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☆ New Delhi chokes as trash mountain fire spreads hazardous fumes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Sections of the Ghazipur landfill in New Delhi burst into flames on Sunday, causing dangerous heat and methane emissions and adding to India’s growing climate challenges. Smoke rises on April 23, following a fire that broke out at the Ghazipur landfill in New Delhi, India. Noemi Cassanelli/CNNFires burning at Ghazipur landfill site in New Delhi, India, April 22, 2024. Ghazipur landfill in New Delhi on April 23, following a fire that broke out. Firemen work to douse the fire at Ghazipur landfill on April 22, 2024 in New Delhi, India.

Persons: Noemi Cassanelli, Adnan Abidi, Taj, Narendra Modi, Vipin Kumar, hasn’t Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Reuters, Center for Science, Clean Air Initiative, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Solutions, Indian, Firemen, Hindustan Times Locations: New Delhi, India, Ghazipur, Bhalswa

☆ India election: Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as mammoth vote deepens divides
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of delivering Islamophobic remarks during an election rally Sunday, triggering widespread anger from prominent Muslims and members of the opposition. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Kalpit Bhachech/Dipam Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi pictured in India on January 23, 1998. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Islamophobic, Modi’s, Modi, ”, ” Modi, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Rana Ayyub, Asaduddin Owaisi, “ Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, of India, India's, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Sangh, Hindu, “, Hate Locations: Rajasthan, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, India, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, BJP, “

☆ In India’s 2024 election, BJP’s main opposition appears increasingly weak in face of Modi juggernaut
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Supporters of India's opposition party, Indian National Congress, during an election rally in Puducherry on April 15, 2024 R. Satish Babu/AFP/Getty ImagesDemocracy under threat? Dipam Bhachech/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Modi worked his way through the ranks of the BJP, establishing himself as a respected politician. Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images Modi hugs French President Emmanuel Macron after a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on June 3, 2017. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images Modi offers a toast during a State Dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: ”, Narendra Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Indira Gandhi, Gandhi, ” Hazari Lal Rajput, Satish Babu, Modi, Modi’s, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Arati Jerath, “, it’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, gunning, ” Modi, shouldn’t, Mohammad Irfan, —, Arvind Kejriwal, Altaf Qadri, Kejriwal, Atishi, you’re, Jerath, Gandhi ‘, ’ Modi, Christophe Jaffrelot, CNN Modi, Rasheed Kidwai, Rahul, Diptendu Dutta, Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, ” Kidwai, ” Jerath Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Getty, Democracy, Modi’s BJP, Pew, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, AP, India's, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Indian, Aadmi Party, Delhi, AAP, Aam Aadmi Party, All, Trinamool, West, All India, Congress, “, “ Democracy Locations: India, Uttar Pradesh, Ramlila, Puducherry, Modi’s, Sydney, Australia, Gujarat, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Varanasi, New Delhi, United States, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, INDIA, Delhi, India’s, Lok Sabha, Atishi, ”, Manipur, Siliguri, West Bengal, Tamil

HONG KONG CNN —India is set to vote in the world’s largest ever general election, setting the stage for a mammoth exercise in democracy with nearly a billion people eligible to head to the polls across just over six weeks. Here is a look at how the world’s most populous country votes in the world’s largest democracy. The number of women registered to vote has increased by 40 million since the previous election in 2019, according to the election commission, while more than 20 million voters between ages 18-29 have been added to the electorate. Voting begins on Friday, April 19, and will continue through June 1, with results announced on June 4. This operation requires some 15 million polling officials and security staff during the election, with some of these election workers traveling via road, boat, camel, train, and helicopters to reach India’s citizens.

