The Indian ‘lost tribe’ that wants to move to Israel, even ‘fight Hamas’ | Religion

The Indian ‘lost tribe’ that wants to move to Israel, even ‘fight Hamas’ | Religion

Aizawl, India – Joseph Haokip, an undergraduate student in Manipur, is excited at the thought of going to Israel. He is ready to join the Israeli army to fight Hamas in a war in which Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza has killed more than 26,000 people, mostly women and children….

India’s Modi opens controversial Hindu temple in Ayodhya | Religion News

India’s Modi opens controversial Hindu temple in Ayodhya | Religion News

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opened a controversial Hindu temple, delivering on a crucial Hindu nationalist pledge that he hopes will catapult the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a record third successive term in upcoming general elections. Modi, dressed in a traditional kurta tunic, led the opening ceremony…

‘Might get worse’: As Modi unveils Ram temple, Indian Muslims fear future | Politics

‘Might get worse’: As Modi unveils Ram temple, Indian Muslims fear future | Politics

Ayodhya/Lucknow, India – Wearing her hijab, Yusra Hussain stood in the queue to enter a makeshift temple to the Hindu god Ram in Ayodhya, the northern Indian city believed to be his birthplace. What followed is etched in her mind. “I was jeered [at] and taunted,” the 32-year-old said. “And…

In India’s Ayodhya, the Ram temple means ‘land is costlier than gold’ | Business and Economy

In India’s Ayodhya, the Ram temple means ‘land is costlier than gold’ | Business and Economy

Ayodhya, India: Ram Surat Verma regrets his decision to sell his land in 2019. A farmer in Takpura village in the Ayodhya district of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about 155km (96 miles) from Lucknow, the state capital, he received 25 million rupees ($300,000) when he sold his…

Popcorn and curfew: India gets ready for Ram temple with frenzy and fear | Politics

Popcorn and curfew: India gets ready for Ram temple with frenzy and fear | Politics

Yavatmal/Mumbai, India – For a month now, mini-trucks have been snaking their way on labyrinth roads cutting across villages in Yavatmal district in central India. Yavatmal has been in the grip of agrarian distress so deep that more than 5,800 farmers have taken their own lives here in the last…

‘Better future’: India’s Ayodhya sees business boom with Ram temple launch | Business and Economy News

‘Better future’: India’s Ayodhya sees business boom with Ram temple launch | Business and Economy News

Ayodhya, India – A 13-kilometre stretch around the controversial Ram temple in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya is lit up with sparkling lights, the walls in the area covered in murals as the city prepares for the January 22 inauguration ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Rajesh Majhi has…

Kenya cult leader charged with ‘terrorism’ over starvation deaths | Crime News

Kenya cult leader charged with ‘terrorism’ over starvation deaths | Crime News

Paul Mackenzie and 94 others charged over deaths of followers whose bodies have been exhumed from the Shakahola forest. A Kenyan court has charged cult leader Paul Mackenzie with “terrorism”-related crimes over the deaths of 429 of his followers. The self-proclaimed pastor was charged along with 94 others on Thursday…

With controversial temple launch, Modi to start 2024 India re-election bid | Politics

With controversial temple launch, Modi to start 2024 India re-election bid | Politics

Ayodhya, India – For hundreds of years, a journey to Ayodhya for many Hindu pilgrims meant a walk down narrow lanes to the Hanuman Garhi Mandir, a temple honouring Hanuman, the monkey god. Now a wide street leads to the shrine, with shops on both sides selling sweetmeats as offerings…