United News of Bangladesh

Indonesia’s Mount Ibu spewed red lava and thick grey ash clouds that towered 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky during a two-minute eruption Tuesday morning. The eruption spewed thick ash toward the volcano's west and northwest sides, said Muhammad Wafid, chief of Indonesia’s Geology Agency. A timelapse video distributed by Indonesia’s Geological agency shows red sparks at the top of the volcano followed by a thick column of ash. The video was recorded from an observation post located next to an evacuation site in a field at Gam Ici village. Several evacuation tents were erected nearby. Mount Ibu has been continually erupting almost every day since early May. Indonesian authorities raised an eruption alert to the highest level following a series of eruptions, as thousands of deep volcanic earthquakes and visual activities from Mount Ibu have significantly increased. Authorities urged people to stay at least 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the 1,325-meter (4,347-foot) volcano. Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.

Indian markets closed sharply down Tuesday as early counting showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party faced a tighter than expected race. India's benchmark stock indices, the NIFTY 50 and the BSE Sensex, had hit new highs at the close of day Monday but dropped sharply Tuesday as the early vote figures started to come in. They recovered slightly to each close down more than 5%. The country's stock markets have boomed under Modi, whose pro-market policies have made him popular among India's corporations and businesspeople. Critics have said India has become more unequal. Modi’s party well ahead in Indian elections in early vote count but opposition stiffer than expected Even if Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party does not secure a parliamentary majority on its own, early counts reported by India's Election Commission showed his coalition including smaller parties leading in a majority of seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's coalition led in a majority of seats Tuesday in India's general election, according to early figures, but faced a stronger challenge from the opposition than expected after it pushed back against the leader's mixed economic record and polarizing politics. The counting of more than 640 million votes cast over six weeks in the world's largest democratic exercise was set to take all day. Modi was still widely expected to be elected to a third five-year term — even as the race tightened and the early count showed his Hindu nationalist party might not secure a majority on its own. If Modi wins, it would cement the 73-year-old as one of the country's most popular and important leaders. It would only be the second time an Indian leader has retained power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first prime minister. In his 10 years in power, Modi has transformed India's political landscape, bringing Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, into the mainstream while leaving the country deeply divided. India’s election concludes with the votes being counted Tuesday. Here’s what to know His supporters see him as a self-made, strong leader who has improved India's standing in the world. His critics and opponents say his Hindu-first politics have bred intolerance and while the economy, the world's fifth-largest and one of the fastest-growing, has become more unequal. Some seven hours into counting, early leads reported by India's Election Commission showed Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party was ahead in 236 constituencies and had won two, including one uncontested, of 543 parliamentary seats. The main opposition Congress party led in 99 constituencies. A total of 272 seats are needed for a majority. In 2019, the BJP won 303 seats. Modi's party is part of the National Democratic Alliance, whose parties led in 287 constituencies, according to the early count, including the two won by BJP. The Congress party is part of the INDIA alliance, which led in 230 constituencies. The Election Commission does not release data on the percentage of votes tallied, and early figures were expected to change. The "Congress party and other opposition parties have showed tremendous resilience. To have a stronger opposition augers very well for India's democracy that has taken a hit during Modi's 10-year rule," said political analyst Rasheed Kidwai. Exit polling from the weekend had projected the NDA to win more than 350 seats. Indian markets, which had hit an all-time high on Monday, were down sharply in midday trading Tuesday, with benchmark stock indices — the NIFTY 50 and the BSE Sensex — both down by more than 7%. Extreme heat struck India as voters went to the polls, with temperatures higher than 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country. Temperatures were somewhat lower on Tuesday for the counting, but election officials and political parties still took precautions, hauling in large quantities of water and installing outdoor air coolers for people waiting for results outside the buildings where votes were being tallied and party headquarters. Voting ends in the last round of India's election, a referendum on Modi's decade in power BJP workers outside the party's office in New Delhi performed a Hindu ritual shortly after the counting began. Meanwhile, supporters at the Congress party headquarters appeared upbeat and chanted slogans praising Gandhi, the party's campaign face. Over 10 years in power, Modi's popularity has outstripped that of his party's, and has turned a parliamentary election into one that increasingly resembles a presidential-style campaign. The result is that the BJP relies more and more on Modi's enduring brand to stay in power, with local politicians receding into the background even in state elections. "Modi was