Misogyny in India: We are all guilty

Misogyny is so deeply rooted in India’s collective psychology that even the president’s son — in this case, Congress Parliament member Abhijit Mukherjee — could entangle himself with a remark against women protesting gang rape. He called them “dented and painted women” who go to discos, have little connection with ground realities and are making […]

Extinct elephant ‘survived late’ in North China

Wild elephants living in North China 3,000 years ago belonged to the extinct genus Palaeoloxodon, scientists say. They had previously been identified as Elephas maximus, the Asian elephant that still inhabits southern China. The findings suggest that Palaeoloxodon survived a further 7,000 years than was thought. The team from China examined fossilised elephant teeth and […]

15 of the world’s most bike-friendly cities

Grab a helmet and check out these 15 cities where drivers use all five fingers when they wave at you. EUROPE Amsterdam, Netherlands The ” bicycling capital of Europe” tops many lists — including this one, it seems — as the most bike-friendly city anywhere. Safe and extensive route networks, serious governmental promotion, and a […]

Poll: Are Singaporeans least happy?

– Perhaps money can’t buy happiness. A recent Gallup report shows that Singapore’s wealthy population is the unhappiest — less happy than the populations of Iraq, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Syria. Singaporeans were least likely to report having positive emotions– despite the fact that they enjoy one of the highest per capita GDP values in the […]

Sonepur fair: Poor Indian boys ‘fish’ for coins to help family

Every day since 28 November, 10-year-old Rohit Kumar has sat from dawn to dusk on the banks of the Gandak river in the eastern Indian state of Bihar with a magnetic fishing line trying to fish out coins from the water. He is among the hundreds of boys who collect coins thrown into the river […]

Police call for death penalty after Delhi bus rape

New Delhi’s police chief on Tuesday demanded the death penalty for rapists amid growing outrage over the gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a school bus in the city. The physiotherapy student and her male companion were brutally beaten and thrown off the vehicle after the attack, which has provoked street protests and widespread anger […]

Pakistan blast: Market bomb ‘kills 17’ in Khyber

At least 17 people have been killed and more than 70 hurt in a car bomb attack on a market in the Khyber tribal area in north-west Pakistan, officials say. Women and children were among those killed in the blast at the market in Jamrud, the main town in Khyber. The explosion took place close […]

Death toll from Typhoon Bopha tops 1,000 in the Philippines

The grim toll from a typhoon that devastated southern Philippines earlier this month continues to climb, with 1,020 reported dead as of Sunday morning, authorities said. Officials fear the toll from the December 4 storm will rise further. Because while rescue crews continue searching, the chances of finding people alive dim with each passing day. […]

India’s first arts biennale begins in Kochi

The port-city of Kochi, on India’s west coast, isn’t known for its arts scene. Nestled amid Kerala’s famously stunning backwaters (travel writers have long loved touting the streams that snake through the rural countryside as the quintessential bucket-list endeavor), the city is more readily defined by its breathtaking backdrop. From today and for the next […]

‘Long way to go’ on justice for Afghan women – UN

Afghan women victims of violence are still being failed by the justice system, according to a new UN report. Although there had been some progress in implementing a 2009 anti-violence law, overall use of the law “remained low”, the report says. Cultural pressures and inconsistent police practices are hampering implementation of the law, it added. […]