Category: South Asia

NEW DELHI, December 5, 2010 (AFP) – An explosion of working-age people in India could serve as an engine of economic growth — or bring social turmoil, experts say. Over the next two decades, India’s working-age population will increase by 240 million — four times the entire population of Britain — according to investment house […]

NEW DELHI, November 30, 2010 (AFP) – India’s economy grew a forecast-beating 8. 9 percent year-on-year in July-September, data showed Tuesday, underscoring the country’s brisk recovery from the global financial crisis. The healthy numbers brought temporary cheer to the Congress-led government, buffeted by a string of scandals including a damaging telecom corruption scam which could […]

KABUL, November 29, 2010 (AFP) – Leaked US documents on Monday painted President Hamid Karzai’s controversial younger brother as a corrupt drugs baron, exposing deep US concerns about graft undermining the war against the Afghan Taliban. Internet whistleblower WikiLeaks has started to release quarter of a million confidential US diplomatic cables, detailing embarrassing and inflammatory […]

DHAKA, November 28, 2010 (AFP) – In the home of cheap clothing manufacturing, the record price of cotton is causing havoc for producers — and the pain will pass down the chain to buyers in developed countries, analysts say. Bangladesh, the third-biggest producer of clothes worldwide, is one of the cheapest locations for manufacturing in […]

NEW DELHI, November 22, 2010 (AFP) – India gave the green light on Monday for the construction of a second international airport in the commercial capital Mumbai, a two billion dollar project that was ten years in the making. “Today, formally the environmental clearance has been given to the Navi Mumbai Project,” Environment Minister Jairam […]

NEW DELHI, November 14, 2010 (AFP) – Evidence of India’s construction boom can be seen in the new high-rise apartments sprouting up across the country, but the industry is suffering from a serious shortage of engineers and designers. “Until things change, we might manage some big-ticket items like the Delhi Metro with the help of […]

DHAKA, November 8, 2010 (AFP) – Bangladesh will offload stakes in dozens of state-owned enterprises as part of a major government effort to cool down the country’s overheated stock exchange, its finance minister said Monday. Eight state-owned firms, including major energy and power firms, which are already listed will be made to sell more shares, […]

Nov 08, 2010 (LBO) – Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, a resort in the Indian Ocean Island of Maldives, run by Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence group won the award of the World’s Leading Watervilla at a top travel awards. Maldives also won the award for the ‘Most Romantic Destination’ at the awards on November 07. The […]

MUMBAI, November 7, 2010 (AFP) – The success of India’s 3. 4-billion-dollar sale of shares in state-run Coal India has raised hopes of big returns for the government from a cascade of looming partial privatisations, analysts say. The sale of a 10 percent stake in Coal India was oversubscribed 15 times and shares soared 40 […]

MUMBAI, November 6, 2010 (AFP) – President Barack Obama announced Saturday 10 billion dollars in trade deals with India to create 50,000 US jobs, on a visit that began with an emotional tribute to victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Kicking off a four-nation Asian tour weighted towards prying open new markets for US goods, […]

October 30, 2010 (AFP) – The Maldivian government has apologised to a European couple abused as “swine” and “infidels” during what was supposed to be a romantic renewal of wedding vows in the Indian Ocean archipelago. Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed “personally apologised” to the couple in a telephone conversation on Saturday afternoon, his office said […]

Oct 29, 2010 (LBO) – Maldives Islands will issue ‘strict guidelines’ on tourist weddings following an incident where resort staff mocked a foreign couple who were renewing their wedding wows at a beach ceremony. Maldives’ President Mohamed Nasheed had expressed disgust at the incident in a radio address and described the behaviour of those involved […]