NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD: Regional parties in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alliance demanded on Thursday more funds for their states and federal cabinet positions as negotiations began on forming a new coalition government, alliance leaders and sources said.
Modi was named leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday, after his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its outright majority in India’s parliamentary election and found itself reliant on support from regional parties — mainly the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United).
The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament, where 272 constitutes a simple majority.
But Modi’s BJP won only 240, making TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) head Nitish Kumar, also the chief minister of the eastern state of Bihar, kingmakers in the alliance with their 16 and 12 seats respectively.
TDP also won a regional election in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and Naidu is set to become chief minister there.
“We’re still in discussions and one thing we’re clear on is Naidu wants to maintain a very good relationship with the center (federal government) because our priority is state development and interest,” senior TDP leader Kutumba Rao told Reuters.
Both parties are pushing longstanding demands to grant special status to their states, according to one TDP spokesperson and five NDA sources.
Special status allows states to receive more federal development funds, and on simpler terms. While Bihar is India’s poorest state, Andhra Pradesh lost some of its resources in 2014 when the new state of Telangana was carved out of it.
Besides special status and cabinet positions, TDP is also seeking more funds for irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh and to complete the building of its new capital, Amaravati, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
“This is not the first time we are in NDA, so we are confident that we will get what is due to us,” TDP spokesperson Jyothsna Tirunagari said.
“In our earlier terms with NDA, we had ministerial berths and also the Lok Sabha [lower house] speaker from our party. This time we are a strong partner and share a clear vision for the country,” she said.
JD(U)’s Kumar also wants support for new industrial projects in Bihar along with federal cabinet positions, one NDA source said.
COALITION NEGOTIATIONS
Top BJP leaders held talks about ministerial portfolios with the allies on Thursday, a day before Modi is expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu to present his claim to form the next government, one BJP source said.
Modi is expected to be sworn in over the weekend and local media reported that leaders of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Mauritius and the king of Bhutan have been invited to attend the inauguration.
The coalition negotiations are a throwback to an era before 2014 — when Modi swept to power with an outright BJP majority — in which alliance partners haggled for positions and benefits in exchange for their support.
The BJP’s loss of its majority unnerved markets and raised the prospect of a government less stable and sure-footed than the outgoing one.
But Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a top BJP leader and newly elected lawmaker, told the CNN-News18 TV channel that Modi’s new government would last its full five-year term and “come back with a better performance.”
A survey published on Thursday suggested that a lack of jobs, high inflation and falling income had cost Modi votes, even though he personally still commanded wide support.
Some 30 percent of voters said they were worried about inflation, compared to 20 percent prior to the election, according to the Lokniti-CSDS post-election survey published by the Hindu newspaper.
In a survey for the Hindu conducted before the election, unemployment had been the main concern of 32 percent of respondents.
Decreasing income and the government’s handling of corruption and fraud were other issues of concern, according to the survey.
Modi’s allies want funds, cabinet jobs as India coalition talks begin
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Modi’s allies want funds, cabinet jobs as India coalition talks begin
- Modi was named leader of the National Democratic Alliance on Wednesday, after his BJP party lost outright majority in India’s parliamentary election
- BJP leaders held talks with allies on Thursday, a day before Modi is expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu to present his claim to form government
Spanish PM: Israel should be excluded from Eurovision
- Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine 'who are experiencing the injustice of war'
- Russia has not been allowed to participate in Eurovision since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine
MADRID: The Eurovision song contest should exclude Israel, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday, expressing solidarity with “the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment.”
The intervention by Sanchez, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, comes after protests against Israeli participation marked last weekend’s extravaganza in Switzerland.
Russia has not been allowed to participate in Eurovision since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“Therefore Israel shouldn’t either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture,” Sanchez said at an event in Madrid.
“Spain’s commitment to international law and human rights must be constant and must be coherent. Europe’s should be too,” added the Socialist leader.
Ahead of the Eurovision final on Saturday, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE aired a message in support of Palestinians — despite being warned to avoid references to Gaza by Eurovision organizers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
In April, RTVE wrote to the EBU requesting a “debate” over Israeli participation amid civil society “concerns” about the situation in Gaza, where the risk of famine is rising.
Sanchez, who last year recognized a Palestinian state, also expressed on Monday “a supportive embrace for the people of Ukraine and the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment.”
