Kerala plans heritage village for diaspora

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Tuesday said the state industrial development corporation is undertaking a feasibility study for the proposed Rs.750-crore heritage village for the diaspora.

“We have already identified 337 acres in the outskirts of the capital city near Chiryankil. The district collector has been asked to find out the modus operandi of … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Kerala plans heritage village for diaspora.

EU finance ministers under pressure to agree new financial oversight agencies

EU finance ministers pressed to fix oversight

BRUSSELS – European Union finance ministers are under pressure at Monday talks to fix a compromise with EU lawmakers over new financial oversight agencies due to be set up at the end of the year.
Austrian Finance Minister Josef Proell told reporters “the decision time has come” despite some nations’ … Read more »».

Road flooding due to construction debris: Dikshit

NEW DELHI – Under attack for the flooding of city streets after heavy spells of rain, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday acknowledged that it was due to debris from Commonwealth Games-related construction work and directed that it be cleared up by Aug 10.

A day after torrential rains claimed the lives of 11 people in … Original source on Gaea Times at : Road flooding due to construction debris: Dikshit.

Asian stocks lower as Chinese shares fall amid signs of cooling property market; Europe gains

Asian markets lower as China falls; Europe gains

TOKYO – Asian markets were mostly lower Tuesday as a tumble in Chinese stocks tempered optimism from U.S. aluminum maker Alcoa’s earnings. European shares advanced.
A slew of American companies release quarterly results in the coming weeks and Alcoa’s result spurred hopes that earnings season will provide reassuring signs … Read : Asian stocks lower as Chinese shares fall amid signs of cooling property market; Europe gains.

Haryana looks for paddy nurseries in flood aftermath

CHANDIGARH – Following the substantial damage to agricultural land and freshly planted paddy crop in the Haryana floods, the state government is now looking for nurseries that have readily available saplings of paddy.

Tens of thousands of paddy saplings will be required by the state’s agriculture department and farmers to re-transplant the paddy crop …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Haryana looks for paddy nurseries in flood aftermath.

SS Netcom to set up first global call centre in North East

SHILLONG – SS Netcom, the first IT solution company in India’s North Eastern region, is setting up an international call centre in Meghalaya.

“The client (an international IT company) is ready and we are in the process of streamlining the system,” SS Netcom Founder Conrad Sangma told IANS.
Sangma, a Wharton alumni, is also the youngest … Original article on : SS Netcom to set up first global call centre in North East.

Chemistry professor hopes to strike gold from banana plant

KOTTAYAM – Varkey Mathew, a retired chemistry professor here, claims to have developed an eco-friendly helmet and other utility items like water and oil filters from banana stems and leaves.

Mathew, who retired last year from a private college, has converted his home into a laboratory where he along with his two engineer friends carried out …. Source article  : Chemistry professor hopes to strike gold from banana plant.

Extra storage capacity needed to ensure food security: Pawar

NEW DELHI – Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Tuesday said India needs to create 140 million tonnes of extra storage capacity and it is one of the major challenges before the government, which has pledged to enact a food security law.

Inaugurating the state food secretaries’ meet on streamlining the public distribution system (PDS) here, he said … Original source on Gaea Times at : Extra storage capacity needed to ensure food security: Pawar.

Coming up in Chhattisgarh: India’s 21st century city

RAIPUR – In the news more for its chronic insurgeny and tribal poverty, Chhattisgarh will soon boast of one of India’s most advanced, eco-friendly modern cities that will be the new capital of the mineral-rich state.

Located about 20 km east of the present capital Raipur, Naya Raipur has been designed on the lines of Malaysia’s …. Source article  : Coming up in Chhattisgarh: India’s 21st century city.

Maharashtra transporters track situation after attack on buses

MUMBAI – Private bus and truck operators in Maharashtra have adopted a wait and watch policy before deciding whether to continue plying in the Maharashtra-Karnataka sectors after four buses were attacked in Pune, Thane and Satara districts Tuesday.

The buses, pelted with stones and burnt in the Maharashtra districts, were owned by the Karnataka government. Three …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Maharashtra transporters track situation after attack on buses.

