GO TO SOURCE INDIA, July, 17, 2001: Using the simple computer, or Simputer, and software that reads webpages aloud in native Indian languages, a group of Indian scientists and engineers has developed a handheld computer to help the poor and illiterate find out about aid projects targeted at them. The team has developed its own version of the web’s formatting…
GO TO SOURCE FRANCE, July 13, 2001: It all started in the year 2000 when a French court awarded damages to a mentally retarded boy because, “he had not been aborted.” Rulings since then have supported the decision made in the Perruche case. Three families with physically deformed children have brought their cases before the court. As a result France’s…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, July 10, 2001: Patients are being warned that herbal medications can increase the risk of serious complications during surgery. The preparations can speed up or slow down the heart rate, inhibit blood clotting, alter the immune system and change the effects and duration of anaesthesia. Scientists have found some preparations have an impact if taken…
Source: Vishnu Bisram, Trinidad NEW YORK, NEW YORK, July 14, 2001: When a Queens, New York, judge ruled that the marriage between a Guyanese couple be considered legal and binding, even though the union was not registered in the county, the decision has marked a turning point for Hindu religious unions. The husband of the union tried to receive a…
GO TO SOURCE KATHMANDU, NEPAL, July 15, 2001: Four-year-old Preeti Shakya has been chosen as the new living goddess of Nepal, to spend her childhood revered as the source of prosperity for the mountain kingdom — a status she will hold until she reaches puberty. This BBC report is more detailed than earlier reports. The Kumari is revered by both…
GO TO SOURCE HOUSTON, TEXAS, July 16, 2001: The Samskriti organization announced today the “First North American International Conference on Indian Dance in the Diaspora — Traditions & Innovations” featuring scholars, critics, performers, and dignitaries from around the world will be held in Houston, Texas from September 1 to 3, 2001. Performers include Mallika Sarabhai and Darpana Dance Company, Dr.…
GO TO SOURCE SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND, July 13, 2001: A 34-year-old Hindu woman has won $US$5,640 in damages after surgeons used cow cartilage in her operation. The educational administrator said she would have never consented to the operation if she had known doctors were going to use parts of the cow, which is sacred to her religion. The woman, who has…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, July 15, 2001: To help the leaders of India and Pakistan ease five decades of animosity, chefs dropped crushed pearl, coral and mica into a mood-elevating meal laced with the elixir of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine. The chefs said the menu was designed so that Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee…
GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, July 15, 2001: BBC reporter Marie Colvi, lost an eye to Singhalese army gun fire while crossing the from Tamil Tiger held areas of Sri Lanka to those under government control. She was attempting to get an authentic picture of conditions in the war-torn region. Reporters are barred by the Sri Lankan government from entering.…
GO TO SOURCE AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS, July 11, 2001: The Khmer Growers of Western Massachusetts — four Cambodian sisters and their friends — are raising money to rebuild the Buddhist temples in their homeland by growing the vegetables they know best. They began selling to Massachusetts’ ethnic farm markets seven years ago and are adding some chic restaurants in Manhattan and…