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☆ Indian State's Polygamy Ban Divides Some Muslim Women
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

For others like Jafar, Muslim politicians and Islamic scholars, it is an unwelcome stunt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party. A 2013 survey found 91.7% of Muslim women nationwide saying a Muslim man should not be allowed to have another wife while married to the first. The Supreme Court in 2017 found the Islamic instant divorce unconstitutional, but the order did not ban polygamy or some other practices that critics say violate equal rights for women. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board called the code impractical and a direct threat to a multi-religious Indian society. "Banning polygamy makes little sense because data shows very few Muslim men have more than one wife in India," said board official S.Q.R.

Persons: Bano, Sadaf Jafar, Jafar, Narendra Modi's, Modi's, Ilyas, Rupam Jain, William Mallard Organizations: DELHI, Reuters, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, SOCIETY BJP, Islam Locations: Islam, Uttarakhand, India's, India, Uttar Pradesh

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — With fireworks, feasts and red envelopes stuffed with cash for the kids, numerous Asian nations and overseas communities have welcomed Saturday the Lunar New Year. It begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon. Firing bottle rockets and other fireworks is a traditional way of welcoming the new year and seeing off any lingering bad memories. Royal palaces and other tourist sites were also packed with visitors wearing the country’s colorful traditional “hanbok” flowing robes. Parades and commemorations are also being held in cities with large Asian communities overseas, particularly in New York and San Francisco.

Persons: Lai Ching, Han Kuo, Tsai, “, ” Tsai, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: Nationalist Party Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Seoul, Southern, Paju, North Korea, Vietnam, New York, San Francisco

☆ Bangladesh Welcomes Biden Letter on Support for Economic Goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said the U.S. is willing to work with Bangladesh to help the South Asian nation achieve its economic goals, nearly a month after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sworn in following an election boycotted by the opposition. Biden made his comments in a letter to Hasina, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters on Monday, adding through this letter ties between the two countries will advance further. Hasina and her party won a fourth straight term in the Jan. 7 election, which the main opposition dismissed as a sham. "We welcome the letter written by President Biden. "The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh's ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," Biden said in his letter, provided to reporters.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sheikh Hasina, Biden, Hasina, Hasan Mahmud, Mahmud, Ruma Paul, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S . State Department, Reuters, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP Locations: DHAKA, U.S, Bangladesh, United States, Dhaka didn't, Russia, Ukraine

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s finance minister unveiled on Thursday a short-term budget to meet government expenditures until national elections are held by May, saying it will boost spending on infrastructure projects, build homes for poor villagers and cut the fiscal deficit by reducing subsidies. The short-term budget is mostly free of big-spending new programs. The short-term budget must be approved by Parliament. The government allocated $145 billion for infrastructure projects in the short-term budget. The Modi government’s budget last year totaled $550 billion and focused on ramping up capital spending to spur economic growth.

Persons: Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Modi’s, giveaways, Modi, Sitharaman, Sibi Arasu Organizations: DELHI, —, Parliament, Monetary Fund Locations: India, United Kingdom, Bengaluru

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government on Wednesday published the details of a deal that has broken Northern Ireland’s political deadlock and should — barring a major upset — restore the regional government in Belfast after almost two years on ice. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThat angered Northern Ireland’s British unionists, who said the east-west customs border undermined Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. In February 2022, the Democratic Unionist Party walked out of Northern Ireland’s government in protest. The new changes go farther, eliminating routine checks and paperwork for goods entering Northern Ireland and making legal tweaks designed to reassure unionists that Northern Ireland’s position in the U.K. is secure. The Northern Ireland Assembly then can meet to elect a speaker, followed by the nomination of a first minister and a deputy first minister.

