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☆ India election: Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as mammoth vote deepens divides
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of delivering Islamophobic remarks during an election rally Sunday, triggering widespread anger from prominent Muslims and members of the opposition. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Kalpit Bhachech/Dipam Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi pictured in India on January 23, 1998. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Islamophobic, Modi’s, Modi, ”, ” Modi, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Rana Ayyub, Asaduddin Owaisi, “ Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, of India, India's, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Sangh, Hindu, “, Hate Locations: Rajasthan, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, India, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, BJP, “

☆ In India’s 2024 election, BJP’s main opposition appears increasingly weak in face of Modi juggernaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Supporters of India's opposition party, Indian National Congress, during an election rally in Puducherry on April 15, 2024 R. Satish Babu/AFP/Getty ImagesDemocracy under threat? Dipam Bhachech/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Modi worked his way through the ranks of the BJP, establishing himself as a respected politician. Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images Modi hugs French President Emmanuel Macron after a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on June 3, 2017. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images Modi offers a toast during a State Dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: ”, Narendra Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi, ” Hazari Lal Rajput, Satish Babu, Modi, Modi’s, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Arati Jerath, “, it’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, gunning, ” Modi, shouldn’t, Mohammad Irfan, —, Arvind Kejriwal, Altaf Qadri, Kejriwal, Atishi, you’re, Jerath, Gandhi ‘, ’ Modi, Christophe Jaffrelot, CNN Modi, Rasheed Kidwai, Rahul, Diptendu Dutta, Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, ” Kidwai, ” Jerath Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Getty, Democracy, Modi’s BJP, Pew, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, India's, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Indian, Aadmi Party, Delhi, AAP, Aam Aadmi Party, All, Trinamool, West, All India, Congress, “, “ Democracy Locations: India, Uttar Pradesh, Ramlila, Puducherry, Modi’s, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, INDIA, Delhi, India’s, Lok Sabha, Atishi, ”, Manipur, Siliguri, West Bengal, Tamil

☆ Narendra Modi: India’s popular but controversial leader seeking a transformative third term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Varanasi and New Delhi CNN —Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once famously made a simple election promise: “good days are coming”. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar on April 6, 2024. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Himanshu Sharma, Getty Images Modi, –, ”, Saba Naqvi, “, Vajpayee, Naqvi, Dileep Patel, John Mees, Akash Jaiswal, “ We’ve, ” Jaiswal, isn’t, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Patel, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv, Rahul Gandhi, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, “ Narendra Modi, ” Mukhopadhyay, Mukhopadhyay, ” Modi, Keshav Baliram, “ Modi, BJP Modi, Lord Ram, ” Naqvi, Critics, Christophe Jaffrelot, Karan Thapar, ” Jaffrelot, Modi’s, it’s, —, Raj, India Narendra Modi, Kenny Hoston, Ram, ” Raniva, That’s Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India's, Getty Images, Pew, CNN, World Health Organization, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, Indian National Congress, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Cambridge, today’s Congress Party, Harvard, The Times, Muslim, Australia Locations: Varanasi, New Delhi, Gujarat, Pushkar, India, “ India, United States, Brazil, “, Sydney, Australia, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Oxford, Vadnagar, Babri, Kadi, Kashmir, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Jama

☆ US oil suppliers are getting a boost from Russian sanctions as India looks to buy more from them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian imports took a hit as Western sanctions bite down on Moscow's ability to ship crude. That's as Western sanctions on Moscow have cracked New Delhi's appetite for Russian crude, causing India to pivot towards US exports. At the same time, Indian purchases of Russian oil have tumbled, as the US and its allies tightened enforcement of sanctions against Moscow. AdvertisementFor instance, Washington has started individually sanctioning entities that breach a Western price cap on Russian barrels, and has targeted over 50 ships since October. In March, India imported an estimated 33.8 million barrels of Russian crude, compared to 51.1 million in January, Kpler data showed.

