A multiweek general election is underway in India and more women are taking part in it than ever before. Nearly half of the electorate is expected to be female. The country’s political parties are now running campaign ads targeted toward women to win over this crucial voting bloc.
On Jan. 22, a temple of Lord Ram will open its doors in Ayodhya, in northern India. The temple stands where the Babri mosque once existed, before it was torn down by a Hindu mob. The occasion marks a victory for Hindus and a sorrowful reminder for Muslims of the ongoing tensions between the two groups in a Hindu-majority country.
Getting visas to travel to the US has never been easy for people of certain nationalities. But pandemic closures made visa processing delays extend to a year or more. Now consulates are staffed up again, but as Sushmita Pathak reports from New Delhi, substantial delays remain because of large numbers of visa applicants.
But critics say that India has turned the G20 into a marketing campaign for itself — and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi — ahead of general elections next year. The summit will also be a test for India as it seeks to establish itself as a rising power and as a voice for the global south.