Persons: Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein Organizations: European Union, EU, Northern Ireland, U.K, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Northern Ireland’s, Windsor Framework, Northern, Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn, Irish Republican Army Locations: Belfast, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Northern, Northern Ireland’s, Ireland

☆ Northern Ireland power-sharing could resume within days, after two-year hiatus
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Sinn Féin won the most seats in the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly last year. Post-Brexit trade rules imposed customs checks on goods moving to Northern Ireland from the UK’s mainland. A deal known as the Northern Ireland Protocol was agreed to allow Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, to remain within the EU market so that it could trade goods freely across its land border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. Unionists in Northern Ireland, like the DUP, are in favor of remaining in the United Kingdom, whereas nationalists, like Sinn Féin, are in favor of the unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. “The people of Northern Ireland are best served by a power-sharing government in Stormont as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement.

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Sinn Féin, Brexit, Sinn, Donaldson, “, ”, ” What’s, Northern Ireland Chris Heaton, Harris, Heaton, ” “, Sinn Féin’s, Michelle O’Neill, Tánaiste, Micheál Martin –, Martin, Claire Cronin, Biden Organizations: CNN, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Sinn, Northern Ireland Assembly, Northern, Protocol, Irish, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Union, BBC Radio, Stormont, State, Government, Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Executive Locations: Northern Ireland, Ireland, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Belfast, Republic of, Westminster, Northern, Stormont –, Stormont

☆ Taiwan's political disrupter could be kingmaker in a split parliament. Here's why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan People's Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je speaks during an interview in New Taipei City on December 12, 2023. He urged his disappointed young supporters, some of them crying, not to give up, and framed himself as a one-man social movement crusading for political change. Since this social movement has not fully materialized, let's keep working hard," the former Taipei City Mayor told supporters in Mandarin. That kind of populist messaging appeals to people who feel like Taiwan's current economic and political system is not benefiting them. Taiwan's young and restlessIn any case, Taiwan's two major parties now face a battle to cater to younger voters that could come at the expense of older votes or a focus on broader strategic interests.

Persons: Ko Wen, Cheng, we'll, Ko, let's, Wei, Ting Yen, Sara Newland, Taiwan's, Newland, Lai Ching, Taiwan People's Party —, —, Yuan, Beijing's, Tsai Ing, Annice Lyn, Xi Jinping, Lily, Hwa CHENG, HWA CHENG, Ho Organizations: Taiwan People's Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Taipei City Mayor, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Franklin, Marshall College, CNBC, Sara Newland Smith, Ko's, Taipei, KMT, Smith College, National Taiwan University, Democratic, Chinese Communist Party, HWA, Afp, Sunflower Movement Locations: Taiwan, New Taipei City, China, Taipei, Xinzhuang, AFP

☆ Temple Tourism Set to Soar Under India's Modi
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

In comparison, about 9 million people visit Vatican City in a year and about 20 million Mecca. Since Modi inaugurated the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on the banks of the Ganges in 2021 in his constituency of Varanasi, more than 130 million tourists have visited the area, according to government data. With nearly $200 billion in revenue, tourism contributes about 7% of India's economy, which is below most large emerging and developed economies by up to 5 percentage points. The new temple and renovations of many others are likely to greatly boost the electoral prospects of the Hindu nationalist party of Modi, who is widely expected to win a rare third straight term in general elections due by May. Muslims account for about 14% of India's population of 1.42 billion, most of them Hindus.

Persons: Krishna, Narendra Modi, Modi, Lord Ram, Monday's, Modi's, Sandeep Shastri, Krishn Kaushik, Ed Osmond Organizations: Das NEW, Indian, Monday, Jefferies, Analysts, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Ministry Locations: Das NEW DELHI, Ayodhya, Vatican, Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi, India's, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi

He has ensured this with the Ram Temple,” said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, an expert in Hindu nationalism and author of a book on Modi. Modi’s Hindu nationalist party is expected to once again exploit religion for political gain in the upcoming national elections in April or May and secure power for a third consecutive term. The mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in December 1992, sparking nationwide riots that killed more than 2,000 people, mostly Muslims. That fraught history is still an open wound for many Muslims, and some say the temple is the biggest political testament yet to Hindu supremacy. Modi has released postage stamps on Ram Temple, and live screenings of the ceremony are planned across the country.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Lord Ram, Modi, ”, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, Modi's, ” Mukhopadhyay, “ Modi, Ram, Salam, ” Salam, revivalism —, “ Organizations: DELHI, —, Indian, Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party, Ram, BJP Locations: India, Ayodhya —, Ayodhya, Babri, Gujarat, Babri Mosque, Hindu India

