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Move comes after mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke of return of the Koh-i-noor diamond after UK royals’ visit to New York Hundreds 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. A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said the ceremony had been scheduled months earlier and was not connected to the royal visit. Continue reading...
Recruited to Magnum Photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1977, the veteran photographer, who has died aged 83, made defining images of grand and intimate Indian life for five decades Continue reading...
Jitu Munda says he was refused access to money in case highlighting ‘lack of humanity’ in Indian bureaucracy The 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...
The New York City mayor said in a press conference that, if he ever spoke with King Charles III on another occasion, separate from a meeting at the 9/11 memorial on Wednesday, he would suggest he 'return' the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The diamond, one of the most famous in the world, has been part of the British crown jewels since the 1849 annexation of Punjab. India claims the diamond was stolen and has repeatedly demanded its return Continue reading...
Anant Ambani revives offer to transport 80 animals, all descendants of Colombian drug kingpin’s pets, to India It 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...
Soaring oil prices and the blockade are preventing food, fuel and medicine being delivered to millions of people in desperate need, say NGOs The volatility of global oil prices caused by the US and Israel’s war on Iran is taking a toll on the most vulnerable people, by slowing or blocking food and medical aid from reaching them. Now aid organisations are calling for a “humanitarian corridor” to be opened through the strait of Hormuz amid rocketing transportation costs. Continue reading...
My father, Amrit Lal, who has died aged 93, was a key figure in the creation of the Edinburgh Hindu Mandir. In partnership with his wife, Saroj Lal, a pioneering race relations campaigner, he helped transform a derelict church into a spiritual and cultural centre for the city’s Hindu community. Amrit was born in Jandali Kalan, near Ahmedgarh, in Punjab. His early years were marked by disruption, deprivation and loss. Two brothers and a sister died in infancy; his father, Lachman Dass Tangri, was a vet in the Remount Veterinary Corps of the British Indian army, and was frequently transferred from post to post, while his mother, Parvati Devi Dhand, had no formal education. The family had little means; Amrit frequently went to school barefoot. Continue reading...
Heatwaves reach 45C across India as unseasonably cold weather affects parts of central Canada Widespread heavy rain is sweeping over southern China. By Wednesday, rainfall totals are expected to exceed 100mm across many parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, and in some areas as much as 150-200mm. As a result, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have been holding meetings with meteorological and hydrological departments to emphasise the importance of reinforced patrols and emergency responses to mitigate against the probable flooding that the intense rainfall is expected to bring. In particular, reservoirs with known safety concerns must remain empty during the period, as well as through the coming rainy season. Continue reading...
One blaze broke out north-west of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, a state known for its wetlands and everglades Much of the US is in the grip a widespread drought after a very dry winter and start to spring. South-eastern areas, in particular Florida and Georgia, are experiencing some of the worst of this prolonged bout of dry weather, with calls for the risk to be labelled a level 4 “exceptional” drought in the region, the most severe category. In recent days, strong winds and low humidity conditions have brought an increased fire risk. These ingredients combined with such unusually dry ground have led to multiple large wildfires, particularly across Florida, a state known for its wetlands and everglades. A fire broke out early on Tuesday morning in Broward County, Florida, just north-west of Fort Lauderdale, scorching an area of more than 3,723 hectares (9,200 acres) as of Thursday afternoon. The National Guard helped Broward’s sheriff, fire and rescue service tackle the blaze, 50% of which has since been contained. Residents nearby and farther west have been warned of reduced air quality as a result of travelling smoke. Fires have been breaking out elsewhere, with multiple active blazes across northern Florida, Georgia and into Alabama. Abnormally dry weather is likely to continue over the next few weeks before the arrival of the rainy season, usually around June, with the drought and fire risk expected to last. Continue reading...
Foreign ministry calls remarks of rightwing podcast host shared by Trump ‘uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste’ The Indian government has denounced a social media post shared by Donald Trump that described India as a “hellhole”, calling the comments inappropriate and “in poor taste”. On Wednesday, Trump posted a four-page transcription of remarks made by the conservative podcast host Michael Savage that denounced the US constitutional right to citizenship of everyone born in the country. Continue reading...