Infosys Witness First Quarter Decline

BANGALORE, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- Infosys Technologies Ltd witnessed a sharp decline of 2.4 percent in it’s first quarter net profit. Reportedly, the first quarter profit reports of Infosys is a sharp hit on software services owing to the increasing demand for outsourcing.
Infosys has already gone ahead to consolidate a three months net profit INR 14.88 billion …. Original source  : Infosys Witness First Quarter Decline.

Infosys attrition climbs to 16 percent in first quarter

BANGALORE – The attrition rate in India’s second largest IT bellwether Infosys Technologies shot up to a whopping 16 percent during the first quarter (April-June) of this fiscal (2010-11), the company said Tuesday.

“With the market opening up, attrition has increased this quarter. We have taken several steps, including a compensation hike to reduce it,” Board … Read : Infosys attrition climbs to 16 percent in first quarter.

Infosys ups revenue forecast on greater demand for services

BANGALORE – Buoyed by higher than projected growth in the first quarter, Infosys Technologies Ltd revised its revenue forecast for this fiscal upwards on greater demand for its software services from its marquee clients.

“While the global economic environment remains uncertain, we continue to see greater demand for services from our clients,” Infosys chief executive S. … Read more >>>.

BlackBerry faces stormy AGM as Apple, Google mount pressure

TORONTO – With Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android-driven devices fast cutting into its supremacy in the global smartphone market, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) faces a stormy annual meeting Tuesday.

Based at Waterloo near here, the RIM’s BlackBerry still holds about 41 percent share of the smartphone platform, followed by Apple’s iPhone 24.4 percent …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : BlackBerry faces stormy AGM as Apple, Google mount pressure.

Hotel workers’ union protests contract dispute with Disneyland

Hotel workers’ union protests at Disneyland

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Mickey Mouse mask-wearing protesters were among about 325 union members and supporters who demonstrated against Disneyland over a hotel employee contract dispute.
Protesters on Monday wore masks colored with a black eye to represent the union’s message that Disney is the black eye of Anaheim, where the amusement …. Original source  : Hotel workers’ union protests contract dispute with Disneyland.

Toyota to study quality control assessment by expert panel after massive recalls

Toyota to study quality panel’s recommendations

TOKYO – Toyota will start studying an assessment of the company’s quality control conducted by four outside experts to help beef up quality controls at the recall-battered automaker under a program that began in March to review defect measures.
Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday it was tackling a number of improvements, [..] Read the original article: here.

Nissan takes lead in producing Japan car abroad, where labor costs are cheaper

Nissan takes lead with Thai-made March in Japan

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan took the wraps off its new March subcompact Tuesday, which is being manufactured in Thailand for sale in Japan, underlining a trend for Japanese automakers to shift more production abroad.
Nissan Motor Co. said it was setting up a special inspection facility at its Oppama … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Nissan takes lead in producing Japan car abroad, where labor costs are cheaper.

Infosys ups revenue guidance for this fiscal

BANGALORE – Infosys Technologies Ltd revised its consolidated revenue guidance for this fiscal upwards to Rs.26,663 crore (Rs.267 billion), projecting 17.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth, as per the Indian accounting standard.

The guidance has been revised from Rs.25,017 crore or 10 percent YoY projected at the beginning of this fiscal in April.
In a regulatory filing … Read more >>.

Oil drops below $75 as investors eye 2Q corporate earnings reports, economy

Oil extends losses, drops below $75
SINGAPORE – Oil prices fell below $75 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as investors looked for fresh signs of a growing U.S. economy from second quarter corporate earnings reports.

Benchmark crude for August delivery was down 37 cents to $74.58 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on … Read more : Oil drops below $75 as investors eye 2Q corporate earnings reports, economy.

Infosys net down 2.4 percent in first quarter

BANGALORE – Infosys Technologies Ltd registered a net profit of Rs.1,488 crore (Rs.14.88 billion) for the first quarter (April-June) of this fiscal, a decline of 2.4 percent from same quarter of last fiscal at Rs.1,525 crore as per the Indian accounting standard.

In a regulatory filing Tuesday, the IT bellwether said its consolidated income, however, grew …. Original article  : Infosys net down 2.4 percent in first quarter.