Free Republic

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is an organic compound that is commonly used as an industrial solvent in antifreeze mixtures and brake fluids. But, in India, DEG is ending up with worrying frequency where it should never be – in cough syrups for children. The repeated presence of this toxic substance in medicines has had devastating, fatal consequences in India and abroad, while also bringing the country’s lax drug regulatory set-up under intense scrutiny. In the latest instance of such contamination, at least 22 children have been killed since September in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after consuming Coldrif,...

US President Donald Trump's "reckless" proclamation imposing a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas is not about protecting American jobs but about "weaponising" immigration policy to advance a "xenophobic agenda", a leading community organisation said. On Friday, the Trump administration announced a one-time USD 1,00,000 fee on H-1B visas. Indian American Impact strongly condemned Trump's reckless order imposing the USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visas and said its "chaotic" rollout sparked panic and chaos, especially for professionals abroad working or visiting family with medical emergencies. The proclamation "is not about protecting American jobs; it is about weaponising immigration policy to...

'Academic killjoys' have slapped a trigger warning on Ian Fleming's James Bond novel Dr No. English literature students at the University of Portsmouth have reportedly been warned that the book, published in 1958, contains 'instances of racism, misogyny and xenophobia'. The university said the warning 'enables students to prepare emotionally' as well as engage 'more deeply' with the text. The book, which centres on 007's investigation into the appearance of two MI6 operatives in Jamaica, is among more than 50 texts slapped with a trigger warning. Course leaders claim the book's titular villain, Chinese-German scientist Dr Julius No, is 'problematic,...

An X user shared a video of a woman who claimed she was fired just two days after moving to Germany for an internship. The post, seemingly using her as an example, alleged that many Indians are facing similar experiences “amid rising xenophobia." In the video, the woman detailed her efforts to secure a position in Germany and the unexpected turn her internship took. Her experience drew attention and sparked widespread debate online. She explained that she found an internship at a startup in Munich while job hunting in Berlin. “Imagine moving cities for a new internship and then getting...