Category: South Asia

NEW DELHI, May 2, 2011 (AFP) – The killing of Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden near Islamabad is further evidence that terrorists find “sanctuary” in Pakistan, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Monday. “We take note with grave concern that part of the statement in which President Obama said that the firefight in which Osama […]

NEW DELHI, April 27, 2011 (AFP) – When British mobile phone giant Vodafone paid $11.1 billion to buy an Indian cellular operator four years ago, it had high hopes the purchase would offset saturated markets at home. “This kind of deal is what we all dreamed about when we were students,” former chief executive Arun […]

NEW DELHI, April 24, 2011 (AFP) – India’s dreams of attaining double-digit economic growth within the next few years are fading, undermined by high inflation, slow progress on reforms and an uncertain global outlook. While hundreds of millions of Indians are still mired in poverty, the step-change in growth has transformed living standards for many […]

SAKHRI NATE, April 24, 2011 (AFP) – In the busy Indian fishing village of Sakhri Nate, it’s obvious what the locals think of the plan to build the world’s biggest nuclear power plant just across the creek. “If the government does nothing, at least 5,000 fishermen and farmers will go to Delhi and protest,” he […]

MUMBAI, April 18, 2011 (AFP) – Indian housewife Sujata Budarapu was shocked when she was told that her two sons were on the verge of developing Type 2 diabetes. “It had never even occurred to me that this could happen. I had heard that outside India this happens to other people’s kids but I never […]

NEW DELHI, April 14, 2011 (AFP) – The attrition rate in India’s business process outsourcing sector jumped to 55 percent from a year earlier, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the flagship industry, a study said on Thursday. India recently lost its crown to the Philippines as the call centre capital of the world. But […]

LONDON, April 14, 2011 (AFP) – Reckitt Benckiser, the Anglo-Dutch household products and drugs group, on Thursday chose senior employee and Indian national Rakesh Kapoor to replace chief executive Bart Becht, who surprisingly retired. Reckitt’s share price slumped more than 7.0 percent in London on the unexpected announcements by the company whose major brands include […]

KATHMANDU, April 10, 2011 (AFP) – By the light of a single candle Shankar Prasad Bhandari strains his eyes as he tries to count out the correct change for a customer in his blacked out shop on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Rolling 14-hour power cuts, triggered by a growing energy crisis, mean that much of […]

NEW DELHI, April 8, 2011 (AFP) – Emerging market giant China has pipped neighbouring rival India in English language proficiency skills, despite the South Asian nation’s strong anglophone tradition, according to a new study. Both countries were given a “low-proficiency” score, with China standing 29th, one place ahead of India in a list of 44 […]

Apr 09, 2011 (LBO) – A dollar peg in the Maldives which is coming under pressure from excess domestic money has hit the airline business and also cut the real wages of expatriate workers, a media report said. Minivan News an online publication said Galaxy Enterprises which is the general sales agent for SriLankan Airlines […]

LONDON, April 7, 2011 (AFP) – Debt-laden Britain said Monday that 2,600 troops would lose their jobs in a first wave of redundancies forced by defence cuts, with 150 Nepalese Gurkha troops among the first to go. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that 1,000 soldiers and 1,600 Royal Navy personnel would be laid off. […]

HYDERABAD, April 5, 2011 (AFP) – One of India’s best-known spiritual leaders, known for his apparent miracles and long list of influential followers, is on life support in hospital, doctors said Tuesday. Satya Sai Baba, 85, who has devotees in more than 100 countries, was admitted to a hospital funded by his organisation in the […]