Persons: —, It's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Moscow, Energy Information Administration Locations: India, Russia, Moscow, Washington, New Delhi, OPEC, Asia

☆ The extravagant Ambani pre-wedding party was an affront to the millions of Indians in poverty, critics say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Joshua Zitser | Spriha Srivastava | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But critics say it showed a telling disregard for the struggles of the many millions of Indians living in poverty. Spanning three days, the pre-nuptial event included a private performance by Rihanna, which estimates suggest cost up to $9 million. AdvertisementTripathi pointed out that 800 million of India's 1.4 billion population receive monthly food rations of wheat or rice. Sohini Kar, an associate professor at the London School of Economics, whose work focuses on urban India, told BI she agrees. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant serve traditional Gujarati food to villagers ahead of their pre-wedding celebrations on the outskirts of Jamnagar, India.

Persons: —, Anant Ambani, Asia's, Radhika Merchant, Rihanna, Nita Ambani, Shyam Bihari, WaterAid, Haldia, Rakhi Tripathi, Tripathi, Sohini Kar, Kar, St Louis Fed, Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Nita, Stringer Organizations: Service, Business, Bank, New, of Management, London School of Economics, BI, Oxfam International, St, Bloomberg, Architectural Digest, Reliance Foundation, Reuters Locations: India, Delhi, Asia, Mumbai, Jamnagar, Gujarat

☆ India to Replace Troops in Maldives With Civilians by May
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The roughly 80 soldiers stationed in the Indian Ocean archipelago will be replaced by civilians, officials from both countries said. As global powers jostle for influence in the Indo-Pacific region, India and China have wooed the Maldives, which has traditionally been close to neighbour India. New Delhi's ties with Male have under strain since Mohamed Muizzu was elected president of the Maldives last year, pledging to end the country's "India First" policy. The Indian troops manage those operations. The next bilateral meeting will be in Male in the last week of February, the Maldives foreign ministry said.

Persons: Krishn Kaushik, Mohamed Junayd NEW, Mohamed Muizzu, Mohamed Junayd, William Mallard Organizations: May, Maldivian Foreign Ministry, Dornier Locations: Mohamed Junayd NEW DELHI, India, Maldives, China, New Delhi, Delhi

☆ Indian capital resumes some activities despite hazardous air, river foam
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Kanjyik Ghosh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - India's capital Delhi re-opened schools and some building sites on Monday amid signs of receding air pollution, although it remained classified as hazardous, while a toxic foam besmirched stretches of the Yamuna river flowing through the city. The world's most polluted capital resumed its annual battle on pollution this month, despite government pledges to improve. Monday's air quality index (AQI) of 336 was down from Thursday's level of 509, but still "hazardous", Swiss group IQAir said. Delhi's air pollution gets worse in winter, when wind speeds drop and cooling air traps pollutants spewed by vehicles, industry and farmers burning agricultural waste in surrounding states to prepare for new planting. PM2.5 levels remained above 128 micrograms per cubic meter of air since Sunday in the National Capital Region, according to the federal pollution control board.

Persons: Anushree, IQAir, Ankit Srivastava, Gopal Rai, Kanjyik Ghosh, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Delhi's, Vehicles, National Capital, World Health Organization, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Mumbai

☆ Three Indian cities among world's 10 most polluted after Diwali
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Two Indian cities joined New Delhi to be among the world's worst 10 for pollution on Monday morning, with smoke heavy in the air a day after revellers let loose with firecrackers for Diwali - the annual Hindu festival of light. It had an air quality index (AQI) figure of 420, putting it the 'hazardous' category, according to Swiss group IQAir. An AQI level of 400-500 impacts healthy people and is dangerous to those with existing diseases, while a level of 150-200 brings discomfort to people with asthma, lung and heart problems. Every year authorities impose bans on firecrackers in the capital, but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Air quality in India deteriorates every year ahead of winter, when cold air traps pollutants from vehicles, industry, construction dust and agricultural waste burning.