Lawrence Bishnoi has been in high-security custody for more than a decade. During that time, he has been linked to multiple high-profile killings, both in India and as far afield as Canada. What explains his seemingly undimmed power? The border that separates India from Pakistan is lined with 50,000 towering poles that hold 150,000 floodlights, which at night create a glare that is visible from outer space. Passing through the towns on the Indian side of the border, it can be difficult to tell, even in daylight, where one ends and the other begins. Curving along the rolling fields of wheat are nameless dirt roads where men sit on rope benches, whiling away their afternoons, staring as you pass by. Dutarawali, right by the highway, is slightly different: here, the houses are big, with spacious courtyards. One of the houses – three storeys, painted white with red accents – has a 7ft boundary wall topped with barbed wire and four CCTV cameras overlooking the unpaved street. The symbol of Om is curled on its brown iron door, which has no nameplate. It is the house of Lawrence Bishnoi, who is today, at the age of 33, India’s most notorious gangster. Continue reading...
Experts say Muslims and other minorities have been disproportionately deleted from the electoral roll ahead of the West Bengal elections this week Millions 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...
Opposition accuses Narendra Modi government of using quotas as cover for redrawing electoral map The 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...
One of the great Bollywood singers whose thousands of songs ranged from ghazals to dance tunes and pop Asha Bhosle, who has died aged 92, was the best-known singer in India, an extraordinary artist whose career spanned over eight decades, during which she recorded about 12,000 songs. She first became famous as a playback singer – recording songs that would then be lip-synced by actors in Bollywood movies. Though she was not on screen, her voice made her even more celebrated than those pretending to sing her songs. She also recorded extensively under her own name, and after establishing her reputation in Asia became known to western audiences first through Brimful of Asha, the 1997 tribute song by Cornershop, and then through her collaborations with musicians as varied as Boy George, Kronos Quartet and, most recently, Gorillaz. Continue reading...
My friend Vernon Katz, who has died aged 98, was a childhood Kindertransport refugee from Germany; he escaped the Holocaust and went on to become an Oxford scholar. His postgraduate studies there in Indian philosophy aroused a strong desire to experience for himself what was described in the literature. That wish was fulfilled when, in 1960 in London, he met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught him transcendental meditation. Continue reading...
Two-time Grammy nominee was one of Bollywood’s most versatile and celebrated voices The Indian singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Bollywood cinema and whose career spanned almost eight decades, has died in Mumbai at the age of 92. Bhosle, who recorded more than 12,000 songs, became her country’s pre-eminent exponent of playback singing – recording tracks that were then lip-synced on film by actors. She also boldly embraced cabaret and western-influenced melodies to forge a distinctive musical identity. Continue reading...
Gas shortages and rising food prices mean many who came to the capital for work cannot afford to eat. Going home is now their only option At 9am on a Saturday, 35-year-old Raju Prasad rushes through Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi, a heavy bag slung over his shoulder. Beside him, his wife clutches their youngest daughter with one arm and a white plastic bucket with the other. Their three other children trail behind – one dragging a trolley bag, the others holding on to whatever little they can manage. With Prasad’s brother, the family of seven is leaving for Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. They had moved to India’s capital nine months ago. The couple worked as ragpickers and were paid about 500 rupees a day (about £4), working long 10-hour shifts. But any dreams of building a more secure future in Delhi and sending their children to school have been lost, as rising food costs and the impact of the Middle East crisis on fuel availability and prices have meant the past few weeks have been a fight for basic survival. Now they are moving back to their village. Continue reading...
Worst polluters hold world’s future in their hands as they benefit from higher fossil fuel prices, but global trends favour renewables Oil stands at about $110 a barrel and some forecasts have predicted it could reach $150. Food prices are on the rise and are expected to leap further owing to the fertiliser supply crunch, leading the World Food Programme USA to warn that global food insecurity could reach record levels, with 45 million more people pushed into acute hunger. Industries from steel to chemicals have alerted markets that they face shortages and soaring costs, while households across the world are feeling the pinch – people have been told to turn down their thermostats, take the bus or cycle, and cut their speed on motorways. The impact of the US-Israel war on Iran – the third global shock in six years, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic – has laid bare how reliant our economies still are on fossil fuels. Simon Stiell, the UN climate chief, said in March: “Fossil fuel dependency is ripping away national security and sovereignty and replacing it with subservience and rising costs.” Continue reading...
