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"After these results, it looks like there is no stopping Modi," said Yashwant Deshmukh, poll expert with C-Voter agency, adding that stopping Modi would be a "herculean task". The BJP won the regional votes in three of four major states, including central Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh which were ruled by Congress. One of the challenges facing the opposition are the factious ties within the INDIA alliance. Congress refused to share seats in state polls with key regional ally the Samajwadi Party. "The future of the alliance is good if the Congress party works on it with full commitment," he said.

Persons: India's, Narendra Modi, of Home Affairs Amit Shah, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Yashwant Deshmukh, Rahul Gandhi, Manish Tewari, Manoj Kaka, Gandhi, Baijayant Panda, Saurabh Sharma, Miral Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian, Union, of Home Affairs, Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, Voter, Congress, Reuters, Samajwadi Party, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, DELHI, Britain, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, INDIA, Lucknow

"We always said we will win the heartland states," BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda told Reuters. However, a 28-party opposition alliance led by the Congress party has come together to jointly fight BJP, posing a new challenge. But the alliance did not feature in the state polls due to internal rivalries and it was a direct contest between BJP and Congress. Politicians and analysts say state elections do not always influence the outcome of the general elections or accurately indicate national voter mood. Results of the last round of state elections before national elections have been misleading in the past.

Persons: Stringer, Narendra Modi, Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Gandhi, Supriya Shrinate, Gurmeet Chadha, Ira Dugal, Lincoln, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, DELHI, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Telangana, Reuters, Developmental, Congress, Thomson Locations: Madhya Pradesh, Indore, India, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Mizoram, Mumbai

The official told Gupta - who the prosecutors described as an Indian national involved in drugs and weapons trafficking - about a "target" in New York. The official wanted Gupta to orchestrate the target's murder, in exchange for getting criminal charges against him in India dropped. While prosecutors have not identified the alleged victim, a senior administration official told Reuters it was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based lawyer who leads a separatist group called Sikhs for Justice. U.S. prosecutors did not name the Indian official, who they described as a government employee responsible for intelligence and security matters. "We are all counting on you," Gupta told the purported hitman in a video call on June 12.

Persons: Nikhil Gupta, Gupta, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Pannun, Narendra Modi's, Gupta's, Jake Sullivan, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Nijjar, Modi, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Luc Cohen, Krishn Kaushik, Trevor Hunnicut, Heather Timmons Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Indian, Reuters, Justice, Administration, Manhattan, National Security, U.S, White, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, DELHI, Indian, New York, India, India's Gujarat, United States, Washington, New Delhi, Vancouver, Prague, Delhi

The flags of the United States and India are displayed on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - India will formally investigate security concerns aired by the United States in a warning to New Delhi about its links to a foiled plot to murder a Sikh separatist leader, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The Financial Times newspaper on Nov. 22 first reported the thwarted plot against Pannun in the United States. The White House said it was treating the issue with "utmost seriousness" and had raised it with India at the "seniormost levels". The foiled plot and the U.S. concerns were reported two months after Canada said it was looking at credible allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist, in a Vancouver suburb.

Persons: Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Gurpatwant Singh, Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Narendra Modi's, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Sanjay Verma, India’s, Verma, Krishn Kaushik, Shivam Patel, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Eisenhower, White, REUTERS, White House, Financial Times, U.S, Indian, Reuters, Defence, CTV, Thomson Locations: United States, India, Washington , U.S, DELHI, New Delhi, China, Delhi, U.S, Canada, Vancouver, . New Delhi, Canadian, Ottawa

[1/3] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan pauses as he speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. It has been conducting the trial in prison since Khan was indicted on the charges last month. The Islamabad High Court had ruled last week that holding Khan's trial inside jail premises on security concerns was illegal, and ordered it restarted in an open court. The 71-year-old former cricket star has been embroiled in a tangle of political and legal battles since he was ousted as prime minister. The election is shaping as a fight between Khan's party and that of another ousted former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.