At an Arab League summit in Baghdad on Saturday, the Socialist leader called for more international pressure on Israel to stop the “massacre in Gaza.”
The occupied Palestinian territory has been under a complete aid blockade by Israel since March 2.
Spain will submit a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to rule on Israel’s compliance with international obligations on humanitarian aid access to Gaza, Sanchez added.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Hamas also took 251 hostages during the attack, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 53,339 people in Gaza, mainly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
The UN considers the ministry’s figures to be reliable.
First Filipino pilgrims depart Manila for Hajj
- 5,000 Filipino Muslims are expected to perform the pilgrimage this year
- Special Hajj flights from the Philippines will operate through May 29
MANILA: Philippine officials and Saudi Arabia’s ambassador saw off on Monday the first group of Filipino pilgrims departing from Manila to Madinah to take part in this year’s Hajj.
A total of 5,000 Filipino Muslims are set to undertake the spiritual journey that is one of the tenets of Islam.
Saudi Ambassador Faisal bin Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi accompanied hundreds of them as they prepared to board flights operated by Saudia, the Kingdom’s national flag carrier, at the Manila airport.
“As you embark on this sacred journey, I pray that your Hajj is accepted, your efforts are rewarded, and your deeds are righteous,” he told the pilgrims.
“I wish to assure you, dear brothers and sisters, that the relevant authorities in the Kingdom have completed all preparations to receive the pilgrims in line with the leadership’s clear commitment to making the Hajj experience smooth and spiritually fulfilling for all.”
Muslims constitute roughly 10 percent of the country’s 110 million predominantly Catholic population. The majority of them live on the southern island of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, as well as in the central-western province of Palawan.
The last of the special Hajj flights carrying Philippine Muslims to Saudi Arabia will depart on May 29 as the annual pilgrimage is expected to begin on June 4.
“As you embark on this sacred journey to the blessed place … may your hearts be filled with peace, prosperity and gratitude,” National Commission on Muslim Filipinos chairman Sabuddin Abdurahim said during the sendoff ceremony.
“Hajj is not only a physical journey, but it is a profound spiritual transformation where you will be going to reflect, to purify your souls, and renew your commitment to a new life of compassion, humility, and righteousness.”
Sahawi Mua, a pilgrim from Marawi, said he waited almost 10 years to be able to save money and take part in the pilgrimage.
“(With) the help of the Almighty … I prepared for this not only financially but also physically and health-wise, and hopefully I’ll be successful,” he told Arab News.
“I’ve prepared myself my whole life.”
For Marion Gandawali and his wife, the wait was even longer. Farmers from Lanao del Norte, they will be visiting Makkah and Madinah for the first time.
“We waited for 40 years … Whatever we earned from farming corn, coconut, we saved it all, our whole life, to get this chance to perform the Hajj,” Gandawali said.
“Even though we waited a long time, it was all worth it as my wife and I are doing this together.”
Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance meet ahead of US-led diplomatic flurry to reach ceasefire in Ukraine
- Vance, a Catholic convert, had led the US delegation to the formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope
ROME: Pope Leo XIV and US Vice President JD Vance met at the Vatican on Monday ahead of a flurry of US-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Vance, a Catholic convert, had led the US delegation to the formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope. Joining him at the meeting on Monday was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic, Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said.
“There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,” according to a Vatican statement after their meeting.
The Vatican listed Vance’s delegation as the first of several private audiences Leo was having Monday with people who had come to Rome for his inaugural Mass, including other Christian leaders and a group of faithful from his old diocese in Chiclayo, Peru.
The Vatican, which was largely sidelined during the first three years of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has offered to host any peace talks while continuing humanitarian efforts to facilitate prisoner swaps and reunite Ukrainian children taken by Russia.
After greeting Leo briefly at the end of Sunday’s Mass, Vance spent the rest of the day in separate meetings, including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also met with European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, who said she hoped the trialateral meeting could be a “new beginning.”
In the evening, Meloni spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump and several other European leaders ahead of Trump’s expected call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to a statement from Meloni’s office.
‘Every Effort’
Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is a Chicago-born Augustinian missionary who spent the bulk of his ministry in Chiclayo, a commercial city of around 800,000 on Peru’s northern Pacific coast.
In the days since his May 8 election, Leo has vowed “every effort” to help bring peace to Ukraine. He also has emphasized his continuity with Pope Francis, who made caring for migrants and the poor a priority of his pontificate.