Persons: Tanvi Mehta, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Kolkata, India's, Mumbai, India

☆ Smoky skies in Indian capital on Diwali as revellers defy firecracker ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Neha Arora | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Smoke plumes were visible across the sky as revellers let off firecrackers in the evening to mark the country's biggest festival. Every year government authorities or India's Supreme Court impose bans on firecrackers - but only rarely do those bans appear to be enforced. Globally, air pollution was the worst in India's eastern city of Kolkata, while Delhi was the fifth-most polluted, according to Swiss group IQAir. Doctors say the air quality is likely to worsen on Monday as smoke from firecrackers lingers in the air, potentially causing itchy eyes and irritation in the throat. Some Hindus resent the Diwali firecracker bans, which they see as an attempt to interfere with them observing their religious festivals.

Persons: Health Organization's, Deepak, Dr, Ram Manohar, Gopal Rai, Neha Arora, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Health, Ram Manohar Lohia, Delhi's, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Kolkata, Delhi, Swiss

☆ Indian scientists hope cloud seeding can clean Delhi's toxic air
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Air quality dips in Delhi ahead of winter every year, when cold air traps pollutants from a variety of sources including vehicles, industries, construction dust, and agricultural waste burning. The project, estimated to cost 10 million rupees ($120,000) for 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles), would involve spraying into clouds a mix of salts that include silver iodine, Agrawal said. "We don't expect that big a cloud that will cover entire Delhi, but a few hundred kilometres would be good," he told Reuters. The air quality index in the city was 506 early on Thursday, which is categorised as "hazardous" by Swiss group IQAir. Several countries have used cloud seeding to produce rain, improve air quality and water crops in time of drought, including Mexico, the United States, China, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Persons: Anushree, Manindra Agrawal, Agrawal, Gufran Beig, SAFAR, Beig, Shivam Patel, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Indian Institute of Technology, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Kanpur, Punjab, Haryana, Mexico, United States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Mexico

☆ Reeling under toxic air, India's capital shuts schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People and vehicles are seen on a road amidst the morning smog in New Delhi, India, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Reeling under hazardous air quality levels, India's capital New Delhi shut down all schools for an extended period on Wednesday, the latest in a series of measures to protect residents from growing air pollution. Air quality levels in the city were over 320 on the air quality index, a level categorised as 'hazardous' by Swiss group IQAir, although it was not as bad as the 400 range hit earlier this week. Schools in the capital city would remain closed from Thursday until Nov. 18 on a winter break, which was originally scheduled for January, the Delhi government said in a notification. Primary schools in the city had already been shut, as part of measures to protect young children against smog and growing air pollution.

Persons: Anushree, SAFAR, Shivam Patel, Manoj Kumar, Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Swiss, Delhi, Farmers, Punjab, Haryana

☆ India's top court tells states to stop crop burning as New Delhi's air turns hazardous
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Shivam Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Air quality dips every year ahead of winter, when calm and cold winds trap pollutants from sources including vehicles, industries, construction dust, and agricultural waste burning. Delhi has stopped local construction, closed primary schools till Nov. 10 and will impose restrictions on use of vehicles next week to fight pollution, but it wants its neighbouring states to control crop residue burning. At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the real time air quality index stood at 306, a level categorised as 'hazardous' by Swiss group IQAir. "We direct the state government of Punjab and adjacent states to Delhi - Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh - to ensure that crop (residue) burning is stopped forthwith," Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said. Farmers in Punjab and Haryana usually burn crop stubble left behind after rice is harvested in late October or early November to quickly clear their fields before planting wheat crops.

Persons: Anushree, Boulton, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, SAFAR, Justice Kaul, Kaul, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, NEW, Farmers, Thomson Locations: Karnal district, Haryana, India, NEW DELHI, New Delhi, Delhi, Swiss, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh

☆ Indian farmers carry on burning stubble despite cost to health
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manoj Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But for him, the only alternative to burning crop residues is to join the queue to hire machines to clear his field, which would cost him about $100 for his four-acre farm. More than 85% of Indian farmers are categorised as small, meaning that, like Sharma, they own about four acres or fewer. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana has typically accounted for 30% to 40% of Delhi's October-November pollution, according to government air-quality monitoring agency SAFAR. POLITICAL WILL LACKINGAjay Singh Rana, a Haryana farm official, said the number of farms burning stubble in Karnal had dropped to 96 so far this year from 270 last year. ($1 = 83.1750 Indian rupees)Reporting by Manoj Kumar, additional reporting by Anushree Fadnavis; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anushree, Aashish Sharma, Sharma, SAFAR, Dharamvir Singh, Ajay Singh Rana, Sharma's, Mukhi Ram Sharma, Bajinder Pal Punia, Manoj Kumar, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Central Pollution Control, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Karnal district, Haryana, India, New Delhi, Sharma's, Karnal, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Samalkha

