INDIA

Asian markets rose this week amid hopes that central banks around the world will take coordinated stimulus measures to tackle the European financial crisis and regain global economic growth momentum.

As the U.S. Senate grapples with how to allocate about $100 billion a year for the next decade on food policy, one subsection of the farm bill is under attack, namely, the $200 million U.S. taxpayers spend every year to subsidize the marketing of well-established brands found in virtually every American pantry.

The ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in India Friday announced that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would be its candidate for the presidential elections slated for July 19.

The Reserve Bank of India will hold its mid-quarter monetary policy review June 18 amid strong demands from the industry and economists for a cut in interest rates. However, the central bank is still weighing the options on rate cuts as curtailing inflation remains top priority.

Asserting the importance of cash and intellectual property to implement the proposed measures for a sustainable economy, a senior Brazilian negotiator warned against using Europe's financial crisis as an excuse for inaction and underfunding at the Rio+20 conference in Brazil Thursday.

Asian markets rose Friday as investor confidence was boosted by expectation for stimulus measures from policymakers globally.

The Bangalore bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) has asked Indian telecom company Bharati Airtel to pay over Rs 70 billion fine for evading customs duty by undervaluing hardware imports.

Wal-Mart was accused Thursday of breaching food safety standards in China by selling sesame oil containing excessive amounts of benzopyrene and squid containing hazardous levels of cadmium, both chemicals classified as carcinogenic.

The very peak of Powell's career likely occurred in April 1968,when he delivered his infamous Rivers of Blood speech in Birmingham in which he warned that unchecked immigration of non-whites into Britain would lead to violence in the streets and social collapse.

Though foreigners are now banned from traveling to the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Chinese name for Central Tibet, the Himalayan hinterland has experienced a boom in tourism thanks to Chinese visitors.

Indian media has feasted on scandals in the mining industry in recent years.

India's wholesale price index (WPI) rose to 7.55 percent in May, mounting pressure on the Reserve Bank of India ahead of its highly anticipated rate cuts.

The United States and India Wednesday agreed to further strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation on global issues and said that their ties had entered a new and more mature phase defined by constant consultations of strategic importance.

Asian markets fell Thursday as weak retail sales data by the U.S. Commerce Department and Spanish debt downgrade by Moody's weighed down on investor sentiment.

This week, leaders from India and the United States will gather in Washington to discuss our expanding cooperation on everything from trade to technology to terrorism. There also will be issues on which we don't see eye to eye, and some of those may dominate the media coverage.

The 105-year-old, 20-story luxury hotel is currently jointly owned by El-Ad Properties, an Israeli-owned real estate firm; and Kingdom Holdings, a company based in Saudi Arabia.

Something strange is going to take place next week at the G-20 summit: Europe, long accustomed to sending aid through the International Monetary Fund to developing nations, will pass a collection plate to many of those same countries. But to get such help, which could be as much as $105 billion from four major emerging economies, European nations will have to surrender some control of the IMF.

The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notices to the Indian government and Air India management on the striking pilots' plea for their salaries for March.

Wal-Mart lawyers have identified India, China, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico as the most corrupt countries, according to a letter from two congressmen investigating the bribery charges leveled against the company.

India's external affairs minister S M Krishna Tuesday sought to assuage the foreign investors' concerns over the country's economic growth.

The Indian economy will grow by 6.9 percent in the current financial year despite government's inaction in policy reforms and the fiscal and current deficits that slackened economic growth, says the World Bank.