CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Front Page: Pakistan's President Urgently Pleads Against War

LibertySugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:57 -0800

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has asked India not to punish Pakistan for the Mumbai massacre. Zardari warned against letting non-state actors provoke a war between the nuclear armed neighbors. — Financial Times
Multiple bombs struck US and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and Mosul, Iraq today, killing more than 30 people. — AP

New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress turned himself into New York City policy this morning. He faces criminal possession of a handgun charges after shooting himself in the thigh at a nightclub this weekend. — New York Times
Oil prices continue to fall, dropping six percent today to less than $51 a barrel. OPEC decided not to cut production at its latest informal meeting, causing the slide in price. — AP

Only Captured Terrorist Speaks About Mumbai Massacre

CitizenSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:50:00 -0800

Azam Amir Kassab, a 21-year-old man from Pakistan, is the only terrorist police captured alive after the Mumbai massacre ended. Details from his interrogation have been leaked, and they reveal a chilling picture of a nightmarish tragedy that could have turned out even worse. After playing dead in order to survive, Kassab told police:

The synchronized attacks were planned six months ago, and intended to kill 5,000 people. So far the death toll stands at around 200.
The group of 10 terrorists had planned to blow up the entire Taj Mahal hotel, but were unsuccessful.
The would-be attackers posed as students on a trip to Mumbai a month ago to acquaint themselves with the city.
The men specifically targeted "whites," especially British and American citizens.
Kassab said he belonged to Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has denied involvement.
Kassab said he was told to "kill to my last breath."

As those impacted by these appalling events recover and mourn, international players urgently want to reduce the probability of a confrontation between India and Pakistan. Depending on how things play out, India might take a US approach: if one country can't deal with its terrorists, then another country has a right to do something about it.
Source

Update: Militants Attack in Mumbai, India

LibertySugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:53:27 -0800

Indian officials report that the siege at the Taj Mahal hotel has ended and the final three gunmen have been killed. More than 119 people were killed and 288 injured in sophisticated attacks in Mumbai, India, that occurred on 10 different sites. — AP
Experts had never heard of the group that claimed responsibility, and they doubt those responsible have significant ties to al Qaeda. Some speculate that the militants were likely Indian Muslims, with a domestic agenda — New York Times
Chaos ensues at two luxury hotels in Mumbai that continue to burn. Some hostages left earlier today, but 20 people may still be held by terrorists. — CNN
The synchronized attacks reveal a significant change in the tactics of Indian terrorists. The men were prepared to die in their attacks, and signaled out British and American citizens. — BBC News

Source

78 Killed in India Terrorist Attacks

LibertySugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:00:51 -0800

78 Killed in India Terrorist Attacks Teams of heavily armed gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction, and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India's financial capital, killing at least 78 people and wounding at least 200, officials said Thursday.

The gunmen were specifically targeting Britons and Americans, media reports said, and may be holding hostages.

Is Space Travel Still Relevant?

Molly — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:30:21 -0800

In the late '50s the space race with Russia was headline news. In 1969, all eyes were glued on Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they became the first men on the moon. Half a century later, space travel has lost some of its clout, but not its intrigue.Last week India landed its first probe on the moon and earlier this year China made headlines with its first spacewalk. Every time NASA launches a shuttle it's news — which on occasion has led to horrible tragedies — but today much of what the organization does with government money is satellite research on the Earth's environmental status, work on the International Space Station, and aeronautics research and development. Doubtless, there are still lots of kids who want to grow up to be astronauts, but tell us — do you think space travel is still relevant or a waste of the country's money?
Source

Is Space Travel Still Relevant?

Yes — It's still the final frontier and we should be on the cutting edge!

No — There are for more important ways to spend money and resources.

Maybe — It may be useless, but I can't help but love it.

Other — I'll tell you below in comments.

Front Page: Plan to Aid Homeowners, Huge Blasts Hit India, Economy Officially Shrinking

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:56:11 -0700

Plan to Aid Homeowners:
The Bush administration is discussing a plan to help three million homeowners with their mortgages so they can stay in their homes. In what could be the most comprehensive effort directed at the housing crisis, the government would absorb half of the losses on home loans if mortgage companies lower payments for five years. The $50 billion cost would be part of the $700 billion bailout.

Huge Blasts Hits India:
A series of bomb explosions in India has killed at least 50 people and injured more than 150. There were at least 18 blasts, most in the main city of Guwahati. No one has yet claimed responsibility but police suspect the separatist United Liberation Front of Assam. The police chief says, "No other group can trigger so many blasts in so many places in such a coordinated fashion."
Economy Officially Shrinking:
The US economy shrank 0.3 percent during the period between July and September. Consumer spending, which makes up two-thirds of the US economy, shrank by 3.1 percent, the first contraction since 1991. The shrinkage means the US is halfway to the standard definition of a recession, which means two consecutive quarters of negative growth, though in the US, there's never a recession until the National Bureau of Economic Research decides there is.

