India News

Finally, Sachin Tendulkar asks a question in Rajya Sabha

Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar asked his first question in the Rajya Sabha three years after being appointed to the upper house of Parliament.

According to an ABP News report, on Friday, Tendulkar raised a question on the criteria for declaring suburban railway services as a separate zone. This was in reference to the marking of Kolkata Metro services as a new zone.

AIA group to raise stake in Tata AIA Life Insurance to 49%

AIA group today said it will raise stake in the life insurance venture with Tata group to 49 per cent from the existing 26 per cent.

AIA will increase shareholding in Tata AIA Life Insurance Company, a joint venture company formed by Tata Sons and AIA, from the current level of 26 per cent to 49 per cent through the purchase of a 23 per cent stake in the company, a joint statement said.

In India, corporate transparency comes with puzzling questions

Indian regulators have launched an unprecedented drive to boost corporate transparency, bombarding firms with disclosure demands, but clumsy execution has created suspicions of a box-ticking exercise that may not entirely achieve its aim.

Poor disclosure among India-listed firms is a turnoff for foreign investors, a weakness Asia's third-largest economy can ill afford as competition for overseas capital heats up among emerging markets in expectation of higher U.S. interest rates.

We will destroy Islamic State; California shooting was an act of terrorism, says Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama on Sunday night during a televised address from the Oval Office in the White House said that the US will destroy Islamic State, and condemned the recent San Bernardino attack as an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people.

He reassured Americans that his administration is doing all it can to reduce the risk of terror attacks after a couple in California carried out what he called 'a new phase' of terrorism.

Independent directors forced ONGC's hand on gas row with RIL

The board of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), led by its vocal independent directors and government nominee, had forced the firm’s management to take legal recourse that has now led to a damning finding that Rs 11,000 crore worth of its natural gas had flowed to neighbouring block of Reliance Industries (RIL).

It all started in July 2013 when a review of the firm’s eastern offshore oil and gas campaign by the just-appointed director (exploration), Narendra Kumar Verma, led to suspicion that ONGC’s Krishna Godavari basin block KG-DWN-98/2 and Godavari-PML are connected with adjoining KG-D6 block of RIL.

Chennai rains: ICICI Bank not to impose penalty on EMI delay

In view of floods, ICICI Bank today said it has decided not to impose any penalty on its Chennai customers for delay in EMI payments for November.

Besides, the bank will also waive off charges for cheque bounce for the same period, ICICI Bank spokesperson said.

Twin blasts in Guwahati's Fancy Bazaar, 2 injured

Twin blasts have been reported in Guwahati's Fancy Bazaar area in Assam. Mukesh Agarwaal, Police Commissioner said that Police and forensic teams have reached the spot on Guwahati blast. A few people have been injured in the stampede after the blast, the Police Commissioner said.

The area where the blast has occurred is a trading hub which is popular with Hindi-speaking communities, NDTV reported.