More than 250 gatherings targeting Muslims were held across 17 Indian states over the first half of the current year, according to a report which highlights a rising pattern of anti-Muslim sentiment in India from 2014 onwards. The report, published by Hindutva Watch on Sunday, used real-time data to identify …
Read More »New Zealand breaks silence on Canada-India diplomatic row
New Zealand’s top diplomat said that if Canadian allegations against India over the killing of a Sikh leader proved correct, it would be of serious concern, local media reported on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s statement came after Australia expressed its deep concern over alleged New Delhi involvement in the …
Read More »India rejects Canada’s suspicions on role in Sikh leader’s murder
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said authorities were “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking New Delhi’s agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, an assertion India quickly dismissed as “absurd”. The spat deals a fresh blow to diplomatic ties that have been fraying for years, with New Delhi unhappy …
Read More »Over 700 people tested for Nipah virus after two deaths in India
The southern Indian state of Kerala shut some schools, offices and public transport on Wednesday in a race to stop the spread of the rare and deadly Nipah virus, which has killed two people. Two adults and a child were still infected in hospital, and more than 700 people were …
Read More »Ukraine conflict: G20 declaration calls on all states to uphold principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty
Asserting that “today’s era must not be of war”, the New Delhi Declaration of G20 countries on Saturday called on all states to uphold the principles of international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty and pitched for initiatives for “comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine”. “The use or threat …
Read More »G20 to become G21 as world leaders agree to grant African Union permanent membership
The African Union has been granted permanent membership to the G20, host nation India has announced, in an historic expansion of the economic bloc. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi invited the president of the 55-member African Union (AU) to take a seat at the table among permanent members at the …
Read More »G20 Summit: Is India breaking up with Russia?
As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, marking the start of Europe’s biggest war since World War II, countries around the world came under pressure to choose between the Western-backed Kyiv on the one hand and Moscow on the other. For more than 18 months since then, New …
Read More »Seven die as severe “Biparjoy Cyclone” barrels towards western India, Pakistan
Four boys drowned in rough seas off the western Indian financial hub of Mumbai on Tuesday as India and Pakistan began evacuating people from coastal areas, two days before a cyclone is expected to make landfall. Classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, Biparjoy is expected to land around Thursday …
Read More »Cyclone likely to hit India’s west coast, south Pakistan on Thursday
A storm off India’s west coast has strengthened to become a powerful cyclone and could hit India’s western state of Gujarat and southern parts of Pakistan this week, the Indian weather department said on Monday. The cyclone, named Biparjoy, is expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon between Mandvi in …
Read More »China to boycott G-20 meet in Kashmir, calls it disputed region
China has said it will not attend next week’s G-20 tourism group meeting scheduled to take place in Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir. “China firmly opposes holding any form of G20 meetings on disputed territory. We will not attend such meetings,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at …
Read More »India to withdraw 2,000-rupee notes from circulation
India will start withdrawing its highest value currency notes from circulation, the central bank said on Friday, in a move that economists said could boost bank deposits at a time of high credit growth. The withdrawal of 2,000-rupee ($24.5) notes – which the finance ministry’s top official, T.V Somanathan, said …
Read More »Modi’s BJP party on track to lose southern India Karnataka state polls
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party was set to lose Karnataka, the only southern India state it governs, according to an early vote count Saturday that showed opposition Congress party leading in the crucial state polls. With vote counting continuing, India’s Election Commission said the Congress was leading in …
Read More »US President Joe Biden to host Indian PM Modi for state visit on June 22
US President Joe Biden will host India Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state visit on June 22 that will affirm the two countries’ “deep and close partnership,” the White House announced Wednesday. The visit, the highest level of diplomatic reception at the White House, will boost Washington and New …
Read More »Second blast in 36 hours rocks Sikh holy site in India
A second blast in 36 hours rocked the area around the Sikh holy site of the Golden Temple in India’s Amritsar city on Monday, police said. Authorities said that one person was injured. The previous blast late Saturday night, which police said they were still investigating, also left at least …
Read More »At least 54 killed in ethnic clashes in northeast India
At least 54 people have been killed in clashes between rival ethnic groups in India’s remote northeastern state of Manipur, even after the authorities deployed thousands of army troops to restore order. The violence erupted on Wednesday between the largest single ethnic group in the state, the Meitei, and the …
Read More »China, Russia foreign ministers among group meeting in India
Foreign ministers from a group of nations led by China and Russia met Friday in the Indian coastal resort state of Goa, where they were expected to discuss regional security, combating terrorism, and deepening economic and cultural ties. India’s Foreign Minister Subhramanyam Jaishankar in opening remarks to the Shanghai Cooperation …
Read More »Biden, Modi to meet Pacific leaders in Papua New Guinea: PNG PM James Marape
US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Papua New Guinea in May to attend a meeting of Pacific leaders, the island nation’s premier said on his government’s official Facebook page. Biden will meet with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, as well as 18 …
Read More »Suspected extremist attack kills 11 in Central India
The incident occurred in the tribal-dominated Dantewada district, a hotbed of insurgency activities in Chhattisgarh. Radical left-wing rebels are suspected of being behind an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that killed ten security personnel and a driver in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, police have said. The …
Read More »India to surpass China as world’s most populous country by end of month, UN says
India will be the world’s most populous country by the end of this month, eclipsing an aging China, the United Nations said Monday. The milestone raises questions about whether India can repeat the economic success that has made China central to the world’s economy and a leading global power. The …
Read More »India to have 2.9 million more people than China by mid-2023, UN estimates
India is on its way to becoming the world’s most populous nation, overtaking China with almost 3 million more people in the middle of this year, data released on Wednesday by the United Nations showed. India’s population is estimated at 1,428.6 million, or 1.4286 billion, against 1.4257 billion for China …
Read More »