Bangalore airport launch by May-end

The new airport at Bangalore will become operational by the end of May with its private operator having to keep an option open for allowing smaller aircrafts to use the existing airport in the city, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel announced on Tuesday.

Patel told reporters here after meeting representatives of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operators of the new airport, that the company was given options including allowing aircraft with less than 80 seats to operate out of the existing HAL airport in the tech hub.

BIAL had earlier planned to start operations March 30, but the launch had been postponed till May 11 and now stands further delayed.

According to its agreement with the government, all commercial aviation activities at the existing airport are to end once the new airport is functional.

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Super Kings take on Knight Riders in supremacy battle

It could well boil down to a battle of nerves as the two unbeaten teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

Knight Riders, with victories against Bangalore Royal Challengers and Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, currently head the points table on superior net run rate while Super Kings who defeated Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians, are currently placed third behind Delhi Daredevils who too have won both their matches so far.

The Super Kings have already made it known that they would like to win their opening four games and then try to sustain the momentum. To achieve this, they are dependent on the two Australians, opener Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey, to provide them solid starts, whether batting first or chasing.

To Super Kings' good fortune, left-hander Suresh Raina has been in top form and has proved to be as invaluable an asset as the Australians.

The Aussies return home after the fourth game against Royal Challengers April 28 in Bangalore, and hence the anxiety in the Super Kings camp is to make the most of the two quality batsmen who have played key roles in their two victories.

It will be an exciting match I'm sure. Cant wait to watch the post match analysis on NDTV 24x7. It is one of the best news channels in India and is available here in the US only on DirecTV.

Oz: Indian students to get right to work

Living in the US, watching an Indian news channel covering news about Indians in Australia. Globalisation.

There is good news for thousands of Indians studying in Australia as changes to the visa system, coming into effect from Saturday, will give them automatic right to work in the country.

I saw the news on NDTV 24×7, the news channel is a must for Indians living in the US who want to stay abreast of India-centric news.

Until now, Indian students had to apply separately for permission to work part time while pursuing their studies in Australia.

‘The changes mean that Indian students can now apply for part time jobs and work for up to 20 hours per week as soon as their courses start. It will reduce red tape for students wanting to work in Australia.

NDTV 24×7 is available in the US through DirecTV. I watch the news channel daily for India-centric news.

Royals gear up to clash with the Daredevils

NDTV Reports:

The Indian Premier League (IPL) spotlight, with all its glitz and glamour, will turn to the historic Ferozshah Kotla stadium as Delhi Daredevils host Rajasthan Royals in the Twenty20 bonanza on Saturday.

Delhites will be feted to a heady cocktail of cricket and entertainment under the newly installed floodlights at the refurbished stadium.

The Daredevils, owned by GMR Group and led by powerhouse Virender Sehwag, boasts of names like Glenn McGrath and Daniel Vettori. At the other end will be the enchanting Shane Warne marshalling the underdog Royal’s team.

Both teams will be playing their first match of the cash-rich league and will go all out to draw first blood.

Teams:

Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tiwari, Mohammad Asif, Daniel Vettori, Dinesh Karthik, Shoaib Malik, Glenn McGrath, AB de Villiers, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Farveez Maharoof, Rajat Bhatia, Shikhar Dhawan, Brett Geeves, Yo Mahesh, Mithun Manhas, Pradeep Sangwan, Mayank Tehlan.

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Warne (captain), Aditya Angle, Swapnil Asnodkar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Kaif, Kamran Akmal, Sumit Khatri, Turuwar Kohli, Justin Langer, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Parag More, Morne Morkel, Pankaj Singh, Munaf Patel, Niraj Patel, Yusuf Pathan, Mahesh Rawat, Anup Revandkar, Dinesh Salunke, Jaydev Shah, Graeme Smith, Sohail Tanvir, Siddharth Trivedi, Shane Watson, Younis Khan.

Watch this space for coming IPL clashes… and don’t forget to tune in to NDTV 24×7 for the post match analysis… This is going to be a very exciting month for Cricket…

Sachin vs Warne, once again

Sachin Tendulkar said he was looking forward to the challenge of leading Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League starting on April 18.

Some quotes from the interview:

On leading the Mumbai side

It is going to be a challenge. I was not expecting to captain the Mumbai side. Mukesh Ambani spoke to me and he wanted me to lead the side. I have accepted it and I am looking forward to it. I’m happy to be opening the innings with Sanath Jayasuriya. I excited about renewing rivalries with Shane Warne.