Source

Front Page: Pakistan Earthquake Kills 150, Flash Floods Hit India, Obama On Most TV Stations Tonight

CitizenSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:59:46 -0700

Pakistan Earthquake Kills 150:
A 6.5 earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan today causing heavy damage and resulting in the deaths of at least 150 people. A local expert says, “It was a shallow earthquake, which is very destructive. The aftershocks will be felt for a week with more or less the same intensity.” Hundreds more are injured following the quake.

Flash Floods Hit India:
Floods swept through northeastern India today displacing 70,000 people from more than 70 villages. Incessant rains caused the Putimari river to breach its banks and rescue forces have been sent in. Two relief camps have been set up to try to accommodate the tens of thousands. People are currently camping on highways under plastic bags.

Obama On Most TV Stations Tonight:
Barack Obama's 30-minute ad will air on most major TV networks at 8 p.m. ET. The taped infomercial will feature a live segment with Obama at a rally in Florida. He will also be on The Daily Show tonight. The 30-minute appearance will delay the start of game five of the World Series. John McCain will be appearing on Larry King Live tonight.

Source

Front Page: India Launches Moon Orbiter, Palin Gives Speech Advocating Women, EU Protests US Death Sentence

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:00:27 -0700

India Launches Moon Orbiter:
India has launched its first unmanned spacecraft on a mission to the moon, in an effort to assert its power in space. The mission is set to last two years and will prepare a three-dimensional atlas of the moon as well as survey the lunar surface for usable natural resources like uranium, a coveted fuel for nuclear power plants.

Palin Gives Speech Advocating Women:
At a rally in Nevada yesterday, Sarah Palin gave a speech advocating for women's rights the world over. She said, "there are still places where women are subjugated and persecuted as they were in Afghanistan, places we’re they’re bullied and brutalized and murdered in honor killings. . . if I am elected, these women, too, will have an advocate and a defender in the 47th vice president of the United States. She also gave her first interview to CNN.
EU Protests US Death Sentence:
The European parliament is protesting the execution of a prisoner in the US after seven of the nine key witnesses recanted their testimony against him. The head of the EU parliament says that all executions are a violation of human rights and that the prisoner symbolizes all death row inmates. He says he "will fight against the death penalty under any circumstances everywhere in the world."

Source

More Than 200 Million People Are Hungry in India

CitizenSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:00:54 -0700

There's no sugar coating this: India has more people suffering from hunger than any other country in the world. More than 200 million don't get enough to eat, and according to the 2008 Global Hunger Index just released, not one of India's 17 states rank in the low- or moderate-hunger categories — and 12 states have rank "alarming." India is 66th out of 88 countries surveyed (a stat in itself that makes you think of those 22 other countries that are worse.)

Kids bear a lot of the brunt of the hunger crisis — numbers released two years ago showed that even then, more than half of the children in India were malnourished. The rise in global food prices not mirrored in rising incomes has made the problem worse. As grim as this news sounds, there are people doing work to help. To find out which former presidential candidates just won an award for their work on hunger,

Pope Names Four New Saints, Including First Indian Woman

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:00:56 -0700

Thousands of people appeared in St. Peter’s Square yesterday to watch as Pope Benedict XVI gave the Roman Church four new saints, one of who was of particular importance to Indian Catholics. Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, is the first Indian woman to achieve sainthood. Her nomination is seen as a comfort to those who have recently suffered at the hands of Hindu violence in India.

The three other saints are: Gaetano Errico, a Neapolitan priest who created an order of missionaries in the 19th century, Sister Maria Bernarda who dedicated her life as a nun in Ecuador and Colombia and Narcisa de Jesus Martillo Moran, another woman who aided the sick and poor in Ecuador. Mother Teresa was beatified in 2003, and though she's usually associated with India, she was Albanian.

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Front Page: Curfew Violators Face Violence, Oil and Global Markets Dip, Supreme Court Back in Session

CitizenSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:58:48 -0700

Curfew Violators Face Violence:
Police in Kashmir have warned they will shoot any violators of a curfew imposed in Kashmir ahead of a huge, planned independence rally. Some Muslim protesters are ignoring the curfew to denounce Pakistani President Zardari who said the Islamic militants fighting Indian rule are "terrorists." Pakistan has previously supported anti-Indian militants and has fought two wars with India over Kashmir.

Oil and Global Markets Dip:
The price of oil has fallen to an eight-month low price of $90 a barrel. The drop in price reflects the concern over the financial crisis which could drive a drop in demand for oil. Meanwhile, European and Asian stocks slid at opening amid growing fears that the crisis is spreading as European governments hurry to prop up two of their own lenders.

Supreme Court Back in Session:
The Supreme Court begins a new term today with their first task a dispute over federal regulation of cigarettes and whether smokers can sue over allegedly deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes. The justices had 2,000 appeals to wade through before selecting 10 to hear. The court's term begins by law on the first Monday in October.

