But India’s purchases of Russian oil soared amid the war in Ukraine, registering at some 40 percent of its total crude imports for the last two years. New Delhi has justified this dramatic spike by citing low costs; the Trump administration has denounced it as war profiteering and slapped an additional 25 percent tariff penalty on India.

Officials experimented with cloud seeding to try and reduce environmental pollutants as residents choke on filthy air.

NEW DELHI: India has reiterated its commitment to Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as tensions continue to rise between Kabul and Islamabad over cross-border violence and accusations of proxy warfare.

Officials believe that such assessments ignore India’s record of humanitarian support while echoing unverified narratives that could embolden extremist elements and distort global perceptions.

Still, India maintains close ties with Russia, and is its partner in BRICS, SCO and the G20. New Delhi views this as a strategic step to curb Chinese dominance within these groupings, and endeavors to keep its own interests on Moscow’s radar.

A move to use "green" firecrackers during Diwali appeared not to have made a difference for pollution in India's capital.

Chabahar is not just a port; it is a key part of India’s regional strategy to bypass Pakistan and gain direct access to Central Asia and Europe through Iran.

New Delhi and its metropolitan region — home to more than 30 million people — routinely ranks among the world’s most polluted cities during the winter when widespread Diwali fireworks coincide with cooler weather and smoke from crop residue fires set by farmers in nearby states.

Supporters of the city’s stray dogs say hostility toward them has increased since a court reversed an order that would have moved them all to shelters.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to meet U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth in Malaysia on Friday to ease the strain on ties from punitive U.S. tariffs, two Indian officials said, laying the ground for a possible bilateral visit.

Referring to recent border skirmishes between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that New Delhi was waging a “low-intensity war”