Katmandu: In his meetings with Nepal’s political leadership here in the past two days, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar conveyed New Delhi’s desire to see political stability in Nepal so that the country can move ahead on development.

For this, India wanted the leadership to narrow down its differences over the new Constitution and draft it quickly. “India wants Nepal’s political leadership to write the Constitution with the broadest possible compromise,” Mr. Jaishankar said in his meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar, according to a Nepalese official who was present during the discussion.

“We would like to see the Constitution promulgated under your leadership.”

Mr. Koirala said Nepal supported India’s candidature for the permanent membership of the United Nation Security Council. Mr. Jaishankar had sought Nepal’s support on Thursday.

Mr. Koirala, according to a statement issued by his press coordinator, said bilateral relations had become more cordial after the agreements signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

New Delhi: Indian Navy Tuesday night evacuated 348 Indians from strife-torn Yemen.

INS Sumitra rescued the Indian nationals after New Delhi got permission to dock its ship at the Aden harbour for the evacuation of its citizens from the sea port city as the government launched a massive air and sea evacuation operation for its over 4,000 nationals in war-torn Yemen.

The Indian Navy ship departed last night for Djibouti with first batch of Indians evacuated from Yemen by sea. It is scheduled to reach Djibouti today morning.

The news was confirmed by the External Affairs Ministry through its Twitter account.

The evacuation operation took place amid the escalating violence in Yemen. Saudi-led coalition war planes have struck pro-Iranian rebels in Yemen with the Islamic kingdom threatening to send ground troops which could potentially initiate a broader sectarian conflict in the Middle East.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier stated that the government was doing everything to evacuate Indian nationals from Yemen at the earliest.

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh is in Djibouti, a country neighbouring Yemen, to oversee the evacuation exercise christened 'Operation Raahat' under which a total of five ships and four aircraft have been deployed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul aziz Al Saud late Monday evening.

The Saudi Arabian King recalled the strong and close relations between India and Saudi Arabia and assured Prime Minister of his full attention to the safety of Indians in Yemen and all possible assistance for their early and safe evacuation.

Two warships have also been pressed into service besides two other passenger ships while the Indian Air Force has put on stand-by two C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft.

Air India has also stationed two 180-seater Airbus A320 planes in Muscat for evacuation of Indians from Yemen's capital Sanaa to Djibouti whenever a clearance is given by the concerned authorities.

The Defence sources said four ships, including destroyer INS Mumbai and stealth frigate INS Tarkash -- will reach Yemen by Saturday. Two merchant vessels - Kavaratti and Coral - have also been dispatched.

The four ships are to join each other in Arabian Sea on April 2 and proceed as a composite group to Djibouti.

The two 180-seater aircraft dispatched by Air India yesterday remain stuck in the Oman capital Muscat due to want of clearance from the authorities.​

Sulya: Tejaswi Kadapala and Anand, have won the 35th National level Master Athletics (30 Years) at Rohtak in Hariyana on 20 and 21 March. They have been selected to represent India in the athletics to be held in Australia.

Tejaswi in this athletics compitition has secured first in 110 mtr hurdles and 4*100 mtr and third place in triple jump. Anand has secured third place in 10000mtr race and 5000mtr speed walk.

Tejaswi is the son of Kadapala Janardhan and Kusumavathi; and Anand is the son of Andra and Lakshmi Couples.

Moodbidri: If we stay united, nation will develop. Youth has vast opportunities in politics. If one is mentally and physically capable he can be active in politics at any age. The discrimination of upper and lower cast is still prevailing in our society and is evil to the development of our country, said Subramaniyan Swami, at the lecture organized at Alva’s on Politics and National Development.

The program was arranged by Rostram Speakers Club of Alva’s Engineering College.

He said that in foreign countries youth is involving in politics that is why politics there is reforming. But in our country, egoism, politics over cast has made the nation suffer. Profound youth if enters politics then nation can see development. The dedication in politicians and the ability of youth can retain transparency. He asked students not to educate just for job but to face problems and to serve the country.

In gulf countries there is opportunity to demolish Mosques so as in foreign countries to demolish churches when there is development work for the nation. But in India, no such provision. Media has reported his speeches in a wrongful manner which he spoke at Guvahati. He also said media should probe the truth. And he is ready for a debate on this issue.

He also stressed about world acclamation to Sanskrit. He said that Sanskrit is the origin for many languages. NASA scientists study Sanskrit.  By learning this language one can develop core values in life. And also the habit of twisting the history and giving wrong information to the society will be shunned. He supposed.

Jagadish Shetty, Trusty of the College Vivek Shetty, Principal Kuriyan were present.