Source

Front Page: India Nuclear Deal Approved, Suicide Bombers Strike End of Ramadan, Vice Presidential Debate Tonight

CitizenSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:56:41 -0700

India Nuclear Deal Approved:
In addition to passing the Bailout Bill last night which caused the European markets to rise, the US Senate voted 86-13 to approve a nuclear deal with India. The vote moves to end a 30-year ban on nuclear trade with India. The deal gives India access to civilian nuclear technology which critics say will expand its nuclear industry without having to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Suicide Bombers Strike End of Ramadan:
In Baghdad as Muslims marked the close of Ramadan, suicide bombers attacked two Shi'ite mosques during morning prayers, killing at least 20 people. The attacks were part of a second wave of violence this week culminating in the Id al-Fitr feast. No one has claimed responsibility but some in the crowd believe Sunni extremists were to blame.

Vice Presidential Debate Tonight:
Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden face off in their only debate tonight in St. Louis, MO. The event starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill. The debate has been much anticipated and we'll be gearing up for it today, as well as here tonight live-commenting during the debate.

Source

Young Indians Ready to Hang Up on Call Center Jobs

LibertySugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Politicians constantly talk about how US jobs have been shipped over seas. But something else travels with the jobs — stress. While 70 percent of outsourced American jobs go to India's call centers, stressed-out Indian youth want to ditch their unhealthy posts for more fulfilling careers.

You may get frustrated when you have to call another country for customer service, but the combination of odd hours and overwork caused one 23-year-old Indian recent college graduate to have a heart attack! As you can imagine, the call center workers are getting ready to trade the higher-paying jobs for less stress and better hours. BBC interviewed workers who explained, "they quit because it was frustrating to continue to answer calls day after day, year after year. No creativity, no use of mind required. Some say their minds have become cabbage."

A recent satirical video from the Onion tracked how "Obama Promises to Stop American's Sh*tty Jobs From Going Overseas." Do you think the quality of lost jobs should be included in a discussion about outsourcing?

Source

Front Page: Bush Implores Congress, Pirate Shoot-Out, More Than 140 Dead in Temple Stampede

CitizenSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:55:38 -0700

Bush Implores Congress:
Speaking this morning at the White House, President Bush said that the economic damage will be "painful and lasting" if a bailout bill is not passed by Congress. The House is not scheduled to meet again until Thursday but lawmakers are looking for a new deal following the failure of the bill yesterday and the worst single-day drop of the stock market in 20 years.

Pirate Shoot-Out:
Somali pirates who seized a Ukrainian ship for a $20 million ransom last week have been involved in a shoot-out at sea among themselves. The pirates dispute the report saying, "This is propaganda being spread by some people who are not aware of our situation. We are united in punishing those who abuse Somali waters." A spokesman for the Seafarers' Association warned negotiators to pull back so the pirates can cool off.
More Than 140 Dead in Temple Stampede:
At least 147 have died and 55 injured at a stampede at an Indian temple as the faithful gathered for one of the year's most important religious festivals. With witnesses saying that the crowd was trying to pass through too narrow of a passage in the climb, another says, "People were falling over one another. Many ran but were trampled under the feet of thousands." A similar situation happened at a Hindu temple last month.

Source

India's New Detectives Track Down Serial E-Cheaters

CitizenSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:25 -0700

India is fast becoming a modernized nation — reflected in their rising middle-class wealth, slowly improving infrastructure, and use of the Internet. The latter has brought to light a very unique problem as well as a very interesting solution.

More and more men and women are meeting and building relationships online that eventually lead to marriage. Take that eHarmony ideal and move it to India, however, and those marriages can cost a bride’s family thousands of dollars for dowry. Technically, this dowry system was declared illegal in 1961, but the ritual is so entrenched that most families ignore the edict — creepily, with so much at stake men are marrying, claiming their dowry, and then disappearing — only to repeat the bamboozle until they’re caught.

Enter, a new breed of female private detectives specializing in “matrimonial investigations” to warn potential victims before they hit the altar. And business is booming. To see how,

Searching For Trouble? Google India Advertises Illegal Sex Kit

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:00:35 -0700

To the naked eye, the ad was like any other that pops up mid-browse on the ol' webs: a picture of a pregnant woman with a female symbol on one side and a male on the other. However, the ad featured on Google, is for an illegal gender selection kit.

Google has been ordered by the Indian Supreme Court to respond to a petition to remove the ads — they did, for a short period of time — but as of this week, they're back. Gender selection is a big problem in India, where female fetuses are aborted at an alarming rate. The author of the petition says by running the ads, Google is "breaking the law and making money. Every time you click on that ad, Google is making money." He went on to say, "What we are dealing with is a genocide."

