India

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Indian Parliament Elects First Woman Speaker

Kumar belongs to oppressed lower caste

(Newser) - India’s otherwise divided parliament unanimously hailed the appointment of the nation’s first female speaker today, the BBC reports. Meira Kumar, 64, is the daughter of a renowned politician and a longtime member of the Congress party, victorious in recent general elections. She’s also from a lower-caste community...

Pakistan Releases Mumbai Suspect, India Outraged

India unhappy with move

(Newser) - Pakistan has released the leader of a group who had been arrested in connection with November’s Mumbai attacks, the New York Times reports, enraging neighboring India. A Pakistani court deemed Hafiz Muhammad Saeed’s detention unconstitutional, said his lawyer, after concluding there wasn’t enough evidence to hold him....

Director Buys Apartment for Slumdog Kid

(Newser) - The makers of Slumdog Millionaire have bought a home for one of the film’s Indian child actors whose real-life shanty was demolished by the Mumbai government, Reuters reports. Azharuddin Ismail is now living in a “comfortable” apartment “in a good neighborhood near his school,” an exec...

Cyclone Kills 90 in Bangladesh, India

Hundreds of thousands flee as Aila lashes Bengal region

(Newser) - At least 90 people were killed when a cyclone ripped into Bangladesh and eastern India yesterday, Reuters reports. Tens of thousands of others lost their homes and crops as Cyclone Aila caused tidal waves and flooding. Troops in both countries are scrambling to rescue marooned people and deliver emergency supplies....

India Riots Bust Out After Austria Temple Killing

Punjab erupts in violence after Sikh guru's murder

(Newser) - Riots have broken out in dozens of cities across the Indian state of Punjab after a Sikh guru was killed in a temple in Austria yesterday. Thousands of protesters have damaged public property and set trains on fire, and in one city four people were injured when police fired on...

Second Slumdog Kid's Home Torn Down

Ali's father beaten by police in demolition

(Newser) - The shanty home of another Slumdog Millionaire child star was torn down by Mumbai authorities today as they demolished part of a city slum where she lived. The stepmother of 9-year-old Rubina Ali, who portrayed a young Latika, the Oscar-winning film's heroine, said her husband was beaten by police who...

Backward 'Brain Drain' Calls Indians Home From US

Economy exerts pull on well-educated thirtysomethings

(Newser) - While much of the world suffers economic meltdown, India’s economy is comparatively healthy—and that may be reversing a longstanding “brain drain” of Indians to American shores, Sandip Roy reports for NPR. “It’s the hottest topic at potluck dinners all over Silicon Valley—which friend or...

Indian Stocks Soar 17% on Election Win

Congress victory sends shares soaring; trade suspended

(Newser) - The benchmark Indian stock index soared an unprecedented 17% this morning as investors voiced their resounding approval of the Congress Party's electoral victory. Trading on the Sensex had to be suspended within seconds of opening after a 1,300-point surge; following a two-hour delay, the index jumped again and was...

Ruling Congress Party Wins Indian Election

Governing Congress-led coalition headed for major victory

(Newser) - India's main opposition party has conceded defeat to the ruling Congress-led alliance, CNN reports. The governing coalition—defying predictions the elections would end without a clear winner—was heading for a decisive victory as counting continued today. "We respect this mandate and accept it," said the leader of...

Slumdog Star's 'Illegal' Home Demolished

Family had lived there 15 years

(Newser) - Mumbai officials tore down the home of Slumdog Millionaire child star Azharuddin Ismail, calling the slum dwelling illegal construction. Ismail’s mother says the family lived there 15 years before police arrived unannounced. “We didn’t even get a chance to remove our belongings,” she tells the Telegraph....

Indian Ruling Parties Hold Slim Lead

Neither coalition emerges a majority

(Newser) - India's ruling coalition has edged slightly ahead of the Hindu-nationalist opposition, but both alliances are short of a parliamentary majority, Reuters reports. Exit polls following today's conclusion of the month-long general election indicate both political blocs will need new partners, but the surveys have proved inaccurate in the past. Official...

Megacities Stagger India
 Megacities Stagger India 
May 13, 2009 8:02 AM CDT

Megacities Stagger India

Out-of-control urbanization threatens to drag down Indian economy for years

(Newser) - The explosive growth of India's cities is threatening to drag down the country's economy for decades to come, economists tell the Wall Street Journal. The global trend toward urbanization has gone into overdrive in India, but most cities aren't prepared to deal with the influx of migrants from the countryside,...

Bollywood Stars Duel Over Seat in Parliament

Stars go head to head in fight for office

(Newser) - Imagine a congressional election pitting Jay Leno against Simon Cowell. The rough equivalent is happening now in India, where talk-show host Shekhar "Shaker" Suman is running for Parliament against Shatrughan "Shotgun" Sinha, a Bollywood star and judge on a hugely popular talent show. But fame may not help...

Mumbai Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

Says he's 21 years old; co-defendants also plead not guilty

(Newser) - The only surviving suspected gunman in last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai pleaded not guilty today to all charges against him, including waging war against India and murder. The presiding judge read out all the charges against Mohammed Ajmal Kasab in a Mumbai courtroom; Kasab responded with a plea of...

Gandhi Heir Stumps for Poor
 Gandhi Heir Stumps for Poor 
May 6, 2009 4:24 AM CDT

Gandhi Heir Stumps for Poor

Rahul Gandhi sheds aristocratic image to reach out to India's 700m rural poor

(Newser) - The heir to India's foremost political dynasty is reaching out to the country's dispossessed as the nation's election enters its final phase, the Guardian reports. Rahul Gandhi—widely seen as the successor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if their Congress party emerges triumphant—has been greeted by enthusiastic crowds in...

Sri Lankan Refugees Describe Deadly Escape

10 of 21 make it to safety in India; refugees tell their story

(Newser) - As fighting raged between the Sri Lankan army and the rebel Tamil Tigers last month, 21 people managed to escape on a boat. But by the time they arrived in India, nine days later, only 10 remained. “One by one. Dead babies, children. No food. No drink,” one...

Porn Comes to India —as a Cartoon

(Newser) - An online cartoon detailing the sexscapades of a subcontinental MILF is driving India wild, the GlobalPost reports. Millions are drawn to the exploits of Savita Bhabhi, or “sister-in-law Savita,” even though pornography is illegal in India—or maybe because it is, analysts say. "People fantasize about a...

With 203K Orders, Nano Grabs 17% of Indian Market

(Newser) - Indian automaker Tata has 203,000 domestic orders for the Nano—the world’s cheapest car—which will start delivery in July, Bloomberg reports. The first editions of the $2,500 vehicle will go out to just 100,000 eager buyers, who will be chosen by lottery and must put...

Pakistan Retakes Key Town From Taliban: Military

Will redeploy 6K troops from Indian to Afghan border

(Newser) - After deploying jets and helicopters yesterday in response to a Taliban incursion into the Buner district, Pakistan has taken back a key town, the military says. The country will also shift 6,000 troops from the Indian border to face militants along the Afghan border, said an official, a move...

Maoist Train Hijackers End Siege in India

300 passengers freed

(Newser) - Suspected Maoist rebels who hijacked an India train ended a four-hour standoff with authorities and released 300 passengers, reports CNN. No one was injured. Hundreds of men surrounded and disabled the train as it traveled through a forest in the state of Jharkhand early today. Rebel attacks in the area...

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