Heavy rains flood streets and highways in India

As elections near, India's nationalist BJP is trying to wrestle votes away from the opposition in Indian-administrated Kashmir. But standard campaign tactics might not be enough to win over Muslim voters in the region.

India's mammoth elections are now under way, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi widely expected to win a third term. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi has expanded subsidy programmes for the poor and women. These programmes include measures like equipping homes with butane gas by offering free cylinders or distributing free food rations. Some 60 percent of the population benefits from Modi’s food distribution scheme, which he has pledged to renew for another five years. Another success story is the nationwide rollout of digital payment services. Meanwhile, critics say the prime minister is eroding democracy by targeting opposition parties and controlling the media.

A world record of 969 million citizens are called to the polls for what some see as a referendum on one man. India is about to embark on the world's biggest election, staggered over seven weeks, with Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP expected to extend its solid lead in parliament. Modi has been pointing to a decade of unprecedented growth and power for a nation courted by the West and beyond.

How can a conflict that is taking place right now, and that’s regarded as the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world, become known as the forgotten war? Aid agencies say that after exactly a year of civil war in Sudan, driven by a fight for power between two military factions, the world has turned away.

Food brand Everest, a household name in India, has said its fish curry spice blend was safe for use following concerns about a cancer-causing chemical.

In India's 2024 election, half of the registered voters are women. Yet only a small percentage of them are running for office. In this video, we explore why are there so few female politicians.