Category: South Asia

MALÉ, November 9, 2013 (AFP) – Voting got underway in the Maldives Saturday in its third bid to choose a president and end unrest sparked by the toppling of their first freely-elected leader 21 months ago.“God willing, we will win this election in one round,” he said at a rally in the capital Male. Nearly […]

COLOMBO, November 7, 2013 (AFP) – The Maldives faces a final chance to avoid a constitutional crisis and secure its five-year democracy this weekend when it makes a third attempt to hold a long-delayed presidential election.He held a meeting with all three candidates on Wednesday, with a statement saying it was “a very crucial period” […]

NEW DELHI, November 5, 2013 (AFP) – India’s first mission to Mars blasted off on Tuesday as the country aims to become the only Asian nation to reach the Red Planet with a programme showcasing its low-cost space technology.A study of data from Curiosity published in September found the rover had detected only trace elements […]

NEW DELHI, October 28, 2013 (AFP) – India’s top carmaker Maruti Suzuki Monday posted a nearly threefold jump in its quarterly net profit compared to the same period last year when production was hit by a labour dispute.Net profit was 6.70 billion rupees (9 million) for the three months ending September 30, compared with 2.27 […]

MALÉ, October 21, 2013 (AFP) – Maldives officials on Monday rescheduled the country’s presidential election, two days after police blocked the last attempt to hold a vote saying it was illegal.“Dear all, 1st round of the Presidential elections to be held on Nov 9th and 2nd round on Nov 16th,” the independent Elections Commission chief […]

COLOMBO, October 20, 2013 (AFP) – The Maldives embraced multi-party democracy in 2008 hoping to emerge a modern nation. Five years on, there are fears the honeymoon islands are becoming a “banana republic” ready to implode. The political crisis came to a head Saturday when police blocked elections designed to restore stability after the first […]

MALÉ, October 20, 2013 (AFP) – Maldivian opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed Sunday demanded fresh elections under a caretaker president, a day after police forced the postponement of a vote he was expected to win.Nasheed, a former president, told reporters in the capital island Male that the outgoing President Mohamed Waheed should step down immediately and […]

MALÉ, October 19, 2013 (AFP) – Presidential elections in the Maldives will go ahead on Saturday despite an 11th-hour court challenge by two candidates aimed at delaying the poll, the elections chief announced.Outgoing president Mohamed Waheed, who replaced Nasheed but is not running in the fresh polls, has promised a smooth transition of power. He […]

MALÉ, October 18, 2013 (AFP) – The Maldives’ electoral commission warned Friday that this weekend’s presidential polls could be scrapped at the last minute as two of the candidates have still to endorse the voting roll.Just hours before polling stations were due to open, commission chairman Fuwad Thowfeek said former president Mohamed Nasheed was the […]

NEW DELHI, October 18, 2013 (AFP) – Indian police Friday arrested and questioned 33 people aboard a ship operated by a US anti-piracy firm for carrying guns and ammunition in Indian waters without proper permits, reports said.India’s coastguard stopped and detained the ship off the Indian coast on October 12 after discovering the cache of […]

MALÉ, October 17, 2013 (AFP) – The Maldives returns to the polls on Saturday for another presidential election after a top court annulled last month’s results, deepening concern about political stability in the young democracy.Election officials were working overtime to ready the luxury tourist destination for Saturday, after the Supreme Court last week scrapped the […]

GOPALPUR, October 13, 2013 (AFP) – Tens of thousands of people who fled India’s strongest cyclone in 14 years returned to discover their homes and livelihoods destroyed Monday, as a massive relief operation kicked into gear.One million people were forced to seek refuge in shelters and government buildings after the terrifying cyclone struck eastern India […]