Mumbai: The government has issued notifications bringing seven more services under the category of taxable services, giving effect to some of the provisions of the Finance Act, 2007 relating to service tax. The seven services shall become taxable from June 1.

Now, service providers will have to pay service tax on services like renting of commercial property, fax, telecom connection, pager, leased circuit and communication through telegraph and facsimile communication, with the merged "telecommunication service". With the new tax proposal, these services will become costlier from June 1.

After the merger between the two national carriers—Indian Airlines and Air India, the merged airline will have its first flight from Mumbai to New York on 1 August this year, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel while unveiling the logo for the merged airline officially to be named “Air India”. The logo contains characteristics of both the entities.

India-Pakistan talks on Sir Creek under the Fourth Round of the Composite Dialogue were held at Rawalpindi from May 17-18, 2007. The Indian delegation was headed by Maj.Gen.M.Gopal Rao, Surveyor General of India and the Pakistan delegation was led by Rear Admiral Tanveer Faiz, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence

In response to questions following media reports, the Official Spokesperson said:

“No particular date had yet been finalized. We are in the process of exchanging suggestions and examining them. We will let you know when a visit is scheduled.”

New Delhi
May 17, 2007

We note with regret that the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers has once again chosen to comment upon Jammu & Kashmir in the Islamabad Declaration adopted by the ICFM. Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and the OIC has no locus standi in matters concerning India’s internal affairs. We reject all such references / resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir.

New Delhi
May 17, 2007

NEW DELHI: Advocating the need to create a "South India Tourism Council", an expert study has called for making the region a single, seamless destination with all its diversities.

NEW YORK: India's fast growing economy and leaping information technology sector is attracting home more and more Indians from the Silicon Valley and The Indus Entrepreneur Group (TIE) estimates that around 60,000 may have returned in recent years, a media report said on Monday.

No region of the United States has been more affected by this trend than Silicon Valley.

NEW DELHI: Taj Mahal, the world famous white-marbled monument of love, is fast losing its sheen due to pollution, a parliamentary committee report has said.

The Committee, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury, recommended that caution should be taken to retain the original glory of the Taj which is turning yellow day by day.

India and Pakistan have agreed to hold the next round of talks on the remaining subjects under the ongoing fourth round of the Composite Dialogue as follows:

1. Tulbal Navigation Project(at the level of Water Resources Secretaries)
26-27 June, 2007, New Delhi.

H.E. Ambassador Heshm Youssef, Chief of the Cabinet of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, led a 5-member delegation to New Delhi on 9-10 May 2007 for the third round of the India-Arab League bilateral dialogue. The Indian delegation was headed by Shri N. Ravi, Secretary(East), MEA. The dialogue took place within the framework of the MoU signed between the Ministry of External Affairs and the Secretariat of the League of Arab States on 6 March 2002.

The Parliament on Thursday passed the Appropriations (Railways) Bill for 2007-08 with the Rajya Sabha returning it without discussion.
The Demands for Grants authorising payment of over Rs 1,30,000 crore to the Railways were passed by voice vote.

After Minister of State for Railways R Velu introduced the Bill, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat wanted to know whether any member would like to speak on the Bill.

The Bill was also passed in the Lok Sabha without any debate.

The India-EU Civil Society Internet Forum was launched today by Shri. Anand Sharma, Minister of State for External Affairs in New Delhi. Mr. Dimitris Dimitriadis, EU Co-Chair of the India-EU Round Table & President, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Shri N.N.Vohra, India Co-Chair of India-EU Round Table were among those present.