Before his election, Prevost shared news articles on X that were critical of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations of migrants.
Vance was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Francis before the Argentine pope’s April 21 death. The two had tangled over migration, with Francis publicly rebuking the Trump administration’s deportation plan and correcting Vance’s theological justification for it.
Pets with a toolkit: Protection dogs train to handle burglars as sports stars boost home security
- Expensive protection dogs have been in demand among professional athletes to guard against burglars who target wealthy homes as part of sophisticated rings
- The lengthy list of athletes whose residences have been hit includes England cricket captain Ben Stokes’ home was burglarized while he was playing in Pakistan
EMBOROUGH, England: Scream all you want, but Lobo isn’t letting go.
The young German shepherd has chomped into the arm of a would-be attacker wearing a padded suit at K9 Protector in southwest England.
A command later, Lobo is back at the feet of Alaster Bly and awaiting his next instruction.
“I describe them as pets with a toolkit built into them. A toolkit that you hope you’re never going to use,” said Bly, K9 Protector co-owner.
Expensive protection dogs like Lobo have been in demand among professional athletes to guard against burglars who target wealthy homes often as part of sophisticated crime rings. Athletes are particularly vulnerable while they’re away at games.
“He will end up in somebody’s home with high-net worth that is potentially at risk from more than your opportunist burglar,” Bly said of Lobo, who costs 45,000 pounds ($60,000) and boasts a Bavarian bloodline that is “second to none.”
The lengthy list of athletes whose residences have been hit includes Premier League stars Jack Grealish and Alexander Isak. England cricket captain Ben Stokes’ home was burglarized while he was playing in Pakistan.
It’s becoming a major problem in the United States, too, with former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman a recent example.
The homes of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were burglarized in October as part of a wave of break-ins that also targeted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Seven Chilean men were charged in connection with those burglaries, as well as the break-in at Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis’ home, where nearly $1.5 million in cash and valuables were stolen.
After consulting the FBI, the NBA drew up guidance for players.
One of the recommendations: “Utilize dogs for home protection.”
WHICH BREED IS BEST?
While almost any dog can provide some deterrence, protection-dog providers offer breeds like German shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler, Doberman and Cane Corso.
Bly and his wife, K9 Protector co-owner Sian Bly, work predominantly with German shepherds.
“They are the most proven dogs at being family dogs,” Alaster Bly said.
They begin to differentiate early on which pups show potential.
“If we’ve got a puppy that’s really confident, is chasing a rag, biting hold of the rag, and their food drive is high, that’s a good starting point,” Sian Bly said. “We look at how competitive they are with their siblings, as well. You’re looking for quite a strong dog.”
Dogs that don’t make the cut might get routed to prison service or police duty.
“You can’t place a dog with young kids that’s nervous or that the temperament isn’t 100 percent,” she said.
PROTECTION DOGS ARE EXPENSIVE
The handful of K9 Protector dogs that reach “high-threat environment” status cost up to 75,000 pounds ($100,000).
It can take a couple of years to train for all sorts of scenarios.
“It’s vast — the ability to deal with four intruders at once, vehicle carjacking tactics, being acceptant of multi-handlers,” Alaster Bly said. “Husband, wife, nanny, housekeeper, estate manager all being able to handle that dog in an equal way in a threat scenario, and the dog still responding in the same way — is very different to a pet-level-trained dog with protection training.”
Clients must be a good match, though.
Sian Bly said if they think a buyer “might use the dog in the wrong way, then we don’t sell them the dog. It doesn’t matter about the finances.”
Between 10-15 percent of their clients are professional athletes and they typically require nondisclosure agreements, as do the actors and singers who come calling.
They sell about two or three dogs per month. When the economy is bad and crime increases — demand is higher. Winter months see more sales and the pandemic period of 2020-21 was “the busiest we’ve ever been,” Sian Bly said.
UFC FIGHTER ASPINALL PICKS A GERMAN SHEPHERD
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall added a protection dog to his family after moving to a new house. The Manchester native posted a video about it.
“I’m not here all the time. I just wanted someone else kind of looking after the family, as well as me, even when I’m here,” Aspinall said of his German shepherd.
US soccer midfielder Tyler Adams opted for a Rottweiler from Total K9, the North Yorkshire company that provided Aspinall’s dog.
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison got a 145-pound Cane Corso from Leicestershire-based Chaperone K9, which also counts Grealish as a client.