Universities in Britain rely on overseas applicants paying full fees, which has given rise to some unscrupulous recruiters and left many hopefuls and their families deep in debt When Sam started looking into studying abroad, it didn’t take long for his phone to start ringing. At 24, he was living with his parents in a small city in the southern Indian state of Odisha and he’d been stuck in an entry-level job for four years. He hoped a master’s degree in the UK might lead to a high-flying finance job in London, or at least give him an edge when he came back home. After filling in a few forms on study abroad websites, Sam soon started receiving calls from unknown numbers. Eventually, he answered one. The person on the phone was an education agent – a recruiter who helps students apply to foreign universities – pitching his services. The offer sounded appealing. The agency would help Sam decide which universities to apply to, advising on the most suitable courses and where he had the best chance of admission. They would help draft his application, and if he got in, assist with immigration. They would do all of this for free. “I was sceptical,” said Sam. “Like, why would you do that?” 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 round Gurvinder 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...
From farms in New Zealand to factories in Delhi, the effects of the oil crisis triggered by the Iran war are rippling across Asia Continue reading...
Oil crisis triggered by blockade of strait of Hormuz prompts emergency measures to protect supply and halt rising prices Shrinking fuel stocks and soaring prices are leading countries around the world to burn coal, ration fuel, shorten work weeks and tell citizens to stay at home. Fossil fuel supplies have reduced since the war against Iran led to the closure of the strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for oil and seaborne gas. The shortfall has prompted emergency measures as government’s attempt to halt rising costs that have thrown economies into chaos. Continue reading...
The younger brother of the Dalai Lama who became a trusted confidant for the Tibetan spiritual leader Tendzin Choegyal Taklha, who has died aged 79, was confidant, sounding board and chief support of the Dalai Lama, his elder brother, throughout the transformation of the Tibetan leader from national political figure to global spiritual powerhouse. Although Tendzin Choegyal himself was recognised at birth as the 16th incarnation of the Ngari Rinpoché – meaning “precious one of Ngari” – an important reincarnation lineage whose origins lay in western Tibet (modern-day Ladakh), he took the opportunity to forswear monastic life as soon as he could after going into exile in India at the age of 13. Subsequently educated, at the Dalai Lama’s behest, at an English-style public school run by Jesuits in Darjeeling, Tendzin Choegyal gained a psychological insight into western ways. It was this that enabled him to counsel the Dalai Lama as his elder brother began his spiritual mission to the world. Continue reading...
From a shop owner in India to a community worker in New South Wales, rising fuel prices are forcing people to ration oil usage Middle East crisis – live updates Alagesan, 35, needs liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to run his roadside drink and snack shop in Coimbatore, India, but with the fuel shortage since the US-Israel attacks on Iran, he worries his business could fold. “I am far away from the Middle East, but my life is affected,” he said. “The gas cylinder is not available because of the war. I don’t know what to do.” Continue reading...
Gig AI trainers worldwide are selling moments of their lives, including calls and texts, to AI companies for quick cash One morning last year, Jacobus Louw set out on his daily neighborhood walk to feed the seagulls he finds along the way. Except this time, he recorded several videos of his feet and the view as he walked on the pavement. The video earned him $14, about 10 times the country’s minimum wage, or for Louw, a 27-year-old based in Cape Town, South Africa, half a week’s worth of groceries. The video was for an “Urban Navigation” task Louw found on Kled AI, an app that pays contributors for uploading their data, such as videos and photos, to train artificial intelligence models. In a couple of weeks, Louw made $50 by uploading pictures and videos of his everyday life. Continue reading...
From restaurant closures in the Philippines and petrol rationing in Sri Lanka, to Asian food production crises due to fertiliser shortages, the effects of the US-Israeli war on Iran reverberate around the world Middle East crisis – live updates From the Philippines cutting down to a four-day week to save electricity, to restaurants in India taking gas-intensive dishes off the menu, and rents being frozen in Spain, the economic fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran has reverberated around the world. Facing an existential threat, Tehran has retaliated by closing the vital Hormuz shipping lane and bombing its oil and gas-rich neighbours, compounding a deepening crisis abroad for businesses and families. Continue reading...