Dubai: Being a brand ambassador of ICC World Cup 2015, Sachin Tendulkar says he cannot afford to root for India - though it didn’t deter him from showing his heart is in the right place. “I will only say that the defending champions are ready to defend,” the legend said here on Monday.

The Master Blaster, who was unveiled as the brand ambassador of UAE-based Aster DM Healthcare with fanfare at a city hotel, was Down Under to watch India’s opening group league game against Pakistan on February 15. The ‘Men in Blue’ have since then been on a hot streak in the tournament - winning seven matches on the trot as they square off against hosts and favourites Australia in the second semi-final in Sydney on Thursday.

While the assembled media at the press conference were denied an opportunity to field questions, Tendulkar took a trip down down memory lane to speak about his Man of the Tournament performance in 2003 World Cup for being the topscorer with 673 runs. “Unlike this edition, we did not start well in South Africa but then bounced back to win a number of matches on the trot. After the final loss (to Australia), I was so disappointed that I had stuffed in the golden bat presented to me for being the player of the tournament in the coffin without even realising that it was gold-plated.

“It was only after my friends asked for the bat on arrival in Mumbai that I realised it was actually a gold bat,” recalled Tendulkar. It finally took him six World Cups and 22 years to realise a cherished dream when he was chaired by teammates after regaining the World Cup in Mumbai four years ago.

The launch of Tendulkar’s latest brand ambassador role started with short videos on the growth of Aster Group, a leading healthcare provider with 150 outlets in the UAE (the latest one being launched in Abu Dhabi later in the day) and the cricketer himself. Striking the right chord, Tendulkar congratulated the UAE squad which qualified for the 50-overs World Cup but headed home after a first round exit. “My greatest joy is to see the sport globalised over a period of time. The more countries take to playing cricket, it will lead to the birth of new generation of cricketers,” he said.

When the official presenter reminded him of the famous ‘Desert Storm’ innings in Sharjah in 1998, Tendulkar opened up immediately. “Yes, I was thinking about it when I landed here yesterday (Sunday). I had never seen anything like a sand storm before and being of a much lighter frame then, I was standing closer to Adam Gilchrist to ensure that I don’t get blown away,” he said with a chuckle.

“We had lost four-five overs because of the interruption and our target was revised. It was a must-win game for us to make the final and we finally won the trophy. Let me add on a subtle note that something similar may happen in a few days from now,” Tendulkar said.

Commenting on the partnership between Tendulkar and the healthcare group, Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare said: “Tendulkar will be a part of our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, helping to spread the message and reach out to public with socially relevant clauses.”

The group, meanwhile, pledged to spend Dh1 million in India over a period of two years over a number of charitable causes as well as awareness drives on road safety.

Washington: US President Barack Obama on Monday announced an easing of the process to obtain L-1B work visas for corporate executives, a move that could end the large scale harassment of IT professionals from India and make it easier for Indian companies to bring employees here. Such a move, Obama argued would attract larger foreign direct investment to the US. "I'm pleased to announce a new action I'm also taking to make it easier for global companies who are present here today to launch and invest in the US. My administration is going to reform the L-1B visa category, which allows corporations to temporarily move workers from a foreign office to a US office in a faster, simpler way. "And this could benefit hundreds of thousands of non-immigrant workers and their employers, that in turn, will benefit our entire economy and spur additional investment," Obama said in his address to the SelectUSA Summit.

