Exit polls project victory for Modi in India’s election 

Update Exit polls project victory for Modi in India’s election 
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Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) holds cut-outs of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally in Amritsar on May 30, 2024 (AFP)
Update Exit polls project victory for Modi in India’s election 
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Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the capital Delhi and a key opposition leader, is among several leaders of the bloc under criminal investigation. (AFP)
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Updated 02 June 2024
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Exit polls project victory for Modi in India’s election 

Exit polls project victory for Modi in India’s election 
  • Prediction has ruling alliance winning two-thirds majority
  • Projections have had a mixed record on predicting elections in the past

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to return for a rare third five-year term as the country’s premier, according to exit polls that have projected a clear victory for the alliance led by his Bharatiya Janata Party.

Major exit polls conducted by Indian TV stations and agencies showed the ruling National Democratic Alliance, or NDA, winning a two-thirds majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, where 272 is needed for a simple majority.

The polls, published on Saturday evening ahead of official results due on June 4, would mean that the NDA would easily beat the opposition INDIA alliance, a coalition of parties led by the formerly ruling Indian National Congress, and leave Modi with a strong mandate to form the next government.

“I can say with confidence that the people of India have voted in record numbers to reelect the NDA government,” Modi wrote on X, without providing evidence of his claim.

“The opportunistic INDI Alliance failed to strike a chord with the voters. They are casteist, communal and corrupt. This alliance, aimed to protect a handful of dynasties, failed to present a futuristic vision for the nation.”

The exit polls predicted the BJP and its allies winning 350 to 380 seats, making these projections likely higher compared to when the NDA won 352 lower house seats in the 2019 general elections, with the BJP accounting for 303 of them. 

The opposition, meanwhile, was projected to win between 125 and 182 seats.

The early unofficial results were the first indications of the shape of India’s next government. They were released after a ban on the publication of opinion polls imposed at the start of the polls was lifted on Saturday evening, following the end of the final round of voting in the seven-phase election, in which more than 968 million people were registered to vote.

The opposition dismissed the exit polls and ahead of their publication had called them “prefixed.”

“It is a fantasy poll and a Modi poll. It is not an exit poll, it is a Modi media poll. It is his fantasy poll,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told the media on Sunday.

As India’s exit polls have had a mixed record on predicting elections in the past, political analysts are also doubting their accuracy.

“It does not reflect the ground reality and most of the exit polls are erroneous and contradictory,” Umakant Lakhera, Delhi-based political analyst, told Arab News.

“The reliable ground reports from some of the major states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh suggest that the opposition alliance is doing quite good and gaining major seats.”

Satish K. Singh, former consulting editor of Delhi-based Hindi channel Zee News and political analyst, said the exit polls were not trustworthy.

“I don’t trust exit polls at all. This is the tool of propaganda. This is done with a view to creating a certain kind of opinion; it is also fixed and stage managed,” Singh said.

“I don’t think the BJP will be getting as many seats as the exit polls are predicting. The BJP might have an edge, it has an advantage, but the contest is close if the voting and counting process are transparent.”

If the official results back up the exit polls, Modi’s BJP victory will come unscathed by issues of inflation, unemployment and rising inequality, which were among the main concerns of Indian voters prior to the election, surveys revealed.

“If the BJP manages to win despite all the pressing issues facing the country, the credit would go to the captive media, non-stop propaganda and the open practice of majoritarian politics,” Singh said.

“The opposition could not invade this ecosystem.” 


France begins military withdrawal from Chad, army says

Updated 5 sec ago
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France begins military withdrawal from Chad, army says

France begins military withdrawal from Chad, army says
“It marks the beginning of the return of French equipment stationed in N’Djamena,” Army spokesperson Col. Guillaume Vernet said
France has already pulled its soldiers out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger

PARIS: France has started the withdrawal of its military from Chad with the departure of two warplanes that were based in the capital N’Djamena, the French army said, two weeks after Chad said it was ending its defense cooperation pact with Paris.
In a surprise move, the government of Chad — an ally of the West in the fight against Islamist militants in the region — ended the defense cooperation pact on Nov. 28.
Terms and conditions of the withdrawal and whether any French troops will remain in the central African country altogether have yet be to be agreed, but on Tuesday the first Mirage warplanes returned to their base in eastern France.
“It marks the beginning of the return of French equipment stationed in N’Djamena,” Army spokesperson Col. Guillaume Vernet said after two Mirage fighter jets left Chad.
France has already pulled its soldiers out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following military coups in those West African countries and spreading anti-French sentiment.
The departure from Chad will end decades of French military presence in the Sahel region and ends direct French military operations against Islamist militants there.
France still has about 1,000 troops in Chad. Vernet said a calendar to drawdown its operations would still take several weeks for the two countries to finalize.
There were no indications Paris received advance notice of Chad’s decision to end its defense cooperation although a French envoy to President Emmanuel Macron delivered a report last month containing proposals on how France could reduce its military presence in Chad, Gabon and Ivory Coast.

