By , , Skin lightening cosmetics have a huge market in South Asia, but their promotion is being questioned, especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.“We recognise that the use of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and ‘light’ suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don’t think is right, and we want to address this,” said Sunny Jain, president of Unilever’s beauty and personal care division.In India, the biggest market for “Fair & Lovely”, fairness products have long been endorsed by leading Bollywood celebrities, as well as other youth icons.Adverts have regularly featured...…By , , Skin lightening cosmetics have a huge market in South Asia, but their promotion is being questioned, especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.“We recognise that the use of the words ‘fair’, ‘white’ and ‘light’ suggest a singular ideal of beauty that we don’t think is right, and we want to address this,” said Sunny Jain, president of Unilever’s beauty and personal care division.In India, the biggest market for “Fair & Lovely”, fairness products have long been endorsed by leading Bollywood celebrities, as well as other youth icons.Adverts have regularly featured...WW…

By , , MUMBAI/ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has proposed that hundreds of Taliban prisoners be transferred to house arrest in a supervised facility when they are freed from Afghan jails, three senior official sources said, a proposed solution for a deadlock that is holding up peace talks.The proposal for Taliban fighters accused of conducting some of the bloodiest attacks in Afghanistan to be placed in a location where they would be under both Taliban and Afghan government surveillance was presented this week to the warring Afghan sides by top U.S. diplomats, the...…By , , MUMBAI/ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has proposed that hundreds of Taliban prisoners be transferred to house arrest in a supervised facility when they are freed from Afghan jails, three senior official sources said, a proposed solution for a deadlock that is holding up peace talks.The proposal for Taliban fighters accused of conducting some of the bloodiest attacks in Afghanistan to be placed in a location where they would be under both Taliban and Afghan government surveillance was presented this week to the warring Afghan sides by top U.S. diplomats, the...WW…

By , , KABUL/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Taliban have mounted more than 4,500 attacks in Afghanistan, marking a sharp escalation in violence, in the 45 days since signing a deal with the United States that paves the way for a U.S. troop drawdown, according to data seen by Reuters.Two sets of data, one from a Western military source and one from an independent body, both show attacks by the hardline Islamist group up by more than 70 percent between March 1 and April 15 compared with the same period a year ago.Separately, Afghan government data indicates that more than 900 Afghan local and...…By , , KABUL/MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Taliban have mounted more than 4,500 attacks in Afghanistan, marking a sharp escalation in violence, in the 45 days since signing a deal with the United States that paves the way for a U.S. troop drawdown, according to data seen by Reuters.Two sets of data, one from a Western military source and one from an independent body, both show attacks by the hardline Islamist group up by more than 70 percent between March 1 and April 15 compared with the same period a year ago.Separately, Afghan government data indicates that more than 900 Afghan local and...WW…

By , NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - India extended a lockdown on its 1.3 billion people until at least May 3 on Tuesday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said economic sacrifices were needed to save lives as the number of coronavirus cases exceeded 10,000.A few hours after Modi spoke, police baton-charged protesting migrant workers in Mumbai.Sharp downward revisions to economic growth forecasts in the wake of the pandemic point towards surging unemployment, but Modi urged Indians to maintain the discipline shown in the first three weeks of the lockdown.“That means until May 3, each and every...…By , NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - India extended a lockdown on its 1.3 billion people until at least May 3 on Tuesday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said economic sacrifices were needed to save lives as the number of coronavirus cases exceeded 10,000.A few hours after Modi spoke, police baton-charged protesting migrant workers in Mumbai.Sharp downward revisions to economic growth forecasts in the wake of the pandemic point towards surging unemployment, but Modi urged Indians to maintain the discipline shown in the first three weeks of the lockdown.“That means until May 3, each and every...WW…

United States NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India hanged four men on Friday who were convicted for the rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in 2012, in a case that shocked the world and shamed the country over its appalling record for crimes against women. The men were executed at dawn in Tihar jail, on the outskirts of the capital, two prison officials said. Hundreds of police were deployed outside the jail to control a crowd that waited to celebrate the execution. Some held placards that read “Justice for women” and “Hang the culprits”. The crime, which happened on the night of...…United States NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India hanged four men on Friday who were convicted for the rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in 2012, in a case that shocked the world and shamed the country over its appalling record for crimes against women. The men were executed at dawn in Tihar jail, on the outskirts of the capital, two prison officials said. Hundreds of police were deployed outside the jail to control a crowd that waited to celebrate the execution. Some held placards that read “Justice for women” and “Hang the culprits”. The crime, which happened on the night of...WW…

By , MUMBAI (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed Quad alliance aims to invest in India’s pharmaceutical capacity as it looks to ramp up COVID vaccine output, but U.S. curbs on exports of key materials could hamper that effort, sources say.The Quad alliance, grouping the United States, Japan, Australia and India, wants to expand global vaccinations and in turn counter China’s growing vaccination diplomacy in Southeast Asia and around the world. India is the world’s biggest vaccine maker.As the alliance’s first virtual summit kicks off on Friday, one key assurance that India will be seeking is for an...…By , MUMBAI (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed Quad alliance aims to invest in India’s pharmaceutical capacity as it looks to ramp up COVID vaccine output, but U.S. curbs on exports of key materials could hamper that effort, sources say.The Quad alliance, grouping the United States, Japan, Australia and India, wants to expand global vaccinations and in turn counter China’s growing vaccination diplomacy in Southeast Asia and around the world. India is the world’s biggest vaccine maker.As the alliance’s first virtual summit kicks off on Friday, one key assurance that India will be seeking is for an...WW…

By , ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -International troops plan to stay in Afghanistan beyond the May deadline envisaged by the insurgent Taliban’s deal with the United States, four senior NATO officials said, a move that could escalate tensions with the Taliban demanding full withdrawal.“There will be no full withdrawal by allies by April-end,” one of the officials told Reuters.“Conditions have not been met,” he said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. “And with the new U.S. administration, there will be tweaks in the policy, the sense of hasty withdrawal which was...…By , ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -International troops plan to stay in Afghanistan beyond the May deadline envisaged by the insurgent Taliban’s deal with the United States, four senior NATO officials said, a move that could escalate tensions with the Taliban demanding full withdrawal.“There will be no full withdrawal by allies by April-end,” one of the officials told Reuters.“Conditions have not been met,” he said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. “And with the new U.S. administration, there will be tweaks in the policy, the sense of hasty withdrawal which was...WW…

By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India announced local elections involving millions of voters in a densely packed state even as it reported 86,052 new infections of coronavirus on Friday and remained set to overtake the United States by next month as the world’s worst-affected nation.Slideshow The elections in the state of Bihar, with a population roughly the size of Japan, will kick off at the end of October and will be spread over three days, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) told a news conference.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been pushing to reopen the country and get the...…By MUMBAI (Reuters) - India announced local elections involving millions of voters in a densely packed state even as it reported 86,052 new infections of coronavirus on Friday and remained set to overtake the United States by next month as the world’s worst-affected nation.Slideshow The elections in the state of Bihar, with a population roughly the size of Japan, will kick off at the end of October and will be spread over three days, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) told a news conference.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been pushing to reopen the country and get the...WW…