Politics

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the G-20 foreign ministers via video link in New Delhi on March 2.
International relations

Russia and West spar as G-20 communique remains elusive for India

Blinken speaks briefly with Lavrov, urges Russia to adhere to New Start arms treaty

3 March 2023
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi spoke for just 53 seconds at the upper house budgetary committee session on March 1. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
Politics

Japan foreign minister skips G-20, putting parliament first

Questions swirl over Tokyo's priorities as Hayashi spoke for just 53 seconds at hearing

2 March 2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to attend a G-20 meeting in New Delhi. (Source photos by Reuters and Russian Foreign Ministry)
International relations

India hosts fresh G-20 talks with Blinken, Lavrov set to face off

Analysts expect 'rocky ride' as Ukraine war overshadows Global South priorities

2 March 2023
Voters arrive to cast their ballots during the Tripura state assembly election in Agartala, India, on Feb. 16. During the campaign, the idea of creating a separate state of "Greater Tipraland" fueled debate.
Politics

Does India need smaller states? Recent election reopens old debate

Proponents say breaking up big states would improve efficiency, minority representation

27 February 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is known for its hard-line stance on cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.
Cryptocurrencies

India presses for crypto rules at G-20 but faces hurdles toward ban

Central bank chief Das notes 'wide recognition' of risks to financial stability

26 February 2023
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks during a news conference at the end of the G-20 finance ministers meeting near Bengaluru on Feb. 25.
International relations

G-20 finance chiefs forgo joint declaration as China backs Russia

Most members condemn Ukraine war; India's 'outcome document' promises debt action

26 February 2023
India's opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi speaks in Srinagar, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Jan. 30. Hundreds of members of various opposition groups joined the gathering in freezing temperatures. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
Politics

Modi opponents in Kashmir eye Rahul Gandhi as a unifying force

Recent visit by Congress party scion seen as potential shift in territory's politics

25 February 2023
G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting here on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India.
International relations

Modi urges G-20 finance chiefs to focus on 'most vulnerable'

India PM opens meeting with warning on 'unsustainable debt,' geopolitical strife

24 February 2023
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a news conference as G-20 finance leaders gather on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India, on Feb. 23.
International relations

Yellen to press China on Sri Lanka debt, Russia sanctions at G-20

In India, U.S. Treasury chief urges more aid for Ukraine against 'brutal assault'

24 February 2023
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to host her G-20 counterparts this week in Bengaluru. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images)
International relations

G-20 finance heads to meet in India with debt, Ukraine top of mind

Analysts expect tug of war over how much Russia's invasion should factor in talks

23 February 2023
The new Singapore-India payment link is set up to allow real-time virtual transfers of money across borders in seconds, and has been billed as a means to reduce the cost and inefficiencies of remittances between both countries.
Finance

Singapore links digital payments with India after Thailand

Prime Ministers Lee and Modi laud connection of finance infrastructure

21 February 2023
Billionaire George Soros has predicted that the Adani affair 'will significantly weaken Modi's stranglehold on India's federal government and open the door to push for much-needed institutional reforms.' (Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Adani Group

George Soros' claims of Adani-Modi link spark uproar in India

BJP accuses billionaire of undermining democracy; Congress keeps its distance

17 February 2023
An oil refinery in Mumbai: India has become a top buyer of bargain crude from Russia.
Trade

India's Russian imports soar 400% as U.S. offers little resistance

China seen behind Washington's soft touch; New Delhi optimistic on rupee trade

17 February 2023
A Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jet performs at an air show in Guangdong province in November. 
Defense

China's stealth fighter inventory set to eclipse America's F-22s

Military Balance database says Beijing has 150 J-20A aircraft and growing fast

15 February 2023
A woman with a cow as Indian Hindus offer prayers to the River Ganges: Officials briefly floated a proposal to celebrate "Cow Hug Day" on Feb. 14 instead of Valentine's Day.
Society

Valentine's Day or Cow Hug Day? India debates a political animal

Call to celebrate cattle over cupid abandoned but religious friction remains

14 February 2023
China's restrictions on cross-border data flows has overseas companies concerned that their headquarters will be cut off from important information.
Politics

Data fortress: Digital protectionism embraced by many in Asia

Restrictions on cross-border data use and server location hurt foreign companies

11 February 2023
An Adani Power plant in India's western state of Gujarat: The company is due to supply electricity to Bangladesh from a new facility under a controversial agreement.
International relations

Bangladesh power deal with India's Adani draws fire on both sides

Expert likens agreement to 'slavery' as lawmakers question how it came about

11 February 2023
Then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, former U.S. President Donald Trump and their respective first ladies stroll through Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in April 2018. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Shinzo Abe

Abe memoir is instant bestseller; publisher triples print run

Former Japanese leader shares observations on Trump, Xi and Modi

11 February 2023
The crisis at Adani Group this week fueled a war of words in India's Parliament as well as street protests by opposition supporters. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Politics

Modi strikes back as Adani sparks wild week in Indian politics

PM says 'mudslinging' strengthens BJP; criticism from Rahul Gandhi 'expunged'

10 February 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, delivers a New Year address with troops in Rostov-on-Don, not far from the Ukrainian border. (Photo from Kremlin via Tass/Kyodo)
Comment

Deaths in Russia's top brass unnerve India and China

Military inadequacies in Ukraine raise questions for security relationships

9 February 2023
Students in Chandigarh, India. The U.S. State Department has launched economic empowerment alliances for women in India and Pakistan, as well as for Afghan women who have fled their country.
Interview

Public-private tie-up key to empowering women in India: U.S. official

Katrina Fotovat eyes efforts to bring more females into science and technology studies

6 February 2023
India's Supreme Court in New Delhi: According to Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, the number of pending cases across various Indian courts will reach 50 million in 2023.
Politics

India's 72-year legal case serves as Exhibit A for judicial paralysis

Lawyers say country needs creative solutions to courts' swelling backlog

4 February 2023
An Adani gas customer care center in Ahmedabad, India: The accusations swirling around the conglomerate have spawned a political dispute as well. 
Politics

India minister says Adani has 'nothing to do with' government

Finance secretary downplays risk to state investors as parliament standoff drags

3 February 2023
The allegations hitting India's Adani Group conglomerate have become a hot issue in the country's parliament. (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters)
Politics

India opposition demands Adani probe as crisis disrupts parliament

Modi's rivals zero in on state institutions' investments in conglomerate

2 February 2023
Commuters travel in an overcrowded train on the outskirts of New Delhi on Feb. 1. India's budget calls for a significant increase in infrastructure spending. 
Economy

India pumps up infrastructure spending in last full pre-election budget

Modi government to hike capital outlays to $122bn next fiscal year

1 February 2023