Persons: Imran Khan, Akhtar Soomro, Khan, Naeem Panjutha, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Kim Coghill, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Pakistani, Reuters, REUTERS, Court, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, United States

Security officers escort Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as he appeared in Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, Pakistan May 12, 2023. The former cricket star has been embroiled in a tangle of political and legal battles since he was ousted as prime minister in a vote on no-confidence in 2022, which he denounced as unfair. "The court has ordered that Imran Khan be produced on Nov. 28," Khan's lawyer, Naeem Panjutha, said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. A spokesperson for the law ministry, which will decide if Khan is to appear, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The 71-year-old was jailed on Aug. 5 for three years for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

Persons: Imran Khan, Akhtar Soomro, Naeem Panjutha, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Kim Coghill, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Court, Thomson Locations: Islamabad, Court, Pakistan, Rights ISLAMABAD

[1/2] Afghan nationals rest at a camp after returning from Pakistan at the Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, November 14, 2023. Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Over 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1. The agency has said the Afghans' return should be voluntary and that Pakistan should identify vulnerable individuals who need international protection. Pakistan is home to over 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented.

Persons: Abdul Khaliq Sediqi, Afghanis, Babar Baloch, Asif Shahzad, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, UNHCR, UNHCR Police, Wednesday, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Afghanistan, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Kabul, Karachi, Taliban, U.S

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, gestures as he speaks to the members of the media at his residence in Lahore, Pakistan May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court accepted on Wednesday a bail application from detained former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his lawyer said, a day after another court declared illegal his trial on charges of leaking state secrets. The 71-year-old was jailed on Aug. 5 for three years jail for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022. His lawyer said the Supreme Court had accepted the bid for bail. No date had been set for the hearing, he said, adding that the Supreme Court would seek input from the government on the application.

Persons: Imran Khan, Mohsin Raza, Naeem Panjutha, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Twitter, Court, Thomson Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, United States

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an interview, in Lahore, Pakistan March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 21 (Reuters) - A Pakistani court on Tuesday declared the trial in jail of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on charges of leaking state secrets illegal, his lawyer said. "Islamabad High Court has declared illegal the notification for jail trial," said Naeem Panjutha, the lawyer, in a post on social media platform X. An order declared all proceedings of the trial conducted since Aug. 29 as void. "The proceedings and the trial conducted in jail premises in a manner that cannot be termed as an open trial stand vitiated," said the court order.

Persons: Imran Khan, Akhtar Soomro, Khan, Naeem Panjutha, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Shahzad, Ed Osmond, Nick Macfie Organizations: Pakistani, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Court, Thomson Locations: Lahore, Pakistan, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, United States

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez takes the oath of office during a ceremony at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain November 17, 2023. Calvino, who is the frontrunner for the top job at the European Investment Bank scheduled to be announced at the end of the year, will also keep her position as first deputy prime minister, Sanchez said in a televised statement. Given the anticipated difficulty of passing laws with a minority government, Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero will be promoted to be one of four deputy prime ministers. His four deputy prime ministers are all female. Junior coalition partner Sumar got five portfolios, keeping its share of power within the cabinet.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Andres Ballesteros, Nadia Calvino, Calvino, Sanchez, Teresa Ribera, Maria Jesus Montero, Jose Manuel Albares, Yolanda Diaz, Sumar, Felix Bolanos, Ana Redondo, Irene Montero, Ione Belarra, Belen Carreno, Inti, Aislinn Laing, Toby Chopra, Charlie Devereux, Ed Osmond, William Maclean Organizations: Spain's, Rights, Socialist, European Investment Bank, European, Energy, Labour, Socialists, Junior, Thomson Locations: Zarzuela, Madrid, Spain, Rights MADRID, Maria Jesus Montero ,, Sumar

Sanchez's confirmation as premier would end four months of uncertainty since an election in July produced no outright winner. Authorities said 15 people were arrested in a 2,000-person protest on Wednesday night outside the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid following clashes with police. Feijoo, who accused Sanchez of undermining the rule of law on Wednesday called for mass protests on Saturday Nov 18. Sanchez argued on Wednesday that an amnesty would help to defuse tensions in Catalonia. Reporting by Belen Carreño and Emma Pinedo; Writing by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez applauds, amnesties, Catalonia's, Sanchez, Pedro Sanchez, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Jorge Pueyo, Sumar, Patxi Lopez, Feijoo, Miriam Nogueras, Nogueras, Belen Carreño, Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Spain's, Socialist, People's Party, Sanchez's Socialist Party, PSOE, ERC, Socialists, Authorities, Socialist Party, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Spain, Catalonia, Basque Country, Galicia, Madrid, Socialist

