India

Why India's PM Singh pledging sharper attack on corruption

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been under political pressure to address corruption more directly. New data indicate that corruption concerns are affecting both foreign and domestic investment decisions.
How Tibet's Karmapa Lama is fueling China and India border tensions

Chinese cash seized from the Indian monastery of the top Tibetan figure has underscored growing tensions between India and China -- and increased feelings of insecurity among the thousands of Tibetans in India.
India and Pakistan say they're ready to talk. How's the timing?

Neither India nor Pakistan has much leverage, and both are at 'wobbly' political points at home. But small agreements could be possible.
Rising global food prices squeeze the world's poor

Weather, inflation, and biofuels pushed the United Nations food price index to an all-time high in December, sparking concern over the poor being left with empty plates.
Terrorism & Security
Pirates seize oil tankers, putting oil supply routes at risk

Pirates' seizure of two oil tankers in the past two days threatens oil supply to the West and ramps up pressure on navies to take more aggressive action.
How India feeds 120 million kids a day

India is home to the world's largest free-lunch program giving many schoolchildren across the country what may be their only hot meal for the day.
India pushes back on Somali pirates' new 'mother ship' offensive

Indian naval forces have shut down two Somali pirate “mother ships” operating close to the subcontinent, highlighting the increased range and sophistication of the pirates.
Global News Blog
Mozzarella in India? A dairy farmer is banking on a growing appetite for pizza's key ingredient.

One dairy farmer in India is turning much of his farm's buffalo milk into mozzarella cheese, betting that growing Indian palates will begin demanding domestic cheese products.
'Teach for India' takes a page from US

The 'Teach for India' program is one of 18 global offshoots of a Teach for America affiliate called Teach for All. It aims to reach more students in a country where about 1 in 3 fifth-graders can't read or write.
Global News Blog
India makes space for art among its 1.4 billion people

India is making room – both physically and mentally – for art like that from Anish Kapoor, which is large and untraditional.
Karzai visits Moscow as Russia eyes greater role in Afghanistan

During President Karzai's visit, Afghanistan and Russia are likely to sign agreements on political, social, economic, and defense cooperation initiatives.
The outsource trend: It's not just call centers in India anymore

A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable for major British companies to send their legal work overseas. But often, Indian lawyers can do the work at an eighth the cost.
Global News Blog
Pakistan earthquake hits Afghan Taliban haven

The massive Pakistan earthquake caused minimal damage, welcome news to a government trying to keep inquisitive reporters away from the Afghan Taliban stronghold of Balochistan.
Groupon India launch: online marketer attempts to reach offline nation

Groupon launched in India last week. While opportunity here appears vast, only 1 percent of Indians have the fast Internet connection that Groupon India will likely target.
The rise of India's pulp fiction

As literacy grows, so do the ranks of inexpensive and sometimes racy paperbacks that appeal to youths.
Terrorism & Security
Mumbai on edge after police say militants plan terror attack

Mumbai police are on the lookout for four men, allegedly Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, who have entered the city and are suspected of plotting a terror attack.
India, China shake hands on trade, but border disputes prove intractable

India, China agreed to $16 billion in trade deals this week and set a bilateral trade target of $100 billion. But resolution of longstanding border disputes was kicked down the road.
In trip to India, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao takes cues from Obama

Like Obama on his November trip to India, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is traveling with hundreds of executives and has business deals at the top of his agenda.
Indian start-up strikes deal to combat counterfeiting of medicine

PharmaSecure, a New Delhi outfit founded by a Dartmouth grad, has devised a grass-roots method to stem such counterfeiting. Fake drugs make up more than 10 percent of the global market.
Pakistani papers duped by bogus WikiLeaks cables

Pakistani newspapers carried stunning claims yesterday about India, the country's long-time foe, wrongly sourced to the WikiLeaks data dump.
India corruption scandals stall government as lawmakers spar over inquiries

A series of India corruption scandals is likely to add to India's reputation as one of the riskiest countries in Asia for investors.
Explosion rocks one of India's holiest cities

Islamist militants are blamed for an explosion that killed a child and wounded more than 20 others in Varanasi, India – one of Hinduism’s holiest sites Tuesday evening.
Asian Games in China were a big deal. Why Westerners didn't hear much about them.

Though far more athletes competed at the Asian Games, India's Commonwealth Games were seen as an international debut similar to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Why India offers tepid response to Burma's release of Suu Kyi

In its relationship with Burma (Myanmar), India is caught between its commitment to principles of democracy and its desire to counter China's rising power in the region.
Putin on the prowl to save world's endangered tigers

Representatives of 13 countries are meeting in Russia to outline plans to double the wild tiger population, currently as low as 3,200.