Indian PM showcases yoga and his country’s cultural diplomacy on the UN lawn

Narendra Modi takes part in a yoga session in New York (Jeenah Moon/AP)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined diplomats and dignitaries for a morning yoga session at the United Nations in New York City as he kicked off the public portion of his US visit by flexing India’s cultural reach.

With yoga mats covering the UN headquarters’ spacious north lawn, Mr Modi stopped and bowed at a statue of the assassinated Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.