News for 'Department for International Development'

Does US Want India-China Ties Boiling?

Does US Want India-China Ties Boiling?

Rediff.com27 Dec 2021

Washington is signalling to Delhi that it can rely on American support in any great game vis-a-vis China. Delhi shouldn't fall into the trap, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

Latest from China: Falling rocket debris from the sky

Latest from China: Falling rocket debris from the sky

Rediff.com7 May 2021

Breaking its silence on its tumbling space rocket, whose debris is expected to fall on Earth this weekend, China said most of it would be burnt during re-entry and it is "highly unlikely" to cause any damage on the ground.

3.2 million Indians may have died from Covid: Study

3.2 million Indians may have died from Covid: Study

Rediff.com7 Jan 2022

About 3.2 million people could have died from Covid in India by September last year, six-seven times higher than reported officially, according to a study based on one independent and two government data sources.

Telecom equipment from China to face fresh curbs

Telecom equipment from China to face fresh curbs

Rediff.com16 Dec 2020

Telecom equipment from China may face fresh curbs after the Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a proposal to secure telecom infrastructure by designating a "trusted source" for the purchase of equipment by service providers. Briefing reporters after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law, Telecom and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector has been framed keeping in mind the national security.

How Mike Pompeo has rattled China's Communist leaders

How Mike Pompeo has rattled China's Communist leaders

Rediff.com4 Sep 2020

Such criticism by China of a foreign government official, particularly of a major power like the US, is very unusual. It is clear that China will come under increasing pressure certainly till the US presidential elections are held, observes former senior RA&W officer and China expert Jayadeva Ranade.

Pak PM Imran Khan set to meet Putin within hours of Ukraine attack

Pak PM Imran Khan set to meet Putin within hours of Ukraine attack

Rediff.com24 Feb 2022

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday began his engagements in Moscow by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and is scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin, hours after the Russian president ordered a special military operation in eastern Ukraine, ignoring last-minute appeals and warnings from the West.

US shuts Chinese Consulate in Houston; Beijing vows retaliation

US shuts Chinese Consulate in Houston; Beijing vows retaliation

Rediff.com22 Jul 2020

China and the United States were headed for a major diplomatic confrontation as Washington on Wednesday ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, a move it said was aimed 'to protect American intellectual property and private information', hinting at cyber espionage.

26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed gets 10-year jail term

26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed gets 10-year jail term

Rediff.com19 Nov 2020

Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

Why this Businessman Quit Kerala

Why this Businessman Quit Kerala

Rediff.com26 Jul 2021

Is there more than meets the eye to Kitex Garments, the world's second-largest children's garment producer, abandoning Kerala for Telangana?

NIA to probe Kerala gold smuggling case

NIA to probe Kerala gold smuggling case

Rediff.com10 Jul 2020

The gold, weighing over 30 kg, was seized from the "diplomatic baggage" that had landed by air cargo at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport recently from the Gulf.

UK plans series of diplomatic efforts after Afghanistan exit

UK plans series of diplomatic efforts after Afghanistan exit

Rediff.com30 Aug 2021

'If the new regime in Kabul wants diplomatic recognition, or to unlock the billions that are currently frozen, they will have to ensure safe passage for those who wish to leave the country, to respect the rights of women and girls, to prevent Afghanistan from, again, becoming an incubator for global terror, because that would be disastrous for Afghanistan'

Modi Has Enormous Curiosity About The World

Modi Has Enormous Curiosity About The World

Rediff.com24 May 2022

'From the very start, PM Modi was insistent that visiting foreign leaders should be exposed to an India beyond its capital.' 'Through these experiences, he felt that the full Indian narrative would be much better understood across the world,' explains External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. A riveting excerpt from Bluekraft Digital Foundation's Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery.

PIX: India's largest hockey stadium

PIX: India's largest hockey stadium

Rediff.com12 May 2022

Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Sundargarh district will be packed to the rafters during the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.

Ken-Betwa project: 'Tiger population won't survive'

Ken-Betwa project: 'Tiger population won't survive'

Rediff.com7 Apr 2021

'Tiger reserves were created to protect areas from developmental activities.' 'If we go ahead with these projects, then it is a complete mockery of our institutions and our laws, it is against everything we have stood for, our Forest Conservation Act, our Wildlife Biodiversity Act.'

