NEW INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL READY AT VADODARA AIRPORT

The construction of a new terminal for international flights at the civilian Airport in Harni, on the outskirts of Gujarat's second largest city of Vadodara has been completed and it is likely to be commissioned soon. Final touches are being given and the work for creating other facilities as per international standards will be done soon, project in-charge and General Manager of Airport Authority of India, Narendra Kumar Shukla said.

The project is part of Centre's effort to modernise the existing airports and develop them on par with international ones, he said, adding the existing terminal at the airport is small and cannot handle a large number of passengers. He said the foundation stone for the new terminal was laid in 2009 and the construction work had started in May 2011.

The new terminal, constructed at a cost of Rs 1.60 billion , is on an area of 18,120 sq mt with the capability to handle 700 passengers, including 200 international, per hour, Shukla said. It will have 18 check-in counters, official sources said. The Prime Minister's Office has been constantly monitoring the new terminal's construction work which is expected to be ready for operating international flights very soon, local member of Parliament Ranjanben Bhatt said.

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ISRO TO LAUNCH ADVANCED WEATHER SATELLITE INSAT-3DR

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the GSLV-F05 carrying advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR from  the spaceport of Sriharikota, about 110 km from southern India’s metro city of Chennai, on Thursday (September 8).

"GSLV-F05/INSAT 3DR mission is scheduled to be launched on September 8 at 1610 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota", ISRO said on its website. The previous launch by ISRO on Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) was launch of GSLV-D6 carrying communication satellite GSAT-6 on August 27, 2015. GSLV-F05 in its 10th flight would launch the 2,211 kg advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). 

INSAT-3DR will provide a variety of meteorological services to the country. GSLV-F05 is the flight in which the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) will be carried on-board for the fourth time during a GSLV flight.  GSLV-F05 flight is significant since it is the first operational flight of GSLV carrying CUS, the website said, adding it would be launched from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

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OBAMA CANCELS MEETING WITH PHILIPPINES' DUTERTE AFTER INSULT

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte walks between meetings at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos

US President Barack Obama canceled what would have been his first meeting with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, after Duterte described Obama in vulgar terms, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday (Sept 6).

Duterte, a plain-spoken populist known for his colorful remarks and his campaign against illegal drugs in which thousands of people have died, described Obama as a "son of a bitch" to reporters on Monday (Sept 5), a day ahead of the planned meeting in Laos, where South Asian leaders are meeting for annual summits.

Obama learned about the insult as he emerged from the Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, China. At a news conference, he said he had told his aides to speak with Philippine officials "to find out is this, in fact, a time where we can have some constructive, productive conversations," leaving little doubt that the meeting would not proceed as planned.

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MODI MEETS MAY, SAYS UK'S VISA POLICY MAY NEGATIVELY IMPACT INDIANS

BRITAIN'S new visa policy could have a "negative impact" on business visits by Indian professionals, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his UK counterpart Theresa May on Monday (5) at the G20 summit in China.

In their first meeting this week since she became prime minister in July, May and Modi also discussed bilateral ties after Britain voted to leave the European Union, India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

“(The) Prime Minister also touched on UK's visa policy. In particular, he said the new UK regulations could have negative impact on Indian working professionals wishing to visit (the) UK for short term business visits," Swarup added.

A British official said May and Modi also agreed to look at ways to retain strong trading links after Britain leaves the European Union. "The Indians said they wanted to look at how we could continue to have a strong trading relationship and there was agreement that as we prepare to leave the EU, we should be exploring what that looks like," the official said.

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INDIAN-AMERICANS KICK OFF DOOR TO DOOR CAMPAIGN FOR TRUMP

Indian-American supporters of the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have launched the traditional door-to-door campaign, arguing that this mode of campaigning is still an effective tool to win people's heart ahead of the November 8 general elections.

Volunteers of Indian-Americans for Trump 2016 started old-fashioned campaigning to sell Trump and his agenda for American president among perspective voters in New Jersey's Mercer and Monmouth counties, a media release said.

A D Amar, president, Indian-Americans for Trump was joined by political activist Satya Dosapati Narayana, West Windsor Township Republican Committee person Rimma Rosenberg,

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G20 SUMMIT WARNS AGAINST SLIDE INTO PROTECTIONISM

China's President Xi Jinping speaks at a news conference after the closing of G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The world's leading economies spoke out against a return to protectionism and defended the unfashionable concepts of free trade and globalization Monday (Sept 5), warning the listless global economy needs an urgent reboot.

The G20 summit took place in China with rising populist sentiment discouraging leaders from making difficult commitments, and a stumbling push for a Syria ceasefire and Asia's territorial disputes intruding on the agenda.

"We have agreed... to support the multilateral trade system and oppose protectionism," said China's President Xi Jinping after hosting the gathering in the scenic eastern city of Hangzhou.

At the end of the tightly choreographed talks, held in a cavernous complex in a largely deserted city, Xi produced resolutions on combating industrial overcapacity -- particularly in the sclerotic steel sector -- and boosting international cooperation on corporate taxation.

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'MORE ORGAN DONORS FROM BRITISH ETHNIC MINORITIES NEEDED' SAYS PROFESSOR

A top transplant expert has called for more black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) organ donors to come forward and save countless lives.

This week (5th to 11th September 2016) is Organ Donation Week, a time where the transplant community promotes the benefits of donation nationally and across local communities. Professor Magdi Yaqoob, academic director of renal medicine and transplantation at the country's largest NHS Trust, Barts Health, has said that many more people are needed to donate - especially from BAME communities.

Across London, which has a very high ethnic population, just over 27.8% per cent of people are on the NHS Organ Donation Register. Over 1300 people in the UK died, or became too ill to receive a transplant whilst on the organ donation waiting list in 2015/16.

Ethnicity is important to the success of some organ transplants because a better match is needed, and more likely to be found from within a particular community. People from BAME communities are also more likely to need a transplant due to a higher incidence of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of hepatitis. This means that black and minority ethnic people in need of a kidney transplant are more likely to wait longer than white people, due to an increased need for organs and fewer suitable donors.

Read more: http://goo.gl/gqkmWG