New Delhi

Ramrati reads Ramcharitmanas every morning on the lane that connects Barakhamba to KG Marg, in New Delhi, India, March 29, 2014.

This 16th-century epic poem sparks political controversy in India

In recent months, a 16th-century epic religious poem has ignited a political storm in India, after several officials said it was offensive to women and those at the bottom of India’s religious caste hierarchy. As the country heads toward general elections next year, some say that different parties are using the poem to appeal to various voters.

This 16th-century epic poem sparks political controversy in India
Pregnant women hold their medical cards and wait for their turn to be examined at a government hospital on World Population Day in Hyderabad, India, Friday, July 11, 2014. 

As India becomes the world's most populous nation, engaging men in family planning ‘will be a game changer'

As India becomes the world's most populous nation, engaging men in family planning ‘will be a game changer'
V Sailakshmi, 39, says sex work helped pay for her sister's wedding and for her father's funeral

'We are demanding full decriminalization': Sex workers in India rally for labor rights

'We are demanding full decriminalization': Sex workers in India rally for labor rights
Superhero Priya fights injustice along with her trusted tiger Sahas.

Superhero Priya tries to rescue New Delhi from air pollution on Earth Day

Superhero Priya tries to rescue New Delhi from air pollution on Earth Day
Several men supervise a voter registration table adorned with BJP flags during the election in Uttar Pradesh.

A test for Hindu nationalism as India's biggest state goes to the polls

A test for Hindu nationalism as India's biggest state goes to the polls
A woman surrounded by other people writes on a white placard

Protesters in India call for justice for Dalit women who are victims of sexual violence

Rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight in India since the 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a Delhi bus, which sparked massive protests and inspired lawmakers to order the creation of fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases and stiffen penalties for those convicted of the crime.

Protesters in India call for justice for Dalit women who are victims of sexual violence
Men carrying white plastic bags of food from a pile of bags

COVID sparks a new 'right to food' movement across the globe

The pandemic has contributed to a doubling in food insecurity around the world.

COVID sparks a new 'right to food' movement across the globe
Green WhatApp icon surrounded by other apps on a smart phone

WhatsApp sues Indian government over unconstitutional internet laws, privacy encroachment

India's new measures would force WhatsApp to make messages on its platform traceable.

WhatsApp sues Indian government over unconstitutional internet laws, privacy encroachment
Three men are shown standing and wearing protective face masks with several funeral pyres flaming in the distance.

Pressure rises for India lockdown; surge breaks record again

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced growing pressure Friday to impose a strict nationwide lockdown, despite the economic pain it will exact, as a startling surge in coronavirus cases that has pummeled the country's health system shows no signs of abating.

Pressure rises for India lockdown; surge breaks record again
Family members of a person who died due to COVID-19 light the funeral pyre at a crematorium

India's COVID-19 infections could be 15 times higher than reported, says biostatistician

Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Michigan, says India's "virus inferno" is "super-exponential," and that COVID-19 deaths and infections are underreported.

India's COVID-19 infections could be 15 times higher than reported, says biostatistician
A protester walks past the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.

'The death of American exceptionalism’: Views from abroad on US Capitol attack 

Outside observers watched with disbelief as a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the seat of US power.

'The death of American exceptionalism’: Views from abroad on US Capitol attack 
Indian actor Irrfan Khan is shown wearing a dark tuxedo with a crowd in the background.

Actor Irrfan Khan, star of 'Life of Pi, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' dies at 53

Irrfan Khan, an Indian actor who brought versatility and style to recent hit films and had roles in Hollywood movies such as "Life of Pi" and "The Namesake" and "Slumdog Millionaire," died on Wednesday, aged 53.

Actor Irrfan Khan, star of 'Life of Pi, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' dies at 53
A man is shown riding a motorcycle with two police officers adjacent trying to stop him from passing.

India locks down its 1.3 billion people to halt coronavirus spread

India ordered a 21-day lockdown of its 1.3 billion people on Tuesday to try to protect the world's second most populous country from the coronavirus spreading around the world.

India locks down its 1.3 billion people to halt coronavirus spread
Several people are shown standing at the counter of a hotel resort with the words, "Check out" on a sign behind the counter.

A hotel in Spain is under lockdown; Hosni Mubarak has died; Rio’s Carnival floats put drama and comedy in motion

A hotel on Spain’s resort island of Tenerife was put on lockdown after a visiting doctor from Italy tested positive for the novel coronavirus. And, longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, died today at age 91. Also, happy Fat Tuesday (or Pączki Day for some)! We head to a “dream factory” in Rio as the city celebrates Carnival.

A hotel in Spain is under lockdown; Hosni Mubarak has died; Rio’s Carnival floats put drama and comedy in motion
A large group of students are shown protesting with one women in the center raising her arms up.

India citizenship law protests spread across campuses

Protests over a new Indian citizenship law based on religion spread to student campuses Monday as critics said the Hindu nationalist government was pushing a partisan agenda in conflict with the country's founding as a secular republic.

India citizenship law protests spread across campuses