To see how the company has been getting around the law,

Indian Flood Victims to Spend Six Months in Camps

CitizenSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:23:03 -0700

Indian Flood Victims to Spend Six Months in Camps Hundreds of thousands of Indian flood refugees are likely to spend six months in state-run relief camps while authorities rebuild homes, roads and river embankments in the flood-ravaged north, officials said Monday. More than 257,000 people have taken shelter in 313 state-run camps in Bihar state, where the Kosi River burst its banks last month and turned hundreds of square miles of land into a giant lake, said Prataya Amrit, a state disaster management official.

2.5 Million Indians Stranded by Flood

CitizenSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:55:08 -0700

2.5 Million Indians Stranded by Flood Nearly 2.5 million Indians remained stranded, homeless, and hungry in flood-ravaged villages in the eastern part of the country Tuesday, 17 days after a river burst a dam in neighboring Nepal and changed course. Heavy rains and the swelling waters of the Kosi, known as the "river of sorrow" and worshiped by local people, caused havoc in almost 1,000 villages in Bihar state.

Vogue India Has Poor Model Luxury: Tasteless or Beautiful?

LibertySugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:00:46 -0700

Vogue India decorated poor women dressed in worn clothing with luxury status items. In one editorial photo spread a baby dons a Fendi bib, and in another a toothless woman holds a Burberry umbrella. Considering that 456 million live on $1.25 a day in India, there aren't too many families that can dress their babies in $100 bibs.Critics say the spread makes light of nightmarish poverty in India— for example, thousands of Indian farmers have killed themselves over the last decade because of debt. But the editor of Vogue India told the New York Times that critics need to "lighten up," and that the editorial expressed the fact that: [F]ashion is no longer a rich man's privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful. You have to remember with fashion, you can’t take it that seriously. We weren’t trying to make a political statement or save the world.

While some may say the photo shoot brings fashion to the people, I can see how others could argue that it glamorizes serious human suffering.

Vogue India Has Poor Model Luxury: Tasteless or Beautiful?

Tasteless! It's disturbing to peddle status while the majority struggles for survival.

Beautiful! Poor people should not be excluded from fashion.

Not art, but what do you expect? Brands want to create awareness among a rising class.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

India's Right Wing Threatens Violence Over English Store Signs

LibertySugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:15:39 -0700

Right-wing parties in India want to restore the dominance of the Marathi language in the city of Mumbai. The Maharashtra Reconstruction Party is demanding language changes, and since it's not happening fast enough, they have threatened to attack stores that use English signs, instead of or more prominently than Marathi signs.

One regional party leader said:

People are insulting Marathi pride with smaller signs. We will not back down. Traders can take this as a warning or a suggestion, it's up to them.

Businesses, including McDonald's, have responded to the threats by quickly changing their signs, while others have resisted.

In the US, by 2042 whites will no longer be the majority and groups including Hispanics, blacks, and Asians, will in combination outnumber non-Hispanic whites. If other languages remove English from its place of dominance, could you imagine groups using violent threats, like those in India, to assert the use of English in America?

Source

Indian Kids Are Pitted Against Each Other on Reality Shows

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:00:23 -0700

A show with a name like Boogie Woogie sounds like it should be nothing but harmless fun right? For the tidal wave of kids clamoring to get onto the Indian reality TV show, perhaps not. After one young girl collapsed on the dance contest show after she lost, the pressure is starting to get noticed. Her parents blame the Simon Cowell-esque reprimanding after her performance for her collapse, while the show's producers say the parents should know the limits of their children.

Regardless of the cause its anything but a deterrent for hopeful contestants for any of India's five music and dance contest shows. Thousands of kids are signing up, and the long days, grueling criticism, and even the parents themselves are becoming a problem. One Boogie Woogie producer says, "Some parents are so ambitious that they need to be counselled. We have to tell them to let the children be. Sometimes parents push the children to wear certain clothes, practice some gyrating adult moves. At such times we ask them to change their dance."

Why are kids being pushed onto TV shows? To find out,

Front Page: Plot to Assassinate Obama, Hundreds Held in Immigration Raid, Mystery Virus Hits India

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:55:20 -0700

Plot to Assassinate Obama:
Denver authorities announced they had arrested three people on drug and gun charges in connection with a possible plot to assassinate Obama during his speech accepting the nomination Thursday night. The US Attorney Generals office will hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss the "aggressive" inquiry into the case. It's not clear how detailed the plot was before the arrests.

Hundreds Held in Immigration Raid:
Another large-scale immigration raid, this time in Mississippi, led to 350 workers being detained. Numerous ICE agents infiltrated the Howard Industries factory and so far dozens of workers have been “identified, fingerprinted, interviewed, photographed and processed for removal from the US.” Immigrants' rights activists said, “It’s horrific what ICE is doing to these families and these communities.”
Mystery Virus Hits India:
A virus that started in one village in India has spread to 350 people and claimed 160 lives; 15 to 20 people are dying everyday. Doctors are unsure what the disease is, though possible causes lie everywhere in the piles of garbage and waterlogged roads. The villagers are getting desperate: “Everyone here is waiting for doctors to come and examine people; but they aren’t coming and we are counting our dead.”

