Asia

Nepali company gains expertise while working with Indian firm on railway project
2Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Nepali company gains expertise while working with Indian firm on railway project

A Nepal-based company has said that working with Indian company Ircon on Janakpur-Jaynagar railway project has increased their expertise and knowledge in the sector and this experience has made the company more confident to carry out further works in Nepal.“India has the world’s largest railway connection and Ircon looks after these links. While working with them we have become confident that we can carry out further railway construction works in our nation,” said Raman Mahato, Director, Raman Construction.Raman Construction has been given the responsibility to complete the work of embankment and cutting, blanketing work for laying new railway line, construction of major and minor bridges, and any other incidental/ancillary works required in connection to the completion of the work.“Previo...
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Government revives floriculture center in Srinagar destroyed in 2014 floods
31Aug mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Government revives floriculture center in Srinagar destroyed in 2014 floods

A floriculture center in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar that got damaged due to floods which had hit the region in 2014 has been revived with the help of substantial steps taken by the Indian government.“Nursery is the backbone for the landscaping work because all the initial plant material is prepared here. Because of the floods, several kinds of bulbs, ornamental bushes etc were destroyed. After the floods, the government took substantial steps to build this nursery again. We are also improving the quality of the soil by doing the maneuvering process,” Imran Ahmad, Assistant Floriculture Officer Gardens and Parks said.“Before 2014 floods, people use to visit the center to buy flowers and saplings. The earth filling is now been done. The carnations would be planted too,” Farooq Ahmad, an Em...
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Nepal still banks on Indians to revive its tourism sector
31Aug mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Nepal still banks on Indians to revive its tourism sector

According to Nepal Tourism Board officials, despite the COVID-19 induced economic slowdown, Nepal is expecting to host about 2 lakh foreign tourists in the ongoing fiscal year 2020-21, that is set to end in mid-July 2021, of which majority will be Indians.This statement comes even after ties between India and Nepal have strained over the Himalayan nation's controversial map incorporating the Indian territories of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, tourists from India continue to be the mainstay for Nepal's tourism industry."We still have 10 months of this fiscal year and flights may not resume before September. We have estimated that over 200,000 tourists will visit Nepal during this period. We have also finalized our policy and programmes that mentions the target," Deepak Mahat, a membe...
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Retired Brigadier Shuja Hassan Appointed as CEO of Pakistan Steel Mills
31Aug mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Retired Brigadier Shuja Hassan Appointed as CEO of Pakistan Steel Mills

Pakistan’s federal government in a notification has appointed retired Brigadier Shuja Hassan as the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM).According to the notification, Retired Brigadier Shuja Hassan has been appointed for one year and the appointment is subject to termination by both the parties on one month's notice.The qualification of the priority candidate is MSc (Hons) War Studies 2002, MSc (Hons) Defence and Strategic Studies2006. The experience of the candidate includes Experience in Army only Internal Posting Transfer in GHQ Corps HQ and Brigade HQ and Regimental Units.The government’s Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) “disposed off” plan appears to be in the doldrums after recent seemingly strong observations of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.The Ministry of Industries an...
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Asia shares take a breather, hope for flexible Fed
31Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, Market, World

Asia shares take a breather, hope for flexible Fed

Asian stocks will likely climb on Thursday after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rallied to fresh records on upbeat corporate results, while the dollar eased a day before the U.S. Federal Reserve possibly sets a new course on inflation. SYDNEY: Asian shares touched two-year peaks on Thursday in the wake of Wall Street's record run as cheap cash drove up big-cap tech darlings, although Sino-U.S. tensions caused caution to creep in as the session progressed. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan turned flat after earlier reaching its highest since August 2018. Japan's Nikkei eased 0.4per cent from levels not seen since mid-February, and South Korea fell 0.8per cent as a jump in coronavirus cases ended four days of rises. Even S&P 500 futures dipped 0.2per cent, although t...
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India announces $500 million connectivity project, cargo service to boost trade ties with Maldives
31Aug mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

India announces $500 million connectivity project, cargo service to boost trade ties with Maldives

India has said that it will fund the implementation of the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) to revitalize the Maldivian economy through a $400 million Line of Credit (LOC) and $100 million grant linking its capital Male with Gulhifalhu Port and Thilafushi industrial zone.A new cargo ferry service will also be launched between the two countries, which will help India replace other countries to become the Maldives’ top trade partner. The measures were announced during a virtual meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Maldives counterpart Abdulla Shahid.“Happy to announce the start of regular cargo ferry service between India & Maldives to boost trade and commerce. We are also starting an air travel bubble with Maldives to sustain and promote the dynamic peo...
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Philippines reports 6,352 new COVID-19 cases, Southeast Asia’s biggest daily jump
29Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, World

Philippines reports 6,352 new COVID-19 cases, Southeast Asia’s biggest daily jump

MANILA: The Philippines reported 6,352 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday (Aug 4), marking the biggest daily jump in cases in Southeast Asia. Tuesday's figures represent the Philippines' fifth record rise in the past six days and takes the country's tally of cases to 112,593. COVID-19 deaths rose by 11 to 2,115. The Philippine capital and nearby provinces on Tuesday returned under strict lockdown for two weeks to arrest soaring cases since restrictions were relaxed in June. The government announced late on Sunday it was placing metro Manila and nearby provinces such as Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan under so-called "Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine" until Aug 18. Philippine police deployed road blocks on Tuesday to enforce a tough new lockdown on about 28 million people in...
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Sericulture in J&K to get boost with new silk weaving factory
28Aug mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
Asia, Market, USA

Sericulture in J&K to get boost with new silk weaving factory

In order to give sericulture in Jammu and Kashmir a boost, the government of India has installed new silk weaving and silk filatures factories at Bari Brahmana area of Samba district.Equipped with modern machinery and equipment, the new facilities have been established with project cost of Rs 16.80 crore and Rs 6.64 crore respectively in a record time of two years.The Principal Secretary of Industries and Commerce, Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Dwivedi said that with the establishment of these units, work ranging from the treatment of cocoons to the production of silk and designing of finished fabrics like sarees, everything can be done at one place from now onwards.The silk filatures and silk weaving factory has already produced 4,60,000 meters of silk fabric and it is estimated that in futu...
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Article 370 abrogation impact: Skill development schemes in Kashmir valley empower women
28Aug mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Article 370 abrogation impact: Skill development schemes in Kashmir valley empower women

Since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, skill development schemes by the government of India have gained momentum in the valley, enabling thousands of youngsters to receive training under them and become independent.Women of Kashmir have especially been empowered and have become self-reliant with these government-backed initiatives.Ufia Jan, who is a programme manager at a skill development center for tailoring and stitching, said the central government schemes have proven to be instrumental in the overall growth of women in the Union Territory.“We have started this skill development center under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana scheme where youngsters from the economically backward sections are given skill training. This is an inclusive training programme and we p...
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Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar gets high-tech cold storage facility
28Aug mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar gets high-tech cold storage facility

A new high-tech cold storage facility has been setup in Srinagar’s world-famous Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden for safekeeping of delicate tulip bulbs.Situated on the foothills of the Zabarwan Range with an overview of Dal Lake, the garden in India’s Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is Asia’s largest tulip garden and was opened in 2007 with the aim to boost floriculture and tourism in Kashmir Valley.“We get several tourists every year and work very hard to take care of the flowers so that they are ready to bloom on the onset of the spring season,” said Nissar Ahmad, an employee at the garden.The new two-floor cold storage would increase the efficiency of producing and caring for the flowers, he added.Every March, a festival is organized to exhibit the tulips to tourists from across t...
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