India

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India flexes its naval power as competition with China grows For decades, India has focused its defense policy on land borders with its rivals. Now, as its global ambitions expand, India is beginning to flex its naval power in international waters, including anti-piracy patrols and a deployment close to the Red Sea to help protect ships from attacks. Read more.

Why this matters: The highly publicized deployment highlights India as a “proactive contributor” to international maritime stability, said Vice Adm. Anil Kumar Chawla, retired head of India’s southern naval command. “We are not doing it only out of altruism. Unless you are a maritime power you can never aspire to be a global power,” Chawla said.   India, the U.S., Australia and Japan are members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad, which has repeatedly accused China of saber rattling in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. The navies of the four countries regularly hold drills as part of an initiative to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US approves $4 billion drone sale to India for maritime security needs   India’s navy rescues two hijacked boats. British military warns of two pirate groups in Indian Ocean   Maldives gives port clearance to a Chinese ship. The move could inflame a dispute with India

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AP finds grueling conditions in Indian shrimp industry that report calls ‘dangerous and abusive’

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose.

https://apnews.com/article/india-shrimp-seafood-industry-labor-abuses-us-imports-e5b51878eafbb6e28977710b191eb7de?

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Once a fringe ideology, Hindu nationalism is now mainstream in India Hindu nationalism is now mainstream, and nobody has done more to advance this cause than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of India’s most beloved and polarizing political leaders. And no entity has had more influence on his political philosophy than a paramilitary, right-wing group known as the RSS. Read more.

Why this matters: A few decades ago, the RSS advocated for the transformation of India — by force, if necessary — into a Hindu nation. Modi’s spiritual and political upbringing from the RSS is the driving force, experts say, in everything he’s done as prime minister over the past 10 years.   At 73, Modi is campaigning for a third term in a general election, which started today and will go on for 6 weeks, where he is expected to win. Supporters and critics agree on one thing: Modi has achieved staying power by making Hindu nationalism acceptable, even desirable, to a nation of 1.4 billion that for decades prided itself on pluralism and secularism.   Modi’s rule has also seen brazen attacks against minorities — particularly Muslims — from hate speech to lynchings. India’s democracy, critics say, is faltering as the press, political opponents and courts face growing threats, and as Modi increasingly blurs the line between religion and state.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ India’s national election will take place in phases over 44 days. Here’s why it takes so long   In Modi’s India, opponents and journalists feel the squeeze ahead of election   25 elections in 2024 that could change the world

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Modi is accused of using hate speech for calling Muslims ‘infiltrators’ at an Indian election rally

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s main opposition party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using hate speech after he called Muslims “infiltrators” — some of his most incendiary rhetoric about the minority faith, days after the country began its weekslong general election.

https://apnews.com/article/india-election-modi-muslims-congress-hate-speech-90f70cfae68d39ecc80a90acab6e3e00?

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India votes in second phase of national elections with Modi’s BJP as front-runner

NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians voted Friday in a moderate turnout in the second round of multi-phase national elections as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to galvanize voters with his assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics.

https://apnews.com/article/india-voting-congress-elections-modi-gandhi-bjp-ecebcccaaf32ad337e7360d9962c5cee?

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Indian voters dissect Modi’s politics while traversing the country by train

On the Thirukkural Express, passengers travel 1,800 miles south from New Delhi to Kanyakumari in one of the longest train rides in India, representing a wide range of castes and religions. The Associated Press recently made the 48-hour train journey to interview Indian voters about the election, whose results will be announced on June 4. Read more.

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India election results: Modi claims victory for alliance

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed victory for his alliance as early results from the staggered, six-week election showed fewer seats for his Bharatiya Janata Party than expected and it appeared unlikely to secure a majority on its own. Final figures are not expected until Wednesday local time, with counting going late into the night.

https://apnews.com/live/india-election-results-updates?

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India election

 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to clinch a rare third consecutive term when results from the world's biggest election are announced today. But Modi's declared aim to win a 400-seat supermajority in the 543-seat lower house of parliament looks at risk. His Bharatiya Janata Party is comfortably leading in preliminary results — but the opposition Congress party is performing better than some analysts expected, putting this goal at risk. All 642 million votes cast during six weeks of mammoth polls that ended June 1 will be counted today.

