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Raksha Kumar

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Sunday

The improbable fame of a hijab-wearing teen rapper from a poor neighborhood in Mumbai

A young fan came to the Mumbai home of rapper Saniya Mistri Qayammuddin – aka Saniya MQ — to pay her respects and pose for a selfie. Raksha Kumar/NPR hide caption

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Raksha Kumar/NPR

Goats and Soda

The improbable fame of a hijab-wearing teen rapper from a poor neighborhood in Mumbai

First Saniya wrote poems. Then she began rapping. Now she appears on TV and YouTube and before big crowds, spreading her message about justice. Her father the rickshaw driver is her chauffeur.

The improbable fame of a hijab-wearing teen rapper from a poor neighborhood in Mumbai

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Sunday

Thursday

Saturday

Indian LGBTQ couples fight for legal recognition of same-sex marriage

LGBTQ people and their supporters march demanding equal marriage rights in New Delhi, India, in January. India's Supreme Court in 2018 struck down a colonial-era law that made gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison but has yet to legalize same-sex marriages. AP hide caption

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AP

World

Indian LGBTQ couples fight for legal recognition of same-sex marriage

India's Supreme Court decriminalized gay sex in 2018. In January, the court accepted a petition from four LGBTQ couples to legalize same-sex marriage. It is set to hear arguments on Monday.

Indian LGBTQ couples fight for legal recognition of same-sex marriage

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Thursday

U.S. and Russia's top diplomats meet for the first time since the Ukraine war began

Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks to a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

World

U.S. and Russia's top diplomats meet for the first time since the Ukraine war began

Relations between the two countries have collapsed over the Ukraine war, with the U.S. slapping thousands of sanctions on Russia, and militarily, economically and diplomatically supporting Ukraine.

Tuesday

Asia

Four couples are petitioning India's Supreme Court to legalize gay marriage

Five years ago, India decriminalized gay sex. Now, four gay and lesbian couples are petitioning India's Supreme Court to take the next step: Legalize gay marriage.

Four couples are petitioning India's Supreme Court to legalize gay marriage

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Indian tax agents raid BBC for 2nd day, after it aired documentary critical of Modi

A police officer stands at the entrance of the office building where Indian tax authorities raided BBC's office in New Delhi on Tuesday. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

World

Indian tax agents raid BBC for 2nd day, after it aired documentary critical of Modi

A two-part BBC documentary examined Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in anti-Muslim raids that killed hundreds in his home state of Gujarat in 2002.

Wednesday

It's a mystery: Women in India drop out of the workforce even as the economy grows

Sangeeta Ashok Devde, a domestic worker in Mumbai, says female domestic workers are often burnt out. "None of us get decent wages or paid time off," says Devde. "My body is just worn out as a result of working for so long in other people's homes as well as my own." Some of her friends have quit their jobs. Indranil Aditya for NPR hide caption

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Indranil Aditya for NPR

Goats and Soda

It's a mystery: Women in India drop out of the workforce even as the economy grows

Some say it's a sign of prosperity. In conservative India, if women can afford not to work, they don't. But economists say there's more to it.

It's a mystery: Women in India drop out of the workforce even as the economy grows

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Saturday

Cyberattacks on hospitals thwart India's push to digitize health care

Servers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi are still not back to normal two weeks after they were hacked and the data was held for ransom. Amal KS/Hindustan Times via Getty Images hide caption

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Amal KS/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Cyberattacks on hospitals thwart India's push to digitize health care

Prime Minister Modi's ambitious plan to transition all Indians' health records online is running up against weak cybersecurity systems and a lack of data protection laws.

Sunday

Cinemas have reopened in Kashmir after 2 decades — but few moviegoers are showing up

The lobby of the new multiplex movie theater before afternoon screenings in Srinagar, on Oct. 1. Showkat Nanda for NPR hide caption

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Showkat Nanda for NPR

World

Cinemas have reopened in Kashmir after 2 decades — but few moviegoers are showing up

The cinemas, shut down after threats from separatist militants, reopened last month. Moviegoers pass through an Indian police checkpoint and are frisked at the theater entrance for bombs and weapons.