Source

Front Page: 1 Million Cut Off By Floods, China Deports Protesters, Pakistan Bans the Taliban

CitizenSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:00:49 -0700

1 Million Cut Off By Floods:
In India, more than a million people have been stranded by monsoon-season flooding. Authorities are struggling today to get aid and food to people in the stricken northern state and the government has issued a plea for relief agencies to provide food and shelter. The area's chief minister says, ''It is not a normal flood, but a catastrophe." This year's monsoons have killed 330 people so far.

China Deports Protesters:
Eight American protesters who were detained by Chinese authorities during the Olympics and given 10-day sentences, have been released six days early. The protesters were part of Students for a Free Tibet, four of them were detained for unfurling a Tibetan flag near the stadium. They were deported as the closing ceremony started.

Pakistan Bans the Taliban:
After the Taliban claimed responsibility today for one of Pakistan's worst ever terrorist attacks, Pakistan has banned the Taliban. The move shows the country is toughening its stance a week after Pervez Musharraf left power. Just 24 hours after rejecting a Taliban cease-fire offer, the ministry announced the decision sayiing, ''This organization is a terrorist organization and created mayhem against public life."

Source

Front Page: McCain Powder Not Dangerous, Iraq Withdrawal Agreed Upon, 200,000 Muslims Protest

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 06:54:24 -0700

McCain Powder Not Dangerous:
Two of McCain's campaign offices received suspicious letters and white powder yesterday — the substance has been deemed not dangerous by police and fire officials. The Denver and Manchester, NH, offices reacted quickly to the letters with Denver return addresses. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist also received a letter with powder that has been deemed nontoxic.

Iraq WIthdrawal Agreed Upon:
The US has agreed to remove combat troops from cities by next June and from the rest of Iraq by 2011. The schedule, which the Bush administration calls "aspirational goals" rather than deadlines, depends on the stability of Iraq. Ending combat operations in Iraq in less than a year didn't seem possible even a short time ago.

200,000 Muslims Protest:
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims gathered in Indian Kashmir's main city today in the largest protest against Indian rule in two months of conflict. Long lines and huge groups of people prayed and spoke as part of the protest sparked in June in a land dispute. One protester said, "This is a freedom movement, a people's movement. We are united to fight India until we get freedom." 68,000 have died in Kashmir conflicts since 1989.

Source

Reality Star Learns She Has Cancer — on TV! Where's the Line?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:00:56 -0700

Hey, I watched Joe Millionaire, I'm no reality TV snob, but crushing medical diagnoses? Is this entertainment? Millions of viewers will get to decide that for themselves when they watch British reality star Jade Goody find out she has cancer on the Indian version of the show Big Brother (called Bigg Boss.) The 27-year-old star received the diagnosis that she had cervical cancer from her doctor and broke the news to her housemates, in tears of course, all on camera. Goody immediately quit the show but the event had already been caught on tape. She's since given her consent to have the footage shown, but is there a line?While we certainly follow the health concerns of celebrities, at least with stories like Christina Applegate, she carefully chose how to break the news and certainly wasn't filmed at the time of finding out. Should reality TV be a free-for-all, as long as the participant agrees — or should we start policing what we deem entertainment with the long arm of the remote?Source

Reality Star Learns She Has Cancer — on TV! Where's the Line?

There shouldn't be a line. If someone wants to do it on TV, fine. I'll watch.

The networks should walk a finer line of exploitation vs. entertainment. This is the former.

We're setting the line ourselves. If we watch it, they will make it. Turn the channel!

Other. I'll star in my own reality show in the comments.

India and Australia Solve Food and Planet Woes With Dinner

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:30:22 -0700

Fire up the barbie, two countries are putting some creative meat alternatives on the menu: one to combat hunger, one to save the planet.

Given meat's effect on the climate, Australia is looking at how they can help and still have a chop every once in a while. Livestock grazing accounts for 11 percent of the country's emissions. The plan to remove seven million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020 will lower greenhouse gases by three percent a year. What is on the menu instead? Replacing cows and sheep with kangaroo will give Aussies the same amount of meat for a much smaller eco-footprint.

Though kangaroo-kabobs seems odd, India's plan to combat hunger could be less palatable. To see what it is,

Nepal Searching For New Girl to Serve as Goddess Incarnated

LibertySugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:00:29 -0700

Nepal is on the hunt for a new Kumari, a prepubescent girl worshiped as a virginal living goddess by Nepali Hindus and Buddhists who consider her an embodiment of the goddess of strength. Nepal's astrologists are analyzing horoscopes of girls belonging to the Buddhist Shakya clan, looking for the next Kumari.