not just the prime campaigner, but the sole campaigner of this election," said Yamini Aiyar, a public policy scholar. The country's democracy, Modi's critics say, is faltering under his government, which has increasingly wielded strong-arm tactics to subdue political opponents, squeeze independent media and quash dissent. The government has rejected such accusations and say democracy is flourishing. And economic discontent has simmered under Modi. While stock markets reach record-highs and millionaires multiply, youth unemployment has soared, with only a small portion of Indians benefitting from the boom. As polls opened in mid-April, a confident BJP initially focused its campaign on "Modi's guarantees," highlighting the economic and welfare achievements that his party says have reduced poverty. With him at the helm, "India will become a developed nation by 2047," Modi repeated in rally after rally. But the campaign turned increasingly shrill, as Modi ramped up polarizing rhetoric that targeted Muslims, who make up 14% of the population, a tactic seen to energize his core Hindu majority voters. The opposition INDIA alliance has attacked Modi over his Hindu nationalist politics, and campaigned on issues of joblessness, inflation and inequality. But the broad alliance of over a dozen political parties has been beset by ideological differences and defections, raising questions over their effectiveness. Meanwhile, the alliance has also claimed they've been unfairly targeted, pointing to a spree of raids, arrests and corruption investigations against their leaders by federal agencies they say are politically motivated. The government has denied this. Voting begins in the last round of India's election, a referendum on Modi's decade in power

"We are coming with serious plans to make our friendship become much higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the deepest ocean of the world," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said. At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Sharif is on an official visit to China from Tuesday to Saturday. Chinese exporters anticipate strong performance on new growth drivers "We are two iron brothers, our friendship is unshakable and our hearts beat together," Sharif said in an interview with Chinese media in Islamabad ahead of his China tour. China has supported Pakistan through the most difficult times, and Pakistan considers China as one of the most trusted friends around the globe, he said. Chinese university develops six-legged guide robot for blind people Pakistan firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and this commitment will, as always, be unwavering, said the prime minister. "There is absolutely total unanimity that people from all walks of Pakistan believe that Taiwan is an integral part of China, which, as our policy, comes from the core of our heart with no discussion at all," he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping promises more aid for Gaza as he opens summit with Arab leaders Sharif first visited China about 40 years ago, when he noticed that though underdeveloped, China was dedicated to meeting the basic needs of its people while vigorously developing modern science and technology. "Today, China has become a giant through vision, hard work, and serious and untiring efforts," said Sharif. "All doubts about the Chinese model have been rubbished by the evidence of history," he said.Sharif said when he was elected as prime minister in March, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated him at the earliest time. Expressing his gratitude to Xi, Sharif said the congratulations reflected the two countries' friendship, which will always be fresh in his mind. Under Xi's leadership, China has alleviated millions of its people out of poverty, Sharif said, adding that one of the agenda items for his visit is to learn from the Chinese model about how to alleviate poverty in Pakistan and help people stand on their own feet. Through the visit, Pakistan hopes to promote interaction between enterprises in both countries, utilize special economic zones and Pakistan's labor advantages to establish joint ventures, facilitate the transfer of industries and technologies, and enhance Pakistan's manufacturing output, to promote constructing upgraded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the prime minister said. The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative benefits people in participating countries, promotes cooperation, and advances the world towards a vision of shared prosperity and a better future, he said. "Pakistan is willing to work with China to implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, which will bring peace, tranquility, progress, and prosperity to the world," he added. Describing China as always proactive in promoting Pakistan's business, industry, trade, and agriculture, Sharif said Pakistan is willing to issue Panda bonds and expand Chinese yuan transactions and settlements. Pakistan is willing to promote economic cooperation with China, learn from China's advanced experience in information technology and artificial intelligence, consolidate the ironclad friendship between the two countries, and achieve leapfrog development, he said. Pakistan is also ready to learn from China's governance experience, deepen reforms and counter-corruption, create enabling circumstances for Chinese investors, and provide policy support for investors, focusing on fields that can benefit both peoples to modernize the economy, he said. Highlighting the role of youth in cultural exchanges, Sharif said Pakistan is actively encouraging its young people to learn the Chinese language and study in China, and will create a favorable environment for Chinese tourists to visit Pakistan for exchanges and cooperation. "Despite the hot weather, it still doesn't match the warmth of our hearts," said the prime minister.