Persons: Narendra Modi Organizations: HONG KONG CNN —, European Union Locations: HONG KONG, HONG KONG CNN — India, North America, Lok, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, India’s

☆ Narendra Modi: India’s popular but controversial leader seeking a transformative third term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

Varanasi and New Delhi CNN —Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once famously made a simple election promise: “good days are coming”. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar on April 6, 2024. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking during a rally in Sydney, Australia, on May 23, 2023. Kalpit Bhachech/Getty Images Narendra Modi, then BJP secretary is welcomed at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the party's followers on January 31, 1992. Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Himanshu Sharma, Getty Images Modi, –, ”, Saba Naqvi, “, Vajpayee, Naqvi, Dileep Patel, John Mees, Akash Jaiswal, “ We’ve, ” Jaiswal, isn’t, Matthew Abbott, Hiraben, Damodardas, Dipam Bhachech, Lal Krishna Advani, Subhas Chandra Bose, Kalpit Bhachech, Kalpit, Negi Yasbant, Amit Dave, Ajit Solanki, Kevin Frayer, Saurabh Das, AP Modi, Manish Swarup, Lucas Jackson, Barack Obama, Adrien Helou, Reuters Modi, Adnan Abidi, Stringer, Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Marco Longari, Angela Merkel, Tobias Schwarz, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Platiau, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, India's, Jair Bolsonaro, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Amit Shah, Money Sharma, Boris Johnson, Phil Noble, Anthony Albanese, Brent Lewin, Pedro Ugarte, Joe Biden, Doug Mills, Paul Mashatile, Jacoline, Imtiyaz Khan, Amr Alfiky, Patel, India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv, Rahul Gandhi, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, “ Narendra Modi, ” Mukhopadhyay, Mukhopadhyay, ” Modi, Keshav Baliram, “ Modi, BJP Modi, Lord Ram, ” Naqvi, Critics, Christophe Jaffrelot, Karan Thapar, ” Jaffrelot, Modi’s, it’s, —, Raj, India Narendra Modi, Kenny Hoston, Ram, ” Raniva, That’s Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India's, Getty Images, Pew, CNN, World Health Organization, New York Times, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Getty, Modi, Hospital, Narendra, India Today, Indian National Congress, AP, Madison, Garden, Reuters, Washington , D.C, French National Space Agency, of Yoga, Meta, Facebook, Bloomberg, European, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kyodo, British, Summit, Qudos Bank, White, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu, United, United Arab Emirates, Cambridge, today’s Congress Party, Harvard, The Times, Muslim, Australia Locations: Varanasi, New Delhi, Gujarat, Pushkar, India, “ India, United States, Brazil, “, Sydney, Australia, Ahmedabad, Ahmadabad, Washington, Washington ,, Toulouse, France, Xian, AFP, Menlo Park , California, U.S, Pretoria, South Africa, China, Berlin, Paris, Rashtrapati, Russian, Brasilia, Glasgow, Red, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Oxford, Vadnagar, Babri, Kadi, Kashmir, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Jama

☆ India general election 2024: What to know about the world’s biggest vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Helen Regan | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Under Modi, India has become the world’s fastest growing major economy, pushing the country of 1.4 billion people to near-superpower status. Here’s what you need to know about the largest election in human history:How does India vote? Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar on April 6, 2024. Congress senior party leader Rahul Gandhi during the release of the party manifesto on April 5, 2024 in New Delhi. The ruling BJP’s symbol is a lotus, while the Congress party is a raised, open-palmed hand.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Noah Seelam, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Congress ’ Mamata Banerjee, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, Himanshu Sharma, Modi’s, Kejriwal, Sanjeev Verma, Nasir Kachroo, Biju Boro Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, European Union, Getty, Indian National Congress, Congress, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi, West, All India, Modi, Hindustan Times, Minorities, Analysts, Bahujan Samaj Party, Farmers, for Media Studies Locations: India, United States, Russia, Lok, Hyderabad, AFP, INDIA, West Bengal, Tamil, Pushkar, Delhi, New Delhi, Ayodhya, Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh, China, Lohore Sapori, Assam

New Delhi CNN —India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned a US State Department official after the department called for a fair legal process for opposition leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal following his arrest last week. “We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India,” the Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday summoned Gloria Berbena, the State Department Minister-Counselor for Public Diplomacy, according to a diplomatic officer with knowledge of the matter. At a briefing later on Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to discuss “private diplomatic conversations” when asked about Berbena’s summoning, but stood by the department’s previous comments. India’s main opposition, the Indian National Congress, has also accused the BJP of using the tax department to “cripple” their finances.