 

Modi claims victory in India’s election but drop in support forces him to rely on coalition partners

NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory for his alliance in India’s general election, claiming a mandate to move forward with his agenda, even though his party lost seats to a stronger than expected opposition, which pushed back against his mixed economic record and polarizing politics.

https://apnews.com/article/india-election-results-2024-lok-sabha-modi-bjp-7893efecc83fa8225a611f174e6420ee?

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India election results

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared victory in India's election after more than 640 million people cast their votes at polling stations across the country. "This is a victory for the world's largest democracy," Modi told supporters in New Delhi. However, Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party fell short of securing the 272 seats needed to win an outright majority in parliament, a stunning upset that leaves them reliant on coalition partners to form a government. This is a personal blow to Modi, who had triumphantly vowed to win a 400-seat supermajority in this year’s election. Meanwhile, Indian stocks plunged Tuesday as Modi's dream of a landslide victory slipped away, raising doubts about his ability to push through more aggressive economic reforms.

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How did a religious gathering in India turn into a deadly stampede?

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — More than 120 people died Tuesday in a stampede after a large religious gathering in northern India, one of the deadliest such accidents in recent years.

https://apnews.com/article/india-hathras-stampede-cd902854cbc673cbfbd3408963c34792?

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Landslides caused by heavy rains kill 93 and bury many others in southern India

NEW DELHI (AP) — Multiple landslides in southern India have killed 93 people and many others are feared trapped under the debris, officials said Tuesday, after torrential rains triggered torrents of mud and water that swept through tea estates and villages.

https://apnews.com/article/india-kerala-landslides-rains-5eddd0911ec0a98bb65c01a3b6c3b679?

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As India ages, a secret shame emerges: Elders abandoned by their children

India is a country where grandparents routinely share a roof with children and grandchildren, and where the expectation that the young care for the old is so ingrained in the national ethos that nursing homes are a relative rarity and hiring caregivers is often seen as taboo. But expanding lifespans have brought ballooning caregiving pressure, a wave of urbanization has driven many young far from their home villages and a creeping Western influence has begun eroding the tradition of multigenerational living. Read more.

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Nobel laureate Yunus will head Bangladesh’s interim government after unrest ousted Hasina

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will head Bangladesh’s interim government after longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid a mass uprising that left hundreds of people dead and pushed the South Asian nation to the brink of chaos.

https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-protests-interim-government-bca66e8251f86deb3fe28c913d0a1444?

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A trainee doctor is raped and killed in India, sparking protests nationwide The 31-year-old trainee was found on Aug. 9 and a police volunteer was detained in connection with the crime. As Prime Minister Modi, other political parties, and Bollywood actors and celebrities voiced their shock, thousands of people marched through various Indian cities Friday, demanding justice and better security at medical campuses and hospitals.  Read more.

Key points: The Indian Medical Association, the country’s largest grouping of medics, late Thursday called for a “nationwide withdrawal of services," except essential services, for 24 hours starting Saturday.   Many cases of crimes against women go unreported in India due to the stigma surrounding sexual violence, as well as a lack of faith in the police. Women’s rights activists say the problem is particularly acute in rural areas, where the community sometimes shames victims of sexual assault and families worry about their social standing.   Rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight since the brutal 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus. The attack galvanized massive protests and inspired lawmakers to order harsher penalties for such crimes, and the creation of fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases. Despite stringent laws, rights activists say the government is still not doing enough to protect women and punish attackers.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ India’s Modi voices concern over unrest in neighboring Bangladesh and attacks on Hindus there   A planned float in NYC’s India Day Parade is anti-Muslim and should be removed, opponents say

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Indian doctors demand tougher laws after a colleague’s rape and murder in Kolkata

NEW DELHI (AP) — Hundreds of doctors protested near India’s Health Ministry on Monday to demand stringent laws to protect health care workers from violence and to seek justice for their colleague who was raped and killed at a state-run hospital.

https://apnews.com/article/india-doctor-rape-protests-d3f23d145891ec3031617647a8cc0166?

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Modi

 

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Polish leaders today before his expected visit to Ukraine on Friday — a first in the country's history. Modi's tour comes weeks after he traveled to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a symbolic first bilateral visit of the Indian prime minister's new term. Zelensky at the time described the meeting as a "huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts." Modi has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, without condemning Russia. India has also abstained from all UN resolutions calling for Russia's withdrawal and condemning its actions.