Saudi businesses explore energy, tourism opportunities in Rajasthan

Business people gather at the Invest Saudi pavilion at the Rising Rajasthan summit in Jaipur, India, Dec. 10, 2024. (AN photo)
Business people gather at the Invest Saudi pavilion at the Rising Rajasthan summit in Jaipur, India, Dec. 10, 2024. (AN photo)
Updated 10 min 43 sec ago
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Saudi businesses explore energy, tourism opportunities in Rajasthan

Business people gather at the Invest Saudi pavilion at the Rising Rajasthan summit in Jaipur, India, Dec. 10, 2024. (AN photo)
  • Invest Saudi participates in Rising Rajasthan Investment Summit in Jaipur
  • With its vast deserts, Rajasthan ranks first in India for solar energy production

JAIPUR: Saudi Arabia is exploring cooperation with India in solar and wind energy, infrastructure, tourism, and technology-based industries, its Ministry of Investment said on Tuesday, as it participated in the Rising Rajasthan Investment Summit in Jaipur.

The government of India’s largest state by area is hosting the investment event from Dec. 9 to 11, as it seeks to double Rajasthan’s gross domestic product to $350 billion in the next five years.

The summit was opened on Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who encouraged foreign delegates — including from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UK and Japan — to explore the state’s potential as a global business destination.

The Saudi Ministry of Investment’s pavilion in the forum’s exhibition space presented Invest Saudi — the nation-wide investment brand — and promoted opportunities in the Kingdom., while delegation members held talks with Indian companies.

“We are talking about supporting our private sectors: Indians to invest in Saudi Arabia and Saudi companies to invest in Rajasthan and India,” Abdullah Al-Arfaj, director of international relations for South and West Asia at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, told Arab News.

“Through its participation in this summit, the Saudi Ministry of Investment seeks to foster productive dialogue and build actionable partnerships … The summit is an ideal platform to strengthen Saudi-Indian cooperation and establish the foundations for long-term, sustainable partnerships.”

Al-Arfaj, who was meeting with Rajasthan leadership, said they were identifying “shared areas that can contribute to the economic growth of both nations, such as solar and wind energy, infrastructure development, tourism, and technology-based industries, as well as the development of smart cities, green energy initiatives, and advanced technological solutions.”

With vast desert areas hosting photovoltaic plants, Rajasthan ranks first in India for solar energy production. It is also the largest producer of marble, has the nation’s biggest lead mines, and contains confirmed deposits of rare-earth elements.

The state’s capital, Jaipur, is a major tourist attraction. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is known as the “pink city” from the dominant color scheme of its 18th-century structures.

A number of cooperation agreements are expected to be signed during the summit between Saudi and Indian businesses.

Faisal Al-Jurbua, a member of the Saudi delegation, said his company was planning to establish a desert resort in Rajasthan — the first such property in the Indian state.

“Hopefully, in about six months, we’re going to start,” the CEO of Riyadh-based HAP Experience Co. told Arab News.

“It will be the same that we have in Saudi Arabia. It will be an oasis … We’re going to do some mix between the two cultures,” he said.

“We will be having a lot of work here in Rajasthan in the near future.”


Polish border officials violently pushing back asylum seekers: HRW

Polish border officials violently pushing back asylum seekers: HRW
Updated 12 min 4 sec ago
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Polish border officials violently pushing back asylum seekers: HRW

Polish border officials violently pushing back asylum seekers: HRW
  • Somalis, Yemenis describe pattern of abuse including beatings, pepper spray, destruction of personal property
  • ‘A border guard hit me with a baton in places so I couldn’t walk. They beat me and a friend for about an hour’

LONDON: Law enforcement in Poland is unlawfully and violently forcing asylum seekers back to Belarus, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, adding that those who are pushed back risk suffering serious abuse at the hands of Belarussian officials.

Others who are not intercepted after being returned to Belarus face injury or even death in harsh winter conditions, said HRW, which conducted in-depth interviews in November with 22 asylum seekers in Poland, including people from Yemen, Somalia and Comoros.

All but five had experienced at least one pushback — in violation of asylum law — from Polish officials on the border. They were subsequently admitted to Poland and allowed to apply for asylum.

A consistent pattern of abuse and violence was described by the interviewees, including beatings with batons, use of pepper spray and destruction of personal property such as mobile phones.

Eli, 25, from Somalia, told HRW that he was summarily pushed back by Polish border forces five times between April and June. His phones were destroyed and he was pepper-sprayed by border guards.

“The first time … we got across the border and walked 1 km into Poland when border guards caught us. They put us in plastic zip ties … They took our phones and smashed them with their batons … They took us by military car to the borderline and opened a gate in the metal fence and told us to go back to Belarus,” he said.

“I kept telling them in English that I wanted protection and asylum in Poland, but they just said go back to Minsk. I was still handcuffed when pushed back.”

Tariq, 24, from Yemen, was pushed back three times between August and October. The first time he was pushed back, border guards intercepted him shortly after crossing the fence and he was pepper-sprayed. The second time he was beaten.

He said: “It was like smoke in my eyes, I was in pain for days. A border guard hit me with a baton in places so I couldn’t walk, on my legs mainly … They beat me and a friend for about an hour … I didn’t ask for asylum because even if I ask they won’t help. I just said: ‘I want Poland.’ The border guards said: ‘You want Germany or France.’ I said: ‘No, I want Poland.’