Persons: Arvind Kejriwal, Gloria Berbena, Matthew Miller, ” Miller, Kejriwal, Modi, Narendra Modi’s, Kejriwal’s, ” Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN — India’s, External Affairs, US State Department, Affairs, State Department, Public Diplomacy, State, Aam Aadmi Party, Indian National Congress, Human Rights, Amnesty, India Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, India

☆ Uttar Pradesh: Court ruling effectively outlaws Islamic schools in India’s most populous state
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New Delhi CNN —A court in India’s most populous state has effectively banned Islamic schools by striking down on a law governing madrasas, weeks before a nationwide election that could further polarize the world’s largest democracy along religious lines. The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh on Friday declared the Madrasa Act of 2004 to be unconstitutional, according to a court order seen by CNN, while ordering the state government to move students enrolled in the Islamic system into mainstream schools. While the Allahabad High Court order cited India’s constitutional separation of religion and state in its reasoning for ruling against madrasas, it is Modi who has been frequently accused by critics of dismantling India’s secular traditions. Many Muslims and critics of the BJP have raised concerns that India’s secular fabric is also being eroded as anti-Muslim hate speech make frequent headlines and Muslim-owned properties face demolitions. In December 2020, the northeastern state of Assam passed a law to convert all Islamic schools to regular education institutions.

Persons: New Delhi CNN —, madrasas, ”, Narendra Modi’s, Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, Modi, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Debabrata Saikia Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Reuters, madrasas Locations: New Delhi, India’s, Allahabad, Court, Uttar Pradesh, India, country’s, Assam

☆ India investigates alleged Hindu nationalist attack on foreign students offering Ramadan prayers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Authorities in western India have launched an investigation after far-right Hindus allegedly attacked foreign university students offering prayers during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as religious tensions simmer ahead of a crucial general election. One eyewitness told CNN the students were offering prayers when a group of people arrived and repeatedly told them to stop, while chanting Hindu slogans. “One of the students got up and slapped a member of the group,” the Gujarat University student, who does not want to be named out of fear of retribution, told CNN. We request the university to shift us to a safe place.”Another student told Gujarat First News that the university had given them permission to pray on campus. Gujarat University vice chancellor Neerja A. Gupta confirmed clashes broke out between two groups after which some foreign students were injured.

Persons: Malik, Randhir Jaiswal, Narendra Modi’s, “ Jai Shree Ram, Lord Ram, ”, ‘ Jai Shree Ram, ’, “, Neerja A, Gupta, Modi, Asaduddin Owaisi Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Gujarat University, “, India’s Ministry, External Affairs, clarion, News Capital Gujarat, Gujarat, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP Locations: India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Ahmedabad, ” Ahmedabad, “, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat

☆ India election: Date set for largest democratic vote in human history
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to secure another five years in power, ruling an India that has become increasingly polarized along religious lines. Under Modi’s leadership, India is poised to become a 21st-century powerhouse as its economy rapidly expands. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, marked a significant step for an opposition struggling to regain national significance. In August, India made history by soft-landing a rover on the moon, becoming just the fourth nation to do so. The election commission said 968.8 million people have registered to vote in the 2024 polls – a 6% increase from 2019.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Indira Gandhi, Modi, Weeks Organizations: CNN, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Modi’s BJP, Organization for Economic Cooperation Locations: India, Lok, New Delhi, INDIA, Australia, United States, Ayodhya, China

☆ Bangalore water crisis: India’s ‘Silicon Valley’ is running dry as residents urged to take fewer showers, use disposable cutlery
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

As layers of tarmac swept through the city, Bengaluru lost its ability to absorb water, Ramachandra said. One woman begins to hit the vessel to check its water levels. No one sparedWhile the city’s poorest are bearing the brunt of Bengaluru’s water crisis, it hasn’t spared the upper middle class either. Activists and BJP members hold empty water pots during a protest against the state government over the severe water crisis, in Bengaluru on March 12, 2024. Idress Mohammed/AFP/Getty ImagesYet, for the city’s residents, the tit-for-tat arguments mean little as they experience the worst of the shortages.

