POLITICAL ISSUES
IRAN
1. Govt to keep Iran oil shipments at current levels
New Delhi, Monday, 15 October 2012
Speaking at the Petrotech 2012 Conference Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy said that despite sanctions, India plans to keep shipments from Iran at around current levels.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

2. Iran says “tangible” progress in India-Afghanistan port link
New Delhi, Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Following his meeting with Foreign Minister S M Krishna, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that there had been “tangible” progress in the development of the Chahbahar port, which would serve as the shortest route for ingress into Afghanistan for India.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

3. US wants India to sway Iran to join nuclear talks
New Delhi, Friday, 19 October 2012
Following his talks with Indian officials US deputy secretary in the US State Department William Burns, said that the US wants India to persuade Iran to return to the negotiating table on its nuclear programme. This was the first time the US has openly asked New Delhi to intercede with Tehran.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

4. Iran to complete gas pipeline work by year-end
Hyderabad, Friday, 19 October 2012
Vice-President of Iran Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh has said it was up to India to sort out its differences with Pakistan to complete the gas pipeline project as Tehran is very much committed to the project and would be completing construction of pipeline within its territory by the year-end.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai; See also: Business Standard, New Delhi

ISRAEL
5. Supreme Court orders release of journalist held for blast on Israeli diplomat’s vehicle
New Delhi, Saturday, 20 October 2012
The Supreme Court granted bail to journalist Mohammad Ahmed Kazmi, arrested on 7 March in connection with the explosion in the vehicle carrying the wife of an Israel Embassy diplomat in the capital on 13 February.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai; See also: The Times of India, New Delhi

SAUDI ARABIA
6. Mecca over Marx: CPM leader Rezzak Mollah goes on Hajj
Kolkata, Friday, 19 October 2012
A West Bengal CPM leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Days ahead of embarking on Hajj, he insisted his faith in Karl Marx figured way below his absolute devotion to Allah and Prophet Mohammed.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

7. Alleged Indian Mujahideen leader Mohammad Fasih extradited from Saudi Arabia
New Delhi, Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Saudi Arabia has deported alleged Indian Mujahideen terrorist leader, 28-year-old computer engineer, Fasih Mohammad, to India. It had quietly handed over another Lashkar-e-Tayeba (LeT) terror suspect, A Rayees to the Kerala Police a fortnight ago.
Source: The Economics Times, New Delhi; See also: The Economics Times, New Delhi

ECONOMIC ISSUES
IRAN
8. Karnal Inc generates Rs 6,000 crore from rice business
Karnal, Thursday, 11 October 2012
Karnal region is benefitting from the growing basmati rice market in the Gulf and "Exporters are able to tap new markets for India like Iran, Iraq and other gulf countries," said Suhil Jain, president of the Haryana Rice Exporters Association.
Source: The Economic Times, New Delhi

9. India in talks with Iran over wheat exports: FCI
New Delhi, Tuesday, 16 October 2012
India is negotiating with Iran for exporting 200,000 tons of wheat in December and one million tons annually for the next three years, Food Corporation of India said.
Source: The Economics Times, New Delhi

10. Iran lowers rust alarm, to buy 200,000 tons wheat
New Delhi, Wednesday, 23 October 2012
The long-standing row between India and Iran over the presence of rust in Indian wheat seems to have settled down for the time. Iran has agreed to purchase wheat from India with 0.25 per cent tolerance to ‘Karnal Bunt’ rust as an interim measure.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

EGYPT
11. India-Egypt bilateral trade rises 33%
Cairo, Saturday, 13 October 2012
According to official figures, India-Egypt trade increased 33 percent from US$3.2 billion to US$4.2 billion during the last fiscal year.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

ISRAEL
12. Israel's Technion, iCreate to jointly incubate start-ups
Mumbai/Ahmadabad, Monday, 15 October 2012
Having signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), Israeli university Technion and the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate) of India are now set to jointly incubate a few start-ups projects in both the countries.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
IRAN
13. Plea for direct flights to Iran, Sri Lanka
Hyderabad, Saturday, 20 October 2012
A delegation from Iran met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and called for the introduction of direct flights from Hyderabad to Iran.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

14. Iranian caught for peddling narcotics
Bangalore, Friday, 19 October 2012
An Iranian student, studying in a prestigious college in Bangalore was caught peddling narcotics.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

SAUDI ARABIA
15. Over 28,000 Indians arrive in Saudi Arabia for Hajj
Dubai, Monday, 1 October 2012
More than 28,000 Indians pilgrims from different parts of India have arrived so far in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

16. Family clueless about doctor detained in Saudi Arabia
Bangalore, Friday, 26 October 2012
Over a fortnight after he was picked up by the Saudi Arabian police, the family of Usmane Ghani, a doctor who hails from Dharwad, has no clue about his whereabouts.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

UAE
17. Man dies in Dubai, brother seeks body
Chennai, Saturday, 20 October 2012
A 22-year-old man from Trichy has sought the help of Chennai police commissioner to bring back the body of his brother, who died in a fall from a building in Dubai.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi

18. Five Indians stranded in Dubai to be repatriated soon
Dubai, Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Five Indian workers, who have been stranded for months due to non-payment of salaries by their firm they were working for since September last year, would be repatriated soon, official sources said.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

19. Stop harassment of Gulf passengers: VS
Thiruvananthapuram, Sunday, 21 October 2012
Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan protested against the alleged harassment of Gulf passengers by Air India. He said the incident at the international airport when passengers were stranded for hours on board a flight without food was the latest instance of alleged harassment.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

Note: One crore= Ten Million

Compiled by Manjari Singh

Manjari Singh is pursuing her M Phil degree in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy