Reuters

Modi government expects cargo traffic at its ports to jump by two-thirds by 2021 as India ramps up exports of goods including cars and other machinery. IMAGE: Govt to grant Gautam Adani $240 million funding to help the new port at Vizhinjam Indian conglomerate Adani Group has started building the country's first transshipment port, conceived 25 years ago, and the government will construct another $4-billion facility nearby to create a shipping hub rivalling Chinese facilities in the region. New Delhi will grant billionaire Gautam Adani Rs 16 billion ($240 million) in so-called "viability gap" funding to help the new port at Vizhinjam in Kerala win business from established hubs elsewhere in Asia. Once Vizhinjam is operational the central government will start building the port of Enayam in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, said a senior shipping ministry official. Enayam alone will save more than $200 million in costs for Indian companies every year, he said. India's 7,500-km (4,700-mile) … [Read more...] about Adani to help Modi fulfill India’s port dreams

'The vocal pacifists who monopolise the media in India need to answer a simple question: Would they have the Taliban or ISIS take over Kashmir or the rest of the country or let the army do its duty so that we are safe in our beds and free to demonise the soldiers in our cozy drawing rooms and television studios,' asks Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).IMAGE: Gorkha soldiers at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters It was only the second time in my life (the first time was when I returned from a Pakistani Prisoner of War camp in 1972) that I broke down and had difficulty controlling my tears. On March 16, I was in Hyderabad to celebrate Cassino Day and the bicentenary of my regiment, the 9 Gorkha Rifles. Retired Subedar Rudra Bahadur of my company took me to meet the widow of Sepoy (Rifleman) Bhakta Bahadur, and the memories of the 1971 war came flooding in. It was an emotional tsunami! 99 Bhakta Bahadur was once my Batman (orderly, Sahayak and now christened … [Read more...] about Soul of the army and spirit of the nation

IMAGE: Andy Murray had things his way against big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic to reach the fourth round at the French Open in Paris on Friday. Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters Andy Murray's French Open campaign gathered pace as he made light work of big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic to reach the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory on Friday. After consecutive five-setters in his first two rounds, the second seed gave a masterclass in nullifying the game's biggest serve, breaking twice in succession at the start of the match to pave the way for a routine victory. Murray will face either big serving American 15th seed John Inner or Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili next. The ATM's statistics showed Karol had won 95 percent of his service games in the last year, more than any other player, but that counted for little on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Karol was 4-0 behind in quick time as Murray toyed with the 6ft 11in player who was the oldest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam … [Read more...] about French Open PHOTOS: Murray, Halep advance; Kvitova bows out

IMAGE: Andy Murray celebrates after scraping past Mathias Bourgue. Photograph: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters Andy Murray avoided suffering his earliest grand slam defeat for eight years by clawing his way into the FrenchOpen third round with a five-set win over swashbuckling French journeyman Mathias Bourgue on Wednesday. The British second seed, who survived a five-set thriller in the first round, eventually triumphed 6-2 2-6 4-6 6-2 6-3. Murray appeared to be on course for an easy victory when he was a set and 2-0 up against the 164th-ranked wildcard who had never played a Tour-level match before this week. But the Scot went into a mid-match meltdown as Bourgue won eight games in a row, including 16 successive points, by torturing his more celebrated rival with a mix of devilish dropshots, flying forehands and venomous volleys. The 22-year-old Frenchman kept up his antics to take the third set before Murray's survival skills finally kicked in. After saving three break … [Read more...] about French Open PHOTOS: Murray survives; Wawrinka, Nishikori, Radwanska win

IMAGE: Serena Williams helped create the Bumble campaign, which was developed and produced entirely by women, and will serve as global adviser to the company. Photograph: Danny Moloshok/Reuters Tennis champion Serena Williams will star in a year-long marketing campaign for the Bumble social networking app that will kick off with a message of women's empowerment during the February 3 Super Bowl, Williams told Reuters in an interview. Bumble began in 2014 as a dating platform for women to start discussions with potential male partners. The company is aiming to promote newer functions, Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz, which help women find friends and build business networks, alongside dating. In the campaign called "The Ball is in Her Court," Williams will urge women to make the first move in all aspects of their lives."Society has taught us as women to kind of sit back and not necessarily be the first one to speak up. We want to take that and flip the story," Williams said. "We are letting … [Read more...] about Women’s empowerment campaign: Serena joins Priyanka Chopra-backed app