Pramod Thomas

Kochi

Senior Journalist @EasternEye. Ex @NewIndianXpress Author: A Shoe Named Revolution (Poetry/Amazon). Tweets are personal.

Articles

Bangladesh opens trial against Hasina over uprising crackdown

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

FUGITIVE former prime minister Sheikh Hasina orchestrated a "systemic attack" to try to crush the uprising against her government, Bangladeshi prosecutors said at the opening of her trial on Sunday (1). Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina's government launched its crackdown, according to the United Nations. Hasina, 77, fled by helicopter to India as the student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule, and she has defied an extradition order to return to Dhaka.
Disposable vapes ban goes into effect to curb youth addiction

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

A BAN on disposable vapes goes into effect across the UK on Sunday (1) in a bid to protect children's health and tackle a "throwaway" culture. "For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine," junior environment minister Mary Creagh said.
Indian MPs arrive in UK to build support against Pakistan terror links

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

AN all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad has arrived in London to reiterate India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism. The multi-party delegation, including MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Ghulam Ali Khatana, Amar Singh, Samik Bhattacharya, M Thambidurai, former minister of state MJ Akbar and ambassador Pankaj Saran, is scheduled to meet community groups, think tanks, parliamentarians and diaspora leaders.
India confirms aircraft loss in Pakistan conflict

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

INDIA's defence chief appeared to confirm his country had lost at least one aircraft during the brief conflict with Pakistan earlier this month, he told Bloomberg in an interview. India and Pakistan were engaged in a four-day conflict last month, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. More than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides. Pakistan claimed its Chinese-supplied jets had shot down six Indian aircraft.
Britain pumps £1.5bn into arms factories ahead of defence review

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

BRITAIN will invest £1.5 billion ($2bn) in new weapons factories to ramp up defence production capacity, the government said, ahead of a major review of its armed forces and military strategy. The Strategic Defence Review, due to be published on Monday (2), will assess the threats facing the UK amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and pressure from US president Donald Trump for NATO allies to bolster their own defences.
Asda shows signs of recovery after price cuts

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

ASDA has reported a slowdown in its sales decline as the supermarket chain's aggressive price-cutting strategy begins to show results. The UK's third-largest grocer said like-for-like sales fell 3.1 per cent in the four months to the end of April, an improvement from the 4.2 per cent decline recorded in the previous quarter, reported the Financial Times.
Nepal takes game to new heights with T20 league

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

GLAMORGAN all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year. Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres above sea level.
UK-India FTA: Scottish whisky and salmon set for major boost

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

THE recently finalised UK-India free trade agreement (FTA) is set to dramatically reduce prices for British imports in India while opening significant new markets for Scottish exports, industry leaders have confirmed. Under the FTA announced in May, India will slash duties on UK whisky and gin from 150 per cent to 75 per cent immediately, with further reductions to 40 per cent over the next decade.
Kohli takes 'strategic stake' in new World League

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

THE proposed World Bowling League has received a major boost after India cricketer Virat Kohli came on board as a strategic investor on Wednesday (28). Apart from being the leading name in international cricket, Kohli is a social media phenomenon and the third-most followed athlete on Instagram behind footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
OYO courts investment banks for crucial SoftBank IPO pitch

1 week ago | easterneye.biz | Pramod Thomas

GLOBAL travel-tech unicorn OYO has arranged for five investment banks to meet its key shareholder SoftBank in June, in a crucial presentation that could determine the company's path to public listing, sources said. The banks include Citi, Goldman Sachs and Jefferies from the global banking consortium, alongside ICICI Securities and Axis Capital representing Indian financial institutions.