INDIA

Though the Maldives capital Malé remains in turmoil after the ousting of president Mohamed Nasheed, officials say resorts in the popular tourist destinations remain safe and open for business.

Google may be an Internet search engine giant but even the giant was forced to kneel before the powerful Indian 'Internet censorship god' Monday. The world's No.1 search engine told a New Delhi district court that it has removed some objectionable contents, which is religiously sensitive, published in some Web sites, after the court warned of a China-like crackdown unless they protect religious sentiments of the local people.

Three government ministers from one of India's conservative political parties resigned on Wednesday after they were caught watching pornography on a cell phone during a session of the Karnataka state assembly.

Three Indian politicians from a morally conservative party, including a women's affairs minister, resigned on Wednesday after being caught watching pornography on a mobile phone during a session of state parliament.

The election in Uttar Pradesh, a state that would be the world's fifth most populous nation if independent, could have a bearing on who next governs India. It is a closely fought four-way race pitting Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the elite Gandhi dynasty, against Dalit leader Mayawati and two other parties.

The rupee nudged up on Wednesday supported by dollar inflows, but a pick-up in greenback buying by local companies and fears of profit-booking after last month's sharp rally kept the mood jittery.

The BSE Sensex ended 0.5 percent higher on Wednesday, helped by a rally in software stocks including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) and Infosys Technologies (INFY.NS) and gains in index heavyweight Reliance Industries.

Two wrongs don't make a right. India's beleaguered aviation sector needs a boost. But letting airlines avoid punitive state taxes by directly importing fuel isn't smart. Some tax is necessary to pay for environmental costs.

Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh, who is undergoing chemotherapy for a malignant tumor located between his lungs, has tweeted, thanking his fans and well-wishers.

Hackers sought $50,000 from U.S. anti-virus firm Symantec Corp in return for the stolen blueprints to its flagship products under what the company says was a sting operation run by an undisclosed law enforcement agency via emails.

President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, widely credited with bringing democracy to the Indian Ocean archipelago, handed over the post to Vice-President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

Jyoti Amge, who shot to fame after being recognized as the world's shortest living woman recently, has been campaigning for the forthcoming municipal elections in Mumbai, India.

The BSE Sensex climbed 0.7 percent on Wednesday, led by energy conglomerate Reliance Industries and software services exporters Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services.

The continuing decline in earnings has mainly been attributed to currency fluctuations and the rising interest costs. Also, all the major mobile phone service providers in the country are engaged in a bitter tariff war.

A hacker released the source code for antivirus firm Symantec's pcAnywhere utility on Tuesday, raising fears that others could find security holes in the product and attempt takeovers of customer computers.

Many conseravtive Indians associate Valentine's Day with rampant globalization and exploitation by western nations.

PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE:PEP), the world's largest snack-food maker, is projected to report stronger fourth-quarter profit as PepsiCo continue to capitalize on emerging market growth and proper hedging against commodity price swings.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), the giant beverage maker, said on Tuesday that net income fell 71 percent in the fourth quarter on substantial restructuring charges, but increased beverage sales beat Wall Street expectations, and it announced a cost cutting plan to pay for rising commodity costs and bolster its brands.

Iranian buyers have defaulted on payments for about 200,000 tonnes of rice from their top supplier India, exporters and rice millers said on Tuesday, a sign of the mounting pressure on Tehran from a new wave of Western sanctions.

Surging capital inflows, booming stock markets and a fast-appreciating currency suggest the India story is again shining after a dismal 2011.

As recently as last November, deep into the Syrian crisis, Brazil specifically rejected any foreign intervention in Syria.