Category: South Asia

NEW DELHI, July 23, 2009 (AFP) – The world’s leading universities such as Harvard and Yale could soon be allowed to open colleges in India under new legislation proposed by the government, a report said Thursday.India has a severe shortage of higher education institutions and a booming population with more than 30 percent of its […]

PESHAWAR, July 22, 2009 (AFP) – The price of a Kalashnikov assault rifle is soaring as militant groups and private militias mushroom in an increasingly battle-torn northwest Pakistan, arms dealers and buyers say. Civilians too, frightened by the upsurge in violence and citing a lack of government protection, are also forking out to arm themselves […]

NEW DELHI, July 20, 2009 (AFP) – The world’s most populous nations will gaze skywards Wednesday as the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century lays a carpet of darkness across India and China, from Mumbai to Shanghai.In ancient China, eclipses were often associated with natural disasters or the death of an emperor, and […]

NEW DELHI, July 20, 2009 (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hoped to seal a defence pact boosting US arms sales to India in talks here Monday that should also see agreement on the siting of two US nuclear reactors. On the business end of her five-day visit to India, Clinton met Prime […]

MUMBAI, July 17, 2009 (AFP) – The world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, hits the streets on Friday, as the first customer gets the keys to a vehicle that its makers hope will transform travel for millions of Indians.The head of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata, was to deliver the first car in person at a […]

July 17, 2009 (LBO) – Cell broadcasting, a messaging system that is found in the two celco networks in the Maldives can be used to send immediate public warning messages to users, a think tank has said. Loss of life was small, but around one-third of the population was affected and property damage was estimated […]

NEW DELHI, July 15, 2009 (AFP) – “No frills, Simple homes” reads the banner hanging in the Delhi headquarters of Unitech, India’s leading property developer.It’s a mantra that has been taken up by realtors across the country with a new-found passion for affordable housing that owes little to their social conscience and everything to their […]

MUMBAI, July 6, 2009 (AFP) – India’s stock markets on Monday gave a thumbs-down to the government’s annual budget, spooked by a rising fiscal deficit and saying there was no clarity on boosting foreign investment. Economists said the lack of a clear plan for the sale of government stakes in state-run enterprises also disappointed, as […]

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6, 2009 (AFP) – Malaysia on Monday appealed for international help to curb people-smuggling, amid talks with Australian leaders who are pushing for action to close down illegal migration routes.Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is due to arrive here later Monday to pressure Malaysia on the thousands of illegal immigrants hit by wars […]

NEW DELHI, July 6, 2009 (AFP) – India’s finance minister targeted a return to 9.0 percent economic growth “at the earliest” in a budget speech Monday that suggested the country had seen off the worst of the global financial crisis.But in announcing increased funding for farmers and poverty alleviation programmes, Pranab Mukherjee also warned that […]

MUMBAI, July 5, 2009 (AFP) – India’s new Congress-led government will have to balance conflicting objectives of spurring growth and reining in a soaring fiscal deficit when it presents its first budget on Monday.Economists and analysts predict the budget will focus on regulatory and structural reform to stimulate growth, rather than announcing large government stimulus […]

MUMBAI, July 5, 2009 (AFP) – Gold has long had a special attraction for Indians.Loaded with cultural and religious significance, it is considered an auspicious metal and a visible sign of wealth and prosperity.Four refineries — two in Mumbai and two in Ahmedabad, in nearby Gujarat state — have already been approved.It is hoped to […]