Author: Anil Shrivastava

A total of 244 antiques stolen from India prior to its independence in 1947 have been brought back to the country during the past 75 years, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. He said that out of the 244 antiques, 231 were brought back in the past nine years alone. “The process of bringing more of such antiquities is continuing on the fast track. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has accorded high priority to conserving our heritage and creating a new legacy,” added the minister. According to media reports, Indian officials are coordinating with diplomats…

India’s central bank on Friday announced it will withdraw rupees 2,000 currency notes from circulation. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), however, added that the 2,000 rupee notes will continue to be legal tender until Sept. 30. The RBI has advised banks to stop issuing rupees 2,000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect. The RBI first printed the rupees 2,000 note in November 2016 after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a surprise televised address to the nation announced the withdrawal of currency notes of rupees 500 and 1,000 from the country’s financial system. The controversial move on Nov. 8, 2016,…

At least two people were killed and two others injured Thursday after a blast took place inside a firecracker factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police said. The blast occurred in Oorampatti-Sivakasi area of Virudhunagar district, about 540 km south of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. According to the police, the explosion took place when workers were filling combustion chemicals for manufacturing firecrackers. “The explosion resulted in severe injuries to four individuals. They were immediately taken to the Sivakasi government hospital for treatment, where two succumbed to their injuries,” a police official said. The blast…

India on Tuesday described the U.S. report on international religious freedom as one “based on misinformation and flawed understanding.” The report talked about attacks on members of religious minority communities in India in 2022, according to local media reports. In response to media queries regarding the U.S. report, spokesperson of India’s External Affairs Ministry Arindam Bagchi said that it was “motivated”. “We are aware of the release of the U.S. State Department 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom. Regrettably, such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding. Motivated and biased commentary by some U.S. officials only serves…

Indian government has made laboratory testing of cough syrups mandatory prior to their export, officials said Tuesday. According to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Monday evening, an amendment in the export policy of cough syrup has been made. The revised policy which will come into effect from June 1 states that companies will have to get a certificate of analysis from a government-approved laboratory. “Cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to the export sample being tested and production of a certificate of analysis,” read the notification. The amendment has come…

Australia has “absolutely” not vowed to support the U.S. in a conflict over Taiwan in return for U.S. Virginia-class submarines, Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday. Australia, the U.S. and Britain this week unveiled the multi-decade AUKUS project in which Australia will buy the U.S. military submarines before joint British and Australian production and operation of a new submarine class, SSN-AUKUS. Australia’s center-left Labor government believes the A$368 billion ($244.06 billion) deal is necessary given Chinese military buildup in the region, which it has labeled the largest since World War Two. Asked on ABC television if, in return for access to the U.S. military submarines, Australia…

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is coordinating an international search effort to locate a missing Chinese fishing vessel that is believed to have capsized in a remote area of the Indian Ocean. The area of the search is located approximately 5,000 kilometers northwest of Perth. The vessel, which media has identified as Lupenglaiyuanyu No 8, triggered an alarm at 5:30am AEST on Tuesday, May 16, when AMSA received a distress beacon signal. Media reports indicate that the ship carries a crew of 39 individuals from various nationalities. Later on Tuesday, the bulk carrier Navios Taurus reported sighting an upturned hull within the…

Russian oil is still powering Europe — just with the help of India. Back in December, the European Union barred almost any seaborne crude oil imports from Russia. It extended the prohibition to refined fuels two months later. However, the rules didn’t prevent countries like India from snapping up cheap Russian crude, turning it into fuels like diesel, and shipping it back to Europe at a markup. The Asian country is on track to become Europe’s largest supplier of refined fuels this month while simultaneously buying record amounts of Russian crude, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from analytics firm Kpler. “Russian oil is…

The Indian government plans to invite financial bids for the privatisation of Shipping Corp of India Ltd (SCI) next month, as it looks to sell the state-run company after years of delay, two government officials told Reuters. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had, in 2019, announced plans to privatise a number of state-run companies, including selling its stake in SCI, which was stalled due to regulatory delays. SCI – which owns and operates bulk carriers and crude oil tankers, among others – had to spin off its non-core assets before the government could sell its 63.75% stake, which hit a roadblock over…

German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has acquired a 40% stake in India’s leading private terminal and inland transport service provider J M Baxi Ports & Logistics Limited. Hapag-Lloyd AG signed the binding agreement on Wednesday. Under the terms, it will acquire 35 % of J M Baxi Ports & Logistics Limited (JMBPL) from a Bain Capital Private Equity affiliate. A second agreement signed by Hapag-Lloyd AG with JMBPL and its promoters, the Kotak family, subscribes Hapag-Lloyd to a capital increase raising its shareholding to 40%. The financial details of the deal are not being disclosed. J M Baxi Ports &…