Persons: ”, Ram Prasat Manohar, Ramachandra, “, Karnataka Raj Bhavan, Arijit Sen, D.K, Shivakumar –, Vishwanathan, Idrees Mohammed, Kumkum, Idress Mohammed, Geeta Menon, hasn’t, India’s, Maher Taj Organizations: India CNN, Infosys, Wipro, Ecological Sciences, Bengaluru –, “, Hindustan Times, Getty, Private, Authorities, Susheela, CNN, Management, won’t, Reuters, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Congress Locations: Bengaluru, India, India’s, Bandepalya, Bengaluru –, Bangalore, ”, Karnataka Raj, Karnataka, Whitefield, AFP

☆ India joins select group of nations able to fire multiple warheads on a single ICBM
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Brad Lendon | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Delhi CNN —India said Monday it had joined the world’s top nuclear powers by mastering the ability to put multiple warheads atop a single intercontinental ballistic missile. The successful test of multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology on the indigenously developed Agni-V ICBM puts India in a club that includes the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. Neighboring Pakistan has also claimed to have MIRV technology, but experts say the claim is unverified. “Various Telemetry and radar stations tracked and monitored multiple re-entry vehicles. India did not give an exact number of reentry vehicles released during the Agni-V test, but MIRVed missiles can carry a dozen or possibly more MIRV warheads.

Persons: Narendra Modi, “, ” Modi, X, Rajnath Singh, ”, Amit Shah Organizations: Delhi CNN, DRDO, Defence Research, Development Organisation, Mission, Defense Ministry, Indian Defense, ., Center for Arms Control, Center for Strategic, International Studies Missile Defense, United States, Minuteman, National Museum of, US Air Force, US, Union of Concerned, US Defense Locations: Delhi, India, United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom, Neighboring Pakistan, Bay, Bengal, Bharat, Pakistan, Beijing

☆ Angry farmers once forced India’s hardline leader into a rare retreat. As the election looms, they’re back
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Modi promised “a fresh start,” agreeing to meet the farmers’ demands and work with them to move forward. Police fire teargas to disperse farmers marching towards New Delhi during a protest at the Haryana-Punjab state border on February 21, 2024. It was a massive victory for the farmers, who pushed the Indian leader into a rare and uncharacteristic climbdown. The abject poverty and debt faced by many of India’s farmers has forced some to take extreme measures. “About 86% of Indian farmers are dependent on the markets.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, “, ”, Narinder Nanu, Devinder Sharma, Gurpreet, Prakash Singh, Arjun Munda, Sharma, ” Sharma, ’ Modi, Arati Jerath, Jerath, ” X Organizations: CNN, Police, Getty, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Rapid Action Force, Bloomberg, Agriculture, India Brand Equity Foundation, country’s Department of Commerce, Farmers, “ Farmers, Roads Locations: New Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, AFP, Uttar Pradesh, China, India, Brazil, BJP, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Shambhu, Patiala district

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) announced the coalition late Tuesday, naming former premier Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister and Asif Ali Zardari as president. Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty ImagesIndependent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Khan’s Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the most parliamentary seats, in a stunning victory for the jailed cricket icon. But none of the three major parties that contested won the necessary seats to declare a majority in parliament. Shortly after the coalition announcement, the PTI accused the PMLN and PPP of stealing their mandate to govern. Sharif is on course to become prime minister for the second time, with Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Pakistan’s slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, by his side.

