Outrage in India over Vance’s wish for his Hindu wife to become a Christian

BEIJING (SCMP): A remark by US Vice-President J.D. Vance expressing hope that his Hindu wife might convert to Christianity has drawn sharp criticism in India, where commentators see it as a troubling signal ahead of his expected bid for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination. Speaking at the University of Mississippi last week, the vice-president said his...

Coca-Cola considers US$1bil IPO of Indian bottling unit, Bloomberg News reports

Coca-Cola is considering taking its Indian bottling unit public in a deal that may fetch $1 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company has met with bankers to discuss listing Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the report said, adding that it would value the unit at $10 billion. Coca-Cola did not immediately...

Sri Lanka to sack police chief over criminal ties

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's police chief is set to be sacked, the country's speaker of parliament announced Tuesday (July 22) after he was found guilty of heading a criminal network at an impeachment hearing. Inspector-General Deshabandu Tennakoon would become the first head of police in the island's history to be impeached after being deemed unfit to lead...

Air India junior pilot asked captain why he turned off fuel switches

NEW DELHI: A cockpit voice recording of doomed Air India Flight 171 indicates that it was the younger co-pilot who asked his more experienced colleague why he turned off the plane’s fuel-supply switches, according to people familiar with the matter. The information, from people who asked not to be identified because they’re not authoriSed to speak...

World’s oldest marathon runner dies aged 114 in road accident

NEW DELHI, India (AFP): India's Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said on Tuesday (July 15). Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the "Turbaned Tornado", died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district on Monday. "My Turbaned Tornado is...

Air India cuts less than 5% of narrowbody jet routes, suspends two international flights

NEW DELHI: Air India said on Sunday (June 22) it is temporarily reducing less than five per cent of its narrowbody jet routes for "operational stability", its second such reduction following a plane crash earlier this month that killed all but one of the 242 people on board. The airline, reeling from the deadliest crash in...

Monsoon-loving Indian expats are chasing rain in the UAE desert

After Muhammed Sajjad moved from India to the United Arab Emirates a decade ago, he missed his native Kerala’s monsoon season, so he embarked on an unlikely quest: finding rain in the desert. Using satellite imagery, weather data and other high-tech tools, the amateur meteorologist tracks potential rainfall spots across the desert country and, along with...

Man trying to smuggle 160 star tortoises to Malaysia held at Chennai airport

NEW DELHI (Bernama): A man trying to smuggle 160 star tortoises to Malaysia was held at India's Chennai International Airport. Security staff handed over the passenger and tortoises, which were kept in cardboard boxes, to the Customs Department, local media reported on Monday. The man, travelling to Malaysia on a tourist visa, reportedly bought the tortoises for...

Explainer: All you need to know about Reliance-Jio Financial demerger

Explainer: All you need to know about Reliance-Jio Financial demerger

Five analysts estimate that Reliance's Jio Financial Services will be valued at 160-190 rupees per share. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, India's most valuable company, will demerge its financial services business on today as part of a move to unlock value. A man walks across the LED board showing the logo of Jio(REUTERS) The local stock exchanges will...