WEATHER ALERT
A trainee doctor is raped and killed in India, sparking protests and an attack at a medical college
Read full article: A trainee doctor is raped and killed in India, sparking protests and an attack at a medical collegeA trainee doctor was raped and killed, sparking protests in several cities and an attack on a medical college campus as doctors and paramedics in several cities across India demand better and safer working conditions.
India’s opposition, written off as too weak, makes a stunning comeback to slow Modi's juggernaut
Read full article: India’s opposition, written off as too weak, makes a stunning comeback to slow Modi's juggernautIndia’s bruised and battered opposition was largely written off in the lead-up to its national election as too weak to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist governing party.
The Latest | Prime Minister Modi's coalition clinches parliamentary majority in India's election
Read full article: The Latest | Prime Minister Modi's coalition clinches parliamentary majority in India's electionIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition has won a majority in parliament in the country's staggered, six-week election.
Modi claims victory in India's election but drop in support forces him to rely on coalition partners
Read full article: Modi claims victory in India's election but drop in support forces him to rely on coalition partnersPrime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance coalition has won a majority in parliament, according to official results from India’s Election Commission.
Millions vote in India's grueling election with Prime Minister Modi's party likely to win third term
Read full article: Millions vote in India's grueling election with Prime Minister Modi's party likely to win third termMillions of Indians are voting in the next-to-last round of a grueling national election in the searing summer heat.
India votes in second phase of national elections with Modi's BJP as front-runner
Read full article: India votes in second phase of national elections with Modi's BJP as front-runnerMillions of Indians voted in a moderate turnout in the second round of multi-phase national elections, with some big names in the contest.
India's opposition makes its election case, calling Modi an autocrat and promising aid to the poor
Read full article: India's opposition makes its election case, calling Modi an autocrat and promising aid to the poorIndia’s main opposition party vowed to boost social spending and reverse what it views as a slide into autocracy as it laid out its campaign promises on Friday, two weeks before the start of a weeks-long, multi-phase general election.
India's national election will take place in phases over 44 days. Here's why it takes so long
Read full article: India's national election will take place in phases over 44 days. Here's why it takes so longNearly 970 million people are eligible to vote in India's national elections that start Friday and will be held in phases until June 1.
India’s Parliament passes law that will reserve a third of legislature seats for women from 2029
Read full article: India’s Parliament passes law that will reserve a third of legislature seats for women from 2029India’s Parliament has approved landmark legislation that reserves one-third of the seats in its powerful lower house and in state legislatures for women to ensure more equal representation, ending a 27-year impasse over the bill amid a lack of consensus among political parties.
India's opposition parties team up to challenge Modi's Hindu nationalist party in 2024 elections
Read full article: India's opposition parties team up to challenge Modi's Hindu nationalist party in 2024 electionsIndia’s splintered opposition parties have decided to contest the 2024 national elections in their bid to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and prevent his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party from achieving a third straight win.
India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemns the Modi government over violence in Manipur
Read full article: India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemns the Modi government over violence in ManipurIndia’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for its failure to control the bloodshed in a remote northeastern state.
India's opposition targets Modi in their no-confidence motion over ethnic violence in Manipur state
Read full article: India's opposition targets Modi in their no-confidence motion over ethnic violence in Manipur stateIndia’s opposition accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of choosing silence while a northeastern state governed by his party convulsed in ethnic violence.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi reinstated to India's Parliament days after top court's order
Read full article: Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi reinstated to India's Parliament days after top court's orderIndia’s top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has been reinstated as a lawmaker in Parliament three days after the country’s top court halted his criminal defamation conviction for mocking the prime minister’s surname.
India's top court temporarily halts conviction of opposition leader for mocking Modi's surname
Read full article: India's top court temporarily halts conviction of opposition leader for mocking Modi's surnameIndia’s top court has temporarily halted the criminal defamation conviction of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for mocking the prime minister's surname.
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi calls on US audience to stand up for 'modern India'
Read full article: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi calls on US audience to stand up for 'modern India'Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi pressed criticism of his country’s leadership during a speech in New York on Sunday.
Modi opponents boycott opening of new Indian Parliament; PM says it breaks with colonial past
Read full article: Modi opponents boycott opening of new Indian Parliament; PM says it breaks with colonial pastIndia’s major opposition parties have boycotted the inauguration of a new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rare show of unity against his Hindu nationalist ruling party.
Indian opposition leader to avoid prison during appeal
Read full article: Indian opposition leader to avoid prison during appealAn Indian court has suspended a two-year prison sentence for Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as he appeals his criminal conviction for mocking the prime minister’s surname which resulted in his expulsion from Parliament, dealing a huge blow to his Congress party ahead of general elections next year.
