India has marked a major success in its battle against polio by being removed from the World Health Organisation’s list of countries plagued by the crippling disease.

THE world welcomed its symbolic “seven billionth” baby yesterday, but celebrations were tempered by worries over the strain that humanity’s population explosion is putting on a fragile planet.

India’s health minister has outraged activists by calling homosexuality a “disease” and “completely unnatural” during a conference on HIV/Aids.

Manmohan Singh was sworn in as India's prime minister for the second time in New Delhi today.