Persons: Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, “, ” Sharif, Aamir Qureshi, Khan’s, ”, Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Asim Hafeez, Sharif, Pakistan’s, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, Getty, PTI, Pakistan People's Party, Bloomberg Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kasur, Punjab, Khan’s Pakistan, Karachi

☆ India’s main opposition party says tax authorities have frozen its funds, weeks before nationwide election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Vedika Sud | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN —India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, said Friday that its bank accounts had been frozen by federal tax authorities, just weeks before an expected nationwide election. He added that the Income Tax Department had issued a payment demand for 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) in connection to the ongoing probe. Maken said the action taken against his party was equivalent to “freezing our democracy.”“The Congress party’s bank accounts haven’t been frozen. CNN has reached out to India’s Income Tax Department and Finance Ministry, and multiple leaders within the Congress Party for further comment. The Congress Party, a once formidable force in Indian politics, has been languishing in the polls since Modi rose to power a decade ago.

Persons: Ajay Maken, Maken, ”, “, Vivek Tankha, Tankha, Mallikarjun Kharge, Narendra Modi’s, Rahul Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Gandhi, Modi, Modi’s Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, India’s, Indian National Congress, Income, Department, Party, CNN, Finance Ministry, Congress Party, ” Allies, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Former, Indian, Modi’s BJP Locations: New Delhi, India

☆ Twin mosque demolitions in India underscore deep religious polarization months before nationwide election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Aishwarya S Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The demolitions drew incensed residents onto the streets and at least six people have been killed in clashes with police. The image of India that Modi wants to project is one of a confident, vibrant, and modern superpower. In India, a country of diverse faiths, religious groups follow their own laws for matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. Mohammad Zakir Hussain has said he barely slept since the demolition of his mosque, the madrasa, and his home in India’s capital Delhi. “(The government) rationalizes everything by blaming Mughal emperors,” he said, referring to India’s ancient Islamic rulers.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Ram, ”, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Imtiyaz Khan, Asaduddin, “, Mukhopadhyay, Mohammed Zakir Hussain, Mohammad Zakir Hussain, Aishwarya Iyer, Sanjay Katyal, Rana Safvi, ” Safvi, ” Mohammad Aman, Mohammad Arif, what’s, Mohammad Aman Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, CNN, Authorities, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian, Anadolu, Getty, Amnesty International, Delhi Development Authority, –, Court Locations: New Delhi, India, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, Haldwani, AFP, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India’s, Jammu, Kashmir, BJP, Delhi’s Mehrauli, Akhondji

☆ India’s Modi to inaugurate Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United Arab Emirates to inaugurate a Hindu stone temple, boosting his credentials as a global statesman months before he heads to the polls in a nationwide election where he is seeking a rare third term in power. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Ahmedabad state of Gujarat, India on January 9, 2024. Yet, analysts expect this will not present an issue for Modi during his visit, given India’s rising prominence, its growing economy and strategic position on the global stage. In 2015, the UAE government allocated land for the development of the temple, in a major win for the diaspora. President Joe Biden visits Raj Ghat memorial with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and other G20 leaders, Sept. 10, 2023, in New Delhi.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, Modi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al, ”, Asim Ali, ” Ali, “, Ram, Nicolas Blarel, Blarel, Swaminarayan, ” Blarel, Kadira Pethiyagoda, that’s, Joe Biden, Raj, India Narendra Modi, Kenny Hoston, Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Powers, ” Pethiyagoda Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, United, United Arab Emirates, Emirates, Guard, Indian, PIB, Getty, Bharatiya Janata, International Relations, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University, BJP, Brookings, Reuters Locations: United Arab, Abu, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Anadolu, UAE, New Delhi, Abu Dhabi, The Netherlands, South Asia, Indian, “ India, Saudi Arabia, East, Europe, “, China, Russia, Ayodhya, India’s

☆ Analysis: Pakistan’s youth deliver stinging rebuke to military elite by backing jailed leader Khan
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —His political party is effectively banned, his speeches are barred from television, and he faces at least 14 years in prison. But as the Pakistan election results show, Imran Khan cannot be suppressed. Independent candidates affiliated with the former prime minister’s Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) party secured the most parliamentary seats in last week’s nationwide election, the election commission announced Sunday. “Now show the strength of protecting your vote.” Khan’s team has previously used AI to deliver his speeches from behind bars. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters/FileWhen he rose to power in 2018, it was, according to analysts, with the backing of the military.