India's Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of favoring Adani Group
Read full article: India's Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of favoring Adani GroupIndia’s top opposition leader Rahul Gandhi says he was expelled from Parliament because he has raised serious questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's relationship with the business conglomerate Adani Group.
Indian opposition's 'unity march' ends in disputed Kashmir
Read full article: Indian opposition's 'unity march' ends in disputed KashmirIndia’s main opposition Congress party has ended a five-month cross-country “unity march” in disputed Kashmir with hundreds of members of various opposition groups joining in a public rally in freezing temperatures.
India opposition’s ‘unity march’ against hate enters capital
Read full article: India opposition’s ‘unity march’ against hate enters capitalMembers of India’s main opposition Congress party and thousands of supporters have walked into New Delhi as part of a cross-country “unity march” seeking to challenge what they say is a “hate-filled” version of the country under the Hindu nationalist government.
Indian opposition party seeks to shed dynastic rule image
Read full article: Indian opposition party seeks to shed dynastic rule imageIndia’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, is set to choose a person who is not a member of its dominant Nehru-Gandhi family as its next president as it struggles to recover before key upcoming elections.
India's main opposition protests rising prices, lack of jobs
Read full article: India's main opposition protests rising prices, lack of jobsThousands of Indians have rallied under key opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over soaring unemployment and rising food and fuel prices.
Indian woman condemns release of her convicted rapists
Read full article: Indian woman condemns release of her convicted rapistsA Muslim woman who was gang raped while pregnant during India’s devastating 2002 religious riots has appealed to the government to rescind its decision to free 11 men who had been jailed for life for committing the crime, after they were released on suspended sentences.
India's farmers renew protests, challenging Modi government
Read full article: India's farmers renew protests, challenging Modi governmentThousands of Indian farmers are blocking major roads and railway tracks outside the capital of New Delhi, marking one year of protests against agricultural laws that they say will shatter their livelihoods.
Protests erupt in India's Parliament over spying scandal
Read full article: Protests erupt in India's Parliament over spying scandalIndia’s Parliament has erupted in protests as opposition lawmakers accuse the government of using military-grade spyware to monitor political opponents, journalists and activists.
Top court orders India's government to present oxygen plan
Read full article: Top court orders India's government to present oxygen planIndia’s government, facing calls for a strict lockdown to slow a devastating surge in coronavirus infections, has been ordered by the Supreme Court to submit a plan to meet New Delhi hospitals’ oxygen needs within a day.
The Latest: Hawaii eases virus rules for inter-island travel
Read full article: The Latest: Hawaii eases virus rules for inter-island travelHawaii officials are moving forward with a plan to allow people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to skip pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements for flights between islands.
India, China soldiers brawl again along disputed frontier
Read full article: India, China soldiers brawl again along disputed frontierFILE- In this Sept. 14, 2017, file photo, Indian army trucks drive near Pangong Tso lake near the India China border in India's Ladakh area. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)SRINAGAR – Indian and Chinese soldiers brawled last week along the countries' disputed border, Indian officials said Monday, as a monthslong standoff between the nuclear-armed rivals continued. Two Indian security officials said at least 18 Chinese soldiers tried to cross into Indian-claimed territory at Naku La last Wednesday night and were blocked by Indian soldiers, leading to clashes with sticks and stones. The two officials said over a dozen Indian soldiers and at least eight Chinese soldiers received minor injuries. The frontier is broken in parts where the Himalayan nations of Nepal and Bhutan border China, and where Sikkim, the site of the latest brawl, is sandwiched.
Modi makes outreach effort to placate angry Indian farmers
Read full article: Modi makes outreach effort to placate angry Indian farmersThe protesting farmers say the laws will dismantle regulated markets, favor big corporations, and make family-owned farms unviable, eventually leaving them landless. Protesting farmers fear the government will stop buying grain at minimum guaranteed prices and corporations will then push down prices. “Through these agricultural reforms, we have given better options to the farmers,” Modi said in his live address. On Thursday, the government again invited protesting farmers to further talks. Farmers union leaders have also accused the government of trying to weaken and discredit them by describing protesting farmers as “anti-nationals."
