Chaitra SA

It is not unusual for Kerala and its people to cling to the World Cup every season. The state in the cricket-crazy country is so obsessed with the game that people opt for not only WC-theme weddings but also buy a house for €27,000 to watch the matches.

Glitzy on one front and unsullied on the other, Qatar is an equilibrium of natural and man-made wonders. Recently, it climbed the ranks to become a hot destination among travelers for playing host to the World Cup 2022, but it has much more to offer.

Maternal deaths drop, but progress is slow: With one woman dying every 90 seconds in childbirth, attaining zero maternal mortality looks like a distant dream.

Women brave IVF complications for children: Women continue to use In Vitro Fertisilation to conceive, despite increasing evidence of dangerous side effects.

Drought wreaks havoc on Indian farmers: A punishing drought in western India is hurting livestock farmers as the region experiences water shortages.

‘Hitler’ shop sends India shockwave: A new store called ‘Hitler’ raises fears that right-wing ideology could be finding takers in the land of Gandhi.

All-veg McDonald’s eyes India’s holy sites: Fast-food giant is opening its first-ever, all-vegetarian restaurants in India, but could stoke a religious backlash.

Celibate Indian priests turn matchmakers: Matrimonial website run by Catholic priests gains popularity in Kerala, helping Christians to find partners.

Echoes of the past ring true in sound museum: The online Museum for Endangered Sounds stores long-forgotten gadget-based audio for today’s networked generation.

Bus attack highlights India’s rape epidemic: A brutal assault in New Delhi has led to public outrage and calls for tougher sentences for rapists.

‘Honour killings’ bring dishonour to India: The public beheading of a woman by her brother in Kolkata highlights a surge in so-called ‘honour killings’.

India’s growing ‘rent-a-womb’ industry: Lower costs have made the country a top destination for childless couples looking for surrogate mothers.

India faces an epidemic of missing children: About 60,000 children go missing every year in a populous nation, and child activists say many end up in the sex trade.

Mumbai mulls banning the display of half-clad mannequins in lingerie shops in an attempt to cut sexual assaults.

Killing cows is illegal in most of India, but rustlers still round up cattle for slaughter.

Souq Waqif is a one-stop spot for some fantastic shopping in Qatar and dining, exploring, or simply sitting and watching the world pass by.

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