The religious authorities want to make their selection before the annual Dasain Hindu festival in October, because if they wait too long, the current Kumari (who is 11) may begin menstruating before next year's festival. The goddess inhabits the girl's body until she menstruates, and it is considered unlucky if the virgin starts menstruating while serving as Kumari.

The Kumari job requirements include: perfect eyes, teeth, hair, and flawless skin free of even a small scratch. The girl, who can be as young as three-years-old, leaves her family and receives an allowance from the government. During religious festivals she wears red and gold costumes and is carried on a wooden chariot through the capital city. Some in Nepal say the tradition must be abolished to protect the children.

Source

Custom Made: India Distributes Female, Gay Condoms

LibertySugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Indian women and gay men, two marginalized populations, gain control over their lives and personal liberation from condoms made just for them.

Female condoms have become increasingly popular, thanks to an ambitious government initiative. While the female condoms protect women at risk of contracting HIV from their husbands, the freedom provided by the condoms also extends to contraceptive benefits, and an overall feeling of increased control.

The response from women and their husbands has been better than expected. But, despite reported progress, providing female condoms is not enough; women must learn how to communicate with their partners. Dr. Linda Cottler, who researches HIV prevention efforts, explains the challenge in India:

Intimate partner violence is common, and it occurs because women ask their partners to use condoms. Some women in India think that they can wash their or their partners' genitals with bleach, alcohol, or water as a way to protect themselves from the virus. These myths must be countered with better education.

Walking a fine line, India also has plans to distribute a more effective, for-gay-men condom through non-profits and community groups. To find out why this plan is so radical,

Stampede Kills 145 People at Remote Indian Hindu Temple

CitizenSugar — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:45:19 -0700

Stampede Kills 145 People at Remote Indian Hindu Temple Pilgrims stampeded at a mountaintop Hindu temple in northern India on Sunday, and 145 people — lots of them women and children — were killed in the crush that sent worshippers plummeting to their deaths over a broken railing. The devotees were attending a nine-day religious festival in the foothills of the Himalayas at the Naina Devi Temple, said district deputy police chief C.P. Verma.

Progress? India Poised to Elect "Untouchable" Prime Minister?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:02 -0700

While India reels from a new spate of bombings over the weekend, terrorist attacks like these have become more prevalent in recent years, unsettling the country. Officials say the attacks are attempts to incite violence between Hindus and Muslims, which so far have failed. Who could be the perfect person to unite and lead a country in unsettled times? Perhaps an icon of uniting within division itself — Dalit leader Mayawati Kumari.

Usually answering just to Mayawati, this icon of the Dalit or "untouchable" caste has emerged as a political force. Leading the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which represents the most people (160 million) with the fewest seats in parliament (17), Mayawati is broadening her political appeal to include upper-caste Hindus and Muslims, creating a masterful and uniting coalition within India's fractious society.

To see where she came from,

India Arrests Dozens In Bombings That Killed 45

CitizenSugar — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:55:07 -0700

India Arrests Dozens In Bombings That Killed 45
An obscure Islamic group claimed responsibility for a series of synchronized explosions that killed at least 45 and injured 161 people in western India, warning of "the terror of Death" in an email sent to several television stations minutes before the blasts. The email's subject line said "Await 5 minutes for the revenge of Gujarat," an apparent reference to 2002 riots in the western state which left 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, dead.

Front Page: Election Riot in Mongolia, Bulldozer Attack, India's Truck Drivers Strike

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:56:28 -0700

Election Riot in Mongolia:
In Mongolia's capital, protesters rioted over alleged election fraud destroying the ruling party's headquarters, dampening hopes for a stable government, and resulting in five deaths. President Nambariin Enkhbayar declared a four-day state of emergency late last night after the fire was set at the headquarters. The emergency announcement is the first in Mongolia's history, and allows security forces to use tear gas and rubber bullets to break up demonstrations. About 220 civilians and 108 servicemen have been injured in the clashes, with another 700 protesters detained.

Bulldozer Attack:
A Palestinian smashed a bulldozer into a bus and several cars this morning in Jerusalem, killing three people before being killed himself. The rampage left dozens injured in the city center before a police officer engaged the driver, struggling with him in the cab of the vehicle, and shooting him dead. One witness said of the attack, "I saw [the bulldozer driver] crashing cars and going into the bus... He wanted to kill as many as he could."
India's Truck Drivers Strike:
India's truck drivers are striking, keeping nearly four million trucks off the roads to protest against rising fuel costs. The Indian government has cut subsidies due to rising global prices of crude oil and passed the increase on to drivers. Oil prices have risen by 40 percent since the beginning of the year. The strike is likely to push up the prices of food and other necessities. One trucker said, "we are already running under huge losses. The cost of diesel is so high that we have nothing left to live on."