☆ Indian Devotees Splurge on Jets, Gold Idols as Hindu Temple Opens
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. Officials estimate 100 private jets will descend on Jan. 22 on Ayodhya airport, filling it to capacity. Mehra did not disclose the price of the charters, but private jet booking website JetSetGo lists the price of a Mumbai-Gorakhpur flight on a Falcon 2000 jet with nine passengers on board at about $74,000. There is a waiting period of two weeks," said Baldev Singh, a manager at HS Jewellers in Lucknow city. "People are betting on economic prosperity but there's also emotional attachment to be part of the Ayodhya story."

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Tanvi Mehta, Narendra Modi, Mukesh Ambani, Lord Ram, Modi, It's, Rajan Mehra, Mehra, Baldev Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhinandan, Abhinandan Lodha, Aditya Kalra Organizations: Indian, Ram, Bharatiya Janata Party, Dassault, Reuters Locations: Tanvi Mehta AYODHYA, India, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Mumbai, Thailand, Lucknow city

☆ ‘Annapoorani’: Netflix removes Indian movie after backlash by right-wing Hindu groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New Delhi CNN —Netflix has removed an Indian film from its platform after it sparked backlash and protest from right wing Hindu groups – the latest in several recent controversies where India’s entertainment industry has caved to religious pressure campaigns. The movie was released on Netflix on December 29, where it quickly became the streaming platform’s top trending movie in India, according to production studio Zee Entertainment. “We removed this film at the request of the licensor,” a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to CNN in a statement Tuesday. CNN reached out to Zee Entertainment and the film’s director, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. That incident, like the ongoing controversy over ‘Annapoorani,’ prompted a police complaint against Netflix executives.

Persons: ”, Ramesh N Solanki, Lord Ram, Shriraj Nair, Vikram Seth, Narendra Modi’s, ‘, ’, Modi Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Netflix, Zee Entertainment, CNN, Hindu IT Cell, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, India, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, – Locations: New Delhi, India, Asia, Indian, Delhi, Mumbai

☆ Taiwan's new president will face a divided parliament. Here's why it matters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A kid runs across the flag of Taiwan banner during the announcement of official results on January 13, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan. While Lai won the presidential election on Saturday with 40% of the popular vote, his DPP lost 10 seats in Taiwan's parliament from its previous 61, giving up its majority. Taiwan's president- and vice president-elect from the Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Bi-khim standing along several party's heavyweight on the central stage in Taipei on Janauary 13, 2024 to celebrate victory in Taiwan's 8th presidential election. The Chinese Communist Party has refused to engage with outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen since she assumed office in 2016. Supporters attend the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) campaign rally on January 12, 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Persons: Sawayasu Tsuji, Lai Ching, Han Kuo, rancor, —, Lai, Timothy S, Rich, Sara Newland, TPP, Tsai, Gabriel Wildau, Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching, Hsiao, Alberto Buzzola, Tsai Ing, Ting Yen Franklin Organizations: Getty, TAIPEI —, Taiwan People's Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Beijing Kuomintang, Kuomintang, KMT, TPP, Rich Western Kentucky University, Smith College, Lightrocket, Chinese Communist Party, Marshall College China, DPP, Chinese Communist Party officials, Taiwan Straits, Western Kentucky University, Supporters Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, China, Taiwan's, Beijing

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan on Sunday condemned what it said were “fallacious comments” by China following the self-governing island's presidential and parliamentary election the previous day. The verbal sparring did not bode well for the future of Taiwan's relations with China under the winner, President-elect Lai Ching-te, or for China's relations with the United States. The institute is the de-facto U.S. Embassy, since the United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and says that it should not even have a foreign ministry or any official relations with foreign governments. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in its statement that "the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair.