‘Welcome back America!’ World celebrates Biden-Harris win
Read full article: ‘Welcome back America!’ World celebrates Biden-Harris winWorld leaders congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on his victory, cheering it as an opportunity to fortify global democracy and celebrating the significance of Americans having their first female vice president. Other leaders who sent congratulations included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Prime Minister Janez Jansa was the only world leader who congratulated Trump even before all the votes were counted, and showed support after Biden’s win was announced. His rival, Juan Guaido, also thanked Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for their “firmness and determination” in confronting Maduro. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who struck up a cordial working relationship with Trump, also avoided congratulating Joe Biden.
Hundreds in India protest government handling of fatal rape
Read full article: Hundreds in India protest government handling of fatal rapeAwasthi also said the police officers, the four suspects in the case and the victim's family will also undergo lie-detector tests as part of investigation. Bhaskar said the hasty cremation of the victim’s body without the family's approval showed the callousness by the state government. Videos on social media showed the family weeping as police insisted on cremating the body without allowing them to take it home. Dalits — formerly known as “untouchables” and at the bottom of India’s Hindu caste hierarchy — are victims of thousands of attacks each year. In India, rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight since the 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus.
Indian police detain key opposition leaders protesting rape
Read full article: Indian police detain key opposition leaders protesting rapeIndian police detained the party's key leaders after preventing them from visiting a village where a 19-year-old woman from India's lowest caste was gang raped last month and later died in a hospital. Police officer Manoj Dixit said the two party leaders were detained for violating an order banning the assembly of four or more people in the area to prevent any violence by protesters. Police stopped their convoy on a highway on the way to the village, where the party leaders planned to meet with the woman's family. Dozens of Congress party workers scuffled with the police, who used sticks to disperse them. Also Thursday, several dozen students held protests in the Indian capital and in the southern Indian city of Hyderbad demanding protection for women.
Rape and killing of Dalit woman shocks India, draws outrage
Read full article: Rape and killing of Dalit woman shocks India, draws outrageAn Indian activist argues with a police officer before being detained by police during a protest in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. The gang rape and killing of the woman from the lowest rung of India's caste system has sparked outrage across the country with several politicians and activists demanding justice and protesters rallying on the streets. The attack of the 19-year-old is the latest gruesome case of sexual violence against women to rile India, where reports of rape are hauntingly familiar. The victim, who belonged to the Dalit community, was raped by four men on Sept. 14 in the heartland state of Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district. The woman was cremated early Wednesday, with the family alleging that police did not allow them to perform her final rites.
Indian lawmakers pass farm bills amid uproar in Parliament
Read full article: Indian lawmakers pass farm bills amid uproar in ParliamentNEW DELHI – Amid an uproar in Parliament, Indian lawmakers on Sunday approved a pair of controversial agriculture bills that the government says will boost growth in the farming sector through private investments. The bills are also aimed at removing middlemen from the farm trade and making farming market-oriented, the government has said. The upper house passed two out of three bills, amid a war of words between ruling lawmakers and those opposing the legislation. “The prime minister should explain why there’s a hurry to pass the bills amid the pandemic,” he said. More than half of India’s farmers are in debt, with 20,638 killing themselves in 2018 and 2019, according to India’s National Crime Records Bureau.
India's Modi faces turbulent session as Parliament reopens
Read full article: India's Modi faces turbulent session as Parliament reopensIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the media as he arrives at the Parliament in New Delhi, India, Monday, Sept.14, 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told reporters before Parliament resumed that he hoped the session will be productive. “Parliament session is beginning in distinct times. The Parliament session is expected to be challenging for Modi and his government. But many opposition lawmakers worry that his government looks like it is not in control.
India ruling party denies preferential treatment by Facebook
Read full article: India ruling party denies preferential treatment by FacebookOpposition Congress party lawmaker Shashi Tharoor said the information technology committee he heads in Parliament will take up the findings of the Aug. 14 report in The Wall Street Journal. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi's party has increasingly used Facebook to reach voters across India. The party has vastly outspent its main opposition, the Congress party, on social media ads. Panda and other BJP leaders said the allegation that Facebook was giving the governing party preferential treatment stemmed from the once-dominant Congress party's political misfortunes in recent years. The Congress party denied the whistleblower's allegation.
This Father's Day, dads have new respect for duties at home
Read full article: This Father's Day, dads have new respect for duties at homeLike millions of dads around the globe, Gandhi has taken on more responsibilities at home during lockdown. The pandemic has reshaped the way fathers are involved with their families and children, he said via email. Stay-at-home orders were issued and schools, child care centers and non-essential businesses were shuttered, putting a strain on families and demolishing barriers between work and home. More than one-quarter of both fathers and mothers reported an increase in the housework and child care that mothers perform. Things that I usually would just do on the weekend are now things that require thought every day."