Author: Gopal Mirchandani

Sanjiva Weerawarana is a Sri Lankan success story. He founded enterprise software firm WSO2 in 2005, got it close to $100 million in ARR as its CEO, then sold it to private equity firm EQT for $600 million in May. He sometimes drives for Uber, too. Sri Lanka isn’t renowned for its startup ecosystem, but one company has been something of an outlier in the South Asian island nation these past two decades. WSO2, an open source enterprise software provider with customers such as Samsung, Axa, and AT&T, recently agreed to be acquired by private equity giant EQT, at a valuation TechCrunch reported at the time…

SINGAPORE – The Chinese embassy in Singapore on March 18 asked its citizens in the Republic to “stay away” from gambling, adding that cross-border gambling violates Chinese laws. The embassy, in a statement on its official WeChat account, “solemnly reminded” Chinese citizens in Singapore to steer clear of gambling, which is strictly prohibited by law in China. “Even if overseas casinos are opened legally, cross-border gambling by Chinese citizens is suspected of violating the laws of our country and face the risk of punitive actions,” said the embassy, warning that embassies may not be able to provide consular protection for…

When you’re a famous Bollywood actress you attract attention wherever you go. Sometimes Dia Mirza can use that attention to her advantage, like when it comes to campaigning about climate change, the cause she is most passionate about. But sometimes it creates problems. In the middle of our interview for BBC 100 Women, just as she’s discussing the causes of climate change, there is a ring on the bell of the hotel room door. The staff, learning that she was here, have made a collage of photographs of Mirza, and have come to the door to present the gift. She’s…

The United States will continue to provide defense assistance packages to Ukraine under Presidential Authorization (PDA) in the near future; they will simply become smaller. At the same time, the Pentagon urges Congress to accept additional funding as soon as possible. Source: Deputy Speaker of the US Department of Defense Sabrina Singh, Ukrinform Singh’s direct speech : “We will continue to transfer packages, they are just getting smaller. Therefore, we are asking Congress to accept the request for additional appropriations that the President sent so that we can continue to meet the needs of Ukraine on the battlefield,” the Pentagon spokeswoman said. Details: She clarified the…

A camera has captured footage of the 41 workers trapped in a tunnel in India’s Uttarakhand state for the first time in nine days. The video was filmed using an endoscopic camera that was slipped inside a new pipe drilled into the tunnel on Monday. Rescuers also used the pipe to give the workers their first hot meal in days. So far, they had been subsisting on snacks sent through a narrower pipe inserted earlier. The under-construction tunnel caved in after a landslide. The incident took place on the morning of 12 November in the northern state’s Uttarkashi district. Contact…

Frankfurt (3/12 – 12) The relatively rapid cohesion of disparate nations, historically competitive or even at war with one another, into the European Union came about in part because of the ongoing threat from the Soviet Union. The specter of a tank invasion from Warsaw Pact nations, today forgotten, was such a reality that the German government kept a major portion of its gold bullion across the Atlantic. The USSR, an ally in World War II after being double-crossed by Hitler – remember the “Non-Aggression Pact signed in Moscow by von Ribbentrop and Molotov – was soon appraised as a…

A Bollywood actress is set to receive an honorary doctorate in recognition of her contribution to the industry. Preity G Zinta will be presented with the degree from Birmingham City University (BCU) in India next year. The 48-year-old is also set to join West Midlands mayor Andy Street in the city on 4 and 5 November as part of Diwali celebrations. Mr Street said he was “excited” she would lead celebrations, in her first UK appearance in more than a decade. Her visit to Birmingham coincided with the city’s India Film Festival which closes on Friday. Ms Zinta’s forthcoming doctorate was…

Forty-one Canadian diplomats have recently left India amid a rift over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil. India asked Canada two weeks ago to withdraw dozens of its diplomatic staff and threatened to remove their immunity if they remained. Canadian officials called the threat a “violation of international law”. Relations have been tense after Canada accused India of being behind the 18 June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has denied the allegations, calling them “absurd”. On Thursday, Canada’s foreign minister, Melanie Joly, confirmed that many Canadian diplomats and their dependents in India have now left…

The phone line at a Vancouver-based tourism company has been ringing non-stop since India announced that it will be suspending visa services for Canadian citizens. Those who are planning to travel in the coming months are worried about what the ban means for them, said Radhika Sharma, who works at Explore India, which organises tours to the country. Ms Sharma said travellers with a visa in hand should be fine “but people who have not yet applied, we’re not sure if they are going to get it or not”. Travel issues for tourists are among many concerns that have arisen…

NASDAQ columnist Larry Ramer has selected 4 of the most promising specialized companies for targeted mergers and acquisitions (Special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC for short), which investors should look at in the near future. It’s first SPAC by Kenges Rakishev, but not the first NASDAQ listing At the moment, they are not operating, and their main goal and characteristic is to bring selected private companies to the stock exchange through a merger, rather than a traditional IPO. Stock analysts are holding their breath, waiting for the upcoming deals to be announced, as they predict a sharp increase in the…