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Front Page: Mugabe at African Union Summit, Bush Signs War Bill, India Goes Solar

CitizenSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:58:14 -0700

Mugabe at African Union Summit:
Newly sworn-in for a sixth term as president, Robert Mugabe who wrested a win from violent elections in Zimbabwe, is traveling in his official capacity. Mugabe arrived in Egypt today for an African Union summit, under pressure from the UN and his neighbors to create peace with his adversaries, perhaps difficult as world leaders have called the contest illegitimate because of bloodshed and intimidation, being neither free, fair, nor credible. The UN deputy secretary general, told the African leaders "we are facing an extremely grave crisis. This is the single greatest challenge to regional stability in Southern Africa, not only because of its terrible humanitarian and security consequences, but because of the dangerous political precedent it sets.” US Secretary of State Rice has also urged strong international action against Zimbabwe.

Bush Signs War Bill:
Moments ago, President Bush signed $162 billion war spending plan that constitutes the budget for military action in Iraq and Afghanistan for the remainder of his term. The spending plan approved by Congress also includes an increase of GI Bill college benefits, and a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. This brings the total of money approved by Congress to more than $650 billion in the past five years.
India Goes Solar:
The Indian government has just announced a plan to confront the threat posed by climate change. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the plan focuses on sustainable sources of energy and that the development of India's capacity to tap solar power would be central to the strategy. Though India's carbon emissions are predicted to rise, Singh says of the plan, "our vision is to make India's economic development energy efficient. Our people have a right to economic and social development and to discard the ignominy of widespread poverty."

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Eight Legs? It's Not That Girl in India, It's Baracknophobia!

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:30:08 -0700

Though the infant born with eight limbs in India just had successful surgery to remove her extra appendages, a multilegged creature of a different sort showed up on The Daily Show this week. Apparently, the phobia, classified scientifically (it's true — they're doing studies) as "the irrational fear of hope" has wormed its way into to the very fibers of the Obama campaign. OK. They're not doing studies.

Skewering both the incident this week where the Obama campaign moved some Muslim supporters out of a picture with the candidate, ("Muslim-adjacent" is apparently a presidential deal-breaker) as well as the media coverage of it, Stewart has a few more faux-tos the Obama camp doesn't want you to see. I don't care if he is punching that baby, it's a darn cute kid. Do you have a little Baracknophobia of your own?

Female Bouncer Crashing India's Boys Club

LibertySugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:00:06 -0700

The city of Chandigarh, located in India's Punjab region, has its first female nightclub bouncer, and patrons love her. Twenty-two-year-old Amandeep Kaur, a newscaster by day and bouncer by night, is a rarity in Punjab — a male-dominated society with a disproportionate number of men compared to women. Amandeep didn't take no for an answer, when staff told her only men need apply. Now, to the surprise of her friends and family, she frisks beautiful woman patrons of the local hotspot Score, making everyone feel much safer.

An overall gender disparity crisis faces India today. Aborting female fetuses has become a widespread phenomenon. Recently, India's prime minister called the practice a "national shame." It is illegal in India for doctors to disclose the sex of an unborn baby to the parents; but the law goes generally unenforced.

Will women like Amandeep, determined to break gender stereotypes, help end India's serious, and sometimes fatal, discrimination? Or will traditions, like requiring a daughter's parents to give the son-in-law a large dowry (making a daughter a financial liability), need to change before women receive equal treatment?

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Consumers Protest Fuel Price Hike in India For Second Day

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:10:45 -0700

Consumers Protest Fuel Price Hike in India For Second Day
The AP reports: Angry consumers blocked rail tracks and roads and shut down businesses in several parts of India for a second day Friday, protesting a hike in fuel prices by the government. Police detained 20 activists of the right-wing opposition Shiv Sena after they disrupted train services in a suburb of Mumbai. The government hiked gasoline prices by 5 rupees ($.13) a liter and diesel prices 3 rupees ($.08) a liter on Wednesday to partially offset soaring international oil prices.

Air India Attendants Too Fat (Ugly) to Fly? Court Says A-OK

CitizenSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:00:23 -0700

India's state-owned airline, Air India, has just won the right to prevent attendants from taking flight for carrying on extra weight. The Delhi high court ruled on a case filed by five flight attendants protesting the fact that they'd been grounded by the airline for being too fat to fly. They're expected to appeal.

The judges sided with the airlines, saying a chubby crew presents a safety hazard — but then there's this addition to the judgment — in the highly competitive airline industry, flight attendant's physical condition and appearance play an important role in her overall personality. (Emphasis, mine.) How can someone's appearance dictate her personality? I buy that flight attendants have to be in a physical condition good enough to save people from a burning plane, but the beauty factor of the ruling is not so pretty.

The government-run airline is up against private airlines who don't clothe their employees in traditional saris, opting for Western get-ups, and they've pinpointed the crux of being competitive with their employees' looks. At a recent recruitment drive the airline refused applicants with acne or bad teeth.

Can a court rule that the attractiveness of an employee has business ramifications? OK, some industries — modeling, and the like — depend on appearance, but maintaining safety on an aircraft? Is the ruling fair justice, or just pretty ugly?

