India

Stories 1021 - 1040 | << Prev   Next >>

71-Year-Old New Mom Wants to Go for No. 2

After decades of trying for child, couple heard about IVF

(Newser) - At 70, after 4 decades of trying, Indian Rajo Devi Lohan had her first child last year, making her the world’s oldest known mother. Now, she tells the Guardian she’s “strong”—and wants a brother for daughter Naveen. But she and her husband sold 2 buffaloes...

Gandhi Goods Going, Going ... Back Home to India

Tycoon pays $1.8m for Gandhi glasses, watch, sandals to donate to government

(Newser) - The few worldly possessions that Mahatma Gandhi left behind will be returning to his homeland after an Indian tycoon bought them at a controversial New York auction yesterday, the Washington Post reports. Vijay Mallya paid $1.8 million for the independence leader's spectacles, pocket watch and sandals, and pledged to...

India Rejects Deal on Gandhi Glasses

(Newser) - India has rejected a donation offer from the owner of Mahatma Gandhi’s personal effects, set for auction today in New York, the Times reports. James Otis, a peace activist who owns Gandhi’s glasses, watch, and sandals, wanted India to exhibit the items or increase spending on its poor...

Clinton Seeks World Meeting on Afghanistan

High-level conference would develop 'common way forward'

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton has proposed a high-level international conference on Afghanistan sponsored by the United Nations and attended by a wide range of countries including Pakistan and NATO allies. The secretary of State presented the proposal at a NATO meeting in Brussels, where she said the session could be held March...

Slumdog Kids Back in Slum
 Slumdog Kids Back in Slum 

Slumdog Kids Back in Slum

Child actors receive heroes' welcome in Mumbai

(Newser) - No more red carpet: The two child stars of Slumdog Millionaire have returned from Hollywood to their now-infamous Mumbai slum, CNN reports. The pair, excited from the trip but exhausted from the media attention, were greeted by enthusiastic crowds. Rubina Ali, 9, says she has heard rumors of new homes...

Pakistani Colonel Linked to Mumbai Attacks

India says officer had contact with gunmen; 37 suspects wanted

(Newser) - Indian police have accused an officer in Pakistan's army of involvement in the November 2008 terrorist attacks that left 170 people dead, reports the Times of London. In a document detailing the charges against surviving assailant Ajmal Amir Kasab, which runs more than 11,000 pages, Indian authorities mention that...

Slumdog Kids Promised New Digs

Indian government vows to upgrade housing for kids 'who have brought laurels' to nation

(Newser) - The two key child actors in Oscar-sweeping Slumdog Millionaire will receive new homes in Mumbai, compliments of the Indian government, Reuters reports. The children, who played the younger versions of the movie's main characters, "have brought laurels to the country, and we have been told that they live in...

Mumbai Slums Cheer Millionaire
 Mumbai Slums Cheer Millionaire 

Mumbai Slums Cheer Millionaire

(Newser) - Children broke into Bollywood dance numbers in the narrow lanes of a teeming Mumbai slum today, as they gathered to watch Slumdog Millionaire's domination of the Oscars. Two of Slumdog's child actors, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, hail from this desperately poor neighborhood, and their every appearance elicited squeals...

Slumdog Kids Are Oscar-Bound

(Newser) - A world away from the slums where they live, the young stars of Slumdog Millionaire cruised Mumbai in an air-conditioned Toyota today, doing last-minute shopping and getting advice on the unimaginable: air travel. The Slumdog kids had just got the good news—they were going to the Oscars. "I...

Heirs Decry 'Immoral' Sale of Gandhi's Stuff

'Insult' to India 'must be stopped,' says great-grandson

(Newser) - Mahatma Gandhi’s heirs have slammed a New York auction of his few belongings, calling it “immoral,” the Daily Telegraph reports. “It must be stopped," said Gandhi’s great-grandson. "It would be a grave insult to the nation if these items”—including sandals, pocket...

