Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pushed for India to take a tougher line or Russia while meeting Narendra Modi in New Delhi. India has not directly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

More than half of India's population doesn't have access to clean drinking water. Contaminated water is not only disastrous for people's health and the environment, it is also estimated to cost the country more than half a billion euros annually. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to bring clean drinking water to all households by 2024, by investing €45 billion. But can he deliver? Our correspondents report on the ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission.

Relations between India and China took a nosedive after deadly border clashes in June 2020. The Chinese foreign minister's visit marks the first high-level trip by a Chinese official in nearly two years.

While the EU tries to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, others are cashing in. India is buying more oil from Russia, at a heavily discounted price. It's already ordered six million barrels of Russian crude oil – half of last year's imports. Also in the show: Ghana's lawmakers approve a controversial "e-levy", a 1.5 percent tax on electronic payments.

It's that old adage: your friends' friends are not always your friends. Over the years, India has drifted towards the United States, partly due to its border tensions with China. But even the invasion of Ukraine cannot break the historic ties binding Delhi to Moscow – from arms and oil imports to the non-aligned strategic autonomy that steered India through the Cold War. So can India stay out of it? Can anyone? If nations don't actively oppose an invasion, do they enable it?

The prime ministers of both countries witnessed the signing of the deal in a virtual ceremony. Australia wants to curb dependence on China as its largest trading partner.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to shore up economic relations, two years after ties between Nepal and India plummeted over a border dispute.

Indian mystic and visionary Sadhguru is making a 100-day motorbike journey from Europe to India to raise awareness of soil erosion. He told FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza why he feels his mission is important for humankind. With more than half of agricultural soils are already degraded, Sadhguru warned that "there is no alternative to soil". He also described his own personal journey, saying that he does not see himself as a guru.

Government critics accuse the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP of using so-called demolition drives to intimidate the country's Muslim minority. But authorities say they are only targeting illegal structures.

The British prime minister has begun a two-day visit by talking up post-Brexit trade. But clouds are looming back home as parliament votes on whether he misled the House of Commons in denying COVID lockdown breaches.

Britain and India have signed a new defense cooperation agreement. The two countries are also seeking to complete a free trade deal by the end of the year.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in New Delhi for her first official visit. She is set to hold talks on climate change, trade and security.