmedabad. On the domestic sector, IndiGo will become the first domestic airline to introduce services connecting Port Blair with Hyderabad and Vadodara. These flights will commence from September 2018. In addition, the airline will operate its first daily return flight between Surat and Chennai, daily non-stop return service between Delhi and Imphal, direct flights to Vijayawada from Delhi. “We will operate first flight between Kuwait and Chennai…

Around The World

Lulu Group acquires iconic Scottish hotel in 120-million-Dollar deal

Leading NRI businessman Yusuffali MA has acquired an iconic Scottish hotel based in Edinburgh in a 120-million-dollar deal clinched by Twenty14 Holdings (T14H), the hospitality investment arm of his Abu Dhabi headquartered Lulu Group International. The Caledonian, a grand Edwardian hotel overlooking Edinburgh Castle, joins his portfolio of 650-million-dollar worth of luxury properties across the UK, the Middle East and India. The T14H today announced plans to invest 28 million dollars for the expansion and enhancement of the historic hotel under its ownership, while retaining its heritage and distrinctive architecture. “We are excited to add The Caledonian to the portfolio of Twenty14 Holdings. With more than 100 years of history, The Caledonian brings with it a rich heritage, character and unique opulence,” said Adeeb Ahamed, managing director of T14H. Ahamed added that the company plans to honour the “Scottish landmark”, while adding to the experience the hotel already offers. Among…

India

Foreign airlines can own 49% stake in Air India

Foreign airlines can now own up to 49 per cent stake in national carrier Air India, with the Cabinet clearing a proposal in this regard today. The move comes at a time when the government is working on the modalities for strategic disinvestment of the loss- making Air India and is expected to attract more bidders for the airline. While allowing foreign airlines to have stake in Air India, the government has also made it clear that the national carriers substantial ownership would remain with Indian nationals. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today gave its approval to a number of amendments in the FDI policy, including those pertaining to Air India. Now, foreign airlines have been allowed to have up to 49 per cent stake under the approval route in Air India subject to certain conditions, an official release said. Foreign airlines were allowed to invest under government…

India

Jet Airways crew arrested for smuggling currency worth Rs 3 crore

A female flight attendant of Jet Airways has been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for allegedly trying to smuggle $4,80,200 out of the country, according to an official statement. The accused, identified by many websites including NDTV as Devshi Kulshreshtha was intercepted by DRI officials when she was on a flight to Hong Kong on Monday, it said. The DRI officials found $4,80,200 (approximately Rs 3.21 crore) wrapped in foil in her possession, the statement said. On investigation, it was found that she was working with an agent, named Amit Malhotra, a resident of Vivek Vihar area here, a senior DRI official said. He said that Amit Malhotra was following a modus operandi of using crew members for smuggling of forex. “Malhotra would collect money from some bullion dealers in Delhi and send it via some air hostess to select foreign destinations. The money was being used…

Around The World

Big relief for NRIs as US says no change in H-1B rules

In a relief for Indian techies, US authorities on Tuesday said that the Trump administration is not considering any proposal that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the country. The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) came days after reports emerged that the Trump administration was considering tightening H-1B visa rules that could lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Indians. The reports had said it was mulling ending extensions for H-1B holders. The USCIS “is not considering a regulatory change that would force H-1B visa holders to leave the United States by changing interpretation of section certain language in Section 104 C of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute that states that USCIS may grant the extensions,” an official said. This provides for H-1B extensions beyond the 6 year limit. “Even if it were, such a change would not likely result in these…

Community

Two-fold jump in NRIs registering as voters

The number of NRIs registering themselves as ‘overseas electors’ has seen a two-fold jump in the last three years, latest government and EC data show. The figure, however, is far too less when compared to the number of Indians living abroad and entitled to vote. The issue of voting by NRIs in Indian elections is being debated again with the government moving a bill in the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting rights to them on the lines of service voters. The bill says the necessary provision of coming to India to cast ballot caused “hardship” to overseas electors. As of now, non-resident Indians–essentially people living or working abroad who have not given up their Indian citizenship–can cast their vote in the constituencies they are registered in. This means that they first have to register themselves as voters and then take a long flight to India be present on election…

India

India’s Manushi Chhillar crowned Miss World 2017

India’s Manushi Chhillar was today crowned as Miss World 2017 at a grand event held in Sanya in China. The 20-year-old medical student from Haryana had won Femina Miss India World 2017 in May this year. The announcment was made on the pageant’s official Twitter handle. “The winner of Miss World 2017 is Miss India Manushi Chhillar,” the tweet said. pic.twitter.com/lzYe3YKrXb— Miss World (@MissWorldLtd) November 18, 2017 Manushi had made it to the top 5 along with contestants from England, France, Kenya and Mexico. The first and the second runners-up were Miss England Stephanie Hill and Miss Mexico Andrea Meza. pic.twitter.com/qLhZC5EGwe— Miss World (@MissWorldLtd) November 18, 2017 The coveted title was last won by Priyanka Chopra for India in 2000, a year after Yukta Mookhey had made the country proud. In 1997, Diana Hayden had bagged the title, while Aishwarya Rai had the honours in 1994. Reita Faria was the…

Around The World

18-year-old Indian-American student killed in road rage

An 18-year-old Indian-American dental student was killed in the US in a hit-and-run case when the driver of a pick-up truck ran his vehicle over her after a minor collision. Taranjit Parmar was on her way home when she got into a minor accident on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, New York Daily News reported. Parmar and the truck driver pulled over into the parking lot of a nearby gas station after the collision, the police said. But when she got out to inspect the damage to her vehicle, the driver of the pickup truck took off — and ran over Parmar while speeding away, it added. Parmar was on the phone with her mother when she was run over in the middle of rush-hour traffic, her father was quoted as saying by the report. “She had called my wife and said, ‘Hi, Mom,’” Parmar’s father, Ranjit Parmar said. “Then she…

UAE

India working closely with UAE to address worker issues

India’s Ministry of External Affairs is working closely with the UAE government to resolve cases of exploitation and abuse faced by its migrant workers in the Gulf nation, a top official said on Sunday. “We work very closely with the UAE government to make sure that every single case that comes to us is addressed. “We run a shelter for domestic workers, especially women who have faced problems are rescued and put in the shelter until we can obtain their passport or issue fresh travel documents to them so that they can safely go back to India,” India’s High Commissioner to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navdeep Suri told PTI in an interview. He said the Ministry of External Affairs is working actively with state governments to see how it can improve the scenario for migrant workers. However, Suri highlighted that when one looks at the 2.7 million Indian population in…

Community

No second chance for NRIs to deposit demonetised currency: Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has ruled out any new window of opportunity for NRIs or people of Indian-origin to deposit their high value Indian currency which was declared illegal after the demonetisation policy, a statement said today. Swaraj made these remarks during her interaction with a delegation of Global Organisation for People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) during her trip to New York last week, a media statement said. “Swaraj informed that the government had provided the time window for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are Indian citizens to deposit their currencies earlier. However, that window was not open for Diaspora Indians with foreign citizenship and the government would not be able to provide another such chance,” the GOPIO statement said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his demonetisation policy on November 8 last year, banning old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination. According to GOPIO, overseas citizens of…

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