Grealish’s mansion was burglarized just after Christmas in 2023 while the Manchester City midfielder was playing a game at Everton. Family members called police when they heard noises and after Grealish’s Belgian Malinois and Cockapoo reportedly started barking.
Grealish later called it “a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt.”
TIPS FOR HOME SECURITY
The NBA memo urged removing online real estate listings that show interiors.
Some stars post their protection dogs on social media along with the pets’ names — but they probably shouldn’t.
“There is nothing more off-putting to a dog than being called by its own name when you’re breaking into the home,” Alaster Bly said.
The Blys use German commands, which buyers must learn.
On K9 Protector’s website, former long-distance runner Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic champion, described turning to a protection dog after his home was burglarized despite an alarm system, video coverage and 24-hour security patrols.
Intruders at Burrow’s house eluded manned security at his property while he was playing a Monday Night Football game at Dallas in December. The criminal complaint on the Chilean crew said they liked to approach from “a wooded or dark area.”
KNOWING THE RULES
Under the UK’s “Guard Dogs Act,” someone capable of controlling a guard dog must be at the premises, and a notice must be posted at the entrance about the dog.
Technically, there are scenarios that could result in criminal prosecution of dog owners in Britain — even in burglaries.
The National Association of Security Dog Users “does not promote the use of dogs as personal/family protection dogs and issues no certification or training courses in relation to this type of dog,” said Roger Flett, a NASDU director.
Samantha Gaines of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warned against the “glamorization” of painful ear-cropping on breeds like Doberman and Cane Corso. The procedure is prohibited in England and Wales, but it’s legal to import them that way.
UK BURGLARIES ARE DECREASING
It’s unknown if break-ins at wealthy homes are increasing, but statistics for England and Wales show residential burglaries overall are decreasing.
From the year ending March 2018 to the year ending September 2024, there was a 42 percent drop, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Just a small percentage of burglaries get solved, however. Only in late 2022 did police chiefs commit to responding to all break-ins.
Alaster Bly, a former police officer, said it’s not just about burglaries. A CEO of a company might be facing a threat, or a person might be dealing with a stalker.
“There are life-changing incidents that take place regularly,” he said. “The array of problems and crime that’s going on in the UK at the moment keeps us busy.”
Almost all nations miss UN deadline for new climate targets
- Just 10 of nearly 200 countries required under the Paris Agreement to deliver fresh climate plans by February 10 did so on time
- Under the climate accord, each country is supposed to provide a steeper headline figure for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035
Just 10 of nearly 200 countries required under the Paris Agreement to deliver fresh climate plans by February 10 did so on time, according to a UN database tracking the submissions.
Under the climate accord, each country is supposed to provide a steeper headline figure for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035, and a detailed blueprint for how to achieve this.
Global emissions have been rising but need to almost halve by the end of the decade to limit global warming to levels agreed under the Paris deal.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell has called this latest round of national pledges “the most important policy documents of this century.”
Yet just a handful of major polluters handed in upgraded targets on time, with China, India and the European Union the biggest names on a lengthy absentee list.
Most G20 economies were missing in action with the United States, Britain and Brazil — which is hosting this year’s UN climate summit — the only exceptions.
The US pledge is largely symbolic, made before President Donald Trump ordered Washington out of the Paris deal.
There is no penalty for submitting late targets, formally titled nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
They are not legally binding but act as an accountability measure to ensure governments are taking the threat of climate change seriously.
Last week, Stiell said submissions would be needed by September so they could be properly assessed before the UN COP30 climate conference in November.
A spokeswoman for the EU said the 27-nation bloc intended to submit its revised targets “well ahead” of the summit in Belem.
Analysts say China, the world’s biggest polluter and also its largest investor in renewable energy, is also expected to unveil its much-anticipated climate plan in the second half of the year.
The UAE, Ecuador, Saint Lucia, New Zealand, Andorra, Switzerland and Uruguay rounded out the list of countries that made Monday’s cut-off.
The sluggish response will not ease fears of a possible backslide on climate action as leaders juggle Trump’s return and other competing priorities from budget and security crises to electoral pressure.
Ebony Holland from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development said the US retreat was “clearly a setback” but there were many reasons for the tepid turnout.
“It’s clear there are some broad geopolitical shifts underway that are proving to be a challenge when it comes to international cooperation, especially on big issues like climate change,” she said.