Chinese companies are generally upbeat about the prospects of selling their products to overseas markets and such optimism is supported by favorable conditions both at home and abroad. A recent survey conducted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) shows that 81.6 percent of foreign trade-oriented firms predict stable or increased exports in the first half of the year. Chinese university develops six-legged guide robot for blind people China's exports grew 0.6 percent in 2023, slowing down from a 10.5-percent jump in 2022. As one of the main pillars for sustaining an economy, the possibility of dynamic exports in 2024 comes as good news for China, which is taking action to secure a GDP growth of around 5 percent this year. GLOBAL DEMAND PICKUP The confidence of foreign traders is growing on the back of expedited exports owing to recovering external demand, CCPIT spokesperson Zhao Ping said. In April, the World Trade Organization forecast a rebound in global trade, expecting merchandise trade to expand 2.6 percent in 2024 and 3.3 percent in 2025 after dipping 1.2 percent in 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping promises more aid for Gaza as he opens summit with Arab leaders Behind the pickup is a global inclination for consumption. Households in advanced economies supported their spending by drawing down accumulated pandemic-era savings, and larger-than-expected government spending further supported the expansion of aggregate demand in most regions, the International Monetary Fund found in its World Economic Outlook issued in April. With global trade recovering gradually since the fourth quarter of 2023, key foreign traders in China were reporting a continuous improvement in new orders, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said last month. Against the backdrop of risks and challenges arising from unilateralism and protectionism pursued by some countries, the Chinese government would move to address the difficulties faced by foreign traders and help them hone their international competitiveness, MOC spokesperson He Yadong said. MAGNETIC CHINA PRODUCTS Stars of the English Premier League giant Tottenham Hotspur F.C. will be literally supported by Chinese products in the near future. Chinese artificial grass manufacturer Citygreen Turf has recently signed a deal with the club to cover its training fields with man-made turf. "The technical features, including structure, friction and elasticity, of artificial grass manufactured by many Chinese companies are almost the same as those of natural grass," Citygreen Turf's deputy head Xu Jing told Xinhua. Xi urges Shandong province to write new chapter in opening-up to the world Artificial turf epitomizes a new host of Chinese products that are gaining popularity on the global market owing to their fancy designs and high quality, combined with reasonable prices. At the top of such sought-after goods are electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products. The China-Europe freight train service has witnessed rising overseas demand for the three major tech-intensive green products, dubbed the "new three." "The number of China-Europe freight trains loaded with EVs has risen to 5-8 every month this year from 1-2 in the past," said Cao Ping, who is in charge of vehicle transportation of the China Railway Special Cargo Logistics' local branch in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. China's exports are underpinned by the global appetite for its products of both traditional and newfound competitive edges, according to Zhao. TRADE FACILITATION Initiated by the World Customs Organization, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status grants a company preferential management measures, such as priority processing, reduced frequency of supervision and optimized services, in order to facilitate customs clearance. Holding AEO status has allowed KEIPER (Changshu) Seating Mechanisms, an automotive component supplier in China, to increase its exports to South Africa by 88 percent from January to April, partly due to the high customs clearance efficiency. Official data shows that as of the end of April there were 5,882 AEO-holding enterprises across China, which handled 36.3 percent of the country's total volume of foreign trade. Chinese authorities are now working towards more AEO customs agreements with major trading partners to streamline trade procedures. As a vital force for boosting foreign trade, China's cross-border e-commerce trade has grown more than tenfold over the past five years. To take cross-border e-commerce a step further, Chinese enterprises are pinning high hopes on overseas warehouses. Shenzhen Baosen Suntop Logistics Co., Ltd. has built three overseas warehouses in the Netherlands, Germany and Britain since 2020. "Delivery from overseas warehouses features lower costs and a better client experience," said sales director Mayel Ye. The MOC is pushing for the release of guidelines on expanding cross-border e-commerce exports and advancing the construction of overseas warehouses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's coalition led in a majority of seats Tuesday in India's general election, according to early figures, but faced a stronger challenge from the opposition than expected after it pushed back against the leader's mixed economic record and polarizing politics. Modi was still widely expected to be elected to a third five-year term in the world’s largest democratic exercise — even as early count showed his Hindu nationalist party might not secure a majority on its own, despite pre-election hopes of a landslide victory. If that trend holds, it would be a stunning blow for the 73-year-old leader, who