Ajay Bisaria, India's ambassador to Canada from 2020 to 2022, said the relationship is in a "de-escalation phase" following "quiet diplomacy". "This is not a thaw," an Indian foreign ministry official told Reuters. 'MODEST DE-ESCALATION'Officials in India and Canada spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak on the subject. The Indian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Canada's foreign ministry pointed to comments made by Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie on Oct. 30.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Justin Trudeau, Evan Vucci, Michael Kugelman, Ajay Bisaria, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India's, Ottawa’s, Melanie Jolie, Jolie, Modi, Kugelman, Michael Bociurkiw, Krishn Kaushik, Steve Scherer, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: Indian, Canada, Bharat, DELHI, Mutual, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, Reuters, Canadian, Foreign, Atlantic Council, YP, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Canada, OTTAWA, Punjab, Delhi, Ottawa, Washington, China, Vancouver, Hardeep, Vienna

☆ India's toxic smog season shuts down schools, revives 'odd-even' vehicle limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The situation arising out of air pollution in the City is extremely worrying," Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said in a Friday post on X, formerly Twitter. Good or satisfactory air quality corresponds to an index somewhere between zero and 100. The air quality index in Delhi on Monday was roughly 450, according to India's Central Pollution Control Board. Prolonged exposure to an air quality index above 300 can lead to respiratory illness and long-term health problems. According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, these crop-burning fires cause pollution to peak in Delhi from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15.

Persons: Vinai Kumar Saxena, Saxena, Gopal Rai Organizations: Pollution Control, Control, Aam Aadmi Party Locations: New Delhi, India, Delhi, City

☆ India's New Delhi to restrict use of vehicles to curb air pollution - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People walk on 'Kartavya Path' amidst the morning smog as air pollution levels declined in New Delhi, India, November 6, 2023.REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - India's Delhi city will restrict use of vehicles for a week between Nov. 13 and 20 to curb air pollution, the local government's environment minister said on Monday, as air quality remained in the "severe" category despite mitigation efforts. The rule would allow vehicles with odd number plates to ply on odd dates and similarly vehicles with even registration numbers will be allowed on road on alternate days. Air quality was 'severe' for a third consecutive day in the city on Monday, according to the federal pollution control body, forcing the city government to extend the closure of primary schools until Nov. 10. "There is a possibility that air pollution will rise after the Diwali," Gopal Rai, Delhi's environment minister, said, referring to the Hindu festival on Nov. 12 during which firecrackers, which are banned, are often set on fire, worsening air pollution. Reporting by Shivam Patel; additional reporting by Amlan Chakraborty; editing by Sudipto GangulyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Anushree, Gopal Rai, Shivam Patel, Amlan Chakraborty, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: REUTERS, Sri, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Delhi, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

☆ Asthmatic players skip practice, Bangladesh coach says Delhi air 'not ideal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Amlan Chakraborty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Altaf Hussain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Asthmatic Bangladesh cricketers remained indoors while Sri Lankan players wore masks as poor air quality in smog-shrouded New Delhi remained the talking point ahead of Monday's World Cup clash between the two nations. "Our doctor is keeping a close eye on the players," Hathurusinghe told reporters on Sunday. "Some of the players didn't turn up for practice as they are asthmatic, so they stayed indoors. "Team selection won't depend on air quality. Most of the Sri Lankan players wore masks when they arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the afternoon.

