China: Jan-Feb factory output up 8.6%, a five-year low

Beijing: China`s industrial output rose 8.6 percent in the first two months of 2014 from a year earlier, missing market expectations, with growth in retail sales also weaker than expected, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

Retail sales climbed 11.8 percent in January and February compared to the year ago period, the government said. Fixed-asset investment, an important driver of economic activity, was up 17.9 percent in the first two months from the same period last year, the bureau said, some way below forecasts for a 19.4 percent increase.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast industrial output to rise 9.5 percent and retail sales to rise 13.5 percent. Fixed-asset investment for the January-February period was seen up 19.4 percent.

Annual growth in factory output in the first two months of the year is the weakest since March 2009.

BJP MODI: women wing launches campaign

New Delhi: BJP Delhi Pradesh Mahila Morcha Thursday initiated a campaign 'Jan-Jan Modi, Ghar-Ghar Modi', a public contact program for securing votes in favour of BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

"Women constitute about 49 per cent voters in all the 7 Loksabha constituencies of Delhi. If BJP completes contact program before the date of elections, then the Modi wave will turn into Modi storm in Delhi," Pradesh Mahila Morcha President Sudha Sharma said. 

Under this program, the Mahila Morcha will hold meetings at each district level and make contact with the voters for about 18 hours a day till the date of elections.

Mahila Morcha has also organized 'Hum se Miliye, Modi ko Janiye' program with several voluntary organizations on Holi, March 17. Women from minority community shall also participate in large numbers in this program. 

All the workers of Morcha's, including Mahila Morcha have started intensive public contact program on the directions of BJP Delhi Pradesh President Dr Harsh Vardhan. 

New York blast :Death toll rises to seven, dozens injured by Supriya Jha

New York: The death toll from the buildings'collapse in New York's east Harlem, has risen to seven as the rescue operation continued to hunt for five people who remain unaccounted for. 

As per New York Police Department, four women and three men had been found dead. 

Two buildings in New York's neighbourhood were flattened and in flames due to a possible gas leak yesterday morning. 

A few more people are still missing and death toll is expected to rise further as rescue men continue to comb the rubble for more bodies. 

The incident is thought to be caused by gas leak and some reports suggest that he residents of the neighbourhood had earlier complained of intolerable stench. 

The incident took place on Wednesday morning at a residential Upper Manhattan block at East 116th Street and Park Avenue. 

The first information about it came to light when one of the people in the neighbouring building made a call to the utility company Con Edison, complaining of gas odour just 15 minutes before the explosion. 

The explosion, reports say, was strong enough to shatter the windows in neighbouring buildings. 

Witnesses said it felt like an earthquake and sent debris flying through the windows. 

Hundreds of firefighters were rushed to the buildings to tackle the fire which kept burning for hours. 

TV visuals showed thick plumes of smoke billowing out of the buildings as firefighter crew continues rescuing people and ambulances rushing to the site. 

Also, Metro-North Railroad, which had halted train services through Manhattan while it cleared debris from the tracks, later restored all commuter rail services. 

Addressing a news conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that a “major explosion” had levelled two buildings and that nine people still remained unaccounted for. 

"There was a major explosion that destroyed two buildings. The explosion was based on a gas leak," de Blasio said. 

“This is a tragedy of the worst kind because there was no indication in time to save people,” New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said. 

The utility company Con Edison was in the process of shutting off all gas lines into the building, added the Mayor. 

The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

According to a report by the Associated Press, the residents had complained to he landlord about the strong gas stench just a day ago, on Tuesday. 

Also, a few weeks ago, city fire officials were called about the smell, the report quoted one of the tenants as saying.

India seeks cooperation from Japan in MSME sector

New Delhi: India on Friday asked Japan to increase cooperation in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector to increase economic engagement between the two countries.

"Inflow of Japanese MSME sector is very much needed to boost Indo-Japan relationship and the Japanese co-operation in the MSME sector in the technology transfer, investment, partnership and fully established areas can be come up," minister of state for commerce and industry EMS Natchiappan said here.

He was speaking at Assocham's India-Japan Business Conclave.

The MSME sector contributes 8 percent to India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 45 percent to manufactured output. The sector provides employment to over 8 crore people engaged in over 3.6 crore units, producing more than 6,000 products.

On the land acquisition law, he said that the act would not act as a hurdle in industrial development.

The minister assured the investors that the government would help investors to resolve their issues.

"If you look at the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, the first appearance may be very troublesome but is in no way a barrier in industrial development," he added.

He asked the industry to engage with local people for land acquisition processes.

"If you want to establish an industry you don't have to feel shy in discussing with people who've been possessing land for generations and centuries and these people living around the area should be made party to the development of the industry as it will go a long way and save time from litigation," the Minister said.

Natchiappan further informed that German companies have been granted 4,000 acres of land near near Bangalore to set up units.

"In the Hossur area we are working together with the state government and they are contributing more than 3,000 acres and German companies are ready to invest their money there," he added. 

Boeing in talks with Jet Air, Air India for 737 Max jets

Hyderabad: Boeing Co is in discussions with airlines Jet Airways and Air India about the sale of its 737 MAX jets, one of the aircraft manufacturer`s senior sales executives said on Thursday.

Speaking to Reuters at the air show in Hyderabad, Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president sales for Asia Pacific at Boeing, said talks with Air India were not as "intensely involved" as with Jet.

Boeing signed a $4.4 billion deal with Indian budget airline SpiceJet , the airline said on Wednesday, for the sale of 42 of the 737 MAX jets.

Indian airlines, stuggling under the weight of costly fuel and a weak rupee, are hoping new planes and new investments will revive their fortunes.

KPMG : india aviation market set to be `number one` globally

New Delhi: India`s fast-growing civil aviation sector, already among the top 10 globally, could be number one worldwide by 2030, said a report Thursday by global consultancy KPMG.

Even though most Indian airlines face hefty losses this year and huge debts in the face of fierce competition and a sharply slowing economy, in the longer term the USD 16-billion sector is on a high-growth track thanks to large untapped potential, experts say.

"We`ve just touched the tip of the aviation iceberg," said Amber Dubey, KPMG`s India aerospace head said, noting "access to aviation is still a dream for nearly 99.5 percent" of India`s 1.2 billion population.

The report was released to coincide with a five-day air show in the southern city of Hyderabad which winds up this weekend.

Chicago-based Boeing separately Thursday, in a similarly bullish mode, projected demand for over 1,600 new airplanes in India over the next 20 years, valued at USD 205 billion.

"India`s demographics are highly favourable to growth of air transportation" while "the share of India`s large population entering the workforce is growing," said Dinesh Keskar, a Boeing senior vice president. 

Boeing on Wednesday clinched a USD 4.4-billion order from India`s fourth-place no-frills carrier SpiceJet for 42 of its top-selling single-aisle 737 MAX jets.

Low-cost carriers, foreign investment in domestic airlines, modern airlines and a new drive for regional connectivity are propelling a new expansion wave, the KPMG report said.

Many states, especially in eastern India, have begun promoting air connectivity including by lowering aviation fuel sales tax and developing no-frills airports, the report noted.

But a lot more needs to be done, such as allowing domestic code-sharing and developing infrastructure, said the report prepared with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

"India is blessed with a great geographic location, a large upwardly mobile middle class and immense tourism opportunities," Dubey said, adding, "the beauty is our challenges primarily relate to policies, procedures, regulations and taxes".

"These are all man-made problems and hence surmountable."

The number of Indian airline passengers has grown by around 13 percent a year over the last decade, according to the Airports Authority of India, to 159 million in 2013.

The most significant development in the domestic market is growing dominance of low-cost carriers which now account for almost 70 percent of capacity. 

Boeing projects passenger airlines in India will rely primarily on single-aisle airplanes such as the Next-Generation 737 and the 737 MAX, a more fuel efficient variant of the widely used 737, to connect passengers. 

Peekay Movie Cast and Crew,Review

PEEKAY

CAST AND CREW : Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput

DIRECTOR : Rajkumar Hirani

MUSIC COMPOSED BY : 

PRODUCER : Rajkumar Hirani, Aamir Khan

RELEASE DATE : June 6th 2014

DESCRIPTION - PREVIEW : Peekay Movie Cast and Crew,Review,Stills,Trailer,Release Date,Videos | Peekay Movie based on drama oriented movie. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The film stars are Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput.The film story and written by Rajkumar Hirani, Aamir Khan. Produced by Rajkumar Hirani, Aamir Khan.