POLITICAL ISSUES
IRAN
1. US seen extending Iran sanction waivers to India, others
Washington, Friday, 7 December 2012
The US will give another six-month reprieve from financial sanctions to India because it has reduced its purchases of crude oil from Iran. It is expected to eventually receive the waivers to sanctions, known as "exceptions", in exchange for cutting purchases of oil from Iran.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

2. Iranian market always opens to good friend India: Iran
New Delhi, Friday, 14 December 2012
Sanctions-hit Iran said its lucrative market was always open for "good friend" India but made it clear that there will be "some limitations" on its part if India keeps looking towards the US. Iran also said it understands India's constraints in engaging with it due to influence from the US but left it to New Delhi to decide on what kind of relationship it wants with Tehran.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

IRAQ
3. India, Iraq should fight the menace of terrorism: Meira Kumar
New Delhi, Monday, 17 December 2012
India and Iraq should fight against the menace of terrorism as both the countries are its victims, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar stressed when a Parliamentary delegation from Iraq called on her. The delegation was led by the President (Speaker) of the Council of Representatives, Parliament of Iraq, and Osama Abdul-Aziz-Mohamd AI-Nujaefi.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

ISRAEL
4. BEL, Israel’s IAI ink MoU on naval missiles
Bangalore, Tuesday, 11 December 2012
A MoU signed between Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has set the stage for joint development and indigenous production of a set of Long Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (LR-SAMs) to defend Indian warships from enemy attack. BEL will be the lead integrator of this set of missiles and produce some of the major sub-systems.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

5. India-Israel FTA: Next round of talks in Jan
New Delhi, Wednesday, 19 December 2012
India and Israel will hold in January another round of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement, a move which would increase bilateral commerce and investment between the countries. "So far five rounds of negotiations have been held. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to be held from 20th to 23rd January, 2013," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

OMAN
6. India plans treaty with Oman, Azerbaijan on criminal matters
New Delhi, Sunday, 9 December 2012
India plans to sign a mutual cooperation treaty with Oman to pursue criminal investigation and confiscation of money or property involved therein.
Source: The Economics Times, New Delhi

QATAR
7. India greets Qatar on National Day
Dubai, Monday, 17 December 2012
India values its close and mutually beneficial relationship with Qatar, President Pranab Mukherjee said as he greeted Qatari leadership on the occasion of their country's National Day.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

SAUDI ARABIA
8. India seeks to boost maritime ties with Saudi Arabia
Dubai, Monday, 17 December 2012
India is seeking to enhance maritime relations with Saudi Arabia and is making efforts to maintain security in the high seas, Indian envoy to Saudi Arabia Hamid Ali Rao said.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

9. Bid to free Keralites in Saudi jails futile: Minister
Thiruvananthapuram, Saturday, 22 December 2012
Minister for Non-Resident’s Keralites Affairs K.C. Joseph told the State Assembly that government’s efforts to free Keralites languishing in jails in Saudi Arabia for minor offences by paying the legally permissible fines in that country had not succeeded yet.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

UAE
10. 45,000 Indians to leave UAE for illegal stay under amnesty scheme
Hyderabad, Wednesday, 5 December 2012
About 45,000 Indians staying illegally in the UAE have been permitted to leave the country by the UAE Government under the amnesty scheme without payment of any penalty. The amnesty period has been declared from 4 December to 3 February 2013.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

11. UAE Cabinet nod can benefit 1,200 Indian prisoners
Dubai, Tuesday, 11 December 2012
India and the UAE have moved a step forward in enforcing an extradition agreement that would allow around 1,200 convicted Indians jailed in the country to return home to complete their prison terms.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

12. Centre intervenes to help Indians in UAE facing deportation
New Delhi, Wednesday, 12 December 2012
The Centre has decided to urge the UAE to reconsider its decision ordering about 18,000 Indians working there without proper papers to return to India within three months or face imprisonment. Instead it would ask the government to grant them visa and allow them to continue in their jobs.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

13. UAE Exchange plans multi-currency travel card for India
New Delhi, Sunday, 16 December 2012
Dubai-based UAE Exchange has launched a new offering 'go cash' the Middle East's first multi-currency prepaid travel card and expects to launch similar prepaid products in other markets such as India. The new product was launched in partnership with MasterCard in Dubai and allows the customers to load up to six currencies out of a bouquet of 15.
Source: The Economics Times, New Delhi

