Trump’s $5,000 “dividend” to Americans if Republicans retain Congress sounds outrageous in the U.S. But across the developing democratic world, election-time cash and freebies have long been entrenched in politics. India offers a cautionary precedent.

Since Penguin India backed out of publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, a pattern of dropping politically sensitive books has come into focus — from Wendy Doniger’s “The Hindus” in 2014 to Joe Sacco’s “Th...

Since Penguin India backed out of publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, a pattern of dropping politically sensitive books has come into focus — from Wendy Doniger’s “The Hindus” in 2014 to Joe Sacco’s “The Once and Future Riot” this year.

Since Penguin India backed out of publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, a pattern of dropping politically sensitive books has come into focus — from Wendy Doniger’s “The Hindus” in 2014 to Joe Sacco’s “The Once and Future Riot” this year.

Since Penguin India backed out of publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, a pattern of dropping politically sensitive books has come into focus — from Wendy Doniger’s “The Hindus” in 2014 to Joe Sacco’s “Th...

The U.S. tour by prominent Hindutva ideologue Mohan Bhagwat comes at a critical time for the Hindu right, as it faces electoral setbacks, growing opposition from progressive Hindus and rising anti-Indian sentiment.

The U.S. tour by prominent Hindutva ideologue Mohan Bhagwat comes at a critical time for the Hindu right, as it faces electoral setbacks, growing opposition from progressive Hindus and rising anti-Ind...

From memes and pop culture to slogans on the street, a new language of protest is challenging India’s old codes of restraint and respect

From memes and pop culture to slogans on the street, a new language of protest is challenging India’s old codes of restraint and respect

A youth-led movement over exam scandals has become the biggest challenge to the prime minister’s authority in years

New York’s congressional primaries were not about Mamdani alone. The races became proxies for testing the strength and reach of the DSA, and the organization emerged as one of the most influential forces in city politics.

Teen takeovers have captured the national imagination because they sit at the intersection of several emotionally charged debates in American life, from public spaces and who gets to occupy them to race and policing.

The country’s mediation in the Iran war is just one aspect of its growing importance beyond South Asia

The country’s mediation in the Iran war is just one aspect of its growing importance beyond South Asia

Testimonies describe a pattern of transfers between sites, lack of formal charges and rapid repatriations that have left families scrambling for answers

Walking a tightrope between the US, its neighbor in Tehran and its economic and defense partners in the Gulf, Islamabad steps into a mediator role

Chefs, supper clubs and cookbooks are helping assert an identity distinct from the ‘Indian’ label that long dominated South Asian dining in America

After the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the country is revisiting its lunar-themed pop culture

Historic ties to Persia are pushing Kashmiris to support Iran in the ongoing war. The Iranian embassy has shared banking details to accept donations from families that are often poor, but eager to don...

Historic ties to Persia are pushing Kashmiris to support Iran in the ongoing war. The Iranian embassy has shared banking details to accept donations from families that are often poor, but eager to don...

The bombings are widening out from the contested border areas to the cities, and those under attack are uniting in response

As Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf state’s strategic investments across Africa face a reality check

In 2019, when the Indian government shut off all channels of communication, people had to find ingenious ways of keeping in touch

Decades after the painful ruptures of 1947, novelists and historians are capturing the fragmented lives, displaced communities and intergenerational stories that continue to define the region and its diaspora

Emirati billionaire Khalaf Al Habtoor’s rare public critique of the U.S. over the Iran war stands out in a region where governments have issued social media restrictions and influencers have emerged as unofficial spokespeople.

Zohran Mamdani’s win reveals how Bangladeshi, Pakistani and other working-class organizers are reshaping the region’s diaspora politics in America

Fueled by frustration and discontent, the Himalayan nation follows Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in witnessing mass protests against political corruption and elitism

Decades after the painful ruptures of 1947, novelists and historians are capturing the fragmented lives, displaced communities and intergenerational stories that continue to define the region and its ...

Decades after the painful ruptures of 1947, novelists and historians are capturing the fragmented lives, displaced communities and intergenerational stories that continue to define the region and its ...

Trained in the Hindustani classical tradition, the Lahore-born musician is fusing centuries-old South Asian musical forms with experimental electronic pop

Decades after the painful ruptures of 1947, novelists and historians are capturing the fragmented lives, displaced communities and intergenerational stories that continue to define the region and its ...

Projects to restore mining areas are being sold as part of a ‘just transition’ away from coal, but mask the pollution damaging locals’ lives

In the wake of political tensions between the two neighbors, cross-border collaborations in entertainment and the arts have come to a standstill

After Sheikh Hasina’s fall, Dhaka — long aligned with New Delhi — is recalibrating its regional alliances and drawing closer to its historical adversary

As tensions increase between the two nuclear-armed nations, which have fought on four previous occasions, their publics seem ready for escalation

Sardars — with their beards and turbans — were often considered unattractive and undesirable in India until the Punjabi singer entered the scene

“There’s a complete and near total capture of mainstream voices, especially the loudest voices, the most prominent voices,” says Manisha Pande, managing editor at Indian media watchdog Newslaundry.…

A deadly militant attack has shredded Modi’s vision of a tourist haven and sent shockwaves throughout society, fueling calls for vengeance and war with Pakistan

A deadly militant attack has shredded Modi’s vision of a tourist haven and sent shockwaves throughout society, fueling calls for vengeance and war with Pakistan

A deadly militant attack has shredded Modi’s vision of a tourist haven and sent shockwaves throughout society, fueling calls for vengeance and war with Pakistan

The government’s attempts to reengage with the United States since the fall of Kabul have been largely unsuccessful

A month after the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, the country continues to grapple with the realities of gender-based violence

As the country’s unemployment rises, brokers are exploiting people’s desperation and seizing on the burgeoning desire to migrate abroad

As the country’s unemployment rises, brokers are exploiting people’s desperation and seizing on the burgeoning desire to migrate abroad

In 2019, when the Indian government shut off all channels of communication, people had to find ingenious ways of keeping in touch

Hindu extremists are spreading beliefs about a “love jihad” – an alleged plan in which hyper-masculine Muslim men seduce gullible Hindu women into converting to Islam. Indian politicians have vowed to...

As Hindu nationalism and its opponents become more entrenched, writers have been using the novel to provide in-depth portraits of the individual lives that lie behind ideological battles