India

Nonbelievers dismiss it as superstition, but the ancient art of reading astrological charts is considered a superscience by some practitioners. Some won't leave the house without a consultation.

The Islamist group has established a new franchise in a country with 176 million Muslims. But al-Qaida could find it hard to recruit in India, according to many analysts.

New Delhi has tried countless schemes to control rambunctious monkeys. The latest: 40 men roam the streets, mimicking the call of the menacing langur monkey in an attempt to scare off other monkeys.

Abhina Aher is a member of the country's storied, yet marginalized, transgender community. Last week, the India's highest court legally recognized the group as a new gender — neither male nor female.

Penguin Books, India, withdrew Wendy Doniger's The Hindus: An Alternate History after a Hindu group's court challenge. The group said the book denigrated Hinduism. Doniger defended the publisher but said the Indian law that makes offending religious sentiment a crime should be changed.