Category: South Asia

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

MUMBAI, June 29, 2009 (AFP) – India’s Mahindra Holidays and Resorts Monday said it hoped to raise almost 60 million dollars when it becomes the first firm to float on the country’s capital markets in more than a year. The firm, a subsidiary of the Mahindra group, said it will sell 9.26 million shares through […]

MUMBAI, June 28, 2009 (AFP) – When Ratan Tata, the head of India’s Tata Motors, said the company was planning to build the world’s cheapest car, he could have had in mind Maruti Jaywant Bhandare as his ideal client.The first stop after picking up the car from the dealership will be the nearest temple to […]

June 26, 2009 (LBO) – The Indian Ocean archipelago of Maldive Islands is planning a 150 million US dollar crude and bunker facility that can store six million cubic feet of oil, which will be leased to global fuel oil traders, a media report said. The Maldives National Oil Company (MNOC) is considering five possible […]

NEW DELHI, June 26, 2009 (AFP) – Indian soldiers will hurl hand grenades containing red chilli powder to dispel rioters instead of the potentially lethal explosives currently used, an official said Friday.Paramilitary forces have been known to break up protests and conduct counter-insurgency operations using explosives that can cause serious injury and even death. “The […]