Karachi particularly badly affected with 18 people killed, more than 50mm of rain and winds gusting up to 60mph Unseasonally wet weather struck southern Pakistan and north-west India on Wednesday, as heavy rain rolled in from the west, accompanied by thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds. Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, was particularly badly affected, locally recording more than 50mm of rain with winds gusting up to 60mph. Walls, buildings, and a pedestrian bridge collapsed, with flooding and power outages across the city. At least 18 people were killed and several more injured, many by structural collapses, with other deaths attributed to a fallen tree and a lightning strike. Continue reading...
Distributor says authorities warned screening Tunisian film-maker Kaouther Ben Hania’s docudrama could harm India–Israel relations The Indian release of The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Oscar-nominated Tunisian film about the death of a five-year-old girl during the Israel-Gaza war, has been blocked by the country’s ratings body, according to the film’s Indian distributor. In a report by Variety, Manoj Nandwana of Mumbai-based Jai Viratra Entertainment said that he was told that if the film was released, it would “break up” India-Israel relations. Continue reading...
In a new exhibition, the featured images reflect Britain’s attempts to classify and curb the subcontinent’s population, but they also demonstrate the nobility of their subjects – and the futility of the task At first, and without the context, someone looking at this collection of 150-year-old photographs of Indian men and women might think they were looking at compelling portraits. The faces are of individuals with piercing eyes and a striking presence. But context changes everything. The images were taken by British colonialists as part of a great project of photographic ethnography, intended to classify and categorise their subjects. Untitled (Indian family in Singapore), late-19th century, GR Lambert & Co Continue reading...
People struggle to cook and businesses bear brunt as closure of strait of Hormuz slows imports of liquefied petroleum gas For four days, Maya Rani, 36, has been arriving each morning at a gas distributor’s office in Delhi, her six-month-old daughter in her lap, waiting for hours. And each day she returns home empty-handed, told that a cooking gas cylinder may not be available for at least another week. Around her, the queue keeps growing, people clutching forms and documents, hoping to secure a cylinder. The flame in her kitchen began to fade last week and her husband, as he always does, took their 5kg cylinder to a local refiller. This time, there was nothing. The only option left was to apply for a government-subsidised supply, a process that has meant repeated visits, long waits and no certainty. Continue reading...
My friend Mehr Fardoonji, who has died aged 95, spent 60 years developing and running the Oakcroft organic market garden in Cheshire, one of the earliest farms to be registered with the Soil Association. She made her living selling the fruit and vegetables she grew there, while supplementing her income for many years as a yoga teacher. An early participant in the British yoga revolution, she collaborated with June Johns on her book Practical Yoga, published in 1974. Continue reading...
The silicone figures are a touching version of what the Hindi language calls ‘smaran’, or remembrance In the north of Kolkata, near Dum Dum Junction, Subimal Das and his staff of 80 work from an old factory-warehouse. Using clay, fibreglass and silicone, they construct extraordinary lifesize replicas of religious icons, cultural figures, cricketers and Bollywood stars. But the workshop also has a popular new line: custom-made 30kg replicas of the dead, commissioned by family and loved ones. Continue reading...
Effective closure of strait of Hormuz also affecting Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, which have brought in crisis measures Sri Lanka is introducing a shorter four-day working week to preserve its shrinking fuel and gas reserves, as the Middle East conflict continues to severely disrupt energy supplies in the region. Countries across south Asia are facing crippling shortages of fuel and LPG gas, which are used for everything from home cooking to cremating bodies, as most supplies have been held up in the Gulf since the US and Israel began bombing Iran. Continue reading...
Covid exposed the lack of data on the country’s 140 million mobile migrant workers, but a new project in Odisha is helping to fill in the gaps Raja Pradhan is sitting cross-legged, scrolling on his phone in his village in eastern India when a green WhatsApp chat bubble pops up on the screen. “Namaskar! Apana bahare kama pain jauthibe? Apananka suchana diaantu.” (Hello! Are you going outside for work? Please share your information.) He reads the message twice, unsure whether to respond. “I don’t know where this information would go,” he says. “Would someone use it against me? The internet can be tricky at times. Why should I even share my details in the first place?” Continue reading...
