Eyewitnesses look back on partition of India and Pakistan

Coming off what has been considered a successful G20 summit, India is building on its position as a neutral partner to countries with competing interests.

Islamabad shuttered the key crossing after an exchange of fire between the two countries. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of failing to control the border, allowing militants to cross and launch attacks from Pakistan.

Maleesha Kharwa is a 15-year-old Indian influencer and model with more than 376,000 Instagram followers, who once lived with her family in a waterfront slum in Mumbai, in a hutment on a shoreline strewn with garbage.

India urged its citizens to "exercise extreme caution" in Canada amid a diplomatic dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. Canada suggested that Indian agents might be tied to the killing, angering Delhi.

The suspension of visa services is the latest tit-for-tat move following the murder of an Sikh activist in Canada. India's foreign ministry has confirmed the move.

The Indian government is exploring the idea of holding simultaneous elections at the national, state and local levels. But the opposition has slammed it, saying it goes against the spirit of federalism.

Pakistan's parliamentary elections will be held next January, the country's election authority announced on Thursday, delaying the vote that was initially tabled for November. The Election Commission of Pakistan said the elections are scheduled for the last week of January.

Actor Shah Rukh Khan, known as the "King of Bollywood," happens to be a Muslim. Some analysts say his religion has become a painful thorn in the side of Narendra Modi's India, where Hindu nationalism is on the rise.

Karachi was once home to thousands of Parsis, followers of Zoroaster (Zarathustra), the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism. Some of them still live in the city, but the future for their community seems grim.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the US takes "very, very seriously" incidents of "transnational repression," adding that he wants to ensure "accountability."

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was taken into custody in 2019, after India revoked Kashmir's autonomous status. Farooq gave a speech at a mosque following his release, where he said he aims for peace in Kashmir.

It's taken decades, but India's parliament has passed a law guaranteeing more seats for female politicians. But bringing more women into politics remains an uphill battle.