A large number of Indian companies are participating in the SelectUSA Summit aimed at increasing US exports and attracting more foreign investment into the US. Large scale decline of L-1 visas was a major hindrance in Indian companies investing in the US. "One of the things that would make America even more attractive to businesses and that would grow our economy and shrink our deficits, and keep this country safer, stronger, and smarter, would be a comprehensive immigration reform package," he said. "That's why I'm going to continue to push and prod and poke and cajole friends in the Republican party to get on board and help us get this done. We need to get immigration reform done here in the United States of America. That's who we are. So the bottom line is this: America is proudly open for business," Obama said. "We want to make it as simple and as attractive for you to set up shop here as is possible. That is what this summit is all about," he said, and hoped that global companies would benefit from the new measures. Obama said there has never been a more exciting time to do business in the US. "And today, I want to talk about why America is not only the right place for you to invest, but why America is the safest, strongest, smartest place for you to invest than we've been in a long time," Obama said. "After the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, America is now in the midst of the longest streak of private sector job growth on record. Businesses in America have added more than 200,000 jobs each month for 12 straight months. That's the first time that's happened in nearly 40 years," he said. "Our unemployment rate has fallen from a peak of 10 percent in 2009 to 5.5 percent today. After a decade of outsourcing, we're starting to bring good jobs back to America. Over the last five years, manufacturers have added jobs at a rate not seen since the 1980s. "In fact, the manufacturing sector is actually growing faster than the rest of the economy. And last week, I announced nearly USD 500 million in new public and private investment in strengthening American manufacturing," he said. "And even though the United States is already home to more foreign direct investment than any other country in the world, we've worked hard to address some of the challenges that held us back for too long," said the US President. For companies considering new investment here, Obama said the United States of America is the best place in the world to do business. "We've got the most skilled and productive workers, the best universities, the most innovative entrepreneurs in the world," he said. "We're the global leader in patents -- home not only to more R&D investment than any other country but to nearly one-third of all R&D investment in the world. Our access to global markets makes it easy to ship goods made in the USA around the world. Our commitment to the rule of law and strong intellectual property protections make America a dependable place to innovate and do business," Obama said. "We are a country that always believes we can be better, a country that adapts and advances, and sets new standards for new times. It's one of the reasons why I put forward a budget for this coming fiscal year that reflects the realities of the new economy. We're going to give workers and businesses the tools they need to succeed in a fast-paced, highly competitive, constantly changing world," he said. "That means new investments in education, new investments in job training, including making two years of community college free, because we want to make sure that our workers continue to be prepared to fill the jobs that you intend to bring here," he added. "It means new investments in manufacturing, and 21st century infrastructure that 21st century businesses need. We're modernising ports, strengthening our bridges, making internet and wireless and broadband far more accessible more quickly," he said.

New Delhi: With the defending champions India set to take on Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 ICC World Cup at Sydney on Thursday, airlines have hiked their fares substantially for Down Under.

The fares for Sydney and Melbourne have already shot up by 15-20 per cent in the last one week and the airlines could make a killing off the left over seats if Men in Blue beat the Kangaroos and enter the World Cup final, travel industry executives said today.

"There is definitely a 15-20 per cent surge in economy class fares for Australia after India entered the semi-finals. These fares may rise further if India reaches final as well," travel portal Yatra.com President Sharat Dhall told PTI.

Dhall said that economy class fares from metro airports to the two Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne were averaging over Rs 60,000 at present as against Rs 50,000 last week, adding, "destination from south have seen a higher jump than the northern or western markets."

The two-time World Cup Champions India will clash with Australia on March 26 at Adelaide in the second semi-final of the tournament. South Africa would take on New Zealand in the first semi finals at Auckland on March 24.

The final is scheduled to be held in Melbourne next Sunday. "The fares from Bengaluru and Hyderabad have seen a higher increase as the vacation period commences there earlier than northern or western region and so the travellers have combined it into one trip," he said.

National carrier Air India is the only domestic carrier which operates direct flights to Australia. Other airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Qatar and Emirates all fly to Australia but through their respective hubs.

According to the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) president Iqbal Mulla, though most of the bookings for the two destinations have already taken place, the last few seats may go on a high premium if India beats Australia."In that case, the ticket prices for these sectors may see another 15-20 per cent jump over the current level," he said.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said India was planning to export defence materials and training military personnel of at least 38 countries.

"At least 38 countries are sending their defence personnel for training in India. We are encouraging them. We are giving them more slots. We are also considering to supply some sort of defence materials through export or through line of credit to the countries so that they can depend on India for their defence," Parrikar told reporters at the sideline of an international conference here.

Parrikar, however, said he would not be able to reveal names of the countries which are sending their personnel for training due to security reasons.

Quoting a shloka from Sanskrit scripture, Parrikar said, "A goat is sacrificed in the altar and no one dares to kill a lion. We will build our position of strength."

However, Parrikar said, India does not want to dominate any other country but increase its own strength through partnership and friendship.

Replying to a question, the Defence Minister said, "We are organisisng a naval exercise in Vishakhapatanam where international fleet will participate... It will be a spectacular show of basic exercise of infrastracture."

Asked whether China is also participating in the exercise, Parrikar said, "We are yet to send invitation. It's an open matter. Once the list is prepared, you can know."
On Blue Navy, Parrikar said the concept of Bule Navy will come to practice when India posts 30/40 ships at about 300/400 nautical miles from the coast.

Parrikar said, "The defence ministry has already finalised the OROP (One Rank One Pension) scheme. However, certain financial and administrative procedures will be followed. The first positive thing is that it has been prepared properly. It involves an amount of about Rs 8,000 crore."

About the proposal from Odisha government on a Kalinga regiment, he said, "You cannot raise a regiment by caste or region... I would ensure that defence presence is felt more in Odisha so that you can get more people trained, get more people in the army and employment," he said.