News for 'west-asia'

Will the Taliban LISTEN to the Women?

Will the Taliban LISTEN to the Women?

Rediff.com6 Sep 2021

Women petition the Taliban. Talibs patrol Kabul's streets. Afghans flee into Pakistan.

Air India Will Help Tata Rule The Skies

Air India Will Help Tata Rule The Skies

Rediff.com29 Oct 2021

The acquisition will give the Tatas a firm footing on international routes and generate economies of scale.

Will announce new, 'inclusive' government soon: Taliban

Will announce new, 'inclusive' government soon: Taliban

Rediff.com5 Sep 2021

"Now we live in a completely independent Afghanistan. The new government will be announced very soon," said Anaamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban's cultural commission, reported Tolo News.

L&T CEO Subrahmanyan gets 115% jump in salary in FY22 as business grows

L&T CEO Subrahmanyan gets 115% jump in salary in FY22 as business grows

Rediff.com14 Jul 2022

Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) handed out a pay cheque of Rs 61.27 crore to its chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) SN Subrahmanyan in the last financial year (FY22), which is a near 115 per cent hike over FY21, as executive compensation at India Inc comes under sharp focus after two years of Covid-19. In fact, the total compensation of L&T's executive directors (including Subrahmanyan) in FY22 was 120 to 670 times the median remuneration of the company's employees, data from its FY22 annual report shows. This points to sharp hikes that the top management saw in their remuneration during the period, experts in human resources said. In FY21, L&T's executive compensation was 56 to 337 times the median remuneration of company employees.

India's Employment Rate Lower Than Pakistan, Bangladesh

India's Employment Rate Lower Than Pakistan, Bangladesh

Rediff.com9 Feb 2022

Only West Asia and North Africa have a lower employment rate than India, points out Mahesh Vyas.

Ultratech joins race for Ambuja Cements and ACC, submits non-binding bid

Ultratech joins race for Ambuja Cements and ACC, submits non-binding bid

Rediff.com12 May 2022

India's largest cement firm, Ultratech Cement, has joined the race to acquire the Holcim stake in Ambuja Cements and its subsidiary, ACC. UltraTech - part of the Aditya Birla Group - submitted a non-binding bid on Wednesday. Swiss multinational Holcim, which manufactures building material, is exiting India by selling its 63.19% stake in Ambuja Cements. According to banking sources, UltraTech has submitted a plan to Holcim, outlining divestiture details that would meet the norms set by anti-trust body Competition Commission of India.

Night curfew: New Year parties, travel plans fizzle out

Night curfew: New Year parties, travel plans fizzle out

Rediff.com24 Dec 2020

Miffed hotels, restaurants stare at huge losses on account of advance planning for events that they now have to shelve.

Taliban parade captured US military equipment

Taliban parade captured US military equipment

Rediff.com3 Sep 2021

In the second-biggest city of Kandahar, a long line of green armoured vehicles was driven in single file on Wednesday, with the group's flags attached to it, Dawn reported cities agencies.

Anti-hijab protests spread to more Iranian cities

Anti-hijab protests spread to more Iranian cities

Rediff.com24 Sep 2022

Hundreds of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets following the death of Mahsa Amini -- a Kurd native, chanting anti-government slogans that target the core of the Islamic regime and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Beauty takes natural turn, demand for ayurveda products soars in India

Beauty takes natural turn, demand for ayurveda products soars in India

Rediff.com16 Jan 2022

Immunity boosting foods and drinks. Sustainable fashion. Beauty products with natural ingredients. There was always a market for these, and the pandemic has only made it bigger. Within beauty, brands have recorded a greater demand for ayurveda products.

French aerospace major Thales has big India plans

French aerospace major Thales has big India plans

Rediff.com21 Mar 2022

French aerospace major Thales Group is eyeing major expansion in India. The group has started planning to set up a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) organisation in India to support Indian airlines - many of which are its customers for avionics support. "We are looking to set up an MRO, so that they don't have to travel to West Asia or Singapore. "Final decision is yet to be taken, but this is a clear intent showing the growth potential in India that we are looking to set up a sub-centre here," said Yannick Assouad, executive vice-president, avionics at Thales, who was on her maiden visit to the group's India office at Bengaluru since taking charge.

Ukrainian jet with 176 on board crashes in Tehran, no survivors

Ukrainian jet with 176 on board crashes in Tehran, no survivors

Rediff.com8 Jan 2020

The plane, which is reported to have been a Boeing 737, was on its way to Kiev in Ukraine from Tehran. As per Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA, the crash was due to technical difficulties.