☆ Cocaine still Colombia drug gangs' top export despite fentanyl's ascendancy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rocketing consumption of synthetic drug fentanyl in the U.S. has led some - including Colombia's President Gustavo Petro - to forecast declines in cocaine production in the Andean country, the world's leading producer. Coca production is taking place in new areas and fresh trafficking routes are opening up, Zapata said. Ecuador's incoming president, Daniel Noboa, who takes office this month, has promised to confront rising crime in the country, where violence linked to drug trafficking has increased sharply. Colombia hopes to destroy 200 square kilometers of coca crops by the end of the year and seize a record 834 tons of cocaine. "Drug trafficking is changing.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Gustavo Petro, We're, Nicolas Zapata, Petro, Zapata, Daniel Noboa, we've, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Colombian, United Nations Office, Drugs, Thomson Locations: Putumayo, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, U.S, Europe, Ecuador

Just holding the deal together through a full four-year parliamentary term will be a tough challenge, many predict. "The next legislative term will be very tough for the PSOE, it is likely it won't finish the whole term," said Catalan political analyst Joan Esculies. Spaniards have also been called to show their ire in town square demonstrations across the country on Sunday. For Andoni Ortuzar, the Basque Nationalist Party leader who also struck a deal with the Socialists on Friday, whether the government could hold would be a test of Spain's plurality. "We are different - we consider ourselves a different nation - and the question is whether we can live together comfortably," he said.

Persons: Sanchez, Pedro Sanchez, Francisco Franco, Junts, Carles Puigdemont, Joan Esculies, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, Andoni Ortuzar, Susana Vera, Emiliano Garcia, Puigdemont, Lluis Orriols, Ortuzar, Belen Carreno, Joan Faus, Emma Pinedo, Aislinn Laing, Alex Richardson Organizations: Deal, Spain's Socialists, Socialist, PSOE, People's Party, Socialists, Basque Nationalist Party, REUTERS, Catalan Socialist, Carlos III University, Thomson Locations: MADRID, BARCELONA, Catalan, Belgium, Catalonia, Spain, Madrid, Castilla, La Mancha, Spanish, Catalunya

BOGOTA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas on Thursday freed the father of Liverpool soccer player Luis Diaz, after taking him hostage nearly two weeks ago, the government said. The elder Luis Diaz was snatched on Oct. 28 in Barrancas, a rural municipality where he lives in the northern province of La Guajira. Thank you all, much love to you all," the soccer star's father said after arriving at his home. "CRITICAL SITUATION"[1/5]Luis Manuel Diaz, father of Liverpool player Luis Diaz, waves after he was freed by Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN), in Valledupar, Colombia November 9, 2023. The ELN said a week ago it would free Diaz, and its top commander said the kidnapping was a mistake.

Persons: Luis Diaz, Luis Manuel Diaz, Player Diaz, Diaz, Luis Diaz's father's, Liverpool, Esteban Vanegas, Mision, ELN, Cilenis Marulanda, Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Toby Davis, Grant McCool Organizations: National Liberation Army, Liverpool, Libertad, Liverpool's Premier League, Luton Town, Europa League, Toulouse, Colombia's National Liberation Army, REUTERS Acquire, Catholic Church, United Nations, Guerrilla, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Liverpool, Colombia's, Barrancas, La Guajira, Colombia, England, Papa, France, Valledupar

BOGOTA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas on Thursday freed the father of Liverpool soccer player Luis Diaz, after taking him hostage in the country's north nearly two weeks ago, the government said. Diaz was named in the Liverpool's starting lineup later on Thursday as the English team faces France's Toulouse in the Europa League. [1/5]Luis Manuel Diaz, father of Liverpool player Luis Diaz, waves after he was freed by Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN), in Valledupar, Colombia November 9, 2023. Esteban Vanegas/Mision ONU (UNVMC)/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing Rights"The current process with the ELN has advanced like no other until today. The government is trying to conduct negotiations with various armed groups, but discussions with the ELN are the most advanced.

Persons: Luis Diaz, Luis Manuel Diaz, Diaz, France's, Luis Diaz's father's, ELN, Liverpool, Esteban Vanegas, Mision, Cilenis Marulanda, Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Toby Davis Organizations: National Liberation Army, Liverpool, Luton Town, Sunday, France's Toulouse, Europa League, Colombia's National Liberation Army, REUTERS Acquire, Catholic Church, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Liverpool, Colombia's, Local, Valledupar, Colombia's Cesar, Colombia, La Guajira, Marulanda

☆ Colombia eyes raising $499 mln in cell service auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Flags flutter on the facade of the Colombian Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies building in Bogota, Colombia, November 8, 2023. Colombia hopes to improve connectivity as it joins its Latin American neighbors, including Argentina and Mexico, which already have 5G services. "We're going to award up to four blocks of 100 megahertz in the 3,500 frequency," Minister of Information and Communications Technologies, Mauricio Lizcano, said in an interview. "Whoever pays the most wins the spectrum, ... it's impossible for there to be a defect in the procedure," Lizcano said. Colombia had 80.8 million cellphone subscribers at the end of 2022, spread among operators including Claro, Movistar, Tigo and WOM.

