Singapore / AFP Singapore Telecom (Singtel) reported a full-year net profit rise, driven by increased mobile data usage as more customers browse the Internet on handheld devices. Investments in high-speed Internet networks and services are paying off as the easy mobile connections allow people to consume more data while on the go, said Singtel, Southeast Asia’s biggest telecom firm …

  Kolkata / Bloomberg The monsoon in India, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the annual rainfall, will arrive a week later this year, prolonging a drinking water shortage and delaying planting of crops from rice to cotton and sugar cane. Southern Kerala state will start receiving the seasonal rains from June 7, the India Meteorological Department said …

  Jeddah / AFP US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to secure its support ahead of a potential showdown with Russia at talks on the Syrian conflict. After his Saudi meetings, Kerry was due to fly to Vienna which this week will host the international contact groups engaged in efforts to halt fighting …