UNSC to vote on resolution condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine

UNSC to vote on resolution condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine

Rediff.com25 Feb 2022

The Council will vote on the draft resolution at 3 pm Friday (New York time), two days after it held an emergency meeting on the situation in Ukraine just as Putin had announced Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Unemployment, sacrilege cases, drug menace key issues in Punjab polls

Unemployment, sacrilege cases, drug menace key issues in Punjab polls

Rediff.com9 Jan 2022

Unemployment, delivery of justice in desecration cases, illegal sand mining and drug menace are likely to be key issues in the Punjab assembly elections.

'Vested interests want private players in space'

'Vested interests want private players in space'

Rediff.com26 Jun 2020

'ISRO facilities are very expensive and any damage caused by these start-ups can create havoc to our space programme.'

UK ditches its coronavirus-tracing app in favour of Apple-Google tech

UK ditches its coronavirus-tracing app in favour of Apple-Google tech

Rediff.com18 Jun 2020

The UK will now be taking forward a solution that brings together the work on the National Health Service app and the Google/Apple solution.

Ashok Lavasa named as new ADB vice-president

Ashok Lavasa named as new ADB vice-president

Rediff.com15 Jul 2020

Lavasa, a career bureaucrat, joined as Election Commissioner on January 23, 2018, and being senior most on the poll panel would have become CEC in April next year after the term of incumbent Sunil Arora ends.

US Secretary of State to visit India on July 27 and 28

US Secretary of State to visit India on July 27 and 28

Rediff.com23 Jul 2021

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his maiden trip to India next week would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues, his spokesperson said on Friday.

Gujarat provides best ecosystem for start-ups

Gujarat provides best ecosystem for start-ups

Rediff.com11 Sep 2020

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged start-ups to focus on three Ps - product, process, people - for building Aatmnirbhar Bharat.

From Forest Hut To Top UK College

From Forest Hut To Top UK College

Rediff.com28 Sep 2021

Hercules Singh Munda's father used to open the gates to a forest. Today, Hercules leaves for London to open the gates of his many dreams.

Passengers won't need to pay airport devt fee: SC

Passengers won't need to pay airport devt fee: SC

Rediff.com26 Apr 2011

A bench of justices Cyriac Joseph and A K Patnaik set aside the policy of airport developers by which passengers departing from Delhi airport had to pay a fee of Rs 200 for domestic flights and Rs 1,300 for international flights while fliers departing from Mumbai were charged Rs 100 for domestic and Rs 600 for international flights.

Border not yet demarcated, there will always be problems: China

Border not yet demarcated, there will always be problems: China

Rediff.com1 Sep 2020

Instead of "the dragon and the elephant compete with each other", "the dragon and the elephant dance together, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Travel firms expect heavy rush as US lifts curbs

Travel firms expect heavy rush as US lifts curbs

Rediff.com18 Oct 2021

Travel companies are expecting a heavy rush to the US following the withdrawal of curbs on fully vaccinated travellers from select countries, including India, on November 8. The move will benefit those holding long-term tourist, business, and work visas. Also, new and extra flights by Air India and American Airlines are expected to provide better travel options.

Is The Taliban Breaking Away From Pakistan?

Is The Taliban Breaking Away From Pakistan?

Rediff.com18 Jan 2022

The Taliban's main challenge comes on the financial and economic front and there Pakistan doesn't have the capacity to be of any meaningful help, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

Tata Sons sets the ball rolling for buying Air India

Tata Sons sets the ball rolling for buying Air India

Rediff.com21 Jul 2021

Tata Sons has started the process of due diligence of state-owned Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express. Sources said the group has appointed Bain and Company and Seabury Group for this purpose. Once complete, a financial bid will be submitted and a deal to take over the airline is likely to fructify by end of this year or even earlier, people involved in the process said. Simultaneously, the group has brought in veterans in the aviation business from Delta and United Airlines to prepare a plan for post-merger integration of Air India with its existing airline ventures. Tata Sons operates Vistara - a 51:49 percent joint venture with Singapore Airlines and Air Asia India, in which Tatas hold 83.67 per cent stakes.

