General

Bonn (Germany), May 8 (DPA) A German aid organization estimated Wednesday that the death toll in Myanmar from Cyclone Nargis exceeded 50,000, based on its local knowledge and a visit by a reconnaissance team to the Irrawaddy delta disaster zone.

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is in a fix as its directive to discourage people from using garlands made of currency notes - a common feature in north Indian weddings - seems to be falling on deaf ears.

Sending money home remains the top priority for most NRIs. After arriving - legally or illegally - in the host country, the first task is to start earning; and then sending a major part of their earnings back home to the family.

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Despite contributing a lion's share to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), there is no social security for a whopping 93 percent of the workforce in India, says a report by a group of NGOs.

Chennai, May 2 (IANS) A spokesman of mobile telephony major Vodafone Friday denied charges of cruelty to its mascot pug. The charges had been levelled by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

Panaji, May 2 (IANS) Goa's infrastructure is beginning to crumble under the load of visitors, says the tourism industry that has called for an immediate upgrade of facilities.

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Over 16,000 school and college students in India committed suicide in the last three years, says the health ministry, shedding light once again on the sorry state of mental healthcare in the country.

New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy says she is not comfortable with the activist tag and wants to be identified as a writer only.

New York, April 27 (IANS) Subodh Gupta's "Saat Samunder Paar VII" will be the highlight of Sotheby's Spring Sale of contemporary Indian art in New York May 14-15.

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) In an interesting trend in the Indian art market this summer, parity in prices between works by contemporary artists and modern masters is prompting buyers to settle for the latter.