South Asia

A boy walks past a slum in New Delhi on Sept. 11, where a green tarp erected by the government hides the poverty from view. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
G20 Summit

India's poor feel left out of G20 vision of 'inclusion'

Summit's lofty rhetoric clashes with reality for hidden slum dwellers

12 September 2023
The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, now India's largest, began commercial operation in the state of Tamil Nadu in 2013: Nuclear power represents just 1.6% of India's energy mix.
Opinion

India can get more out of nuclear power with private sector help

Corporate involvement would bring competition, lower costs and speed development

12 September 2023
The Maldives' incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, right, now faces an uphill battle to keep his job and beat challenger Mohamed Muizzu, left. (Photos by Reuters) 
Politics

Maldives election runoff could turn tide in India-China contest

Pro-Beijing Muizzu takes page from jailed ex-President Yameen's playbook

12 September 2023
From left: Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India Managing Partner Chua Kee Lock, Managing Partner Chua Joo Hock, General Partner Carmen Yuen and Managing Partner Ben Mathias. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Startups

Singapore's Vertex closes $541m ASEAN, India fund amid tech dip

New vehicle includes dedicated co-investment capital for female founders

12 September 2023
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva holds a news conference after the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 11.
G20 Summit

Lula wants Putin and Xi back in fold at Brazil's G20 next year

President hedges on Russian leader's arrest, questions why Brazil signed ICC treaty

11 September 2023
The Group of 20 summit in New Delhi wraps up on Sept. 10, the day after leaders reached a consensus on a lengthy joint declaration.
G20 Summit

Ukraine agreement, Global South boost: 5 takeaways from India's G20

Leaders issue statement with softened wording, take steps to spread renewables

11 September 2023
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10.
G20 Summit

Erdogan says isolating Russia will fail, eyes Black Sea grain revival

Turkish president vows 'firm diplomacy' to ensure food supplies for Africa

10 September 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a news conference at the conclusion of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
G20 Summit

G7 Hiroshima legacy led to significant G20 deal on Ukraine: Kishida

Japan PM hails 'new elements' despite criticisms from Ukraine

10 September 2023
An Indian craftsman demonstrates weaving of Khadi, a fabric worn by Mahatma Gandhi and often by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
G20 Summit

From crafts to e-commerce, India showcases soft power at G20

Bazaar seeks new markets for artisans while digital display shows tech prowess

10 September 2023
Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin appears at Government House after a royal audience ceremony to swear the oath of allegiance in Bangkok on Sept. 5. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Your Week in Asia

Thai PM's policy speech, Apple's new products, Belt and Road summit

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

10 September 2023
Smoke rises from a coal-powered steel plant in India's eastern state of Jharkhand in 2021. G20 leaders agreed on pledges covering a wide range of climate-related issues -- from sustainable lifestyles to implementing energy transitions, delivering financial support and reducing disaster risks.
G20 Summit

G20 gets mixed marks on climate as India hails 'most vibrant' pact

Experts question weak pledge on fossil fuels, endorsement of carbon capture

10 September 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders pay their respects at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Raj Ghat on Sept. 10, during the G20 summit. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
G20 Summit

Modi's moment: The India G20 summit in pictures

New Delhi gathering features global luminaries, nods to history, tight security

10 September 2023
Demonstrators protest on top of a police tear gas truck after they entered the Presidential Secretariat premises, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled, amid the country's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 9, 2022.
G20 Summit

With China in mind, G20 agrees to boost lending at India summit

Bloc of major economies hopes financing will enhance influence in Global South

10 September 2023
Stream article image
Arts

Photographer James Nachtwey's stunning retrospective comes to Asia

'Memoria' depicts lifetime of bearing witness to wars, disasters and the human condition

10 September 2023
A copy of The Kashmir Wala on the floor as staff vacate the magazine's offices in Srinagar on Aug. 21: It was a rare media voice with uncompromised ethics. (Sipa via AP)
Opinion

Kashmir should get its press freedom back

Indian authorities have squeezed out the last independent local outlet

10 September 2023
From left: World Bank President Ajay Banga, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Joe Biden take a group photo at the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sept. 9.
G20 Summit

G20 leaders agree on declaration after softening Ukraine language

India communique rejects nuclear threats but omits Bali's strongest condemnations

9 September 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hugs Azali Assoumani of the African Union upon welcoming the grouping as a G20 member. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
G20 Summit

Modi welcomes African Union into G20 as part of Global South push

Consensus on African grouping's inclusion praised as 'very positive news'

9 September 2023
Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens the G20 summit on Sept. 9 with a nameplate that says "Bharat" rather than "India." (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
G20 Summit

Bharat, not India, displayed on Modi's G20 nameplate

Use of country's Hindi name likely to add fuel to domestic political debate

9 September 2023
Rescue workers evacuate residents through a flooded street next to a shopping mall, following heavy rainfall in the Chinese city of Guangzhou on Sept. 8.
G20 Summit

G20 seeks unity on 'most disputed topic' besides Ukraine: climate

Key issues include mobilizing finance for poor nations, phasing out fossil fuels

9 September 2023
The Group of 20 summit venue in New Delhi: World leaders will gather here over the weekend to discuss Global South issues as well as the Ukraine war. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
G20 Summit

India opens G20 seeking Global South wins despite Ukraine impasse

Modi aims to secure spot for African Union in divided group

9 September 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in India on Sept. 8 to attend the Group of 20 summit.
G20 Summit

Biden meets Modi after touching down in India for G20 summit

Indian, U.S. leaders trumpet expanding ties and set tone for crucial weekend

9 September 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a July 2022 meeting in Saudi Arabia.
G20 Summit

U.S. seeks India-Middle East transport network deal at G20

Washington envisions railways and sea lanes to counter China's Belt and Road

9 September 2023
A motorcyclist takes photos of a decorated wall in Male on Sept. 6, ahead of the country's presidential election. Incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is the favorite, while Male mayor Mohamed Muizzu is considered his top challenger.
Politics

Maldives' Solih eyes historic second term in Saturday election

Candidates' carrots raise debt worries in South Asia's smallest democracy

8 September 2023
G20 posters are seen in New Delhi on Sept. 8. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
G20 Summit

India G20 summit faces Ukraine, climate tests: 5 things to know

Modi aims to make most of his big moment with Xi conspicuously absent

8 September 2023
Paramilitary soldiers at a bus stop in New Delhi on Sept. 4: Advertisements with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are everywhere ahead of the G20 summit.
Opinion

India's Modi is not the world's guru

Publicity campaign ahead of G20 summit strikes the wrong note

8 September 2023