Persons: Pakistan CNN —, Imran Khan, Khan, “, ”, Khan’s, –, Hashim Ali Dogar, Shayan Bashir Nawaz, Raoof Hassam, Madiha Afzal, Akhtar Soomro, Rabiya Arooj, Nawaz Sharif, Husain Haqqani, Anwar Gargash, Manahil Ahmed, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sundas Kalsoom, Insaaf, Gohar Ali Khan, Hasham Ahmed, Fahd Humayun Organizations: Pakistan CNN, Independent, PTI, CNN, Foreign, Brookings Institution, Pakistani, United, Hudson Institute, Washington D.C, Getty, Haqqani, Political, Neubauer, Tufts University, “ Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Lahore, “, Punjab, Washington, Imran Khan Pakistan, British India, It’s, United States, Pakistani, Abu Dhabi, Peshawar, Buner, AFP, Egypt

☆ Pakistan election 2024: Millions will head to the polls in an election mired in controversy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Sophia Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Millions in Pakistan will head to the polls on Thursday for a general election in which old dynasties are vying for power while the country’s widely popular former leader languishes behind bars unable to stand and militants ramp up deadly attacks. Mobile internet has been suspended in various districts of the province, leading to concerns of a nationwide blackout. A street is festooned with posters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on February 4, 2024. Sharif remains widely popular in Pakistan’s Punjab province – the country’s most populous and a key electoral battleground – where his Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party has been lauded for advancing mega infrastructural projects. Standing against him is Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 35-year-old son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto, seeking to reestablish his Pakistan People’s Party as a major political force.

Persons: languishes, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Nawaz Sharif, ARIF, Volker Türk, ”, Liz Throssell, Imran Khan’s, Khan, Sharif, Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Islamic State, Mobile, Foreign, ARIF ALI, AFP, Getty, United Nations, Human Rights, “, Cricket, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Party Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, country’s, Balochistan, Islamic State Pakistan Province, Iran, Afghanistan, Lahore, Imran Khan’s Pakistan, Punjab

☆ Analysis: At this general election in Pakistan, old dynasties vie for power and populist Imran Khan languishes in prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

That sets the stage for a difficult road to recovery for whoever wins in a nation where no democratically elected prime minister has ever completed a full term in office. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan attends a lawyers' convention in Lahore on September 21, 2022. Veteran Sharif will face a strong challenge, however, from first-time candidate for Prime Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 35, son of slain former leader Benazir Bhutto. Manahil Ahmed, 23, called Pakistan’s political environment “particularly hostile” right now. For Pakistan’s military and police forces, the last year was the bloodiest in a decade.

Persons: Imran Khan, –, Arif Ali, Nawaz Sharif, Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Khan –, Khan, Fareed Khan, ”, Rabiya Arooj, Khan’s, Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's, Asad Zaidi, Pakistan’s, Farzana Shaikh, “, ’, Murtaza Solang, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Raza, he’s, Raja Ikram, Ameer Hamza, Manahil Ahmed, Shaikh, Hussain Nadim, Maurice R, Greenberg, ‘, Aamir Qureshi, Shoaib Tanveer, Baou Nadeem, ” Shaikh, Farooq Naeem, “ Sharif, He’s, Tim Willasey Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, Getty, PTI, World Bank, Pakistan, Bloomberg, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, CNN, for Research, Security Studies, Pakistan’s People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League, Baloch Liberation Army, Yale University, Pakistan Army –, Workers, King’s College London Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Lahore, AFP, Karachi, “, Rawalpindi, Asia, Hafizabad, Khan’s, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, India, Afghanistan, Iran, State Khorasan, restive Balochistan, Balochistan, Punjab, Sharif, States, China, British