US introduces Russia benchmarks into India relations

US introduces Russia benchmarks into India relations

Rediff.com12 Apr 2022

The pressure on India to take a hostile attitude towards Russia and China was not subtle, but it was guarded, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan after Monday's 2+2 ministerial meeting in Washington, DC.

China has militarised SCS to assert dominance: US

China has militarised SCS to assert dominance: US

Rediff.com28 Sep 2020

US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on Sunday said five years ago on September 25, 2015 the Chinese President, standing in the White House Rose Garden, promised 'China does not intend to pursue militarisation' of the Spratly Islands, and China's outposts 'would not target or impact any country'.

Insisted on full disengagement in all talks with China: Govt

Insisted on full disengagement in all talks with China: Govt

Rediff.com31 Dec 2021

"Numerous rounds of talks have taken place with the Chinese counterparts to deescalate the situation without compromising on India's stand of 'complete disengagement and immediate restoration of status quo ante'," the defence ministry said.

After Mehta, Arvind Subramanian also resigns from Ashoka University

After Mehta, Arvind Subramanian also resigns from Ashoka University

Rediff.com18 Mar 2021

Two days after political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta resigned as a professor from the Ashoka University, his colleague, economist Arvind Subramanian, put in his papers on Thursday and faculty members wrote to the vice chancellor expressing their deep anguish.

The Two Faces of India's Democracy

The Two Faces of India's Democracy

Rediff.com22 Sep 2022

How should one billion Indians, for whom deprivation has become an inescapable way of life, join us in celebrating 75 years of Independence? And where do we go from here? asks Kalyan Singhal.

States begin to reimpose curbs as new variant sparks alert

States begin to reimpose curbs as new variant sparks alert

Rediff.com29 Nov 2021

Alert to the looming threat from the 'Omicron' variant, states began to re-tighten curbs and urgently trace people who arrived from abroad in the last one month while a demand to not allow flights from the affected countries was made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

US in talks with Taliban on daily basis: NSA

US in talks with Taliban on daily basis: NSA

Rediff.com24 Aug 2021

"We are in talks with the Taliban on a daily basis through both political and security channels. I'm not going to get into the details of those discussions here, to protect those discussions, which are covering a wide range of issues," Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference.

96,000 vaccinators trained for world's largest immunisation exercise

96,000 vaccinators trained for world's largest immunisation exercise

Rediff.com1 Jan 2021

Of the 23.9 million vaccinators who provide vaccination under the universal immunisation programme, 15.4 million will be used for Covid vaccination.

Budget may open window for big-ticket foreign investments

Budget may open window for big-ticket foreign investments

Rediff.com26 Jan 2021

The Centre plans to create a special window for strategically important investors such as sovereign wealth funds and pension funds that wish to invest over Rs 3,000 crore through a single transaction.

Inspiring! The 2020 Padma Shri Awardees

Inspiring! The 2020 Padma Shri Awardees

Rediff.com11 Nov 2021

Why the 2020 Padma Shri Awards are an honour truly worth celebrating.

States given 1.28 cr PPEs, 3 cr N95s, 10 cr HCQ tablets: Centre

States given 1.28 cr PPEs, 3 cr N95s, 10 cr HCQ tablets: Centre

Rediff.com13 Aug 2020

In addition, 22,533 'Make in India' ventilators have been delivered to various states, Union territories and central institutions, the ministry said, adding that the Centre is also ensuring the installation and commissioning of the machines.

Lawsuit filed against Trump's new H-1B visa rules

Lawsuit filed against Trump's new H-1B visa rules

Rediff.com20 Oct 2020

Several individuals and organisations, including the US Chambers of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's recent rules related to the H-1B visa, terming them "arbitrary" and "haphazard" regulations that will undermine high skilled immigration into America. Early this month, the Trump administration announced new restrictions on H-1B non-immigrant visa programme which it said is aimed at protecting American workers, restoring integrity and to better guarantee that H-1B petitions are approved only for qualified beneficiaries and petitioners, a move which is likely to affect thousands of Indian IT professionals.

BJP action against its leaders after threats from external powers: Cong

BJP action against its leaders after threats from external powers: Cong

Rediff.com5 Jun 2022

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP of pushing India into a dark age of religious polarisation to "subserve its parochial political agenda in the short term".