Defence analyst says torpedo strike is a ‘humiliation’ for Modi’s government that disregarded a US defence partner Middle East crisis – live updates The distress call came in to Sri Lanka’s maritime rescue coordination centre just after 5am. The ship in trouble, they determined, was well within Sri Lanka’s obligation for rescue, being just over 19 nautical miles off the coast of the southern city of Galle. The navy swiftly mobilised and, by 6am, the first search and rescue boat was on its way, another soon close behind. It was hard to see through the thick morning mist but officers onboard kept their eyes peeled for a ship in the distance. Continue reading...
Washington says new measures not aimed at easing restrictions on Moscow and only affect supplies already in transit The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said on Friday that his government was considering lifting sanctions on more Russian oil, a day after it temporarily authorised India to buy from Moscow as global oil prices surged. The US-Israel war on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region have upended the world’s energy and transport sectors, virtually halting activity in the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
US claims temporary waiver won’t provide ‘significant financial benefit’ to Moscow; IDF strikes Lebanon after mass evacuation; Trump wants say in choosing Iran’s next leader. What we know on day seven Middle East crisis – live updates Continue reading...
‘Stopgap measure’ designed to keep oil flowing into global market as Middle East crisis disrupts crude shipments Business live – latest updates The US has temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases. The US treasury has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...
This documentary can’t help but be moving as it follows the Cam On group in Kolkata, who are creating a drama based on their experiences – even if it could do with more depth Cam On is a film-making collective comprising some of the estimated 500 sex workers and their children who live in Boro Goli, the red light district in Kalighat, a desperately poor area on the southern edge of Kolkata. “The street holds many stories,” says Rabin, the son of a Nepalese woman who was sold by her uncle into sex work at 12. “Love and threat at every turn.” He is the director of the film the collective is making, Nupur: The Story of Two Sisters. It’s a fictionalised amalgam of many of the members’ real experiences and tells the tale of an older sister who hopes to escape the fate that seems set for her and a younger one who lacks hope that it is possible. Redlight to Limelight is the documentary – part of the BBC’s award-winning Storyville strand – by Bipuljit Basu that follows them as they make their film, building art out of suffering, creating something worthwhile in an environment that seems hellbent on allowing nothing. Continue reading...
Canadian prime minister and Indian prime minister mostly discussed trade during Carney’s visit to India Mark Carney is under mounting pressure to address whether he believes Indian interference in Canada remains a threat after he met with Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, whose government is accused of orchestrating the killing a Canadian citizen. “We are one family,” the Canadian prime minister said from New Delhi on Monday, capping a four-day trade-focused trip meant to reset relations with the world’s most populous nation. Continue reading...
Canada’s prime minister and Indian prime minister will meet Monday in visit that marks diplomatic shift It’s not often that the leaders of two countries which have traded accusations of murder, extortion and terrorism meet only months later on friendly terms. But amid what he had described as a “rupture in the world order”, Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, will on Monday meet Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, to repair strained ties between their nations. Continue reading...
My father, Riaz Hasan, who has died aged 87, was a water resources engineer with a distinguished career working across 40 countries – in the 1970s with the British firm Halcrow and, from the 80s, at the UN and the World Bank. Originally from Hyderabad, Riaz arrived in the UK in 1965 with £3 and an A–Z, invited, like many engineers in India at that time, by the government. After completing a master’s degree in water resources at Bradford University, where he developed a love of Yorkshire pudding and received his degree from Harold Wilson (which he described as a real privilege), he embarked on his career designing life-saving, long-term water and food solutions for the most vulnerable and those affected by war, famine and natural disasters. Continue reading...
Police warn Moninder Singh, head of the Sikh Federation of Canada, his family are also at risk Police in Canada warned a prominent Sikh activist of “credible threat” to his family’s life, days before the prime minister, Mark Carney, visits India in search of new trade deals. Moninder Singh, who heads the Sikh Federation of Canada, said officers visited his home on Sunday, to warn him that a confidential police informant had passed information suggesting he and his family were at risk. Continue reading...