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Many in Indian-controlled Kashmir plan to vote this time to deny Modi total control

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — For decades, boycotting elections in Indian-controlled Kashmir was a sign of protest against Indian rule.

https://apnews.com/article/kashmir-election-india-pakistan-conflict-4493b9cd496de1aadf1cddcb6194043d?

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In southern India’s tea country, small but mighty efforts are brewing to bring back native forests

UDHAGAMANDALAM, India (AP) — Scattered groves of native trees, flowers and the occasional prehistoric burial ground are squeezed between hundreds of thousands of tea shrubs in southern India’s Nilgiris region — a gateway to a time before colonization and the commercial growing of tea that reshaped the country’s mountain landscapes.

https://apnews.com/article/tea-restoration-native-plants-climate-change-25adeaf034873ce3035530275daa3ca2?

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India crowd crush

A massive religious festival in India has turned deadly after a crowd crush killed at least 14 people. The incident occurred early today as tens of millions of devotees went to bathe in a river on one of the most sacred days of the Maha Kumbh Mela Hindu festival. Local officials said a barrier near the river broke as throngs of people were walking toward the riverbanks to take their holy dip in the Indian city of Prayagraj. At least 20 others are being treated for minor injuries, a hospital source said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his condolences in a statement, calling the incident "extremely sad."

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Decades-old weaving businesses near India's financial capital struggle to survive

Abdul Sattar stands in a dimly lit aisle surrounded by dozens of electric-powered looms that make a rhythmic din several decibels above what is considered healthy for a human ear. With his flowing white beard and a wispy head of hair, he could be mistaken for a professor or a philosopher, but, at 70, he has spent most of his life working 12-hour shifts on power looms in poorly ventilated, noisy workshops. Read More.

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14-year-old Suryavanshi smashes a record-breaking T20 century in cricket’s Indian Premier League

JAIPUR, India (AP) — The 14-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit a breathtaking century in the Indian Premier League on Monday, and made it one of the greatest innings in men’s Twenty20 cricket history.

https://apnews.com/article/suryavanshi-14-ipl-rajasthan-gujarat-d574d22838adf4bbd18e3239406f2545?

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India will soon start its delayed census, including asking questions about caste

NEW DELHI (AP) — India will start counting its vast population in a mammoth exercise starting next year. The first census in 16 years will be conducted digitally and include controversial questions about caste for the first time since independence.

https://apnews.com/article/india-census-caste-politics-bihar-welfare-population-2a49a372c4f9bd79c4b0a11ed514c8a2?

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Fiery Air India crash kills 241 people aboard, leaving 1 survivor, airline says

AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — An Air India plane bound for London crashed in a residential area of Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board, the airline said. One passenger who was thrown from the plane survived.

https://apnews.com/article/india-plane-crash-cad8dad5cd0e92795b03d357404af5f8?

Lone passenger survives the deadly Air India crash that killed at least 240 people

The lone passenger to survive the Air India crash that killed at least 240 people Thursday found himself near debris after being thrown out of the plane and walked to a nearby ambulance for aid, a medic said. Read More.

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What to know about the Air India plane crash that killed more than 240 people The Air India plane crash this week was one of India’s worst aviation disasters, killing 241 people on board and several people on the ground. Read more.

What to know: The Air India plane crashed minutes after takeoff Thursday afternoon in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Indian authorities said Friday the investigation into the crash was underway, which is expected to include experts from the plane’s maker Boeing and U.S. aviation regulators.   The lone survivor was a passenger, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin. Ramesh was thrown from the aircraft and walked to an ambulance, according to Dr. Dhaval Gameti, who treated Ramesh.   It’s the first crash of a Boeing 787, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. There was no information yet about possible causes of the crash.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ AP PHOTOS: Air India plane crashes with hundreds of passengers onboard   Investigators search the Air India crash site for evidence and more victims   A look at Boeing’s recent troubles

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Air India faces disruptions as crash prompts deeper checks and flight delays

NEW DELHI (AP) — Air India is facing disruptions following last week’s fatal crash as additional safety inspections on its Dreamliner fleet have led to flight delays, cancellations and growing passenger anxiety.

https://apnews.com/article/air-india-crash-ahmedabad-dreamliner-boeing-tata-25102fbb58822ea572b00fa3da048682?