Persons: bode, Lai Ching, Stephen Hadley, State James Steinberg, Tsai Ing, China's, ” Lai, Tsai, ” Chen Binhua Organizations: —, Sunday, Former National Security, State, American Institute, U.S, Embassy, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's Foreign, Foreign Ministry, Taiwan Affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Kuomintang, Nationalist Party, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Taiwan Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, — Taiwan, China, United States, U.S, Taipei

☆ Protesters in Georgia demand punishment for woman accused of defacing Stalin icon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A large protest was held in Tbilisi on Saturday to demand harsh punishment for a woman accused of defacing a religious icon depicting Josef Stalin which was recently-installed in the Georgian capital, as tensions over the incident remained high. Thousands of Orthodox believers and supporters of the Alt-Info pro-Russian ultra-conservative movement gathered on Saturday in front of the country’s parliament before matching through the city in the direction of the cathedral. The icon is located at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia. The police opened an investigation into “petty hooliganism” and questioned the woman who had damaged the icon. Flowers were placed by the icon on Saturday as believers lined up to kiss the part of it depicting Stalin.

Persons: Josef Stalin, Irakli Gedenidze, Stalin, St Matrona, ”, Flowers Organizations: CNN, Trinity Cathedral, Reuters, Alliance of Patriots, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Church Locations: Tbilisi, Georgia, Soviet, Russian, Georgian, Tbilisi , Georgia, Soviet Union, Moscow

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Ruling-party candidate Lai Ching-te emerged victorious in Taiwan’s presidential election on Saturday, a result that will determine the trajectory of the self-ruled democracy’s contentious relations with China over the next four years. Beijing strongly opposes Lai, the current vice president who abandoned his medical career to pursue politics from the grassroots to the presidency. It's the first time a single party has led Taiwan for three consecutive four-year presidential terms since the first open presidential election in 1996. Its candidate, Hou Yu-ih, also had promised to restart talks with China while bolstering national defense. Evelyn Ni traveled from China especially to get a taste of Taiwan’s election.

Persons: Lai Ching, Lai, Tsai Ing, Hou Yu, Hou, “, I’m, David Chiau, Ko Wen, Ko, Chen Binhua, Beijing wouldn't, ” Chen, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, Evelyn Ni, Tony Chen, ”, Xi Jinping, Stacy Chen, Gabrielle Reid, Sung Organizations: Democratic, Nationalist, KMT, ih, Taiwan People’s Party, DPP, Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, Biden, Associated Press Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Japanese, United States, Taipei, Russia, Ukraine, South China

☆ China skeptic Lai Ching-te wins Taiwan's presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te (left) gestures beside his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim during a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, 2024, after winning the presidential election. The outcome of the presidential election on Saturday riled Beijing, which has repeatedly labeled Lai as a "stubborn worker for Taiwan independence" and a dangerous separatist. Annabelle Chih | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesDPP's Lai — Taiwan's current vice-president — won more than 40% of the popular vote in Taiwan's eighth presidential election. DPP is the first party to win the presidential office three times in row since direct presidential elections were introduced in 1996. This year, 71.9% of all eligible voters cast their ballots for the presidential election, according to preliminary data from Taiwan's Central Election Commission.

Persons: Lai Ching, Hsiao Bi, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Lai, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Annabelle Chih, DPP's Lai, Taiwan's, —, Beijing's, Hou, Ko Wen, Chen Binhua, Chen, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Ko, Wei, Ting Yen Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, AFP, Getty, TAIPEI, Saturday, Beijing, Chinese Communist Party, DPP, KMT, Chinese Communist Party officials, Democratic Progressive, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, Taiwan's, Taiwan Affairs Office, State Council, CNBC, Franklin, Marshall College, Taiwan's DPP Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, U.S, Taiwan Strait, Beijing, Taiwan —, Republic of China, Xinhua, United States

☆ Vote counting begins in closely watched Taiwan election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

With China intensifying its rhetoric on its claim over Taiwan, global observers are billing this Taiwan election as highly pivotal for security in the Asia-Pacific at a time of testy U.S.-China relations. If Lai and Hsiao win the Jan. 13 vote for the Taiwan presidential office, it would mark the first time any political party has stayed in office for more than two consecutive terms since Taiwan introduced direct presidential elections in 1996. Campaign posters for various legislative member candidates in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. China's Taiwan affairs office has characterized the self-ruled island's election as a choice between "peace and war, prosperity and decline." "China has always meddled whenever there is an election in Taiwan, but this time, it's the most serious."