Can Navy Counter China In Indian Ocean?

Can Navy Counter China In Indian Ocean?

Rediff.com17 Sep 2022

New Delhi's regional partners in restraining a belligerent China -- primarily the US, Japan, Australia and Singapore -- would like the Indian Navy to lock down the Indian Ocean Region, while the other partners can focus on deterring the PLA (navy) in the South China Sea, explains Ajai Shukla.

GAIL feels blowback from Ukraine war

GAIL feels blowback from Ukraine war

Rediff.com17 Aug 2022

On February 24, when Vladimir Putin announced a military operation on Ukraine, few would have thought that Indian government-owned GAIL India would feel the impact. The tensions over gas supplies were essentially a Europe-Russia problem, related to the sanctions western economies imposed on Moscow. But the EU depends on Russian imports for 40 per cent of its gas stocks, an over-dependence that Russia has underlined with Kremlin-owned Gazprom cutting its supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20 per cent, citing maintenance issues.

In case of war, can India be cut off from internet?

In case of war, can India be cut off from internet?

Rediff.com16 Apr 2022

With Western corporations, including Microsoft, AWS and Oracle, shutting down their operations in Russia, the rest of the world has become acutely aware of its dependence on a clutch of technology service providers.

Cash-strapped Afghanistan on verge of economic collapse

Cash-strapped Afghanistan on verge of economic collapse

Rediff.com17 Sep 2021

The IMF and World Bank have stopped loans, and the FATF warned its 39 member nations to block Taliban assets.

Iran's coronavirus outbreak leads to cheaper basmati

Iran's coronavirus outbreak leads to cheaper basmati

Rediff.com1 Mar 2020

Following the outbreak, Iran has stopped Indian basmati shipments. This has led to exports already falling 18-20 per cent this fiscal year. Iran and the rest of West Asia account for the largest imports of Indian basmati, and comprise more than 30 per cent of the shipments.

Bengal foundry units impacted by Ukraine war as input prices soar

Bengal foundry units impacted by Ukraine war as input prices soar

Rediff.com28 Apr 2022

After the Ukraine war, coke prices just soared and most units don't have money left to buy raw material. Customers are not absorbing the price escalation'

India's economy could prove to be 'most resilient' in subregion over long term: UN

India's economy could prove to be 'most resilient' in subregion over long term: UN

Rediff.com29 Dec 2020

India's economy could prove to be the "most resilient" in the subregion of South and South-West Asia over the long term, according to a report by the UN, which says a positive but lower economic growth post COVID-19 pandemic and the country's large market will continue to attract investments. The report titled 'Foreign Direct Investment Trends And Outlook In Asia And The Pacific 2020/2021', and compiled by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), stated that inward FDI flows to South and South-West Asia slightly decreased by 2 per cent in 2019, from $67 billion in 2018 to $66 billion in 2019. The growth, however, was mainly driven by India, which accounted for 77 per cent of the total inflows to the subregion and received $51 billion in 2019, up 20 per cent from the previous year.

'PM should resist bureaucratic influence'

'PM should resist bureaucratic influence'

Rediff.com25 Jun 2022

'It seems the action against Nupur was because the vice president was in Qatar and officials in his secretariat did not want any embarrassment.'

'Ranchi incident is a learning experience'

'Ranchi incident is a learning experience'

Rediff.com16 Jun 2022

'We should have calmed down the child. We will do an internal analysis on that.'

What Will 2022 Bring The World?

What Will 2022 Bring The World?

Rediff.com1 Jan 2022

From Covid to climate change, Shankar Acharya's look at some of the trends and events that might shape 2022.

Money Is At The Heart Of Sharifs' Power

Money Is At The Heart Of Sharifs' Power

Rediff.com2 May 2022

The Shahbaz Sharif family (his two wives and their children) invested PkRs 277 crore in 13 companies without having known sources of income.

'Modi has done little to punish China'

'Modi has done little to punish China'

Rediff.com9 Aug 2022

'It is only when Beijing sees a country with an infirm political will such as India that it acts up as the PLA has done in eastern Ladakh.'

'Why would Taliban want to spite India?'

'Why would Taliban want to spite India?'

Rediff.com9 Sep 2021

'We can't be outliers. We can't be bystanders. We have to be players.' 'The Taliban also need India to balance the winners in this game.'

