'I am also concerned over Chinese ambitions in the Maldives and wider Indian Ocean,' former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed tells Rediff.com contributor Rajeev Sharma in an exclusive interview.
An opposition youth leader, a pro-government candidate and a soldier were among those who were killed.
The Congress leader from Maharashtra said that the party of Mahatma Gandhi that once saw Maulana Azad become its president at the age of 35 years "is now the proprietorship of a Shehzada.
With transfer of 23 police and administrative officials by the EC ahead of Thursday's Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suspected Congress and CPM hand behind their removal by the poll panel.
'It doesn't help to transpose the Hindi heartland model on Bengal. Bengalis don't understand its dynamics. They won't comprehend the impact of Modi's dip in the Ganga because Bengal's political culture is different. Even in the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrams, Christ is worshipped on Christmas. It's difficult to polarise Bengal religiously'
Pakistan's Muttahida Qaumi Movement party has demanded fresh polls in Karachi constituency, rejecting the Election Commission's decision to conduct re-polling only at 43 stations of the National Assembly seat. The Election Commission of Pakistan had announced re-polling at 43 polling stations of constituency NA-250 Karachi, where polling was postponed on election day due to reports of alleged rigging.
Masked and wearing blue jeans, a blue blouse and sunglasses with "I RUN CLEAN" written on them, Tsimanouskaya had arrived in a police-escorted van at Narita airport east of the Japanese capital.
The 40-page policy document mentions that "attempts would be made to ensure there is a population balance among various communities in the state. Extensive campaigns would be run in communities, groups, and geographical areas where fertility rates were higher."
China would have become another India "where around 20% of the world's poorest live" if it adopted democracy
The former prime minister also expressed apprehension of President Musharraf continuing in office and still wearing his uniform as Chief of the Armed Forces.
"By far, we've tested more people than India, than many, many big countries put together. India is second (in coronavirus testing after the US). We're 44 million tests ahead of India. They have 1.5 billion people. And Prime Minister Modi calls me and says, what a job you've done with testing," Trump said at an election rally in Reno, Nevada.
'They can't be tampered with because of the very nature of the machines -- they are standalone, and not networked.' 'Also, they can't be rigged because of the kind of custodial security they are subjected to during the election process.'
"Our country does not feel 'great already' to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, violence and despair," Trump said after Obama's address.
Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday demanded formation of a caretaker government after the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif which holds fresh elections.
Hasina, the president of the Awami League, won the 11th parliamentary elections with a landslide victory even as the Opposition rejected the "farcical" polls marred by violence that claimed 17 lives, making it one of the deadliest polls in the country's history.
Sir Mark Tully on the magic of Indian elections. A fascinating excerpt from The Great March of Democracy: Seven Decades of India's Elections.
Khan said Kashmir is the 'core' issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.
'For the first time one single party is getting 49% which is a record of its own.'
Brussels-based International Crisis Group cited the rigged local election and said there was little faith that Musharraf will restore democracy and that failure to do so will only provide political space to jihadi outfits.
The stupidity of someone buying impressions on people meters is like saying the BJP wins elections because the EVMs are rigged. I predict zooming TRPs for Republic TV, says Sudhir Bisht.
The final phase of polling on Saturday will cover 78 constituencies spread across 19 north Bihar districts.
'Certainly it could embolden some Hindu extremists. It could also embolden some fundamental extremists. Probably elements on both sides would seek to capitalise and one would worry about the potential tit-for-tat escalation of violence.' Aziz Haniffa listens to concerns at a Washington, DC think-tank about Narendra Modi's possible rise as India's prime minister.
'Certainly it could embolden some Hindu extremists. It could also embolden some fundamental extremists. Probably elements on both sides would seek to capitalise and one would worry about the potential tit-for-tat escalation of violence.' Aziz Haniffa listens to concerns at a Washington, DC think-tank about Narendra Modi's possible rise as India's prime minister.
Pakistan's political crisis deepened on Monday with cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri giving a fresh 48-hour ultimatum to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down after a former top election commission official backed protesters' allegations of rigging in last year's polls.
Negotiations between the embattled Pakistan government and protesters on Monday made "some progress" even as opposition leader Imran Khan stuck to his demand of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation to end the 26-day political impasse that has paralysed the nation.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan announced his plans to bring major cities in the country to a standstill, while pressing for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation.
>The ABVP has put the onus on Delhi University to verify Ankiv Baisoya's degree and is defending its leader. But there's not a single word of support from its political masters.
National Rifle Association of India president Raninder Singh has made an appeal to not politicise the federation's upcoming elections and said its constitution is not in conflict with the government's sports code and the IOC.
He rejected TMC's allegation that BJP workers vandalised a bust of educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Voting is being held at 11,860 polling stations spread over 11 assembly constituencies each in Murshidabad and Birbhum, six in Malda and seven in north Kolkata.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and party's candidate for Karimpur assembly bypoll Jay Prakash Majumdar was on Monday allegedly beaten up by Trinamool Congress activists at Phipulkhola area of Nadia district when he was entering a polling booth.
Over 73.44 lakh voters exercised their franchise in 10,592 polling stations spread over 13 districts in the Barak Valley, the hill regions and parts of central and lower Assam.
The prime minister also launched a blistering attack on Banerjee, saying she did not care to express regret after a "leader very close to her" called Scheduled Castes "beggars".
Poland, which has long been critical of Lukashenko and harboured many activists from Belarus, has granted her and her husband humanitarian visas.
On the arrival of additional troops, Karzai said that if their arrival contributed to better security for the Afghan people and since it would enhance the ability of the Afghan forces to defend their country then he was ready to consider it.
Trump, 74, who faces a formidable challenge from former Democratic vice president Joe Biden, 77, is scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech from the South Lawn of the White House on August 27.
Biden won the Republican stronghold of Georgia, a top state official said after a manual recount, becoming the first Democrat to have won the key battleground state since 1992.
Khan, who is believed to have the backing of the powerful military, has vowed to make a 'Naya Pakistan' which would be an Islamic welfare state.
Amid fears of violence and vote-rigging during the presidential elections on Tuesday, Sri Lankan government on Monday vowed to protect the democratic principles and assured free and fair polls.
A lacklustre show by the Congress in Bihar seems to have proved costly for the opposition grand alliance, as it dragged down the RJD too from government formation in the Hindi heartland state.
