SMCA Fahaheel celebrates Onam
By binoy on 2-Sep-10 1:34 PMSyro Malabar Cultural Association, Fahaheel Area celebrated Onam and second Anniversary of the Family Units on Friday August 27, 2010 at the Mangaf Auditorium with colorful traditional ONAM cultural programmes followed by delicious Onasadhya. The traditional lamp lit ceremony performed by the Central Ex-officio and Area Ex-officio, and the children of St.Joseph Unit sang the prayer song & SMCA Anthem. Area Secretary Sancylal Chakkiath delivered the welcome speech and Area General Convener Jose Mathew Choonattu delivered the presidential address. SMCA Central Ex-officio felicitated the gathering. Cultural programme was started with a traditional welcome of “Maveli” with "Talapoli" paraded by ladies and children in colorful costumes. Other main traditional cultural events were “Thiruvathira” , ”Vallamkali” , “Onakkali” &“Pulikali’ .
Indian economy grows by 8.8% in Apr-Jun
By binoy on 1-Sep-10 5:21 PMEconomy grew by an impressive 8.8% during the quarter ended June on the back of robust manufacturing growth. However, certain sectors like financial services restrained the growth in economy, which had recorded 6 per cent growth rate in April-June 2009-10.
Agriculture and allied activities grew by 2.8 per cent, higher than 1.9 per cent in the year-ago period, but it is nowhere between the target of four per cent pegged by the government in the medium term. Manufacturing expanded by strong 12.4 per cent in April-June, 2010 against a mere 3.8 per cent growth rate in the same period last year. Construction too grew by 7.5 per cent compared to 4.6 per cent.
6-Year-Old Ohio Girl Placed on 'No-Fly' List
By indian on 30-Jun-10 6:48 AMAn Ohio family recently learned their 6-year-old daughter was on the Department of Homeland Security’s 'no-fly' list, Fox8.com reported.
Happy Republic Day of India
By binoy on 25-Jan-10 11:07 PM
On the occasion of the Republic Day of India, a Flag Hoisting Ceremony will be
held at the Embassy of India premises on Arabian Gulf Street at 9.00
A.M. on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. The flag hoisting will be followed by
the reading of the message of the President of India, rendition of
patriotic songs by Indian school children, and an Open House Reception.
All Indian nationals in Kuwait are cordially invited to attend the Flag
Hoisting Ceremony.
Ladies only pink taxis to start service in Kuwait soon
By indian on 12-Jan-10 2:40 AMDuring the next few weeks and for the first time in Kuwait, people will see pink taxis driven by women to serve women only, an ambitious project of a Kuwaiti young woman, Bedoor Al-Mutairi. Speaking to KUNA, Al-Mutairi said the project "Eve Taxi" followed the example of many countries such as the UAE, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Bangladesh.
Indian workers sold like cattle in Saudi Arabia
By indian on 4-Jan-10 7:20 AMHabib Hussain of Moradabad, who hid in a toilet on an Air India flight from Saudi Arabia to return to his own country, says he did so for his two children, his pregnant wife, and an ailing mother. After his bizarre experience, Habib says he has realised that `aadhi roti' (half a piece of bread) at home is better than one in an alien land. He also said Indian labour is sold like cattle in that country.
He had sold his two `bigha' land for Rs 1.25 lakh and left behind just about Rs 11,000 for his family after paying the agent. He now tearfully says, ``There was no point in staying in Saudi. I just had to return. My wife was two months pregnant when I left and will have a baby any time now. My family was hungry here; I was hungry there. I was better off earning Rs 80 a day and feeding my family rather than living on a promise of Rs 15,000-20,000 and not getting a paisa.
Kuwait’s emergency no. 777 to be replaced with 112 on New Year
By indian on 4-Jan-10 6:56 AM777 112
Ministry of Interior Colonel Mohammed Hashem Al-Sabr announced on
Wednesday the change of the emergency service number (777) to (112)
starting next Friday with the beginning of the new year.
New Kuwait labor law approved, but sponsorship system stays
By indian on 24-Dec-09 12:57 PMKuwait - The Kuwaiti parliament passed a new labour law on Wednesday that grants better rights and conditions for the 2.3 million foreign workers but does not scrap the controversial sponsor system.The new law, approved unanimously by lawmakers including cabinet members, replaces a 45-year-old law that was criticised as being favourable to employers at the expense of workers.
The legislation provides more rights for workers in the private sector, including better annual leave, end of service indemnities and holidays.
It also sets tougher penalties, including jail terms, for businessmen who trade in visas or who recruit expatriate workers and then fail to provide them with jobs, or who fail to pay salaries regularly.
Kuwait is home to 2.3 million foreigners, more than two-thirds of them Asians, and 1.1 million citizens.
The bill requires the government to introduce a minimum wage for certain jobs, especially in the lower-paid categories.
Getting into nursery costlier than IIT
By indian on 23-Dec-09 3:59 PMParents successfully clearing the rigorous nursery school admission process of their wards in Delhi find themselves staring at one last but big hurdle - fees that even top the annual Rs 50,000 charged for admission by IITs.
With thousands of parents fighting over a few hundred seats in a limited number of good schools, the private institutions call the shots during the admission season.
The current fee structure in the IITs is around Rs 50,000 per annum. Besides, students pay about Rs 20,000 annually for other purposes like accommodation, alumni and admission fees.
But when it comes to reputed nursery schools in Delhi and NCR, the figure increases significantly and quotes anywhere around or above Rs 75,000 a year, which parents have to shell out even after undergoing a rigorous interview and evaluation process.
India's new visa rules worry UK, US
By indian on 23-Dec-09 3:37 PMIndia has recently tightened its rules for long-term tourist visas. The move will affect thousands of foreigners living in the country or planning lengthy stays.
Tourists on five or 10-year visas will have to leave the country every six months, and will have to wait for two months before they can reenter India. Earlier, tourists on similar visas could leave India for short trips to Nepal or other close-by countries, before returning to India.
The new rules are fallout of the David Coleman Headley case. Headley, a US national, made frequent trips to India between 2006 and 2009, travelling to different cities to allegedly plan terror attacks. Headley was arrested in Chicago in October by the FBI for helping to plan and execute the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai last year.
