India

India Becomes Top Smartphone Exporter to USA

India has surpassed China and is now the largest exporter of smartphones to the USA, reports CNBC.

China Offers Annual Allowance to Boost Birth Rates

China's government will offer parents an annual allowance of around 5,000 kronor per child under three years in an attempt to increase birth rates in the country, state media reported on Monday.

EU-USA Customs Agreement Offers Predictability but No Wealth Boost

The customs agreement between the EU and the USA creates, according to Minister for Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (The Moderate Party), "some predictability" for Sweden's part. "This agreement makes no one richer, but is perhaps the least bad alternative", he says in a written comment to TT.

US Tariffs Could Cause Pharmaceutical Shortages in Sweden

USA's president Donald Trump has flagged high tariffs on medicines. Something that worries the pharmaceutical companies. The shortage of medicines risks getting worse, says Sofia Wallström, CEO of the research-based pharmaceutical companies' industry organization Lif.

India Temple Crowd Surge Leaves Several Dead and Injured

Indian Man Arrested for Running Fake Embassy and Job Scam

A 47-year-old man in India has been arrested suspected of having run a fake embassy from a rental house outside New Delhi and cheated people out of money with false promises of work abroad.

School Roof Collapse in India Kills Several Children

Professor Praises ICJ's Legal Statement but Doubts Impact on States

Said Mahmoudi, professor emeritus in international law at Stockholm University, is impressed by the statement from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). As an international law jurist I think it is a very good legal statement. But one cannot expect it to affect the actions of states, he says.

Menstrual Taboos in Bangladesh: Fathers Now Buying Sanitary Pads

Aysha was married off immediately after she got her first period. Rabeya was considered impure – and started missing more and more lessons. In Bangladesh, menstruation is still surrounded by prejudices and deeply ingrained taboos. But things are slowly starting to change.

Foreign Bids Submitted for Bankrupt Battery Maker Northvolt

Several binding bids have been placed from foreign interests on the bankrupt battery manufacturer Northvolt, confirms the bankruptcy administrator Mikael Kubu to Ekot on Sveriges Radio.

Lightning Strikes in India Kill Over 30 During Monsoon Storms

Japan Sees Record Tourist Numbers in First Half of the Year

A record number of tourists visited Japan during the first six months of the year.

Astronauts Return to Earth After 20-Day SpaceX Mission

After a 20-day long space journey, the astronauts on board the SpaceX spacecraft Ax-4 have landed in the water off the coast of California.

Lavrov Claims Trump Faces EU Pressure Over Ukraine Strategy

USA will send top-class weapons to Ukraine – and threatens Russia with giant tariffs if no peace agreement is in place within 50 days. But the weapons bill will be paid by Europe. Russia says it ”needs time” to respond to the threat and claims that Trump was pressured by the EU and Nato.

Lower Inflation in India Signals Possible Interest Rate Cut

Bangladesh Dads Break Taboos by Buying Sanitary Pads for Daughters

Aysha was married off immediately after she got her first period. Rabeya was considered impure – and started missing more and more lessons. In Bangladesh, menstruation is still surrounded by prejudices and deeply ingrained taboos. But things are slowly on their way to change.

EU Ready to Respond to US Tariff Threats with Confidence

Dare to be tough, urges Minister for Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (The Moderate Party) when EU countries sigh over the latest tariff threat from Donald Trump. New talks with the USA are already underway.

China Achieves Record Trade Surplus Amid Rising Rare Earth Exports

China's export of rare earth metals – important raw material for magnets in the technology industry – rose to the highest level since 2009 in June. And China's trade surplus became record-large during the first half of the year, despite the Trump tariffs.

Dalai Lama Criticizes China's Oppression of Freedom During Ladakh Visit

The spiritual leader Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, criticizes China for oppression of freedom during a visit to Ladakh in northern India.

India Plane Crash: Fuel Cutoff Raises More Questions Than Answers

Fuel to both engines was cut off – just seconds after the Air India plane took off, shows a preliminary report after the plane crash in India. Now the questions have become more than the answers, thinks flight expert Jan Ohlsson.

Pakistan Withdraws from Asia Cup Field Hockey in India

Fuel Flow Shut Off Led to Air India Crash Killing 260

The switches for the fuel flow on the Air India plane that crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12 were turned off, shows a preliminary report from the accident commission. The cockpit recording reveals the pilots' confusion before the crash – which took 260 human lives.