India

• Indian men's team fought back to narrowly defeat Slovakia in a key match at the World Table Tennis Team Championships. • The event continues with more matches featuring Indian players. • This win boosts India's standing in the ongoing international competition.

Move comes after mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke on return of the Koh-i-noor diamond after UK royals’ visit to New YorkHundreds of antiquities valued at $14m have been returned to India by New York authorities, including some connected to the alleged art smuggler Subhash Kapoor, in a move that is likely to raise the pressure on others to make similar gestures.The return of 657 antiquities was announced by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg Jr, on Tuesday, and came as New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, waded into the historically contentious ownership of the 105.6 carat Koh-i-noor diamond. Continue reading...

Jitu Munda says he was repeatedly refused access to money left in her account in case highlighting ‘lack of humanity’ in Indian bureaucracyThe sight of a man bringing the remains of his dead sister to a bank in India after officials had refused to let him withdraw money without proof of her death has caused shock in India.Jitu Munda, 52, from the Indian state of Odisha, was captured on video carrying the remains of his recently deceased sister through the streets of Keonjhar and placing them outside the local bank. Continue reading...

Anant Ambani revives offer to transport 80 animals, all descendants of Colombian drug kingpin’s pets, to IndiaIt remains one of the strangest conundrums in modern zoological history – what to do with the descendants of Pablo Escobar’s hippos?The animals – herbivores native to sub-Saharan Africa – were originally imported into Colombia by the drug kingpin for his own entertainment. But the beasts and their offspring were left to roam free after his death in 1993. Continue reading...

Anant Ambani, the son of tycoon Mukesh Ambani, said he had put in a formal request to the Colombian government to stay a decision to kill the animals.

• Indian and Pakistani military forces have engaged in heavy artillery exchanges along the Line of Control in Kashmir, with reports of at least 18 soldiers killed and dozens wounded in the most serious escalation in six months. • Pakistan's military spokesperson claimed Indian forces initiated the bombardment Friday morning; India stated Pakistani positions fired first, creating conflicting narratives about the incident's origins. • The US has urged both nations to exercise restraint and resume diplomatic channels; UN Security Council members are monitoring the situation amid concerns about potential nuclear escalation.

• A military confrontation along the Kashmir border escalated Friday when Pakistani forces fired on Indian positions near Uri, killing 12 Indian soldiers and wounding 18 others in the deadliest incident in two years, Pakistani military sources confirmed. • India's military responded with retaliatory strikes, with New Delhi claiming to have neutralized three Pakistani military positions; Pakistan denied casualties on its side but acknowledged defensive operations. • Regional analysts expressed alarm that the incident could spiral into broader conflict, warning both nations possess nuclear arsenals and recent diplomatic tensions have left few de-escalation channels open.

Foreign ministry says remarks of conservative podcast host Michael Savage that were shared by US president were ‘obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste’India on Thursday criticised as inappropriate a post by Donald Trump in which he shared comments that called the South Asian country a “hellhole”.The inflammatory post on Truth Social comes ahead of a planned visit next month to India by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is seeking to ease recent tensions between the normally friendly powers. Continue reading...

Savitha Prakash, a first-generation immigrant running in local elections in Harrow, says Reform UK aims to ‘put Britain first’Savitha Prakash, an NHS doctor living in the London borough of Harrow, believes there are similarities between the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. “He’s [Modi] one of those people, like Nigel, he walks the talk. He made [a] difference to the country,” said Prakash, who chairs Reform UK’s branch in Harrow.In particular, the 47-year-old said Farage and Modi – who have each been accused by their critics of scapegoating marginalised communities – were focused on putting the needs of the majority first. Continue reading...

• Military delegations from Pakistan and India held their first formal border security talks in 18 months in Islamabad, marking a significant thaw in bilateral tensions following last year's cross-border skirmishes. • Both nations agreed to reinstate a communication hotline between military commanders and establish a joint investigation committee for monitoring ceasefire violations along the Line of Control. • The US quietly supported the initiative through backdoor diplomacy, viewing improved India-Pakistan relations as essential for regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation in Afghanistan.

• SpaceX's Starship completed its 15th integrated flight test on April 21, achieving full-stack booster catch at Starbase, Texas, and a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean for the Super Heavy upper stage. • The mission marked the first successful reentry and splashdown of Starship with active thermal management systems, demonstrating technological readiness for crewed lunar missions planned for 2027. • Flight duration extended to 68 minutes with multiple payload bay experiments conducted, including deployment of prototype satellite constellations and in-space refueling demonstrations.