has never been in a position where he has needed to rely on his coalition partners to govern. The counting of more than 640 million votes cast over six weeks was set to take all day, and early figures could change. In his 10 years in power, Modi has transformed India’s political landscape, bringing Hindu nationalism, once a fringe ideology in India, into the mainstream while leaving the country deeply divided. Indian markets close sharply down as early count shows Modi's party faces tighter than expected race His supporters see him as a self-made, strong leader who has improved India’s standing in the world. His critics and opponents say his Hindu-first politics have bred intolerance and while the economy, the world’s fifth-largest and one of the fastest-growing, has become more unequal. Some eight hours into counting, early leads reported by India’s Election Commission showed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party was ahead in 231 constituencies and had won 13, including one uncontested, of 543 parliamentary seats. The main opposition Congress party led in 93 constituencies and had won four. A total of 272 seats are needed for a majority. In 2019, the BJP won 303 seats, while they secured 282 in 2014 when Modi first came to power. Modi’s party is part of the National Democratic Alliance, whose members led in 277 constituencies and won 15, according to the early count. The Congress party is part of the INDIA alliance, which led in 220 constituencies and had won five. The Election Commission does not release data on the percentage of votes tallied. Exit polling from the weekend had projected the NDA to win more than 350 seats. Indian markets, which had hit an all-time high on Monday, closed sharply down Tuesday, with benchmark stock indices — the NIFTY 50 and the BSE Sensex — both down by more than 5%. In the financial capital of Mumbai, Mangesh Mahadeshwar was one of many surprised by how the election was playing out. “Yesterday we thought that the BJP would get more than 400 seats,” said 52-year-old who was keeping an eye on the results at the restaurant where he works. “Today it seems like that won’t happen – people haven’t supported the BJP so much this time.” India’s election concludes with the votes being counted Tuesday. Here’s what to know If Modi wins, it would only be the second time an Indian leader has retained power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister. But if his BJP is forced to form a coalition, the party would likely “be heavily dependent on the goodwill of its allies, which makes them critical players who we can expect will extract their pound of flesh, both in terms of policymaking as well as government formation,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “This would be truly, you know, uncharted territory, both for Indians as well as for the prime minister,” he added. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi’s BJP has always had a majority on its own, though it has governed in a coalition. Extreme heat struck India as voters went to the polls, with temperatures higher than 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country. Temperatures were somewhat lower on Tuesday for the counting, but election officials and political parties still hauled in large quantities of water and installed outdoor air coolers for people waiting for results. BJP workers outside the party's office in New Delhi performed a Hindu ritual shortly after the counting began. Meanwhile, supporters at the Congress party headquarters appeared upbeat and chanted slogans praising Gandhi, the party’s campaign face. Over 10 years in power, Modi's popularity has outstripped that of his party’s, and has turned a parliamentary election into one that increasingly resembles a presidential-style campaign. The result is that the BJP relies more and more on Modi’s enduring brand to stay in power, with local politicians receding into the background even in state elections. Voting ends in the last round of India's election, a referendum on Modi's decade in power “Modi was not just the prime campaigner, but the sole campaigner of this election,” said Yamini Aiyar, a public policy scholar. The country’s democracy, Modi’s critics say, is faltering under his government, which has increasingly wielded strong-arm tactics to subdue political opponents, squeeze independent media and quash dissent. The government has rejected such accusations and say democracy is flourishing. And economic discontent has simmered under Modi. While stock markets reach record-highs and millionaires multiply, youth unemployment has soared, with only a small portion of Indians benefitting from the boom. As polls opened in mid-April, a confident BJP initially focused its campaign on “Modi’s guarantees,” highlighting the economic and welfare achievements that his party says have reduced poverty. With him at the helm, “India will become a developed nation by 2047,” Modi repeated in rally after rally. But the campaign turned increasingly shrill, as Modi ramped up polarizing rhetoric that targeted Muslims, who make up 14% of the population, a tactic seen to energize his core Hindu majority voters. The opposition INDIA alliance has attacked Modi over his Hindu nationalist politics, and campaigned on issues of joblessness, inflation and inequality. But the broad alliance of over a dozen political parties has been beset by ideological differences and defections, raising questions over their effectiveness. Meanwhile, the alliance has also claimed they’ve been unfairly targeted, pointing to a spree of raids, arrests and corruption investigations against their leaders by federal agencies they say are politically motivated. The government has denied this.