Persons: Hou Yu, Hei Leung, Ko Wen, policymaking, Tsai Ing, Ko, Cynthia Wu, Jing Bo, jiun, Sam Yeh, Jing, Tsai, Lai Ching, Hsiao, United States —, Lai, Timothy S, Rich, Jaw Shaw, kong, Hou, Kevin Luo, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Rong Xu, Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching, Yasuyoshi Chiba, DPP's Lai, Weeks Organizations: ih, Anadolu, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party, Kuomintang, Taiwan People's Party, China, Local, KMT, Taiwan Studies, University of Oxford, AFP, Taiwan, Rich Western Kentucky University, Taiwan's National Police Agency, New, DPP, University of Minnesota, Western Kentucky University, U.S, China -, APEC, CNBC, Former U.S, Bloomberg, Taiwan's DPP, Beijing, Cross Straits Service Locations: Taichung, Taiwan, Taipei, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Hsinchu, United States, Overconfidence, New Taipei City, China - U.S, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Kaohsiung

In the months leading up to a pivotal presidential election for Taiwan, candidates have focused on who can best handle the island democracy’s volatile relationship with China, with its worries about the risks of war. But at a recent forum in Taipei, younger voters instead peppered two of the candidates with questions about everyday issues like rent, telecom scams and the voting age. It was a telling distillation of the race, the outcome of which will have far-reaching implications for Taiwan. The island is a potential flashpoint between the United States and China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and has signaled that it could escalate military threats if the Democratic Progressive Party wins. A considerable number expressed disillusionment with Taiwan’s two dominant parties, the governing Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalist Party.

Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, Nationalist Party Locations: Taiwan, China, Taipei, United States

"Many people have taken sides,” says Sandrine, who didn't feel comfortable providing her last name given the sensitivity of the topic. Immediately following the Oct. 7 attacks, Macron condemned Hamas and supported Israel’s right to defend itself. “The explicit prohibition of Palestinian demonstrations is something very recent and, in my opinion, a massive political mistake,” Lazar says. The RN, which denounces mass immigration to France from largely Muslim countries, also views Israel as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world. "He needs to defend what [Hamas does] without saying he supports them directly" as part of the Palestinian cause, says Lazar.

Persons: ”, Sandrine, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Marc Lazar, ” Lazar, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Marc Hecker, “ That's, Hecker, David, Goliath, Joe Biden, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Marie Le Pen’s, “, Le, Le Pen, ‘, ’ ”, Yves Camus, Luc Mélenchon, –, Lazar, Mélenchon, they’re Organizations: Hamas, Montaigne Institute, Sciences Po, West Bank, Center for Security Studies, French Institute of International Relations, French Institute of Public, Palestinian Authority, U.S, National, La France, National Assembly, National Front, Israel, FN, Marine, Rassemblement, Institute of International Relations, Strategic Studies, European Jewish Congress, ” Locations: Paris, Israel, France, Gaza, Western Europe, Egypt, Jordan, Syria

☆ India's ruling BJP, opposition Congress in tight race to win state elections-exit polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Three of the five states in contention have witnessed a tough battle between Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party. BJP has been in power in one of the states, Congress in two, and regional parties in the remaining two. At least nine exit polls predicted Congress party's victory in mineral-rich Chattisgarh and Telangana state. A regional party was set to win again in the northeastern state of Mizoram, according to two exit polls. Politicians and analysts also note that state elections do not always influence the outcome of the general elections or indicate national voter mood.

