Indian screen and stage star Surekha Sikri has been described as a “top-class actor” and a “force of nature” following her death at the age of 75. The veteran, known for such films as Badhaai Ho, TV shows like Balika Vadhu and many Hindi theatre productions, suffered a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. Sikri won three […]
Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui has been killed in Afghanistan, said the country’s ambassador in Delhi. Siddiqui, the chief photographer of Reuters news agency in India, was on assignment in Afghanistan when he died. He was embedded with a convoy of Afghan forces that was ambushed by Taliban militants near a key border post […]
India’s central bank has barred Mastercard indefinitely from issuing new debit or credit cards to domestic customers. The Reserve Bank of India has accused the company of violating data storage laws. The bank said Mastercard had not complied with rules requiring foreign card networks to store data on Indian payments exclusively in India. There has […]
US-Taliban peace talks The Taliban have proposed a three-month ceasefire in Afghanistan in return for the release of 7,000 captured fighters, a government official said. Nader Nadery, an Afghan government negotiator, described the proposal as a “big demand”. The government has so far not said how it will react. Clashes between the government and […]
Shares in food delivery app Zomato, one of India’s biggest tech start-ups, have gone on sale in its $1.2bn (£870m) initial public offering (IPO). It raised $562.3m from institutional investors, as they bid for 35 times more shares than allotted to them ahead of the much-anticipated offering. Analysts though are wary of the loss-making company’s […]
War in Afghanistan (2001-present) The Taliban are reported to have raised their flag above a key border post between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and claim it is now under their control. Videos being shared on social media show the white flag fluttering above the Spin Boldak crossing near Kandahar. Afghan officials have denied the post […]
By Soutik Biswas and Aparna Alluri BBC News, Delhi Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, has unveiled a controversial bill for curbing population growth. It proposes denying government jobs, promotions, subsidies and the right to contest local elections to anyone who has more than two children. UP, which is home to over 220 million people, […]
Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart has raised another $3.6bn (£2.6bn) ahead of an expected stock market debut. The Walmart-backed company said it will use the money to expand its operations and invest further in its grocery, fashion and delivery service. The latest round of fund-raising increased the firm’s value to $37.6bn. The new valuation is more […]
Reuters Summary Turkey, U.S. in talks on guarding airport post withdrawal If deal is struck, Taliban say they will ‘take a stand’ Turkish source expects agreement before Sept departure KABUL/ANKARA, July 13 (Reuters) – The Taliban warned Turkey on Tuesday against plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to run and guard Kabul’s main airport […]
A lightning strike killed at least 16 people and injured many more in Jaipur in northern India on Sunday. The victims were taking selfies in the rain on top of a watch tower at the city’s 12th Century Amer Fort, a popular tourist attraction. Dozens have also died in lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh and […]