Experts say Muslims and other minorities have been disproportionately deleted from the electoral roll ahead of the West Bengal elections this weekMillions of people in the Indian state of West Bengal have been stripped of their vote ahead of a critical state election this week, after a controversial electoral revision described by critics as a “bloodless political genocide” and mass disenfranchisement of minorities.In West Bengal, a total of 9.1 million names have been deleted from the register, more than 10% of the electorate. While many were dead or duplicates, about 2.7 million people have challenged their expulsions, but still been removed. Continue reading...

• Satark AI, an India-based cybersecurity startup, raised pre-seed funding at a $4 million valuation to develop an AI-driven decision layer for reducing security alert noise. • The startup focuses on a critical enterprise security challenge: alert fatigue from excessive false positives that can slow incident response and waste analyst resources. • Satark AI's funding demonstrates investor confidence in AI-powered solutions targeting operational efficiency within security operations centers across global enterprises.

• Artillery and small arms fire erupted along the Line of Control in Kashmir on April 17-18, marking the first significant border clash in eight months and resulting in at least 12 reported casualties on both sides. • Pakistan accused Indian forces of violating a 2003 ceasefire agreement with unprovoked shelling near the Siachen Glacier region; India's military claimed Pakistan-based militants initiated the exchange. • Both nations mobilized additional military units to their shared border; analysts warn the escalation could undermine fragile diplomatic channels reopened in late 2025.

Opposition accuses Narendra Modi government of using quotas as cover for redrawing electoral mapThe Indian government has failed to pass a bill to increase female representation in parliament after being accused of using the plan as a guise to redraw the country’s electoral map.It was the first time in 12 years in power that a constitutional amendment proposed by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government was not passed by parliament. Continue reading...

Two-time grammy nominee was one of Bollywood’s most versatile and celebrated voicesThe Indian singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Bollywood music through the 1970s and 80s, has died aged 92, her family said.The two-time Grammy nominee had been admitted to hospital in Mumbai with complaints of “extreme exhaustion” and chest infection. Continue reading...

• Indonesian authorities evacuated approximately 200,000 residents from coastal regions across Sumatra and Java on April 10 following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean, triggering tsunami warnings across the region. • The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts for 17 countries across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean basin, with initial sea level measurements showing wave surges of 1.2 to 2.1 meters in Banda Aceh and other coastal communities. • Authorities reported no confirmed fatalities as of press time, with emergency shelters activated and communications being restored in affected areas; officials warned residents not to return to coastal zones until all-clear notices are issued.

• Pakistani and Indian troops exchanged heavy artillery fire across the Line of Control in Kashmir on April 8, 2026, killing 7 Pakistani and 5 Indian soldiers. • Pakistan accused India of initiating the clash near Uri sector; India claimed retaliation to 'unprovoked shelling' that hit civilian areas. • The incident risks broader conflict between nuclear powers, prompting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to call for 'immediate ceasefire' in talks with both nations.

• Michigan defeated UConn 69-63 in Indianapolis on April 7, 2026, securing their first NCAA men's basketball championship since 1989. • UConn placed second, with Arizona, Duke, and Illinois rounding out the top five in the final standings. • No. 15 seed Michigan's triumph marks a historic upset and program resurgence.

• Pakistani military conducted airstrikes on alleged militant camps in Kashmir-administered territory on April 6, claiming to target terrorist training facilities; India responded with counter-strikes, marking the most significant escalation in months. • Both nations reported military casualties and damaged infrastructure; Pakistan claimed two Indian jets were damaged, while India denied losses and accused Pakistan of unprovoked aggression. • International observers including the US and UN called for de-escalation and urged both countries to exercise restraint; diplomatic channels remain active but tensions are at their highest since late 2025.

Ron Gibson had recently expressed support for a 14-acre, $500m data center project in Martindale-BrightwoodAn Indianapolis city councilor said his home was fired at on Monday, with a note left behind suggesting he had been targeted over his support of data centers.The case involving Ron Gibson – a Democrat on Indianapolis’s city council since 2024 – comes amid growing bipartisan concern in the US over political violence in the wake of cases such as the September murder of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist. Continue reading...

Ripple effects of oil and fertiliser shortage felt by farmers in India and Sri Lanka despite governments saying there is enough stock to go roundGurvinder Singh never thought the war in Iran would touch his quiet corner of Punjab.Yet looking out over his smallholding, where he alternates between wheat and rice crops in the state known as India’s breadbasket, the 52-year-old farmer can barely think of anything else. His anxiety over a conflict playing out thousands of miles away is crippling as he fears what will come of this season’s rice crop. Continue reading...

• Following April 1 shelling that killed 12 Indian soldiers and 8 Pakistani troops, US-mediated talks led to a 72-hour ceasefire along the Line of Control. • Details include troop pullbacks by 2 km and no-fly zone for drones, verified by US satellites. • The de-escalation prevents nuclear escalation fears, with markets in Mumbai and Karachi rising 1.8%.