South Asia
Hope and disappointment: Why BIMSTEC is yet to realise its ambitions
Calls for an early conclusion to an FTA have gone nowhere in five years as members have not been able to reach a consensus over issues such as market access or a dispute settlement mechanism
Best of BS Opinion: As populists pound the podium, common sense retreats
Today's columns revolve around the backlash to globalisation that has made populism popular, even when it flies in the face of the people's best interests
Auction sets record for highest-value sale in South Asian art history
Tyeb Mehta's new record matches Amrita Sher-Gil's to become second most expensive work by an Indian artist
WHO emphasises on rights, equality, empowerment on Intl Women's Day
Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, emphasised that the South-East Asia's growth and development is "inextricably linked" to the health and wellness of women
South Asian-origin men guilty of one of UK's largest money laundering plots
Four British men, including two of South Asian heritage who ran jewellery businesses, were on Tuesday convicted in one of the UK's largest money laundering prosecutions worth an estimated GBP 266 million following a complex eight-year investigation. Arjun Babber, 32, and Haroon Rashid, 53, were found guilty alongside Gregory Frankel and Daniel Rawson, both 46, at Leeds Cloth Hall Nightingale Crown Court in northern England over large amounts of unexplained cash passing through their businesses. Babber ran Goldsteel Limited and is said to have started laundering cash for others through Fowler Oldfield Limited in 2015. According to the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Babber's family members ran RPS Jewellers Limited, a well-known and reputable gold and jewellery business based in west London and Hatton Garden. Meanwhile, Rashid was the sole director of Rashid Jewellers Ltd and was a frequent visitor to the premises of Fowler Oldfield and had access to its computers. This case is
Jaishankar hold talks with several counterparts at Indian Ocean conference
Jaishankar met foreign ministers from Mauritius, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka
Who Is Paul Kapur, Trump's pick for Assistant Secy of State for South Asia?
Indian-origin Paul Kapur is a widely respected scholar, having authored several influential books and academic papers on South Asian security
Boeing expects Indian, S Asian airlines to add 2,800 jets in next 20 yrs
The US planemaker's previous rolling 20-year market forecast, issued last year, was for 2,705 jets
One in five females in South Asia avoid daily tasks during periods: Study
Nearly 20 per cent of women and girls in south Asia abstain from regular daily activities during periods, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health journal. The study found that overall, 15 per cent of girls and women in low- and middle-income countries do not take part in daily activities while menstruating. In west and central Africa, prevalence of menstruation-related absences were the second highest at 18.5 per cent. Researchers, including those from the University of Melbourne, Australia, also found that girls aged 15-19 years are the most affected, with over 17 per cent not participating in regular daily activities while menstruating. The study analysed survey data collected during 2017-2023 from households across 44 countries. Over 6,73,300 women and girls aged 15-49 years were included in this analysis. "The overall pooled prevalence of menstrual-related absenteeism was 15 per cent, with prevalence being highest in south Asia and west and central Africa," t
'How I Write' explores publishing challenges, writers' creative struggles
Each interview in this collection is insightful, unpacking for the uninitiated how the publishing industry works and the types of desirable and undesirable challenges they face
Muizzu calls Manmohan Singh a 'great statesman,' recalls 2011 visit
Calling Dr Manmohan Singh as a great statesman, President Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday reminisced about his November 2011 visit to the Maldives and said it marked a momentous milestone that further cemented the bonds of friendship with India. Singh, India's prime minister for 10 years from 2004 to 2014, died in New Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92. Muizzu signed the condolence book at the High Commission of India in the Maldives following Singh's demise when his message also conveyed sympathies to the former Indian prime minister's family and the government and people of India, on behalf of the Government and people of the Maldives, during this time of profound loss, a statement from the president's office said. The Indian High Commission here reciprocated with a post on X: We appreciate the thoughtful gesture of HEP @MMuizzu for being the first dignitary to sign the condolence book @HCIMaldives on sad demise of Hon'ble former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. His words of support are truly value
StanChart names ex-JPMorgan chief PD Singh as India, South Asia CEO nominee
If approved, P D Singh will succeed Zarin Daruwala, who is set to retire on April 1, 2025, after nearly a decade in the role
Afghan community in India demands more consular staff, assistance from MEA
A lone former diplomat, who has continued to stay in India, has somehow kept the Afghan Mission/Consulates running
The truth behind the rhetoric: India still holds influence, allies nearby
Of course, the elephant in the South Asia room continues to be China. But a strategy of containment that goes beyond banning apps is in place in the neighbourhood
How the carbon debt issue places an unjust burden on Global South
The unfairness in the allocation of responsibility for controlling CO2 emissions is evident in the shifting of the burden of emission reductions from consumers to producers
Blinken quotes Tagore at Diwali reception, hails South Asian contributions
Blinken emphasised the significance of South Asian culture in the United States, highlighting that the country derives strength from its diversity
China shuts supply to rebels, backs Myanmar's falling junta in civil war
A year on, rebel forces have ground down the junta, pushing the military out of vital borderlands and making inroads into the contested heart of Myanmar
Vietnam appoints Army General Cuong as new President after long turmoil
Vietnam elected Luong Cuong, a military general, as its new president on Monday, the fourth official to fill the role in 18 months. Cuong, 67, was elected by the National Assembly to replace To Lam, who remained president even after he was formally appointed as the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party in August. The role of the general secretary is the most powerful position in Vietnam while the presidency is largely ceremonial. Cuong, who has served in the Vietnamese army for over four decades, has been a Politburo member since 2021. His appointment took place after months of uncharacteristic tumult in Vietnam's politics and the death of former party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who had dominated the country's leadership since 2011. Trong was an ideologue who viewed corruption as the single gravest threat in maintaining the party's legitimacy and launched a sweeping anti-graft campaign known as the blazing furnace. It singled both business and political elites,
Reliance Brands and Mothercare form new joint venture for South Asia
The JV will own Mothercare brand and all its IP assets for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Bangladesh
Leaders from 120 member countries to attend seventh session of ISA assembly
Leaders from 120 member and signatory countries will gather in New Delhi for the Seventh Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly, set to take place from November 3 to 6, 2024, at Bharat Mandapam.The curtain-raiser event, held on Wednesday, with representatives from 60 countries attending the event.Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and President of the ISA Assembly, Pralhad Joshi, addressed the gathering, saying, "ISA has evolved into a key platform for global solar cooperation, now encompassing 120 Member & Signatory Countries. This growing commitment demonstrates solar energy's significant role in addressing our shared energy access challenges and the adverse effects of climate change."He added, "The progress made by ISA's Member Countries in adopting solar energy is remarkable. Solar energy, available year-round and in abundance in some of our Member Countries, holds the potential to be the game-changer in the theatre of global climate action. Its ..
