Raymond Ronamai

A typhoon hitting the southern Philippines triggered flash floods and landslides that killed nearly 180 people and forced about 100,000 from their homes, government and army officials said on Saturday.

The Sahara group will give a loan of more than 2.5 billion rupees to cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines, to help the carrier continue operations.

Pop star Britney Spears is engaged to her boyfriend Jason Trawick, celebrity media outlets reported on Friday after the singer posted a message on Twitter about receiving the one gift for which she has longed.

Policy paralysis, corruption scandals and a government fearful of political backlash to any bold moves have worsening domestic finances, and Incredible India is no longer incredible.

The A5 processor used in Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPad 2 is reportedly manufactured by rival Korean electronics giant Samsung from its factory in Austin.

Apple iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy are likely to stand out in this holiday season's smartphone sales which will otherwise be clouded by global economic uncertainty.

Apple Inc's share of China's booming smartphone market has risen sharply in the past two years, but for now the company that sells the iconic iPhone is being outpaced by nimble rivals.

Cricket risks killing the goose that lays the golden egg if it disrespects fans by scheduling too many meaningless international matches, former India captain Rahul Dravid has said.

India's food inflation eased to 4.35 percent in the year to December 3 - its lowest reading since late February 2008 -- from an annual 6.60 percent rise in the previous week, government data showed on Thursday.

Spot gold weakened further on Thursday after dropping 3.5 percent in the previous session, as investors remained nervous about the eurozone debt crisis amid the year-end rush to liquidate positions.

India needs practical solutions to address its economic slowdown, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday.

India's economic gloom deepened on Wednesday as figures showed a record low rupee is adding to Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) inflation headache and an adviser to the prime minister said there was little that could be done to check the currency's slump.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expects to succeed in his push to open the domestic retail market to foreign companies after regional elections conclude by the end of March.

Worries that India's evolution into an economic superpower may be overhyped and signs the government may lack the will to further dismantle a protectionist legacy drove India-themed funds to the bottom of performance league tables in November.

Rajesh Exports, the world's biggest jewellery maker, expects to raise gold imports by 17 percent next year to power its renewed thrust in the competitive and fragmented local jewellery market as a cushion against a volatile export market.

India's wholesale prices rose more than expected in November, leaving inflation stubbornly high and suggesting the RBI would hold rates steady at its review on Friday even as worries grow over the health of the economy.

Facebook launched a new suicide prevention tool on Tuesday, giving users a direct link to an online chat with counselors who can help, the company said.

A U.S. Congressional panel has frozen $700 million in aid to Pakistan until it gives assurances that it is helping fight the spread of homemade bombs in the region, a move one Pakistani senator called unwise and likely to strain ties further.

If Indian policymakers are hoping the country's slowing economy can rebound largely the same way it did from the 2008 global financial crisis, they are dreaming. India's economic slowdown is likely to prolong.

A sharp drop in bullion prices prompted some buying interest on Asia's physical market, but many remained reluctant to purchase large quantities as the year end approaches and the eurozone debt crisis threatens to further sink prices.

India's headline inflation likely eased in November to 9.04 percent from 9.73 percent the month before as food prices fell to their lowest in nearly three-and-a-half years, a Reuters poll showed.

Farmer Shripati Nana Jadhav has good reasons to be a fan of strawberries - they've funded construction of his simple, spacious house near the hill station of Panchgani and allowed him to send his four children to college.

Energy major Reliance Industries, India's most valued company that also runs supermarkets, plans to enter the fast-food business next year.

India's industrial output fell for the first time in more than two years in October as waning consumer demand took a toll, adding pressure on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease monetary or liquidity conditions, possibly as soon as Friday.

West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard blasted 10 sixes but his power-packed maiden century was not enough to avert a 34-run defeat against India in the fifth and final one-dayer on Sunday.

Reliance Industries is currently selling two million to three million tonnes of petroleum products a year to Africa, and it sees the potential for more, P. Raghavendran, president of the company's refinery business, said Saturday.

Excavating lost Mayan ruins or traveling to space are normally the stuff of adventure novels. But for Facebook employees, these and other lavish dreams are moving closer to reality as the world's No. 1 online social network prepares for a blockbuster IPO.

Hewlett Packard Co has decided to open its webOS mobile operating system to developers and companies, potentially taking on Google Inc's free Android platform that is popular with handset makers.

Already battered by corruption scandals, and less than a week after an embarrassing policy U-turn, the government admitted on Friday that it had accidentally inflated this year's export figures by more than $9 billion.