Cinemas have reopened in Kashmir after 2 decades — but few moviegoers are showing up

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Thursday

Asia

After more than two decades, movie theaters reopen in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Forced shut during a 1990s insurgency, cinemas are reopening in Kashmir. A new generation will now get to see Bollywood idols on the big screen. Is it a political maneuver, or a return to normalcy?

After more than two decades, movie theaters reopen in Indian-controlled Kashmir

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Sunday

For Kashmiris, resolution to decades of conflict remains a distant dream

An Indian army soldier collects Indian national flags after a rally marking Indian independence in Sopore district, Baramulla, in Jammu and Kashmir, on Aug. 11. Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

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Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images

India and Pakistan at 75

For Kashmiris, resolution to decades of conflict remains a distant dream

As India marks 75 years of independence this month, many in Jammu and Kashmir may feel there's little to celebrate. Kashmir, claimed by India and Pakistan, has seen decades of separatist violence.

Friday

YouTube videos are helping reunite loved ones separated by the India-Pakistan border

Friends Nasir Dhillon (left) and Papinder Singh run a YouTube channel, Punjabi Lehar, that tries to heal the wounds of Partition through reuniting loved ones separated when British-ruled India was divided into two countries, India and Pakistan, 75 years ago. Diaa Hadid/NPR hide caption

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Diaa Hadid/NPR

India and Pakistan at 75

YouTube videos are helping reunite loved ones separated by the India-Pakistan border

Two Pakistani friends make videos in which those who lived through India's 1947 Partition describe loved ones they lost at the time. With viewers' help, siblings and others are reunited after decades.

YouTube videos are helping reunite loved ones separated by the India-Pakistan border

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Wednesday

Asia

Sri Lankan lawmakers chose 6-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president

Sri Lanka has been struggling to buy essential imports such as fuel and medicine, and feed its population. The new president has numerous challenges ahead of him.

Sri Lankan lawmakers chose 6-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as president

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Thursday

Wednesday

Asia

A state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka as leaders try to 'restore order'

A state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka as protestors call for the removal of the man who has replaced the President — who fled to the Maldives in a military jet overnight.

A state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka as leaders try to 'restore order'

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Monday

Asia

Protesters in Sri Lanka say they won't leave the president's palace until he's ousted

Sri Lanka is slipping further into crisis — first with bankruptcy and now a power vacuum. Thousands descended on the president's residence in protest of the government's economic mismanagement.

Protesters in Sri Lanka say they won't leave the president's palace until he's ousted

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Wednesday

This burning train is a symbol of the anger of India's out-of-work youth

A mob set this train car afire as they protested railway jobs that set increasingly demanding requirements, shutting out many applicants. What the media called a "job riot" took place in Gaya in the northeast Indian state of Bihar on Jan. 26. AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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AFP via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

This burning train is a symbol of the anger of India's out-of-work youth

The country is in the midst of a job crisis. The rate of unemployment is about 13% among educated youth. Those who work in the informal sector vie for jobs with no security. Why are things so bad?

This burning train is a symbol of the anger of India's out-of-work youth

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Tuesday

Asia

Young people in India, even those with multiple degrees, are unemployed

India's educated young people are demanding suitable jobs, but they don't exist. Plus, wages are declining. This came to a head with riots in some of the poorest districts of northern India.

Young people in India, even those with multiple degrees, are unemployed

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Saturday

India's ruling party says crime is down. Muslims say they've never felt less safe

Crowds turn out to cheer India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a road show in support of Uttar Pradesh state elections on Friday in Varanasi, India. Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images hide caption

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Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

World

India's ruling party says crime is down. Muslims say they've never felt less safe

India's Hindu nationalists say they've drastically cut crime in Uttar Pradesh, where key elections are underway. Human rights advocates say there's been a spike in police brutality against minorities.

India's ruling party says crime is down. Muslims say they've never felt less safe

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