A research team from China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a six-legged guide robot for visually impaired people that is expected to address the country's shortage of real guide dogs. "We believe our robot will function as a 'pair of eyes' for visually impaired people," said Professor Gao Feng from the School of Mechanical Engineering in a press release on the university's official website on Thursday. According to the China Association of Persons with Visual Disabilities, there are about 17.31 million visually impaired people in China. However, due to high breeding costs and long training periods, there are reportedly only over 400 guide dogs in service nationwide, which means only one guide dog is available for every 40,000 visually impaired individuals in China. As a strong backup for the real guide dogs, the guide robot can accurately recognize the speech of blind people and respond in less than one second, walking at a maximum speed of three meters per second while maintaining a stable walking state with little noise, according to the press release. The robot has visual environmental perception capabilities, allowing it to autonomously navigate to its destination, dynamically avoid obstacles, and recognize traffic lights. Moreover, with the support of the internet, it can also serve as a home companion and an emergency responder for blind people, it said. "The primary task of our robot is to establish effective communication with blind individuals to enable the robot to understand the user's intentions while maintaining coordinated movements," said Gao. To achieve these goals, the robot adopts a multisensory perception system of "seeing, hearing, asking and touching." It combines natural language comprehension and speech recognition with force-feedback canes to enable the users to control the robot. This robot also uses advanced machine learning algorithms, enabling it to automatically avoid static and dynamic obstacles with a high degree of stability and safety. In addition, it is equipped with multiple sensors such as laser radar to improve the accuracy of perception in complex environments. This means it can walk smoothly on different types of terrain and guide the blind both indoors and outdoors with no need of internet, making it easier to use, more stable, and more reliable for blind individuals. The guide robot is currently undergoing field testing. Throughout the research and development process, visually impaired individuals have been involved in offline demonstrations and tests, according to Gao. "We have already received orders for 20 units and believe that it will soon be ready for the market," he said.   

Sri Lanka closed schools on Monday as heavy rain triggered floods and mudslides in many parts of the island nation, leaving at least 10 people dead and six others missing, officials said. The education ministry announced that the reopening of schools would depend on how the weather develops. Heavy downpours have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country since Sunday, flooding homes, fields and roads, and forcing authorities to cut electricity as a precaution. Over 10,000 Sri Lankans affected by inclement weather Six people died after being washed away and drowning in the capital, Colombo, and the remote Rathnapura district on Sunday, according to the disaster management center. Three others died when mounds of earth collapsed on their houses, and one person died when a tree fell on him. Six people have gone missing since Sunday. By Monday, over 5,000 people had been moved to evacuation centers and more than 400 homes had been damaged, the center said in a statement. Sri Lanka to maintain current fee for 30-day single entry visa for foreigners Navy and army troops have been deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials to those affected. Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather conditions since mid-May caused by heavy monsoon rains. Earlier, strong winds downed trees in many areas, killing nine people. Race car in Sri Lanka veers off track killing 7 people and injuring 20, officials say

Tens of thousands of children in Afghanistan remain affected by ongoing flash floods, especially in the north and west, the U.N. children's agency said Monday. Unusually heavy seasonal rains have been wreaking havoc on multiple parts of the country, killing hundreds of people and destroying property and crops. The U.N. food agency has warned that many survivors are unable to make a living. UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, said the extreme weather has all of the hallmarks of an intensifying climate crisis, with some of the affected areas having experienced drought last year. The World Food Program said the exceptionally heavy rains in Afghanistan killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses in May, mostly in the northern province of Baghlan. Survivors have been left with no homes, no land, and no source of livelihood, WFP said. UNICEF said in a statement Monday that tens of thousands of children remain affected by ongoing floods. “The international community must redouble efforts and investments to support communities to alleviate and adapt to the impact of climate change on children,” said Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, the UNICEF representative in Afghanistan. Flash floods due to unusually heavy seasonal rains kill at least 68 people in Afghanistan At the same time, “UNICEF and the humanitarian community must prepare ourselves for a new reality of climate-related disasters,” Oyewale said. Afghanistan ranks 15th out of 163 nations in the Children’s Climate Risk Index. This means that not only are climate and environmental shocks and stresses prominent in the country, but children are particularly vulnerable to their effects compared with elsewhere in the world. Last week, the private group Save the Children said about 6.5 million children in Afghanistan are forecast to experience crisis levels of hunger in 2024. Nearly three out of 10 Afghan children will face crisis or emergency levels of hunger this year as the country feels the immediate impact of floods, the long-term effects of drought, and the return of Afghans from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, the group said in a report. More than 557,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan since September 2023, after Pakistan began cracking down on foreigners it alleges are in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans.

