Sep 30, 2013

China kids know the logos used for smokes

Nearly nine in 10 children in China can identify a cigarette logo, according to a U.S. study out Monday that measured tobacco recognition among typical 5- and 6-year-olds in various countries. The study in the journal Pediatrics covered six nations — Brazil, India, Nigeria, ...

India's plan for 'women-only' spaces welcomed, criticized

Sep 30, 2013

India's plan for 'women-only' spaces welcomed, criticized

In the months since a gruesome gang rape riveted India, a “women-only” culture has been on the rise, with Indians increasingly seeking out women-only buses, cabs, travel groups and hotel floors. One city is preparing to open a women-only park. And in November, the ...

Congress' Rahul Gandhi blasts Singh on decree plan

Sep 29, 2013

Congress' Rahul Gandhi blasts Singh on decree plan

Ruling Congress party scion Rahul Gandhi’s blistering rejection of a government decree to protect convicted lawmakers has made it uncertain whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh can continue in office, opposition and media said Saturday. Gandhi, the No. 2 in the Congress hierarchy, turned on ...

Singh tones down hopes for Pakistani premier talks

Sep 28, 2013

Singh tones down hopes for Pakistani premier talks

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday toned down expectations for a planned meeting with Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif on Sunday at the United Nations, saying Pakistan remains an “epicenter of terrorism.” Singh, making what will likely be a farewell visit to the White ...

Sep 27, 2013

India's top court OKs rejecting candidates

India’s Supreme Court on Friday recognized the right of voters to reject all candidates in polls in what is seen as a key reform ahead of elections next year. A bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam asked the National Election Commission to make ...

NSA 'spied on Indian diplomats'

Sep 25, 2013

NSA 'spied on Indian diplomats'

The U.S. National Security Agency targeted India’s embassy in Washington and its U.N. office in New York with sophisticated surveillance equipment that might have resulted in hard disks being copied, a report said Wednesday. The Hindu newspaper said the Indian offices were on a ...

Rajan's war on inflation puts onus on Singh

Sep 22, 2013

Rajan's war on inflation puts onus on Singh

by Kartik Goyal

Indian central bank chief Raghuram Rajan’s surprise move to raise the policy interest rate adds pressure on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take politically challenging steps to boost economic growth as elections near. The Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly raised the benchmark repurchase rate ...

Sep 21, 2013

Indian dad who killed daughter 'has no regrets'

The Indian father who killed his daughter and beheaded her boyfriend after they eloped has declared he feels no remorse over the “honor killings,” media reports said Friday. The young couple from the northern Indian state of Haryana was beaten to death Wednesday by ...

Indian girl begins microbiology master's at 13

Sep 20, 2013

Indian girl begins microbiology master's at 13

In a country where many girls are still discouraged from going to school, Sushma Verma is having anything but a typical childhood. The 13-year-old from a poor family in north India has enrolled in a master’s degree in microbiology after her father sold his ...

India envoy stresses Japan's stature

Sep 18, 2013

India envoy stresses Japan's stature

by Minoru Matsutani

India’s special envoy to Japan said Wednesday the world’s second-most-populous country is ready to make the visit by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in November successful and bilateral ties stronger. Ashwani Kumar is India’s first ever special envoy to any nation. He is to ...