Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Modi meets mum, 95, after Indian election landslide

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (26) dropped in on his 95-year-old mother after his election landslide, a day ahead of a victory rally in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi.

Modi, 68, told his 47.6 million Twitter followers that he wanted to "seek blessings" from his mother Hiraba Modi in his home state of Gujarat in western India after his massive win.


"People this time have voted to support our programmes and a strong government. They have voted for stability and security," Modi told workers of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat earlier.

"The coming five years are going to be unprecedented for India as well as the world. It is time for India to regain it position globally. India will be influencing the world economy," he said.

Varanasi, the location for Monday's victory rally before his new government was due to be sworn in on Thursday, was Modi's constituency in the election which ended last week.

The choice of the city enables Modi to burnish his Hindu credentials, being one of the holiest places in India's majority religion where the faithful are cremated on wooden pyres beside the sacred Ganges.

The 68-year-old Modi told voters that despite hailing from Gujarat, he wasn't an outsider but Varanasi's "son of the soil".

After an acrimonious campaign Modi's BJP defied predictions of a dip in support increased its majority in the election, sweeping 303 out of 543 elected seats in parliament.

More For You

Heathrow to submit third runway proposal by summer

A British Airways passenger plane takes off behind houses next to land earmarked for a third runway at Longford near Heathrow Airport. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Heathrow to submit third runway proposal by summer

LONDON's Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs, will submit its proposal for a third runway to the British government by summer, its chief executive Thomas Woldbye will say in a speech on Wednesday (12).

The move comes after chancellor Rachel Reeves said last month the government would back the construction of a new runway at Heathrow to boost trade and economic growth.

Keep ReadingShow less
trump-musk-

Musk, standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office with his 4-year-old son, said he was leading the effort to cut government waste. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump, Musk move to cut federal workforce under new order

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to work with Elon Musk to identify government jobs that can be cut and functions that can be eliminated.

The move is part of an effort to reduce the federal workforce and align it with Trump’s policy priorities.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ed-Miliband-India

Miliband said his meetings with Indian officials reinforced the commitment to work together in key areas, including grid modernisation, offshore wind, and industrial decarbonisation.

Exclusive: UK-India energy partnership strengthens as Miliband backs clean transition

BRITAIN sees India as a “crucial partner” as both countries aim to deepen their cooperation on clean energy, with a focus on renewables and climate action, UK secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Ed Miliband, said.

On a visit to India this week, Miliband highlighted India’s ambitious renewable energy targets and its commitment to achieving net zero by 2070.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh's former government accused of 'crimes against humanity'

Sheikh Hasina (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Bangladesh's former government accused of 'crimes against humanity'

BANGLADESH's former government was behind systematic attacks and killings of protesters as it strived to hold onto power last year, the UN said Wednesday (12), warning the abuses could amount to "crimes against humanity".

Before premier Sheikh Hasina was toppled in a student-led revolution last August, her government oversaw a systematic crackdown on protesters and others, including "hundreds of extrajudicial killings", the UN said.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-ai-summit-getty

Modi stressed the importance of open-source AI ecosystems and quality data sets free from biases. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Modi calls for global AI framework, India to host next AI summit

INDIA will host the next international summit on artificial intelligence, following its co-hosting of the AI Action Summit in Paris with France.

The announcement was made by French president Emmanuel Macron’s office after prime minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s willingness to host the event.

Keep ReadingShow less