Persons: Luis Jaime Acosta, Mauricio Lizcano, Lizcano, Oliver Griffin, Diane Craft Organizations: Colombian Ministry of Information, Communications Technologies, REUTERS, Rights, Information, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Argentina, Mexico, Claro, Movistar

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference after participating in G7 ministerial meetings in Tokyo, Japan, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI/WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold talks with India this week that officials say will focus on security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and concerns over China, rather than the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. U.S. officials were moving swiftly to deepen ties with India while pledging support for an investigation into the June killing on Canadian soil, an American official aware of the Indo-Pacific policy said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. India's ties with the U.S. have grown steadily stronger on several fronts, and it has close strategic links with Israel.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jonathan Ernst, Lloyd Austin, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi's, Joe Biden's, Xi Jinping, Rick Rossow, Rossow, Krishn Kaushik, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, YP Rajesh, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Officials, Ottawa, Indian, Economic Cooperation, Asia Society, South, U.S, Washington’s Center, Strategic, International Studies, Biden, YP, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, DELHI, WASHINGTON, India, China, Gaza, Ukraine, New Delhi, Canada, Washington, Asia, San Francisco, South Asia, Israel, Delhi, Russia, Washington and New Delhi, Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal

Ajay Bisaria, India's ambassador to Canada from 2020 to 2022, said the relationship is in a "de-escalation phase" following "quiet diplomacy". "This is not a thaw," an Indian foreign ministry official told Reuters. 'MODEST DE-ESCALATION'Officials in India and Canada spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak on the subject. The Indian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. Canada's foreign ministry pointed to comments made by Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie on Oct. 30.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Justin Trudeau, Evan Vucci, Michael Kugelman, Ajay Bisaria, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India's, Ottawa’s, Melanie Jolie, Jolie, Modi, Kugelman, Michael Bociurkiw, Krishn Kaushik, Steve Scherer, YP Rajesh, William Mallard Organizations: Indian, Canada, Bharat, DELHI, Mutual, South Asia Institute, Wilson Center, Reuters, Canadian, Foreign, Atlantic Council, YP, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Canada, OTTAWA, Punjab, Delhi, Ottawa, Washington, China, Vancouver, Hardeep, Vienna

☆ Colombian opposition politicians defeat Petro's coalition in local, regional elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Colombian President Gustavo Petro casts his vote during the elections for governors, regional lawmakers and mayors, in Bogota, Colombia October 29, 2023. REUTERS/Vannessa Jimenez Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Colombian opposition candidates largely swept elections for mayors, governors and regional lawmakers on Sunday, dealing a defeat to President Gustavo Petro's leftist coalition in votes that analysts called a referendum on his government. Petro congratulated the winning candidates and said he planned to work together. Many of the winning candidates had vowed to improve security and promote projects that will create jobs with private sector support. Although campaigning was marked by deteriorating security and threats to candidates, voting largely proceeded without incident.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Vannessa Jimenez, Gustavo Petro's, Petro, Gustavo Bolivar, Bolivar, Sergio Guzman, Carlos Fernando Galan, Luis Jaime Acosta, Daina Beth Solomon, Lincoln, Stephen Coates Organizations: Colombian, REUTERS, Rights, New Liberalism Party, Bogota, Registrar's Office, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Colombian, Colombia's, Medellin, Cali

NEW DELHI/DOHA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Eight Indian former naval officers who were handed the death penalty by a court in Qatar on Thursday were charged with spying for Israel, a source in India and another in Qatar said. Neither New Delhi nor Doha has officially stated the charges against the eight who were arrested in August 2022. In India, a government official aware of Doha's stance said the Qatar authorities had accused them of spying for Israel. The eight Indians will be able to appeal the death sentence, the source briefed on the case in Qatar told Reuters, as well as also saying they had been charged with spying for Israel. A spokesperson for India's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the sources' comments.