'There is space for a brand like Vistara'

'There is space for a brand like Vistara'

Rediff.com17 Aug 2022

'I am seven months into the job, but it feels like seven years.'

Jet Air lenders to submit EoIs on January 15

Jet Air lenders to submit EoIs on January 15

Rediff.com3 Jan 2020

Resolution professional, Ashish Chhawchharia, had informed the bankruptcy tribunal that two new investors had shown early interest for investing in Jet. One of them is a foreign investor from West Asia and the other is an Indian-entity-backed by a UK investor.

Taliban Will Be Around For A Long While

Taliban Will Be Around For A Long While

Rediff.com15 Sep 2021

Unless the Taliban goofs up in a big way, which seems highly unlikely, we are looking at a regime that will be around for quite a long while and present a level of governance that the puppets of the richest and most advanced countries failed to provide, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.

'I'm waiting for my appointment letter'

'I'm waiting for my appointment letter'

Rediff.com30 May 2022

Hundreds of pilots are staring at a long wait to get the job of their dreams after completing the course, the cost of which runs to Rs 1 crore.

Time to bury past and move ahead: Pak Army chief on ties with India

Time to bury past and move ahead: Pak Army chief on ties with India

Rediff.com18 Mar 2021

Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said that a stable relationship between India and Pakistan is key to unlocking the potential of South and Central Asia by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia.

No Time To Lose On Afghanistan

No Time To Lose On Afghanistan

Rediff.com21 Sep 2021

The key is to act and not wait and watch before the limited window of opportunity shuts, argues Shanthie Mariet D'Souza.

How Wipro plans to beat Street estimates in profit terms

How Wipro plans to beat Street estimates in profit terms

Rediff.com8 Mar 2019

It had reorganised its India business by carving out public sector undertaking and government businesses. Besides the company had also split its India and West Asia businesses.

What the World Expects From the Taliban

What the World Expects From the Taliban

Rediff.com6 Sep 2021

The world's attention is on the new Taliban and the imminent announcement of an inclusive government in Kabul, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar

Sri Lanka bans flyers from India with immediate effect

Sri Lanka bans flyers from India with immediate effect

Rediff.com6 May 2021

Several countries like the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Singapore have already banned travellers from India as well as other South Asian countries.

'Amazon In India For Next 100 Years'

'Amazon In India For Next 100 Years'

Rediff.com4 Jul 2022

'For all of us at Amazon, it is 'Bharat first'.' 'We are keeping the Indian customer at the centre of what we are doing.'

India's Russian revolution: Why refiners are buying more Russian crude

India's Russian revolution: Why refiners are buying more Russian crude

Rediff.com10 Jun 2022

India may see a structural shift in supplies of crude oil with Russia emerging as a key source of fuels, a development that reduces New Delhi's dependence on West Asian oil, gives Indian refiners better bargaining power with price-setter Saudi Arabia, and improves overall energy security. The unexpected surge in supplies of Russian crude in the last few months, unthinkable until the war in Ukraine, may also deliver other unforeseen gains such as boosting exports of refined fuels to Europe, which historically has counted on Russian shipments. India has jumped on to the bandwagon of opportunistic buying of Russian crude but if calibrated carefully, Urals crude can be a long-term asset for India refiners.

Iran 'accidentally' shot down Ukraine plane: US officials

Iran 'accidentally' shot down Ukraine plane: US officials

Rediff.com9 Jan 2020

Trump also said that he had "suspicions" about the crash as US media reported it had been mistakenly shot down by Iran.

Coke eyes IPL

Coke eyes IPL

Rediff.com2 Feb 2019

Coca-Cola will, apart from the coming World Cup in England and Wales, feature as the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage partner at all major ICC events -- men's and women's T20 World Cups in Australia in 2020, ICC Women's World Cup 2021 in New Zealand... Also, the World Cup 2023, to be hosted by India.

Targeting Taliban: Does US Want India's Help?

Targeting Taliban: Does US Want India's Help?

Rediff.com16 Sep 2021

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked by US Congressmen if the US had explore the possibility of northwest India for counter terrorism capabilities in Afghanistan. Blinken's remarks on India assume great importance, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar

Hardliners, no women: Full list of new Taliban Cabinet

Hardliners, no women: Full list of new Taliban Cabinet

Rediff.com8 Sep 2021

Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund is appointed as Prime Minister with two deputies Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Molavi Abdul Salam Hanafi.