Source

Meet the Happiest Place on Earth — and the Scariest Place

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:00:07 -0700

The South Pacific isle of Vanuatu has been voted the happiest place on Earth. Is it a luxurious island paradise of sipping Mai-Tais on the beach, being fanned by tanned studs? Hardly. The blissful residents of Vanuatu have embraced the old Janis Joplin refrain, "freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose," and it's made them delightfully content.

Vanuatuans live without all the things we usually associate with happiness: running water, electricity, a house — most people live in basic thatched huts. But the real key to the smiles seems to be the utter lack of money. With the island providing all of a family's food — coconuts, yam, and manioc and a sea full of fish — and entire leisurely days to gather grub, simplicity has earned them the crown. When money is come by, families don't turn it into a Nintendo Wii — they buy soap powder and kerosene for their lamps.

When asked the true secret of happiness one resident replied immediately, "not having to worry about money." For an unblinkingly honest romp of life near Vanuatu, check out The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maatren Troost. It's an outstanding beach read.

If Vanuatu is the happiest place, where's the scariest? To find out,

Drawers For All! Humans Have the Right to Wear Underwear

LibertySugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:30:04 -0700

Wearing underwear to work is a human right! An Indian human-rights commission just lifted a dress-code ban which prevented staff at the Hindu temple Sabarimala from wearing undergarments. I wonder how that was enforced!

So, why was there a ban in the first place? In order to prevent staff from using their underwear to smuggle cash and jewelry donated to the temple, they were only allowed to wear a sarong. The 50 million people who visit the temple each year should be donating huge amounts of gold, silver, and diamonds. Last year the temple received $18.7 million in gifts.

The human-rights commission said the government must use appropriate and modern methods for preventing theft, instead of forcing workers to go commando.

Was this ban a creative and cheap way to prevent theft, or an invasive and crude technique? If you were a worker would you rather go through X-ray machines and pat downs, or refrain from wearing underwear? Do even modern security measures seem like they sometimes violate human rights?

Source

Children in India Burn Their Toy Guns to Protest Violence

CitizenSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 06:00:00 -0700

This image is heartwarming and breaking at the same time. In Gauhati, India, children are protesting the violence that surrounds them by setting fire to their toy guns. The kids lit the blaze in response to the continuing violence in the Manipur region where at least 17 rebel groups have been fighting for autonomy. Nearly 5,000 people have been killed over the past 10 years.

The children gleefully threw their guns into a bonfire, most of them AK-47 and M-16 rifles and cheered as they were destroyed. Some of the children even wore placards reading, “We hate toy guns. We love football." The guns in India were toys — though some children shoulder real weapons in times of war. To see the light at the end of this tunnel,

Front Page: Liquor Deaths in India, Bush Dismisses Iran Attack, Spain's Defense Minister Has Boy

CitizenSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:00:47 -0700

Liquor Deaths in India: A rash of poisoned liquor consumption has left 110 Indians dead in the past few days. The incidents are being called "hooch deaths," and are happening a year after the government outlawed the sale of country liquor — arguing that it was ruinous to the poor — but left other kinds of alcohol legal. Now, plastic bags of illegal brew are found in Bangalore’s poorest neighborhoods, those without proper medical facilities. Many of the deaths could have been prevented with access to a ventilator and dialysis machine, which the local hospital lacked.

Bush Dismisses Iran Attack: The White House criticized the news organization who released a report saying President Bush was preparing to order an attack on Iran before leaving office in eight months. Bush's aides view the reports in the Jerusalem Post as mischaracterizations of his intentions in confronting Iran over nuclear enrichment, Iraq, and support of the militant Islamic groups Hezbollah and Hamas. White House Press Secretary Perino said of the report of possible attacks on Iran, it "quotes unnamed sources — quoting unnamed sources — is not worth the paper it’s written on.”
Spain's Defense Minister Has Boy: Carme Chacón, Spain's first female defense minister, has just given birth to a baby boy. Prime Minister Zapatero created Spain’s first female-dominated cabinet — nine of 17 members are women. She has begun maternity leave. The press wondered whether Chacón would take the full, four-month maternity leave or split it with the baby’s father — a choice afforded by the sexual-equality law passed last year.

Feeling Walled In? India's Untouchables Actually Are

CitizenSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:15:04 -0700

It's been a while since I've Netflixed Gandhi, but this story snagged my attention: The caste system in India is still alive and well. Studies have shown that shunning members of society and labeling them "untouchables" — behaviors like banning them from temples and bathing areas, refusing to share drinking glasses or barbers with those of the lowest class — are still very common. In fact, 45 different forms of "untouchability" are still being carried out by the upper caste of Hindus on the Dalits.

How serious are they about restricting contact with the untouchables? In Tamil Nadu (the most developed part of India that prides itself on being politically progressive and educationally advanced) they built a wall keeping the Dalit out of the main part of the village. To see why,