“Then they just put us in a car and drove us to the border and pushed us across. They took us straight to the border, no station.

“They had zip-tied me when they caught us so when they pushed me through the fence, I still had them on.”

During his third pushback, a Polish police officer stripped him to his underwear and beat him. “Then another officer came, and the beating stopped,” said Tariq.

“They took me to the border. There were others in the car, Africans, Syrians, and we were all pushed back. There were three women in the group and one could barely stand.”


Japan’s atomic bomb survivors to accept Nobel Prize in Oslo

Japan’s atomic bomb survivors to accept Nobel Prize in Oslo
Updated 10 December 2024
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Japan’s atomic bomb survivors to accept Nobel Prize in Oslo

Japan’s atomic bomb survivors to accept Nobel Prize in Oslo
  • 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima when the United States detonated an atomic bomb in 1945
  • Another 74,000 were killed by a US nuclear bomb in the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days later

OSLO: This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be presented Tuesday to Japan’s atomic bomb survivors’ group Nihon Hidankyo, which lobbies against the weapons now resurging as a threat 80 years after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
The three co-chairs of Nihon Hidankyo will accept the prestigious award during a ceremony starting at 1:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) in Oslo’s City Hall, at a time when states like Russia increasingly threaten to break the international taboo on the use of nuclear arms.
“Nuclear weapons and humanity cannot co-exist,” one of the three co-chairs, Terumi Tanaka, told a press conference on Monday in the Norwegian capital.
“Humanity may come to its end even before climate change brings its devastating impacts,” the 92-year-old said.
Nihon Hidankyo works tirelessly to rid the planet of the weapons of mass destruction, with testimonies from survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as “hibakusha.”
Around 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima when the United States detonated an atomic bomb over the Japanese city on August 6, 1945.
A further 74,000 were killed by a US nuclear bomb in Nagasaki three days later.
Survivors suffered from radiation sickness and longer-term effects, including elevated risks of cancer.
The bombings, the only times nuclear weapons have been used in history, were the final blow to imperial Japan and its brutal rampage across Asia. It surrendered on August 15, 1945.
Tanaka was 13 when the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing five members of his family.
On Monday, he expressed alarm at the resurgence of nuclear threats and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop brandishing the threat to prevail in the war in Ukraine.
“President Putin, I don’t think he truly understands what nuclear weapons are for human beings,” he said.
“I don’t think he has even thought about this.”
Putin began making nuclear threats shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He signed a decree in late November lowering the threshold for using atomic weapons.
Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
On November 21, Moscow fired its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in an escalation of the almost three-year war.
The missile is designed to be equipped with a nuclear warhead, but was not in this case.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that Moscow was ready to use “any means” to defend itself.
“It is crucial for humanity to uphold the nuclear taboo, to stigmatize these weapons as morally unacceptable,” the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, said on Monday.
“To threaten with them is one way of reducing the significance of the taboo, and it should not be done,” he added.
“And of course, to use them should never be done ever again by any nation on Earth.”
North Korea, which has increased its ballistic missile tests, and Iran, which is suspected of developing nuclear weapons though it denies this, are also seen as posing a threat to the West.
Nine countries now have nuclear weapons: Britain, China, France, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United States, and, unofficially, Israel.
In 2017, 122 governments negotiated and adopted the historic UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), but the text is considered largely symbolic as no nuclear power has signed it.
This year’s Nobel prizes in the other disciplines — medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics — will be awarded at a separate ceremony in Stockholm.


Gunmen kidnap at least 50 in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, residents and police say

Gunmen kidnap at least 50 in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, residents and police say
Updated 24 min 7 sec ago
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Gunmen kidnap at least 50 in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, residents and police say

Gunmen kidnap at least 50 in Nigeria’s Zamfara state, residents and police say
  • Kidnapping for ransom by gunmen is rife in northwest Nigeria due to high levels of poverty, unemployment and the proliferation of illegal firearms

MAIDUGURI: A gang of gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village in Nigeria’s northwest Zamfara state, police and residents said.
Kidnapping for ransom by gunmen, known by locals as bandits, is rife in northwest Nigeria due to high levels of poverty, unemployment and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
Zamfara police said the incident took place on Sunday and that additional security forces were being deployed to the area.
Residents said dozens of assailants riding on motorcycles arrived in the village at around 1230 GMT, armed with assault rifles, and went from house to house kidnapping residents.
“Later we found out that they kidnapped more than 50 women, including married women and girls,” said Hassan Ya’u, who escaped the attack but whose younger sister was taken.
“We are appealing to the federal and Zamfara state governments to send more soldiers and security personnel to fight those bandits,” he said.
There is widespread insecurity in northwest Nigeria, while a 15-year extremist insurgency has plagued the northeast of the country and gang and separatist violence affects the southeast.
“We are currently waiting to hear the kidnappers’ demands for the release of the abducted individuals,” said Abdulkadir Sadia, another resident of the village. “The entire community is in distress.”