Archive for: July 8, 2010

India’s largest cellular service company Bharti Airtel will invest $600 million in Nigeria’s mobile market following its takeover of Zain Telecom’s African business for around $10.7 billion.

Manoj Kohli, the CEO international and Joint Managing Director, told reporters in the country’s commercial capital, Lagos, on Tuesday that Bharti would also invest in rural telephony and introduce a corporate social responsibility programme that included setting up of schools that would offer free quality education to underprivileged children in rural communities.

“We are delighted to be in Nigeria and at the outset like to express our …

The three member panel on Sri Lanka appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will meet despite the protests opposite the UN office in Colombo, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.

The United Nations meanwhile said it is closely monitoring developments in Colombo following the protests outside the world body’s offices, noting that it has received assurances of the safety and security of its staff from the Sri Lankan Government.

Hundreds of people took part in the protests, which were reportedly led by Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa in response to the setting up …

Top BJP leaders along with Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand on Wednesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding revival of the industrial package for the hill states.

“We met the Prime Minister and requested him to restore the industrial packages extended to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters here.

BJP Parliamentary Party Chairman L K Advani, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ’Nishank’, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem …

Seven people were killed in attacks by Naxals in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand even as the 48-hour bandh called by them entered its second day on Thursday.

Two of the eight attacks were reported in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada region. The Naxals attacked Congress leader Avdesh Singh’s house in the area around 1 am, leaving four people dead.

Among the dead were two security personnel posted at Singh’s house. The Congress leader’s son was admitted in hospital with bullet injuries.

The Naxals also blew up the Kaukonda police station in Dantewada on Thursday morning. At least two police officers were …

Army troops staged a flag march in Srinagar for the first time in two decades on Wednesday in an effort to quell anti-India protests sparked by the killings of at least 14 civilians in police firing this summer.

Four persons were shot dead by police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel on Tuesday — one of them a woman bystander — triggering protests that continued despite the imposition of curfew at 4 p.m.

The decision to commit the Army in Srinagar was taken after a late-night discussion between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and …