Let us rewind the past week.

PV Sindhu vs Nozomi Okuhara: When the irresistible Indian met the indomitable Japanese

If the best minds in the business tried to create a final of stark contrasts, they couldn’t have done better than Sindhu versus Okuhara. Sindhu is an alpha presence, dominating space till she seems to fill her half of the court to overflowing. Okuhara is almost invisible till the shuttle drops into empty space and suddenly there she is, a will-o’-the-wisp materialising from thin air. Read more here.

Under pressure: A day in the grueling life of a pharma representative selling medicines in Delhi

The waiting area was packed with medical representatives. Mayank Sinha repeated his presentation of medicines for the doctor, who seemed unenthusiastic. Sinha asked the doctor if he could do anything for him. Many doctors have asked Sinha for favours in return for prescriptions. These range from cash, electric appliances and kitchen utensils to movie tickets, plane tickets, cell phones, even cars. Read more here.

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Ground report: How Akhila became Hadiya – and why her case has reached the Supreme Court

In her affidavit, Akhila said she was attracted to Islam by the timely prayers and good character of her friends Jaseena and Faseena. By 2015, she had begun to follow Islam. When she went home that year, she was reluctant to perform the rituals for her grandfather’s death. And in January 2016, while visiting her friends at their home, she told them about her desire to change her religion. Read more here.

Uganda’s boda boda babies: Indian-made motorcycle taxis come to the rescue of pregnant women

Nabirye Amina went into labour while riding a motorcycle to hospital. She delivered twins by the road, with the help of the driver. She was carrying a razor in anticipation of an emergency and used it to cut the umbilical cords. Only one twin survived and the driver took the baby to hospital. Showing the mental and physical stamina characteristic of Ugandan women, she carried her other baby home to be buried. Read more here.

The Goddess of Stone Pelters: In Uttarakhand, hurling stones is a hallowed tradition

Uttarakhand is full of shrines to the stone as mother, the protector. There is Pashan Devi, the stone goddess, at Nainital; Kalshila, the death stone of Chamolil; Koorma Shila, the turtle stone, at Champavat. All along the India-Nepal and India-Tibet border, there are other shrines to goddesses worshipped as Kathbood or Pathoria (the stony ones) by frontline tribes forever threatened by intruding aliens. Read more here.