On talks that Mumbai is one of the weaker teams in the IPL

I am happy with the team. It has nice blend of seniors and juniors, it is a terrific team. Who says we have a weak side, let the tournament start and everybody will know. The IPL is a great opportunity for youngsters to play with international stars.

On having Harbhajan Singh in his team

Harbhajan Singh is a world class player, I am happy that I have got him. Anybody who has played for more than 10 years for his country should be a terrific player.

On playing against players like Ganguly, Dravid and Dhoni

It will be a strange experience, playing against somebody who are next to me in the dressing room. It is a club system, it will be a new experience. It will be exciting for players as well as spectators.

I’m very excited about IPL. It will certainly be very exhilarating to see Sachin battle Warne once again. I’m expecting the same fireworks as before.

Gold rises by Rs 175 on increased demand

Gold prices today rose by Rs 175 to Rs 12,385 per 10 gram in the bullion market in New Delhi based on an increased buying spree by jewellers and retail customers, abd amid a steep rise in its prices in global markets.

Ongoing heavy buying for the marriage season and reports of the precious metal rising in the international markets following a record rise in crude oil, mainly influenced gold prices in the domestic market.

Reports of the gold for June delivery rising 5.10 to 953.40 dollar an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, further pushed up the metal price in New Delhi.

Silver rose 30 cents to $18.61 an ounce while standard gold and ornaments jumped up by Rs 175 each to Rs 12,385 and Rs 12,235 per 10 grams respectively, sovereign gained Rs 20 at Rs 9950 per piece of eight gram.Silver coins gained Rs 100 to Rs 26,700 for buying and Rs 26,800 for selling of 100 coins.

I usually catch up with global precious metal rates on NDTV, on my DirecTV subscription, as it provides in depth analysis and reports on a regular basis.

US Sikhs face prejudice: Survey

NDTV Reports: On Baisakhi, instead of celebrating, Sikhs in New York gathered on the steps of City Hall to protest.

Under the principals of their faith, Sikhs are mandated to leave all hair on their bodies uncut, wrapping the hair on their heads underneath a turban. In the years since 9/11, misperceptions about their appearance have led to hate attacks against Sikhs across the country.

A new survey by a Sikh advocacy group has revealed fresh, startling statistics about the deep level of prejudice against the Sikh community after 9/11 because of the way they look.

Forty one per cent of New York City’s Sikhs have faced verbal abuse.

Half of the New York’s Sikh students have been harassed in school, based on their religion or national origin.

One in ten report that they have been refused employment or a job promotion because of their Sikh identity.

Like Sathari Singh, a subway train driver, who after 20 years of working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was told after 9/11 that he could not wear his turban to work. Singh refused and sued the MTA. Now he still has his job but has to wear a MTA logo on his pagdi.

”I consider it an advertising logo and some thing religious is not a venue for advertising. This is desecrating. Moreover, I did not wear the patch in the first 24 years that I worked there,” said Sathari Singh, MTA employee.

”I just felt that it was another attempt to harass us and brand us and treat us differently,” he added.

The report ”Making our Voices Heard: A Civil Rights Agenda for New York City’s Sikhs,” includes a list of recommendations for government agencies to live up to their promise of equal rights for all-ranging from language access at area hospitals to better training for law enforcement officers and educators.

”Saying that every man is equal is not enough. It is time that every Sikh American should not be afraid to walk out of their home in their own city and in their own country,” said Neha Singh, Sikh Coalition.

This is startling news coming from America. New York city is called the cultural melting pot of the world but seven years after September 11 this latest report’s findings have yet again highlighted the fact that Sikhs in the US suffer from significant issues of bias and discrimination in all walks of life.

Lord Paul against immigration cap in UK

Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul on Wednesday expressed strong reservations about a Parliamentary committee's recommendation for an annual cap on immigration.

He opposed the move saying that immigrants have made a significant contribution to the British economy.

Lord Paul, a member of the Lords Economic Affairs Committee, said that he had strong reservations about the Committee's recommendation that immigration should be measured by the impact on income per head of resident population.

This news was brought to me by on NDTV 24x7. This channel is excellent for NRIs making it easier for them to stay connected to India. In the US this channel is available through DirecTV.