Persons: Stringer, Narendra Modi's, Rupam, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India Today, Thomson Locations: Rajasthan, Ajmer, India, DELHI, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram

☆ Bangladesh opposition vows to continue protests despite 'autocratic' crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) join in a rally at Naya Paltan area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 28, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh’s main opposition party said on Wednesday it would continue its anti-government protests despite what a rights group called an "autocratic crackdown" ahead of a general election in January. At least four people, including a policeman, have been killed and hundreds injured in violent protests across the country in the past few weeks, police said. In order to end this misrule and lawlessness, the ongoing movement must be accelerated and the victory of the people must be ensured,” senior BNP official Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said. “Diplomatic partners should make clear that the government’s autocratic crackdown will jeopardise future economic cooperation,” the rights group said in a statement quoting Bleckner.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, ” Abdul Moyeen Khan, ”, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Hasina, “, League’s, Julia Bleckner, Khaleda Zia, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Reuters, Police, Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, “, Thomson Locations: Naya Paltan, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asia

☆ China’s Best Hope for the Taiwan Presidential Election Just Fell Apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A supporter of the opposition Nationalist Party waves a Taiwanese flag outside the Central Election Commission. Photo: Annabelle Chih/Getty ImagesTAIPEI—A last-minute effort by Taiwan’s opposition parties to combine forces in a coming presidential election has crumbled in spectacular fashion, increasing the likelihood that the island democracy will continue as a central flashpoint in ties between the U.S. and China. Taiwan’s main opposition Nationalist Party, also known as the Kuomintang, struck a surprise deal last week with the Taiwan People’s Party to unite in a coalition ticket favoring friendlier ties with China that political analysts said had a real shot of coming out on top in the island’s presidential contest in January.

Persons: Annabelle Chih Organizations: Nationalist Party, TAIPEI, U.S, Kuomintang, Taiwan People’s Party Locations: China

His party more than doubled in size in parliament to tower over mainstream parties that long specialized in marginalizing him. Suddenly on Thursday, there was hope in the air again for nationalist conservative populists, especially with an European Parliament election coming up in June. Earlier, Slovakia had already turned populist with Robert Fico’s Smer party winning a general election and setting up a coalition government with an ultranationalist party. Wilders calls for a “Nexit” referendum — a Dutch version of Brexit which saw the United Kingdom leave the EU. By nature, Dutch politics rely on coalitions between several parties and no other suitable party has followed Wilders on that.

Persons: Geert Wilders, firebrand Wilders, “, Alice Weidel, Wilders, Robert Fico’s Smer, Viktor Orbán, behemoth, Le Pen, ”, Hendrik Vos, Vos, Matteo Salvini Organizations: Party for Freedom, Law, European Union, EU, France, Inter, Ghent University, League Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Poland, Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungarian, France, United Kingdom, Italian, Italy

☆ Slovak parliament confirms government promising to halt Ukraine military aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Slovakia's newly appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico attends the new cabinet's inauguration, at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - Slovakia's parliament confirmed Prime Minister Robert Fico's government on Tuesday, backing a policy agenda that promises to halt state military aid to Ukraine, slowly reduce budget deficits and impose a new bank tax. Fico's governing coalition combines his leftist, socially conservative SMER-SSD party with a smaller leftist party and a small nationalist party. The coalition adopted its policy programme last week, and parliament supported it in a vote of confidence on Tuesday. The programme promises a special tax on banking profits and measures to cut interest rates on mortgages.

Persons: Slovakia's, Robert Fico, Radovan Stoklasa, Robert Fico's, Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Jason Hovet, Jan Lopatka, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine

☆ Taiwan Opposition Parties Unite Against Presidential Candidate China Sees as Threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A deal between two Taiwan opposition parties is expected to bolster their chances against Vice President Lai Ching-te, a leading candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Photo: sam yeh/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesTAIPEI—Taiwan’s two largest opposition parties reached a deal to collaborate in a pivotal election scheduled for early January that has major ramifications for Taiwan’s future and U.S.-China relations. Taiwan’s main opposition Nationalist Party, which favors closer relations with Beijing, said it would work with a third party founded by a former Taipei mayor to run jointly for the 2024 elections. The long-anticipated deal is expected to bolster the opposition’s chances against Vice President Lai Ching-te, a leading candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which has forged tighter ties with the U.S., and is currently leading in the polls.

Persons: Lai Ching Organizations: Democratic Progressive Party, Agence France, Getty, TAIPEI —, Nationalist Party, U.S Locations: Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taipei

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