India

25 August 2008 -- Tens of thousands of people have protested outside the Indian factory set to produce the world's cheapest car, to demand the auto company return the land to local farmers.

Authorities in West Bengal state deployed nearly 3,000 police to protect the Tata Motors factory site Sunday as more than 40,000 protesters lined the highway leading to the factory.

Farmers say Tata Motors did not properly compensate them for the land used for the factory site. They have vowed to continue protesting until the 160 hectares of disputed land are returned.

Tata Motors said Friday the protests may force it to relocate the factory.

The factory is set to roll out the first $2,500 "Nano" cars by October. Tata Motors plans to manufacture a quarter-million of the cars each year.    » read more »

New Delhi -- 3 August 2008 -- Up to 150 Hindu pilgrims attending an annual festival have been killed in a stampede in Northern India. Many of the victims are women and children.

Officials say the tragedy occurred when a metal railing along a narrow mountain path leading to Naina Devi temple in Himahcal Pradesh state collapsed under the weight of tens of thousands of devotees who had come to attend a religious festival on Sunday.

The temple is situated on a hilltop in the state's Bilaspur district.

Officials say the collapse of the railing triggered panic among pilgrims, and a stampede ensued as people tried to flee to safety. There are many women and children among the victims, who fell down and were trampled.    » read more »

June 24 – July 6 Tournament Includes National Cricket Teams from India, Pakistan, UAE, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka

June 23, 2008 -- ESPN has reached an agreement to provide exclusive, live coverage of the 2008 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament on ESPN360.com in the U.S. and its territories. The six-team, 13-match biennial tournament features several of the world’s powerhouse national teams – including one of cricket’s fiercest international rivalries, India and Pakistan - and will be played June 24 through July 6 in Pakistan.    » read more »

Mumbai, India, June 02, 2008 -- Warner Bros. Pictures India enters into the animation genre with an untitled film directed by Jyotin Goel and produced by Geol Screencraft.

"This is a story of love and adventure, full of color, music, drama and comedy," says Jyotin Goel. "The film is not based on the human kingdom but portrays the melodious world of birds and attempts to explore their lives from an unusual standpoint. It is a journey into the lives of birds as they soar over dense jungles and teeming cities, giving them a point of view of the world that is hilariously different from ours."    » read more »

31 May 2008 -- India's economy grew by nine percent last year making it the world's fastest-growing major economy after China.

But the news is not all good. There are worries that high crude oil prices and runaway inflation will slow down growth.

A busy street in Bangalore, India: Photo by Matthew Logelin (CC)

India has pegged economic growth in the last fiscal year at a higher-than expected nine per cent. It is the third successive year that the economy has grown at this pace.    » read more »

Nonprofit Aravind Eye Care System Wins $1 Million Prize for Preventing and Curing Blindness in India's Poorest Communities

SEATTLE -- In recognition of its groundbreaking work to prevent debilitating blindness and provide affordable, world-class eye care to the poor, the Aravind Eye Care System, based in Tamil Nadu, India, has won the 2008 Gates Award for Global Health. The $1 million Gates Award—the world's largest prize for international health—honors extraordinary efforts to improve health in developing countries.    » read more »

May 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

American Scientific Recalls 87,000 Magnets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Name of Product: Magnets

Units: About 87,000

Importer: American Scientific LLC, of Columbus, Ohio

Hazard: Surface paint on the magnets can contain high levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »

Congratulates Export Achievement Award Winners as State Boosts Overseas Sales

May 13, 2008 -- MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today announced that he will lead a trade mission to India in November at the annual Wisconsin International Trade Conference in Milwaukee, where he presented the Governor’s Export Achievement Awards. Wisconsin’s exports grew 11 percent last year, and have nearly doubled since Governor Doyle took office. Wisconsin’s exports to India have grown by 29 percent in the last year.    » read more »

India, ASEAN Also Need to Push Generals to Accept International Help

New York, May 10, 2008 – China, India, Thailand and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should work to convince Burma’s government to lift restrictions on international assistance so aid can reach survivors of Cyclone Nargis, Human Rights Watch said today.

Residents work with cleanup in aftermath of Cyclone Nargis: Photo by Mohd Nor Azmil Abdul Rahman (CC)    » read more »

Exponential Growth of Mobile Phone Users Intensifies Need for Flash Memory Solutions; SanDisk Increases Existing Presence to Meet Growing Demand

4/1/2008 -- NEW DELHI (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Donald C. Winter, has wrapped up a tour in India with stops in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Winter's first stop on his three-day trip was India's Western Naval Command in the coastal city of Mumbai. The tour of the base gave Winter a detailed view of India's naval operations, including stops at a shipyard and tour of the naval destroyer, INS Delhi (Delhi class DDG). Winter also met with India's commander-in-chief, Vice Adm. Jagjit Singh Bedi.    » read more »

14 March 2008 -- India's Supreme Court has suspended legal proceedings against Hollywood actor Richard Gere, who faced obscenity charges for publicly kissing Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty last year.

Friday, the court indefinitely stayed the arrest warrant issued against Richard Gere and granted him permission to travel to and from India.

Richard Gere embraced and kissed Shilpa Shetty on her cheek at the public AIDS awareness event in New Delhi last year, prompting Hindu hard-liners to allege the pair had offended India's conservative culture.    » read more »

01 March 2008 -- India's government plans to spend nearly $13 million to create a special force to protect the endangered tiger population.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced to parliament Friday that the money will be used to raise, arm and deploy a special tiger protection force.

A recent survey found India's tiger population has declined to just over 1,400 from 3,600 in 2002. Chidambaram said the number should ring an alarm bell and that the tiger is under grave threat.    » read more »

14 February 2008 -- Iron Maiden’s year has got off to a roaring start with the February 4th release of the band’s long-awaited DVD Live After Death smashing straight into the UK music DVD charts at Number One not only outpacing its nearest competitor by three to one, but outselling the rest of the Top 6 combined!    » read more »

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice has entered into an agreement with Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (Wabtec) regarding improper payments to government officials in India in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. The agreement requires that Wabtec pay a $300,000 penalty, implement rigorous internal controls, and cooperate fully with the Department.    » read more »