Category: South Asia

NEW DELHI, June 18, 2009 (AFP) – India’s annual inflation rate slipped into negative territory, official data showed Thursday, with the country’s slowing economy cutting into demand.Inflation stood at minus 1.61 percent for the week ended June 6, down from 0.13 percent the previous week, according to the Wholesale Price Index, India’s most watched cost-of-living […]

LAHORE, June 17, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistani police said Wednesday they had arrested one of seven men from a shadowy Taliban-linked group accused of plotting the deadly attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.Six policemen and two civilians were killed and seven Sri Lankan squad members were injured when militants launched a gun […]

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2009 (AFP) – US and Indian business leaders meet Wednesday in a bid to put a new focus on the South Asian power, whose warming US ties have ironically kept it off the new administration’s first priorities.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to deliver an address charting out the administration’s path […]

MUMBAI, June 16, 2009 (AFP) – A Bollywood director said Tuesday he wants to make a film based on alleged racist attacks on Indian students in Australia, despite an unofficial boycott of the country by his movie colleagues. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan rejected an honorary degree from Brisbane University, telling the authorities that it would be […]

June 14, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops have unearthed the largest haul of weapons and ammunition discovered since the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels last month, the government said on Sunday. Military officials said the discoveries made over the weekend formed the largest haul since the government’s recent victory over the Tiger rebels ended […]

LONDON, June 12, 2009 (AFP) – A British Tamil leader convicted of supplying bomb-making equipment to Tamil Tiger rebels was jailed for two years by a court in London Friday, but the judge described him as a “thoroughly decent man.” “He is not merely a man of good character, he has done a great deal […]

NEW DELHI, June 11, 2009 (AFP) – The Indian government is to ban fishing near sensitive facilities as part of an ongoing major security upgrade spurred by last year’s attacks on Mumbai by Islamic militants, an official said Thursday.No-fishing zones will be created along 7,500 kilometres (4,650 miles) of designated coastal zones to protect “important” […]

MUMBAI, June 7, 2009 (AFP) – Indian shares trading near 10-month highs are on a roll and could see more gains as investors pour money back into the South Asian country, analysts say. Indian stocks are already among the top-performing emerging markets this year as financial institutions and overseas funds bet on robust growth in […]

NEW DELHI, June 4, 2009 (AFP) – India’s new Congress-led government promised Thursday to focus on spurring economic growth in its bid to meet a recent election pledge of turning voters’ hopes “into change”.Spelling out the government’s goals for a second term in office after being swept back to power on promises to help the […]

June 4, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has identified six foreign nationals among tens of thousands of war displaced civilians held in state-run camps in the island’s north, a minister said Thursday. Three Australians and one each from Britain, the Netherlands and Norway had crossed over to government-held areas after escaping from the war zone […]

NEW DELHI, June 2, 2009 (AFP) – The number of mobile subscribers in India crossed the 400 million mark in April, official data showed Tuesday, putting the country on track to reach its goal of 500 million customers by next year.Some 11.90 million subscribers were added in April compared with 15.64 million during the previous […]

NEW DELHI, June 1, 2009 (AFP) – India’s exports of jewelry, garments and other goods slid 33 percent in April, shrinking for the seventh straight month, hit by a demand slump in major global markets, official data showed Monday. Exports slumped to 10.74 billion dollars in April from 16.08 billion dollars a year ago as […]