The crackdown on India’s political opposition
Elections are weeks away in India and opposition parties are attempting to take on the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive term.
Asian news from India
Australia’s tougher student visa rules set to kick in as soaring migration squeezes rental market
From Saturday, English language requirements for student and graduate visas will be increased, while the government will get the power to suspend education providers from recruiting international students if they repeatedly break rules.
Toddler falls to death from third floor of India mall after slipping from dad's arm
A toddler died after falling from the third floor of a mall in central India, after her dad apparently lost his grip on the girl while going up an escalator.
Modi’s India plans its own democracy index, after global rankings downgrade
The index is being finalised ahead of elections, with the Modi government worried about global criticism hurting sovereign ratings.
India's richest 1% have highest concentration of wealth in decades: Study
NEW DELHI — The wealth concentrated in the richest one per cent of India's population is at its highest in six decades, and the percentage share of income exceeds that of countries including Brazil and the United States, research group the World Inequality Lab found.
Will India’s long election season help Modi ‘create history’ – or throw up a last-minute surprise?
In the country’s second-longest voting exercise, 73-year-old Modi, the star campaigner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party, will have time to pace himself at events held amid the blazing summer heat as well as stretch the opposition’s comparatively limited resources.
Gold prices have hit record highs. Here's why they could rally further
Gold prices still have room to rise after hitting all-time highs early this month, as several central banks continue to purchase bullion in record amounts.
South Korean democracy looks due for reassessment
Now that Seoul has hosted its 3d Summit for Democracy, aimed at opposing the encroachment of undemocratic forces in the region and globally, the South Koreans would do well to look in the mirror and assess their own democratic fundamentals.