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Modi Uses ‘Bharat’ for G20 Nameplate, Not India, amid Name-Change Row

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures to welcome US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Reuters)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures to welcome US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Reuters)
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Modi Uses ‘Bharat’ for G20 Nameplate, Not India, amid Name-Change Row

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures to welcome US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Reuters)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures to welcome US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's placard at the opening of the G20 summit on Saturday referred to India as "Bharat", raising speculation of a change of name for the South Asian nation.

India is also called Bharat, Bharata, Hindustan - its pre-colonial names - in Indian languages and these are used interchangeably by the public and officially.

While the country has traditionally stuck to using India in titles such as president or prime minister while communicating in English, President Droupadi Murmu earlier this week referred to herself as the "President of Bharat" in a dinner invitation for a reception of G20 leaders, sparking controversy.

As Modi declared the summit in New Delhi open on Saturday, he sat behind a table nameplate that read "Bharat", while the G20 logo had both names - "Bharat" written in Hindi and "India" in English.

Such placards have used "India" in the past.

Speaking in Hindi, the language spoken by a majority of the population, Modi said "Bharat welcomes the delegates as the President of the G20".

New Delhi is hosting leaders of major economies for the bloc's summit at a new, $300 million conch-shaped convention center called Bharat Mandapam, opposite a 16th-century stone fort.

While some supporters of the name Bharat say "India" was given by British colonizers, historians say the name predates colonial rule by centuries.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has always insisted on calling the country Bharat.

Modi's rivals say the change has been forced by the new opposition alliance formed by 28 parties in July called INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, to take on BJP in parliamentary elections next year.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment.

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Culture

65 Artists from 37 Countries to Participate in Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
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65 Artists from 37 Countries to Participate in Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA
The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation - SPA

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced the list of artists participating in the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2026, scheduled to open on January 30 in the Jax District of Diriyah.

Titled “In Interludes and Transitions,” this edition draws inspiration from themes of movement, migration, and transformation—forces that have historically shaped pathways of communication and cultural exchange between the Arab region and societies around the world, SPA reported.

The Biennale will feature more than 65 artists from 37 countries and will present 22 newly commissioned works by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation. These original pieces, created by artists, musicians, filmmakers, architects, and writers, explore ideas of continuity, resilience, and collective imagination amid periods of profound change.

Chief Executive Officer of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation Aya Al-Bakree explained that the event brings together artists from multiple generations, regions, and disciplines, offering audiences a rich and diverse artistic experience that reflects Diriyah’s growing role as a global cultural hub.

The artistic directors noted that this edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale emphasizes the vital role of art in interpreting contemporary transformations. Over the past year, participating artists and the curatorial team have engaged in in-depth research into the historical contexts of the Arab region, examined the rapid changes reshaping its cultural landscape, and addressed broader intellectual questions with global relevance.

Culture

Louvre Workers Vote to Strike in Another Blow to the Paris Museum 

This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Louvre Workers Vote to Strike in Another Blow to the Paris Museum 

This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)
This photograph shows a banner which reads "Louvre Museum on Strike" outside the entrance to the Louvre as museum workers voted to go on strike against increasingly deteriorating working conditions and the declining visitor experience at the world famous museum, in Paris on December 15, 2025. (AFP)

Workers at the Louvre Museum voted Monday to strike over working conditions and other complaints, dealing another blow to the Paris landmark and home of the Mona Lisa after an embarrassing jewelry heist in October.

The CFDT union said the vote was taken at a meeting of 400 workers on Monday morning and that they decided to strike for the day.

The world’s most-visited museum didn’t open as scheduled and turned people away. A notice on the Louvre's website said, “the museum is closed for the moment.”

“It's really sad, because I was really looking forward to this,” said Lindsey Hall, a bitterly disappointed would-be visitor from Sacramento, California. She had been planning to enjoy the museum's huge collection of art and artifacts with a friend, describing it as “one of those life experiences you crave.”

“This is just an epic collection of art and something that every human should see,” she said. “I can see the other side of it, like if you are the person that works in the museum and how that can be, like day after day after day.”

The strike vote followed talks last week between labor unions and government officials, including Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Labor leaders said the talks had not alleviated all of their concerns about staffing and financing for the museum that welcomes millions of visitors each year.

“Visiting the museum has become an obstacle course,” said Alexis Fritche, general secretary of the culture wing of the CFDT union.

For employees, the daylight jewel heist crystallized long-standing concerns that crowding and thin staffing are undermining security and working conditions at the Louvre.

Thieves used a basket lift to reach the Louvre’s facade, forced a window, smashed display cases and fled with pieces of the French crown jewels. A Senate inquiry released last week said the thieves escaped with barely 30 seconds to spare and pointed fingers of blame at broken cameras, outdated equipment, understaffed control rooms and poor coordination that initially sent police to the wrong location.

In a statement, the CFDT said employees wants more staffing for security and to welcome visitors, improved working conditions, stable long-term budgets for the Louvre and leadership that “truly listens to staff.”

Yvan Navarro of the CGT union complained that staff numbers have continually decreased while visitor numbers have increased.

“People come to Paris to visit the museums. So the visitor numbers go up, the tariffs and the prices go up, because everything is becoming more expensive, but the salaries and the numbers of staffers don't go up so obviously you reach a point like today, a day of anger,” he said.

Culture

Saudi Media Ministry Launches Sudanese Culture Week as Part of 'Global Harmony 2' Initiative 

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
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Saudi Media Ministry Launches Sudanese Culture Week as Part of 'Global Harmony 2' Initiative 

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)
The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media launched on Sunday the Sudanese Culture Week as part of the "Global Harmony 2" initiative, organized in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the Quality of Life Program.

The event is part of a series of cultural activities showcasing 14 global cultures, held at Al-Suwaidi Park, one of the Riyadh Season venues.

The events began with a celebratory parade showcasing elements of Sudanese culture, featuring performances of traditional music, including the rhythms of the Dalooka and melodies of the Rababa, alongside scenes from a Sudanese bridal procession.

Sudanese Culture Week includes a diverse program of musical concerts, entertainment segments, and cultural pavilions, with participation from a selection of Sudanese singers and influencers presenting activities that reflect the cultural diversity of Sudan’s regions and communities.

The event stage hosted the first musical concerts, attended by thousands of visitors, who engaged with Rababa performances by traditional artists and popular social occasion songs from Sudan.

Sudanese Culture Week marks the final week of events under the Global Harmony 2 initiative, building on the program's success in promoting cultural exchange in the Kingdom, reflecting the values of coexistence and cultural openness embraced by the Kingdom.

The events will continue on Monday with a program featuring a variety of cultural and musical performances.