Persons: Altaf Hussain, Chandika Hathurusinghe, Hathurusinghe, Skipper Kusal Mendis, Mendis, they've, Amlan Chakraborty, David Goodman, Pritha Organizations: REUTERS, Asthmatic, Sri, Bangladesh, Indian, International Cricket Council, ICC, Arun, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Asthmatic Bangladesh, Sri Lankan, Delhi, Sri Lanka

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - India's capital New Delhi was wrapped in a thick layer of toxic haze on Friday and some schools were ordered closed as the air quality index (AQI) plummeted to the "severe" category. In India, the annual average concentration of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the air is the highest in northern regions. Officials said they saw no immediate improvement in the air quality. Delhi hosts a World Cup match on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Poor air quality also caused respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes and restlessness in pet animals.

Persons: Aheed Khan, Ashwani Kumar, Prabhat Gangwar, Tanvi Mehta, Rajesh, Blassy Boben, Manoj Kumar, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: joggers, Residents, Officials, Control Committee, Farmers, Health, Friendicoes, Thomson Locations: DELHI, New Delhi, Swiss, Pakistani, Lahore, Delhi, India, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

☆ 'Big Show' Maxwell blasts World Cup light show
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Oct 26 (Reuters) - After smashing the Netherlands bowlers into submission with a record-breaking century, Glenn Maxwell unleashed against World Cup organisers for putting on a "horrible" mid-match light show during Australia's massive 309-run win. He covered his eyes in the field as the stadium morphed into a virtual nightclub with flashing lights and thumping beats. "I had something like that light show happen at Perth Stadium during a Big Bash game," Maxwell said after recording the fastest century in 50-over World Cup history. "So I just try and cover up as much as I possibly can and ignore it but it's a horrible, horrible idea. His team mate David Warner, who also scored a century in the Dutch demolition, had a different view.

Persons: Glenn Maxwell, Arun, Maxwell, David Warner, Ian Ransom, Christopher Cushing Organizations: World, Perth, Twitter, Zealand, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Netherlands, Dharamsala, Melbourne

☆ India says relations with Canada passing through difficult phase
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Oct 22 (Reuters) - India on Sunday said its relationship with Canada is passing through a difficult phase and there had been "continued interference" by Canadian personnel in New Delhi's internal affairs. Canada had to withdraw 41 of its diplomats from India on Thursday as New Delhi decided to unilaterally revoke their official diplomatic status. Trudeau said on Friday the Indian government's crackdown on Canadian diplomats was making normal life difficult for millions of people in both countries. Jaishankar said India had invoked diplomatic parity under the Vienna convention, "because we had concerns about continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel". He said India would resume the issuance of visas if there was progress in the safety of its diplomats working there.

Persons: Jaishankar, Amr Alfiky, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau, Melanie Joly, Jaishankare, Nidhi Verma, David Holmes Organizations: Affairs, United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, Sunday, Canadian, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City, U.S, DELHI, India, Canada, British Columbia, New Delhi, Vienna

Reuters reported in July that Indian refiners began using yuan to pay for some oil from Russian sellers, while continuing to use dollars and dirhams to settle most of their Russian oil purchases. Indian refiners buy most of their Russian oil from traders, while making some direct purchases from Russian entities. State-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), the country's top refiner, has used yuan and other currencies to pay for Russian oil, Reuters reported previously. Private Indian refiners have continued to pay in yuan and other currencies for Russian oil imports, sources said, with most Indian purchases of Russian oil paid in dirham. Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL and the country's oil and finance ministries did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comments.

Persons: Tatiana Meel, Nidhi Verma, Tony Munroe, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Reuters, Gazprom Neft, Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Hindustan Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Nakhodka Bay, Nakhodka, Russia, DELHI, India, Moscow, Ukraine, United States, dirhams, Gazprom, dirham, Hong Kong, China

India is by far Canada's largest source of global students in the country's fast-growing international education business, making up for roughly 40% of study permit holders. International students contribute over C$20 billion ($14.6 billion) to the Canadian economy each year. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen universities and consultants in Canada and India who said they were taking measures to reassure students. Last week, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller described international students "an asset that is very lucrative". In Punjab's Amritsar, home to the Golden Temple, one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, over 5,000 students moved to Canada last year.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, We've, Joseph Wong, Ashok Kumar Bhatia, John Tibbits, Tibbits, Marc Miller, Rhonda Lenton, Jiwan Sharma, Melanie Joly, Gurbakhshish Singh, Nivedita Balu, Wa, Manoj Kumar, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: Canada's, Canadian, Reuters, University of Toronto, Reuters Graphics, Association of Consultants, Overseas Studies, Conestoga, York, Taxi, Thomson Locations: India's, Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, TORONTO, AMRITSAR, India, New Delhi, British Columbia, Kitchener , Ontario, Punjab, Punjab's Amritsar, Ottawa, Amritsar, Wa Lone, Toronto

RAW Chief Ravi Sinha, the only serving official publicly affiliated with the agency, did not return messages seeking comment. All six officials denied that RAW engages in targeted killings, noting that the agency has no mandate for such operations. Fallout from the Vancouver incident has also raised concerns that RAW will come under greater global monitoring, Indian intelligence officials and analysts said. "The current developments have undoubtedly increased global curiosity about RAW," said Dheeraj Paramesha Chaya, an expert on Indian intelligence at Britain's Hull University. "Our footprint is growing in parts of the world which were not important earlier," a recently retired senior RAW official said, without providing specifics.

Persons: Blair Gable, Justin Trudeau's, Hardeep Singh, RAW's, Narendra Modi, Ravi Sinha, Sinha, Ajit Doval, Paramesha, Trudeau, David Headley, Headley, Adrian Levy, Levy, Modi, Krishn Kaushik, Sanjeev Miglani, Katerina Ang Organizations: High Commission of, REUTERS, Canadian, Reuters, RAW, National, Britain's Hull University, Ottawa, Washington Post, MUMBAI RAW, Indian Foreign Ministry, Indian, Islamabad, American Embassy, Intelligence Bureau, Hull, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, India deniability, South, CIA, U.S . Council, Foreign Relations, PRS, Thomson Locations: High Commission of India, Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, DELHI, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vancouver, India, Ottawa, Mumbai, West, Delhi, China, Washington, U.S, MUMBAI, Islamabad, North America, Chicago, United States, London, Britain, Australia, South Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Delhi

☆ India is a growing defense powerhouse, and now it's looking to cash in on it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But it has been investing heavily in its domestic arms industry with the goal of equipping its own forces and increasing its arms sales around the world. Recent arms sales and exercises illustrate how India seeks to turn that domestic arms production into foreign sales and perhaps even take some of that market away from its biggest supplier. The leaders discussed "defense platforms" and "equipment-related linkages" and deepening cooperation between their militaries and defense industries. (Egypt and India collaborated on development of the Helwan HA-300 light supersonic interceptor in the 1960s, but that project was ultimately canceled.) After all, Indian defense exports in recent years were negligible compared to heavyweights like the US and France, and New Delhi remains heavily reliant on imports.

Persons: —, JEWEL SAMAD, Swathi, Modi, Abdel Fattah al, Egypt's, Abdel Fattah el, Sisi, Narendra Modi, MANJUNATH KIRAN, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Getty, Armenia —, Armenia, Indian Press, Anadolu Agency, Indian, Indian Air Force, Tejas, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Locations: India, New Delhi, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Armenia, East, Egypt, France, Cairo, Brahmos, Bangalore, China

Blinken met with Jaishankar at the State Department on Thursday afternoon. A State Department spokesperson said that in the meeting Blinken had urged India to cooperate "fully" with the ongoing Canadian investigation. Ties between Indian and Canada have become seriously strained after Trudeau told parliament this month that Canada suspected Indian government agents were linked to the murder. Jaishankar said on Tuesday New Delhi had told Canada it was open to looking into any "specific" or "relevant" information it provides on the killing. The U.S. ambassador to Canada told Canadian television that some information on the case had been gathered by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which groups the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Britain.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Leah Millis, Jake Sullivan, Hardeep Singh, Blinken, Jaishankar, Trudeau, Nijjar, Sullivan, Washington, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Doina Chiacu, Caitlin Webber, Daniel Wallis, Don Durfee Organizations: State Department, REUTERS, Rights, India's, U.S . National, Department, New, The, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Canada, India, United States, Washington, Blinken, U.S, Quebec, Canadian, New Delhi, The U.S, Australia, New Zealand, Britain

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