Massive Floods Threaten Millions in South Asia

Staff / Truthdig Aug 3, 2007 Floodwaters are threatening the lives of millions in South Asia, drenching parts of northern India as well as Bangladesh and Nepal, where aid organizations are scrambling to bring in food and other assistance before hunger and disease claim more lives. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Female President for India

Staff / Truthdig Jul 22, 2007 Pratibha Patil defeated incumbent Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in a governmental election for the presidency, making her the first female president of India. Her election to the post is in keeping with an Indian tradition of using the presidency to give a "high-profile voice to disadvantaged communities," according to the Associated Press. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Outsource Your Parenting Duties

Staff / Truthdig Jul 4, 2007 This fake news report from The Onion envisions a solution for busy, cost-conscious parents: Just ship your kids overseas and get day care for pennies on the dollar. There's something unnaturally cute and funny about the mom in this clip preparing her child for shipment. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hollywood, Bollywood in Culture Clash

Staff / Truthdig Apr 16, 2007 Who'd have ever imagined that serene Buddhist actor and do-gooder Richard Gere would be burned in effigy by angry Hindu throngs all over India? The outcry erupted Sunday after Gere dipped Indian starlet Shilpa Shetty and kissed her face multiple times at an AIDS-awareness event -- and we've got the clip. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

French Royal Line Leads to India

Staff / Truthdig Mar 7, 2007 The eldest living descendant of France's King Henry IV appears to be a 48-year-old lawyer in Bhopal, India. Prince Michael of Greece "discovered" Balthazar Napoleon de Bourbon's ancestral ties while researching a book, though the supposed heir's family had previously attempted to gain recognition. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pact Seeks to Ease Risk of Accidental Nuclear War in S. Asia

Staff / Truthdig Feb 21, 2007 India and Pakistan have agreed to a deal meant to limit the possibility of inadvertent nuclear war. The two nuclear states have gone to war several times and frequently rattle sabers at each other. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bloody Sunday

Staff / Truthdig Feb 19, 2007 A series of explosions around the world has killed more than 120 people A train bombing in northern India left at least 64 people dead, while three car bombs in Baghdad -- the bloodiest violence since a security crackdown began -- killed more than 60 and injured at least 131 A bomb also exploded at a McDonald's in St Petersburg, Russia, in an act of "hooliganism," according to police There was no indication that each nation's violence was related to the explosions in the other countries. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Bush OKs Nuke Deal With India

Staff / Truthdig Dec 19, 2006 At a time when the U.S. is desperate to contain nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran, President Bush has signed off on legislation that allows for nuclear trade with India, a nation that refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The deal squares with this administration's nuclear policy, which has been at its best inconsistent and at its worst catastrophically negligent. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Medical Refugees Flee to India

Staff / Truthdig Dec 12, 2006 An increasing number of the 46 million Americans without health insurance have begun fleeing to places as far away as India to get lifesaving medical treatments. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Report: World Bank Fails to Address Poverty

Staff / Truthdig Dec 10, 2006 A new report by the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group criticizes the international lending organization for failing to alleviate global poverty with programs that focus too single-mindedly on growth. The bank estimates that 1.1 billion people subsisted on less than $1 per day in 2001. (h/t: Common Dreams) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Fetal Horror in Punjab

Staff / Truthdig Aug 19, 2006 Authorities in the Indian state of Punjab recently made a grotesque discovery that has prompted public outrage and a government crackdown. Acting on a tip, police and health officials raided a private clinic and found a 30-foot well with over 50 female fetuses inside. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Warns India of Terror Threats

Staff / Truthdig Aug 11, 2006 The U.S. Embassy has told India that it has information suggesting that terror attacks might occur in the political and economic capitals -- Delhi and Mumbai. The Indian government has yet to receive any specific information. The warning comes only a month after more than 180 people were killed when a series of bombs exploded on a commuter train in Mumbai. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )