Indian PM Modi names Cabinet for coalition government after his party lost majority
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, newly sworn in for a third straight term, has named a Cabinet that retains his top ministers in crucial portfolios despite his Hindu nationalist party losing majority in a shock election result.
India's marathon election enters final stage of vote counting with Modi widely tipped for third term
India's election is entering its final phase with the counting of more than 640 million votes in the world’s largest democratic exercise, which is widely expected to return Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a third term.
Thousands rally in India's capital as opposition bloc and Prime Minister Modi launch their campaigns
Thousands of people have attended a rally by an alliance of India’s opposition parties that criticized the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of stifling opponents and undermining democracy ahead of a national election next month.
India's government replaces 'India' with ancient name 'Bharat' in dinner invitation to G20 guests
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has replaced the name India with a Sanskrit word in dinner invitations sent to guests attending this week’s Group of 20 summit, in a move that reflects his Hindu nationalist party’s efforts to eliminate what it sees as colonial-era names.
India's opposition parties team up to challenge Modi's Hindu nationalist party in 2024 elections
India’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.
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How to celebrate Holi in Houston
HOUSTON – Holi, the Hindu festival of color has gained popularity in Houston where thousands gather every year to mark the beginning of spring and the triumph of good over evil. The celebration will happen differently this year, and Sandhya Thakkar, the owner of Masala Radio 98.7 FM and main organizer for the event, shared details of what you can expect this Sunday. Houston Holi 2021 (Copyright 2021 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.) All guests will get a chance to win $1000 in raffle prizes. To see all details, check out Thakkar’s interview in the video below.
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Indian village cheers for Harris during swearing-in as US VP
A tiny, lush-green Indian village surrounded by rice paddy fields was beaming with joy Wednesday hours before its descendant, Kamala Harris, takes her oath of office and becomes the U.S. vice president. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)THULASENDRAPURAM – With chants of “Long live Kamala Harris,” fireworks and prayers, residents of a tiny Indian village celebrated her inauguration as U.S. vice president. The villagers chanted “Long live Kamala Harris” while holding portraits of her and blasted off fireworks the moment she took the oath. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Harris becoming U.S. vice president a “historic occasion. Harris made history Wednesday as the first Black, South Asian and female U.S. vice president and what made her special for the village is is her Indian heritage.
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Asia Today: India reports 41,100 new coronavirus cases
India is second in the world in total reported coronavirus cases behind the U.S., but daily infections have been on the decline since the middle of September. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)NEW DELHI – India has reported 41,100 new cases of the coronavirus, raising the country’s overall tally since the pandemic began to 8.79 million. India is second in the world in total reported cases behind the U.S., but daily infections have been on the decline since the middle of September. Sri Lankan prisons are filled with more than 26,000 inmates in facilities meant to hold 10,000. Sri Lanka has confirmed a total of 16,582 cases, including 53 deaths.
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India's festive mood raises fears of surge of coronavirus
Authorities in New Delhi have banned firecrackers and are appealing to people to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights at home. Coronavirus infections have been rising in the capital and authorities are worried large festival crowds will worsen the virus situation. India has confirmed more than 8.7 million cases of coronavirus infection, second-most in the world, and more than 128,600 fatalities. India's Hindu festivals draw tens of thousands of people, packed in temples, shopping districts and family gatherings exchanging gifts. For India’s nearly 70 million traders, who employ about 400 million people, an upturn could not come fast enough.
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The Latest: Global coronavirus case total tops 50 million
Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker reported more than 50.2 million COVID-19 cases globally as of Sunday. Coronavirus cases and deaths also continue to soar in the U.S., as they are in many countries. Health officials also reported 1,038 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, bringing the state’s total so far to nearly 122,000. Globally, there have been nearly 50 million positive cases and more than 1.2 million deaths from COVID-19. With those adjustments and the latest reported cases, the statewide case total reached 53,671 with 1,104 deaths.
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India's coronavirus cases cross 8 million, behind US
India's confirmed coronavirus caseload surpassed 8 million on Thursday with daily infections dipping to the lowest level this week, as concerns grew over a major Hindu festival season and winter setting in. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)NEW DELHI – India’s confirmed coronavirus caseload surpassed 8 million on Thursday with daily infections dipping to the lowest level this week, as concerns grew over a major Hindu festival season and winter setting in. India’s trajectory is moving toward the worst-hit country, the United States, which has over 8.8 million cases. India saw a steep rise in cases in July and added more than 2 million in August and another 3 million in September. India, with a population of 1.4 billion, aims to provide a coronavirus vaccine to 250 million people by July 2021.
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India's festive season spawns fears of renewed virus surge
Health experts worry the festivals can set off a whole new cascade of infections, further testing and straining Indias battered health care system. The Hindu festival season is traditionally laced with an unmatched fanfare and extravaganza, with socializing being the hallmark of the celebration. Nearly 1 billion Indians will soon celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, and the country’s biggest. India's testing rate has remained constant but it is relying heavily on antigen tests, which are faster but less accurate than traditional RT-PCR tests. Kerala’s story has alarmed health experts who fear similar problems in the runup to Diwali that could reverse the gains.
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Asia Today: Sri Lanka closes harbors after 609 test positive
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)MELBOURNE – Authorities in Sri Lanka on Saturday closed at least two fishery harbors and many stalls after a surge of 609 cases linked to the country's main fish market. Health authorities on Wednesday temporarily closed the fish market on Colombo's outskirts after 49 traders tested positive for the coronavirus. Sri Lanka has had 14 deaths from the coronavirus. Eleven of the new cases were tied to international arrivals, including passengers from the United States, the Philippines and India. — India reported 53,370 new coronavirus cases, taking the overall tally past 7.8. million.
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Asia Today: Vaccine promise is election issue in India state
(AP Photo/Manish Swarup)NEW DELHI – A promise of free COVID-19 vaccination has become an issue in key state elections in India. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the promise when releasing the ruling Hindu nationalist party’s manifesto for elections that begin in Bihar state next week. India added fewer than 60,000 new cases for a fifth day Friday, with the 54,366 new cases taking the overall tally past 7.7 million. It has the second-most cases in the world behind the U.S., though cases have declined in recent weeks. — South Korea recorded its highest increase in coronavirus cases in more than 40 days on Friday as more infections were reported at hospitals and nursing homes.
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32 acquitted in razing of India mosque that set off violence
An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused, including senior leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, in the case. Last year, India’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of building a Hindu temple on the disputed site. The Supreme Court also ruled that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was illegal and ordered that the separate trial in the mosque demolition case be completed expeditiously. The four acquitted BJP leaders — L.K. “When the Supreme Court said that the demolition of the mosque was an unlawful act, how can a lower court set free the accused?” he said.
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As virus curbs Nepal's festivals, devotees fear gods' anger
The old palace courtyard packed with hundreds of thousands of people each year during the Indrajatra festival is deserted, the temples are locked and all public celebrations are banned by the government to curb the coronavirus. Many in this Himalayan nation believe they would anger the gods by shunning the rituals — which would cause catastrophe. Even violent clashes broke out between police and devotees defying government orders during a separate chariot festival south of Kathmandu. During the festival, Kumari, a girl revered as the living goddess, is taken around the core part of Kathmandu in a chariot pulled by devotees. “We have disappointed the gods and we need to keep the gods happy so we all can be happy and prosper," he said.
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Asia Today: India sees 83,000 new cases, but numbers falling
The nation of 1.3 billion people is expected to become the pandemic's worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States. NEW DELHI – India reported more than 83,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, showing some decline after reaching a record a week earlier. The country has now confirmed more than 5.6 million cases. But the past week has seen some improvement in India, with the numbers dropping after a record 97,894 new cases were reported on Sept. 16. The Health Ministry said that with a recovery rate of more than 80%, India has less than 1 million active coronavirus cases in the country.
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Asia Today: Vietnam to resume international flights
(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)HANOI – Vietnam will resume international commercial flights connecting the country to several Asian destinations starting Friday, after a monthslong shutdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Flights connecting the cities with Cambodia and Laos will resume next week. The flights, however, are reserved for Vietnamese nationals, diplomats, experts, managers, skilled workers, investors and their families. Vietnam shut down international flights on April 1. Vietnam has reported 1,059 cases of the coronavirus.
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India eases virus restrictions even as cases soar
Hoping to avoid more economic damage, India is gradually relaxing restrictions and has announced that urban metro trains can resume service next Monday. India has been reporting the highest single-day caseload in the world for nearly three weeks. On Tuesday it recorded 69,921 new coronavirus infections. By May and June, cases began to gradually increase, with megacity Mumbai and the capital, New Delhi, faring the worst. On Tuesday, India held competitive college exams despite demands from students that they be postponed because of the pandemic.
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The Latest: India reports 1,092 new deaths, highest in a day
(AP Photo/Channi Anand)NEW DELHI India reported 1,092 new fatalities from COVID-19 on Wednesday, its highest single-day total. ___ Follow APs pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak___HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:CANBERRA, Australia Australia has announced a deal to manufacture a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZenec. The school said several people who have tested positive as part of this cluster have been identified, including some who are N.C. State students. ___SANTA FE, N.M. -- Its too early to say whether a COVID-19 vaccine once available will be mandatory for certain people in New Mexico, but Gov. The governors administration has authority under a 2003 state law to issue vaccine orders during a declared public health emergency.
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AP Explains: Kashmir on edge 1 year after major Indian shift
Indian-controlled Kashmir has remained on edge after New Delhi last summer scrapped the disputed regions semi-autonomy amid a near-total clampdown. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)SRINAGAR Indian-controlled Kashmir has remained on edge in the year since New Delhi scrapped the disputed regions semi-autonomy and imposed a near-total clampdown. Indian authorities detained and arrested thousands of young people as well as pro-freedom Kashmir leaders and pro-India politicians. In July, the government also eased rules for Indian soldiers to acquire land in Kashmir and build strategic settlements. Given that Kashmir is surrounded by three nuclear weapon states with huge conventional capabilities, Indian unilateralism in Kashmir is creating a deadly situation, said U.S.-based Kashmiri political anthropologist Mohammed Junaid.