14. Indian amnesty seekers in UAE to get financial assistance
Dubai, Monday, 24 December 2012
Concerned over high costs being borne by Indian over stayers to avail a current two-month amnesty to leave the country, the Indian government has said it will a bear a part of the fee for those seeking emergency travel certificates. Indian workers who are seeking to avail an ongoing amnesty scheme would be extended financial assistance for the issue of emergency certificates.
Source: The Economics Times, New Delhi

ECONOMIC ISSUES
ISRAEL
15. Growing Israeli passion for business with India
Tel Aviv, Sunday, 9 December 2012
Bilateral trade between India and Israel has gone up from a mere US$120 million to US$5 billion since the two nations formally established relations in 1992, but the president of the Israel-India Friendship Association (IIFA) see a much higher potential.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

JORDAN
16. Arab Potash launches marketing campaign in India
Dubai, Thursday, 20 December 2012
Jordan-based Arab Potash Company (APC) has launched a marketing campaign focused on key representatives of the Indian fertilizer market. India is the world's largest importer of fertilizers and the largest market for Jordanian potash. During the past five years, APC exports to India reached 3.1 million tons, valued at US$ 1.37 billion and over the past 20 years, the Indian market has represented 30 per cent of total APC exports.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

QATAR
17. ADB's 5.2 per cent stake in Petronet offered to Qatar
New Delhi, Monday, 17 December 2012
India has offered Qatar a 5.2 per cent stake that Asian Development Bank (ADB) held in Petronet LNG Ltd, the nation's largest liquefied natural gas importer.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

18. Qatar Petroleum keen to buy stake in Petronet LNG
New Delhi, Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Qatar Petroleum has expressed interest in buying a 5.2 per cent stake in Petronet Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Ltd, a potentially conflict of interest proposition as it will give the gas supplier a vantage position in India's largest fuel importer.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

UAE
19. Indian investors can benefit from Gulf oil industry
Dubai, Sunday, 2 December 2012
Indian investors can benefit from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) oil industry, businessmen participating at a seminar in Bahrain have said. They said Indian investors can also gain from several untapped sectors such as mining and minerals, tourism and infrastructure, in order to diversify trade relations between India and the GCC.
Source: The Economics Times, New Delhi

YEMEN
20. RIL gains on completion of divestment in Yemen-9 Block
Mumbai, Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Reliance Industries (RIL) said that it’s wholly owned subsidiary, Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC, has signed the completion documents for divestment of its 25 per cent working interest in the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) for Yemen Block-9 with Medco Yemen Malik, a wholly owned subsidiary of PT Medco Energi Internasional Tbk of Indonesia. The effective economic date of the transaction is 1 January 2012 and the transaction has been approved by the Ministry of Oil and Minerals of Yemen.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

21. RIL divests oil block in Yemen
Mumbai, Thursday, 6 December 2012
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) said it has completed sale of its 25 per cent stake in an oil block in Yemen to Indonesia's Medco Energi for around US$90 million.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

ENTERTAINMENT
MORROCO
22. Shah Rukh Khan conferred with Morocco's Medal of Honour
Mumbai, Monday, 3 December 2012
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was given the prestigious Medal of Honour by the Prince of Morocco while attending the twelfth Marrakech International Film Festival.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

SPORTS
OMAN
23. India humiliate Oman 11-0, register 3rd win in ACT
Doha, Sunday, 23 December 2012
A dominant India humiliated minnows Oman 11-0 to register their third consecutive win in the second Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) hockey tournament.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

PALESTINE
24. AIFF confirms international friendly against Palestine
New Delhi, Friday, 28 December 2012
The Indian football team will play in an international friendly against Palestine in Guwahati on 6 February 2013, the AIFF confirmed. India's last international friendly, against Yemen in November, was cancelled after the visiting side failed to procure visas for its players.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES
ISRAEL
25. Indian Jews from ‘lost tribe’ move to Israel
Jerusalem, Wednesday, 26 December 2012
The Bnei Menashe, Indian Jews, say they are descended from Jews banished from ancient Israel to India in the eighth century B.C. An Israeli chief rabbi recognized them as a lost tribe in 2005 and about 1,700 moved to Israel before the government stopped giving them visas. Now about dozens of them emigrated to Israel from their village in north eastern India.
Source: The Hindu, Chennai

UAE
26. Indian artist's photograph picked up as UAE event logo
Dubai, Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Forty one years after he captured the historic event, a 75-year-old Indian has been propelled to stardom with his photo becoming the logo for UAE National Day celebrations.  Ramesh Shukla captured the UAE rulers jointly hoisting the flag after signing the union agreement in 1971 which brought the seven Emirates into a union.
Source: Business Standard, New Delhi

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