Aziz Haniffa

Stories by Aziz Haniffa

US not to intervene in Indo-Pak water tussle

US not to intervene in Indo-Pak water tussle

Rediff.com   2 Apr 2010

Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Robert Blake said Pakistan had frequently raised the controversial and contentious water issue with India during his recent trip to Islamabad, but added that the US had no intention of intervening in the bilateral issue.

Obama names Indian American to senior trade post

Obama names Indian American to senior trade post

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2010

Nearly six months after he nominated Dr Islam A 'Isi' Siddiqui to be the chief agricultural negotiator at the office of the US Trade Representative, US President Barack Obama -- fed up with what the White House called 'obstructionist' policies by Senate Republicans in not confirming Siddiqui and several others -- appointed Siddiqui and 14 others as soon as the Senate adjourned for the Easter vacation-recess.

Inter-faith council submits report to Obama

Inter-faith council submits report to Obama

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2010

The report contains a significant Hindu American perspective, including the community's seva efforts across the country.

Indo-US trade ties: Geithner set to visit India

Indo-US trade ties: Geithner set to visit India

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2010

When President Barack Obama and Dr Manmohan Singh had announced the initiative, Geithner had said that 'India is an emerging global power and a country with which the US has an increasingly important economic and financial relationship.'

Phone calls could soon be free in India: Pilot

Phone calls could soon be free in India: Pilot

Rediff.com   31 Mar 2010

Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Telecommunications and Information Technology, has predicted that, thanks to the mobile technology boom, telephone calls and related charges in India would soon be free. Pilot said that in such a scenario, telecom companies would have to think of novel ways to make money, with services such as data transfer to survive and stay competitive.

Time for Indo-US cyber security tie-up: Pilot

Time for Indo-US cyber security tie-up: Pilot

Rediff.com   30 Mar 2010

Pilot noted that 'the kind of damage that entities and groups and people can cause through the Internet and through the cyber-world is somehow disproportionate to their conventional capacities'.

123 Agreement indicates deeper ties with India: US

123 Agreement indicates deeper ties with India: US

Rediff.com   30 Mar 2010

Noting that the 123 Agreement between India and the US reflected deepening relationship between the two countries, top Obama Administration officials have said that it would have broader impact in the Indo-US ties.

India to be among top 5 aviation markets: Patel

India to be among top 5 aviation markets: Patel

Rediff.com   26 Mar 2010

India will be among the top five aviation markets in the world - both in terms of size and scale in the next five years, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said.

Indian aviation to have hi-tech GPS soon

Indian aviation to have hi-tech GPS soon

Rediff.com   26 Mar 2010

India's aviation sector would have a fully functioning satellite based navigation system (GPS) in place next year, Aviation Minister Praful Patel said.

Rajesh Khanna among America's top ophthalmologists

Rajesh Khanna among America's top ophthalmologists

Rediff.com   24 Mar 2010

Khanna, 42, the founder and medical director of the Khanna Institute of Lasik and Refractive Surgery in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and a practicing eye surgeon for over 15 years, has also been voted the Best Lasik Surgeon by consumers in Los Angeles.

Child welfare lawyer Ashok Batra honoured

Child welfare lawyer Ashok Batra honoured

Rediff.com   23 Mar 2010

Batra is the first Asian American attorney to receive this award.

Headley's guilty plea: 'Good deal'

Headley's guilty plea: 'Good deal'

Rediff.com   19 Mar 2010

Law enforcement sources rubbished allegations that Headley was a double agent for US intelligence and that this was why he was not being made available for interrogation by Indian intelligence.

India asks US to relax visa norms for workers

India asks US to relax visa norms for workers

Rediff.com   19 Mar 2010

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said he had strongly brought up India's concern over the denial of professional visas for its workers, in his meetings with senior Obama Administration officials.

Single policy for FDI in banking, insurance soon

Single policy for FDI in banking, insurance soon

Rediff.com   19 Mar 2010

India will unveil a single policy for foreign direct investment, including in sectors such as financial services, insurance and banking by March 31, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has disclosed.

Doha talks: Minister reaffirms India's commitment

Doha talks: Minister reaffirms India's commitment

Rediff.com   19 Mar 2010

Sharma met US trade representative Ron Kirk, agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack and deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for International Economic Affairs Michael Froman and other senior Obama Administration officials.

Rao downplays nuke bill delay; US firms dismayed

Rao downplays nuke bill delay; US firms dismayed

Rediff.com   18 Mar 2010

The uncertainty over the fate of the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill in Parliament has caused a considerable amount of concern to members of the United States-India Business Council, as some of them had lobbied feverishly in the US Congress to get the agreement approved.USIBC President Ron Somers voiced his concerns at an interaction with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, during her six-day visit to the United States

US, India ink framework for trade ties

US, India ink framework for trade ties

Rediff.com   18 Mar 2010

Over the past five years, US-India trade has more than doubled and the US continues to be India's largest trading partner -- if goods and services are counted -- a total bilateral trade standing at $65.9 billion in 2009.

Sanctions against Iran no solution, says India

Sanctions against Iran no solution, says India

Rediff.com   17 Mar 2010

Even as United States President Barack Obama's efforts to reach out to Iran to dissuade Teheran for developing a nuclear weapons capability have apparently failed miserably and the talk in Washington is now about slapping Iran with punitive sanctions, with some in the US Congress even suggesting military action, India has counseled dialogue and warned that sanctions and anti-Iran fervour could further destabilise the region.

We are monitoring situation in Sri Lanka: India

We are monitoring situation in Sri Lanka: India

Rediff.com   17 Mar 2010

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who visited Sri Lanka last week and met President Mahinda Rajapakse and senior Sri Lankan officials, has said that India had been reassured over the Lankan government's efforts to return internally-displaced persons to their homes and also hopeful over a future political process to alleviate the lot of the Tamil-speaking community and other minorities.

Rakesh Mohan joins Yale faculty

Rakesh Mohan joins Yale faculty

Rediff.com   12 Mar 2010

Mohan has been appointed as the Professor in the Practice of International Economics and Finance in the Yale School of Management, and as Senior Fellow in the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University; Yale University President Richard C Levin said in a statement on Friday.