The World Bank said on Tuesday it has signed a $500 million loan agreement with India to improve financial access for the country’s small-scale business enterprises in the manufacturing and services domain. “Lack of adequate finance is one of the biggest challenges facing the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector. Financial institutions have limited […]
India on Tuesday intensified efforts to pull out its around 4,000 nationals from Yemen, deploying aircraft and at least five ships, even as the Saudi Arabia-led airstrikes against the Shia Houthi rebels entered the sixth day. India’s move came as Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on […]
Tokyo’s Shibuya ward on Tuesday approved the recognition of same-sex unions, making it the first in Japan to take a step toward legal marriage equality. The ordinance in this regard, approved by the local assembly, will take effect on Wednesday and will permit the district to issue certificates to same-sex couples, an important step in […]
India’s external debt at the end of December 2014 stood at $461.9 billion — a 3.5 percent or $15.5 billion rise from what it was in end of March 2014, government data showed on Tuesday. The country’s external debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio stood at 23.2 percent as of December-end, compared with 23.7 percent as […]
In a suspected racial attack, police in Britain have come across footage posted online in which a Sikh man is seen being brutally beaten up in Birmingham city Broad Street, a media report said on Tuesday. “We are aware of a video posted on the internet which appears to show a man being assaulted on […]
Islamic State (IS) militants have slain 30 civilians, among them women and children, in horrific executions in central Syria, a Britain-based watchdog said on Tuesday. The civilians were shot, burned or beheaded, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ director Rami Abdel Rahman. The victims included Alawite Sunni and Ismaili Shia Muslims and the […]
Cafe Samovar, a favourite haunt of intellectuals and celebs including Amitabh Bachchan, M.F. Husain and V.S. Naipaul, students and commoners, finally downed shutters on Tuesday after over five decades as loyal clients, some in tears, thronged it for one last time. Located inside the Jehangir Art Gallery, surrounded by heritage buildings like Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum, […]
Indian chess Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli on Tuesday kept her chances alive in the World Women’s Chess Championship, underway at Sochi in Russia, by winning the second tie-break game in the semi-finals on her 80th move against Ukraine WGM Mariya Muzychuk. Dronavalli, who earlier lost the first tie-break game in 38 moves, opted for Pric defence, […]
Women are generally not allowed to venture too far from their homes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province, leave alone even distantly thinking of employment. But Khalida Bibi’s quest for empowerment has made her an exception and a shining example for other women in her village in Haripur district. It wasn’t easy for the 52-year-old to […]
From Tuesday, IANS is beginning a series of profiles on the eight teams that will feature in the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League that will be played from April 8 to May 24) Bengaluru, March 31 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bangalore, for all their flash and dash, glitz and glamour, choreographed one of the […]