The world’s largest election could also be one of its most consequential. India has close to 970 million voters among its more than 1.4 billion people, and its general election pits Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an avowed Hindu nationalist, against a broad alliance of opposition parties that are struggling to play catch up. Now 73, Modi first swept to power in 2014 on promises of economic development, presenting himself as an outsider cracking down on corruption. Since then, he has fused religion with politics in a formula that has attracted wide support from the country’s majority Hindu population. India under Modi is a rising global power, but his rule has also been marked by rising unemployment, attacks by Hindu nationalists against minorities, particularly Muslims, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media. HOW DOES THE ELECTION WORK? The final day of voting in the 6-week-long election was Saturday. The vote counting will start Tuesday and will be updated throughout the day. The election results will likely be known the same day. The voters are choosing 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for a five-year term. Votes were cast at more than a million polling stations. Each of the seven voting phases lasted a single day with several constituencies across multiple states voting that day. The staggered polling allowed the government to transport election officials and voting machines and deploy tens of thousands of troops to prevent violence. Candidates crisscrossed the country, poll workers hiked to remote villages, and voters lined up for hours in sweltering heat. Voting ends in the last round of India's election, a referendum on Modi's decade in power India has a first-past-the-post multiparty electoral system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins. To secure a majority, a party or coalition must breach the mark of 272 seats. India uses electronic voting machines. WHO IS RUNNING? Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and his main challenger, Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, represent Parliament’s two largest factions. Several other important regional parties are part of an opposition bloc. Opposition parties, which previously were fractured, have united under a front called INDIA, or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, to deny Modi a a third straight election victory. The alliance has fielded a single main candidate in most constituencies. But it has been roiled by ideological differences and personality clashes, and has not yet decided on its candidate for prime minister. Most exit polls project Modi is set to extend his decade in power with a third consecutive term, especially after he opened a Hindu temple in northern Ayodhya city in January, which fulfilled his party’s long-held Hindu nationalist pledge. During the polls Modi escalated polarizing rhetoric in incendiary speeches that targeted the country’s Muslim minority. Modi touts India's roaring economy as he seeks reelection, but many feel left behind Another victory would cement Modi as one of the country’s most popular and important leaders. It would follow a thumping win in 2019, when the BJP clinched an absolute majority by sweeping 303 parliamentary seats. The Congress party managed only 52 seats. WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES? For decades, India has clung doggedly to its democratic convictions, largely due to free elections, an independent judiciary, a thriving media, strong opposition and peaceful transition of power. Some of these credentials have eroded under Modi’s 10-year rule, with the polls seen as a test for the country’s democratic values. Many watchdogs have now categorized India as a “hybrid regime” that is neither a full democracy nor a full autocracy. The poll results will also test Modi’s limits. Critics accuse him of running on a Hindu-first platform, endangering the country’s secular roots. Under Modi, the media, once viewed as vibrant and largely independent, have become more pliant and critical voices muzzled.Courts have largely bent to Modi’s will and given favorable verdicts in crucial cases. Centralization of executive power has strained India’s federalism. And federal agencies have bogged down top opposition leaders in corruption cases, which they deny. Another key issue is India’s large economy, which is among the fastest growing in the world. It has helped India emerge as a global power and a counterweight to China. But even as India’s growth soars by some measures, the Modi government has struggled to generate enough jobs for young Indians, and instead has relied on welfare programs like free food and housing to woo voters.

The Maldives government will ban Israelis from the Indian Ocean archipelago, known for luxury resorts, as public anger in the predominantly Muslim nation rises over the war in Gaza. The president's office said Sunday that the Cabinet decided to change laws to prevent Israeli passport holders from entering the country and to establish a subcommittee to oversee the process. Chile joins developing nations rallying behind genocide case against Israel at international court It said President Mohamed Muizu will appoint a special envoy to assess the Palestinian needs and to launch a fundraising campaign. Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said in response that the Foreign Ministry recommends Israelis avoid any travel to the Maldives, including those with foreign passports, and those currently there to consider leaving. Brazil withdraws ambassador to Israel after months of tension over Gaza offensive Nearly 11,000 Israelis visited Maldives last year, which was 0.6% of the total tourist arrivals.