☆ Modi’s ‘divine India’ vision threatens to marginalize millions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“(Today) is the beginning of a new time cycle,” Modi said at the new temple honoring Hindu deity Lord Ram. “After centuries of waiting, our Ram has arrived.”Modi’s vision of a “divine India” is a far cry from the ideas of the modern country’s founding fathers. “India becomes a de facto Hindu nation, where the task of building national Hindu religious symbols falls to the state. And he reiterated his party’s desire to build the Ram Temple on the contested holy site. Hindu groups have for decades claimed the Mughals destroyed Hindu temples, building mosques and other monuments in their place.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, ” Modi, Lord Ram, “, Ram, ”, Gilles Verniers, officiates, ‘, Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Modi’s, ” Modi fasted, ” Narendra Modi, Prakash Singh, Pratishtha ”, –, Sunita Viswanath, “ Modi, tramples what’s, Ravi Agrawal, it’s, Babar, Douglas E, Curran, ” Agrawal, Ritesh Shukla, Aurangzeb, “ Aurangzeb, Policy’s Agrawal, Gilles Organizations: CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Centre for Policy Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Indian, Human Rights, India’s, Ram Locations: Ayodhya, “, India, New Delhi, Babri, Delhi, India’s, Jammu, Kashmir, South Asia, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Varanasi

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan’s incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, his Pakistan Tehreef-e-Insaaf (PTI) party said Wednesday, in the second legal blow to beset the beleaguered politician this week. Khan, who has been jailed since August on several charges, has also been barred from holding office for 10 years, the PTI said. Bibi was taken into police custody shortly after the sentencing, the party added. Wednesday’s sentencing comes almost one week away from a general election expected on February 8 and just a day after Khan was handed a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets. That moment set the stage for a months-long showdown between Khan and the powerful military, who he accused of orchestrating his removal.

Persons: Pakistan CNN — Pakistan’s, Imran Khan, Khan, Bushra Bibi, Bibi, ” Khan Organizations: Pakistan CNN, National, Bureau, PTI Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan’s former leader Imran Khan has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets, his political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said in a statement Tuesday. The former prime minister repeatedly alleged that Pakistani officials conspired with the country’s powerful military and the US to remove him from office. Khan has been behind bars since August after he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to three years in prison. Despite being unable to stand in the upcoming vote, he remains a major political force owing to his widespread popularity. TV stations are banned from running Khan’s speeches, and many of his PTI party colleagues have been arrested.

Persons: Pakistan CNN — Pakistan’s, Imran Khan, Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi Organizations: Pakistan CNN, Cypher, PTI, US State Department Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Rawalpindi’s Adiala, Pakistani

☆ Pakistan accuses India of extrajudicial killings on its territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A top Pakistan official on Thursday accused India of killing two Pakistani nationals on its soil, citing what he called “a pattern” of alleged Indian assassination plots overseas and raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India has long accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists, particularly in the disputed and heavily militarized region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in its entirety. Qazi on Thursday compared the alleged killings in Pakistan to other purported recent Indian assassination plots in North America. India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The Indian government has denied involvement in the American and Canadian cases and has set up a high-level committee to investigate the accusations in the US.

Persons: Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Muhammad Riaz, Shahid Latif, ” Qazi, –, Qazi, “, Randhir Jaiswal, Justin Trudeau Organizations: CNN, Pakistan, India’s, External Affairs, Canadian, American Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kashmir, Sialkot, New Delhi, India, North America, Canada, United States, American

☆ Sri Lanka passes controversial bill to regulate online content
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Morayo Ogunbayo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sri Lanka’s lawmakers passed a bill on Wednesday regulating internet use among its citizens, in a move that has sparked fears among rights groups of a free speech crackdown. “Sri Lanka is still reeling from an economic crisis partly caused by misgovernment and failures of accountability,” said Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly in a statement Tuesday. Then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to flee the country after angry protesters, who blamed him for the financial situation, stormed his residence. But rights groups have accused him of cracking down on dissent and silencing protesters. “Sri Lanka’s repressive laws have facilitated widespread human rights violations for decades and contributed to economic and political crises,” said Ganguly.

Persons: ”, Lanka’s, Meenakshi Ganguly, “, Wickremesinghe, Jeff Paine, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa, Ganguly Organizations: CNN, Safety, Rights Watch, Asia Internet Coalition, United Nations Human Rights Locations: Lanka’s, Sri Lanka, Lankans

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