Category: South Asia

NEW DELHI, May 31, 2009 (AFP) – India’s economy is on the upswing with eyes now keenly focused on July’s planned budget for new market-opening moves by the freshly re-elected Congress government, analysts say.The country logged unexpectedly strong 5.8 percent growth in the final quarter to March 2009, against forecasts of 5.0 percent, figures late […]

NEW DELHI, May 29, 2009 (AFP) – The world’s number one retailer Wal-Mart is set to open its first sales venture in India Saturday as part of an ambitious plan to establish a foothold in the country’s vast consumer market.The US discount chain has teamed up with Bharti Enterprises, parent of India’s biggest mobile firm […]

NEW DELHI, May 28 (Asia Pulse) – Vijay Mallya-led United Breweries (UB) and Dutch beer maker Heineken could come together in the Indian market, following the exit of Jaipuria from Asia Pacific Breweries-Pearl. “Talks between both companies (UB Group and Heineken) are in the advance stages and soon both will announce the deal,” a source […]

GENEVA, May 27, 2009 (AFP) – The UN Human Rights Council reconvened its special session on Sri Lanka Wednesday with diplomats struggling to bridge an Asian-Western divide over the rights situation and a probe into abuses. Sri Lanka, backed by Asian countries including China, India and Pakistan, tabled a revised draft resolution late Monday which […]

DHAKA, May 26, 2009 (AFP) – Bangladesh and India launched major relief operations Tuesday after a cyclone tore into the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal, killing at least 116 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Many of the casualties in Bangladesh were reported to be children who drowned when Cyclone Aila triggered […]

MELBOURNE, May 24, 2009 (AFP) – The Australian navy intercepted a refugee boat with 77 people aboard Sunday off the country’s northwest coast, Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said. The boat is the 13th suspected people-smuggling craft to have been stopped in Australian waters or to have made landfall since January, prompting criticism from the […]

NEW DELHI, (Asia Pulse) – Foreign Institutional Investors’ (FIIs) inflow into the Indian stock markets has crossed the US$3 billion mark (over Rs 15,725 crore) so far this year, with as much as US$2 billion coming in just five trading sessions. Since the beginning of new fiscal year, FIIs have started putting money in domestic […]

NEW DELHI, May 21, 2009 (AFP) – India on Thursday asked Sri Lanka to provide the death certificate for Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, a foreign ministry official told AFP. The separatist rebel chief, who was reported killed by Sri Lankan forces earlier this week, was wanted in India for planning the 1991 assassination of […]

May 21, 2009 (LBO) – The Indian Ocean tourist paradise of Maldives has joined the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN agency which deals with labour issues said.The membership started on May 15, with president Mohamed Nasheed accepting obligations under the constitution of the ILO. “We warmly welcome the Republic of Maldives to the ILO […]

MUMBAI, May 20, 2009 (AFP) – The newly elected Congress-led government needs to move swiftly and decisively to restore blistering economic growth in India, even if that means higher inflation, industry leaders here say. As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares for a second term of office, business executives said they hoped the government would announce […]

GENEVA, May 19, 2009 (AFP) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he will visit Sri Lanka on Friday and called for immediate progress on reconciliation following the government’s declaration of victory over Tamil Tiger rebels.“We urgently need to treat the wounds of a war that has alienated the communities in the island for almost […]

MUMBAI, May 19, 2009 (AFP) – A new wave of reform-minded candidates are taking stock after the Indian general election, following high-profile campaigns that failed to translate into votes at the ballot box. “This is going to take some time to change,” he told AFP.“People are definitely talking about better people in parliament, not only […]