Indian Women Fight Back With Pink Panties

Women fight back after Hindu extremists vow to disrupt Valentine's Day

(Newser) - An extremist group opposed to young couples in India celebrating Valentine's Day is being deluged by pink panties, reports Radio Netherlands. The protest—organized after members of Sri Ram Sena attacked women drinking in pubs and vowed similar action today—seems light on the surface but actually is a sign...

Gandhi's Spectacles for Sale
 Gandhi's Spectacles for Sale 

Gandhi's Spectacles for Sale

Glasses and other items to be auctioned

(Newser) - Mahatma Gandhi's handful of possessions—his signature round-lens eyeglasses, simple sandals, bowl, plate, and pocket watch—are to be sold at auction in New York next month. Although he had far fewer possessions than Jackie O, the BBC reports the auction is likely to attract just as much attention as...

India to Sell Cow Pee Soda

 India to Sell 
 Cow Pee Soda 

India to Sell Cow Pee Soda

Nationalists push drink as Coke, Pepsi rival

(Newser) - India's largest Hindu nationalist group is taking on Coke and Pepsi with a native brew that's a little, uh, earthier: a soft drink made from cow urine. "Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty, too," its maker assures the Times. The so-called cow water—...

Pakistan Admits Mumbai Attack Plot; Prosecutes 8

Minister prepares to prosecute 8 suspects

(Newser) - Pakistan's interior minister conceded today that last year's Mumbai attacks were at least partly planned in his country, reports the BBC. At a news conference, Rehman Malik said he had begun legal proceedings against eight suspects, two of whom remain at large. While the minister admitted that "some part...

A Kiss Is Not Just a Kiss: Indian Court

Criminal charge against couple dismissed

(Newser) - A married couple accused of obscenity for allegedly kissing in public have been cleared by a judge in Delhi, reports the BBC, where public displays of affection are considered scandalous. The couple was arrested at a railroad station where they claim they were photographing themselves with a cellphone. A conviction...

India to Unveil $10 Laptop
 India to Unveil $10 Laptop 

India to Unveil $10 Laptop

Low-cost computer is part of plan to update nation's colleges

(Newser) - India’s government will launch an ultra-cheap laptop computer tomorrow as part of a new initiative to update the nation’s educational system, the Guardian reports. The Sakshat will sell for $10 (500 rupees), a price India hopes will be accessible for most students. The laptop is the centerpiece of...

Slumdog Makers Say Kids Weren't Exploited

Filmmakers deny they underpaid children

(Newser) - The creators of Slumdog Millionaire are taking the offensive to rebut accusations that the young Indian actors in their film were exploited, People reports. Claims surfaced earlier this week that two of the child actors, still living in the slums of Mumbai, got a raw deal. But director Danny Boyle...

Slumdog an Evasive Fantasy
 Slumdog an Evasive Fantasy 
OPINION

Slumdog an Evasive Fantasy

Fairy-tale film's take on 'real India' has 'conveniently fluid notion of reality'

(Newser) - Slumdog Millionaire wants to be a portrait of the “real India” and a fairy tale at the same time, but director Danny Boyle’s combination is “dissonant to the point of incoherence,” writes Dennis Lim in Slate. It portrays life in the slums in brilliant color, and...

Indian Leader in ICU After Heart Surgery

PM's illness highlights lack of succession law, aging Cabinet

(Newser) - Indian PM Manmohan Singh is in intensive care as he recovers from heart bypass surgery, reports the Times of London, highlighting the country's lack of succession law and stoking fears about its preparedness for another terrorist attack. The foreign minister is acting as leader while a special committee has control...

Slum Dwellers Protest Slumdog
 Slum Dwellers Protest Slumdog 

Slum Dwellers Protest Slumdog

Slum residents feel film's title is demeaning

(Newser) - Slumdog Millionaire has drawn widespread critical praise and earned 10 Oscar nominations today, but some residents of Mumbai slums find the title insulting, the AP reports. Protesters demonstrated outside the office of Bollywood star Anil Kapoor, who appears in the film, holding signs saying "Poverty For Sale" and "...

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