Persons: Jairam Ramesh, Krishn Kaushik, Andrew Mills, Dan Williams, Alison Williams Organizations: NEW, Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, Qatari, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, DOHA, Qatar, Israel, India, Delhi, Doha, Jerusalem, Gaza, New Delhi, Qatar's

The opposition and the primary's winner Maria Corina Machado have insisted repeatedly it was transparent and fair. The U.S. State Department is aware of the accusations and called for an investigation, a spokesperson said, adding the primary was "an important milestone" for Venezuela. The investigation, requested by lawmaker Jose Brito, will center on accusations of electoral violations, financial crimes and conspiracy, Saab said during a press conference. The electoral violations stem from the primary being organized without the National Electoral Council, Saab said. Voter rolls for the primary included 2 million people who neither registered nor participated, Saab said, and financing for the primary has not been made public.

Persons: Tarek Saab, Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Nicolas Maduro's, Nicolas Maduro, Jose Brito, Saab, Jesus Maria Casal, Mildred Camero, Roberto Abdul, Hadi, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Julia Symmes Cobb, Natalia Siniawski, Oliver Griffin, Helen Popper, Marguerita Choy, Rod Nickel Organizations: Venezuela's, Washington, U.S . State Department, Electoral Council, Saab, Voters, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Washington, Maduro, Barbados, U.S, Venezuela, Sumate

Machado, 56, had led her rivals by some 40 points in polls. Though five people were released, the Maduro government said last week that those with disqualifications cannot run in the 2024 contest. The opposition, which says the disqualifications are unlawful, has been reticent about what it would do if Machado wins the primary but is unable to compete in 2024. Machado has said she could pressure the electoral authorities to let her register, while others have argued a substitute will be necessary. Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Mayela Armas; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Machado, Carlos Prosperi, Maduro, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Julia Symmes Cobb, Tom Hogue Organizations: Venezuelan, Thomson Locations: Caracas, CARACAS, United States, Machado's

ISLAMABAD, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Pakistan's three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to arrive back home on Saturday after four years of self-imposed exile in London to kick-start his party campaign three months ahead of a general election. Sharif has not set foot in Pakistan since he left for London in 2019 to receive medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. When he was removed as premier in 2017, Pakistan's GDP growth rate was 5.8% and inflation was hovering around just 4%. In September, inflation registered at over 31% year-on-year, and growth is projected to be less than 2% this financial year. "Over his long political career, Sharif's relationship with the military brass has blown hot and cold.

Persons: Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Imran Khan, Khan, Sharif's, Shehbaz Sharif, Michael Kugelman, Asif Shahzad, Stephen Coates Organizations: London, International Monetary Fund, South Asia, The Wilson, Thomson Locations: ISLAMABAD, London, Lahore, Dubai, Pakistan

MADRID/BRASILIA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Argentina and Brazil are requesting 12.5 billion euros ($13.2 billion) in financial aid from the European Union in talks to conclude a trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc, according to a document seen by Reuters. Three EU and South American diplomats confirmed the Argentine request, which is backed by Brazil, in the rotating presidency of the four-nation Mercosur. A European diplomat involved in the talks told Reuters the 12.5 billion euros number was "floated" but that any support "would not be anything like that figure." The new aid request was made in a Mercosur counterproposal to an EU addendum proposing environmental safeguards. But the financial aid request and reopening of the public procurement chapter could prevent a final deal this year.

Persons: videoconferences, Xiana Mendez, Belen Carreño, Anthony Boadle, Brad Haynes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: European Union, South America's Mercosur, Reuters, EU, South, Argentine, Mercosur, Thomson Locations: MADRID, BRASILIA, Argentina, Brazil, Mercosur, Uruguay, Paraguay, European, Brussels, Brasilia, Valencia

Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gestures as he boards a Lahore-bound flight due for departure, at Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE July 13, 2018. REUTERS/Drazen Gorgic/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Oct 19 (Reuters) - A Pakistan court on Thursday barred authorities from arresting a former three-time prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, upon his expected return home on Saturday from four years in self-imposed exile, his lawyer said. Nawaz Sharif was in 2018 convicted on corruption charges, which he denied, in two cases and sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison. Upon his return on Saturday, he would address a rally in his old stronghold of Lahore, Tarar said. Sharif returned to Pakistan and to politics in 2007.

Persons: Nawaz Sharif, Drazen Gorgic, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Tarar, Pervez Musharraf, Musharraf, Asif Shahzad, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel Organizations: Pakistani, Abu, Abu Dhabi International Airport, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Lahore, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Rights ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, London, U.S

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