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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Party Comfortably Leads in Early Results from India's Election

FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses supporters during an election campaign rally, in New Delhi, India, May 22, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses supporters during an election campaign rally, in New Delhi, India, May 22, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Party Comfortably Leads in Early Results from India's Election

FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses supporters during an election campaign rally, in New Delhi, India, May 22, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses supporters during an election campaign rally, in New Delhi, India, May 22, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

Early leads reported Tuesday by India’s Election Commission show incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party comfortably ahead over its closest rival.
Three hours into counting, Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP was ahead in 239 constituencies out of 542 parliamentary seats, and has already won one in an uncontested race, The Associated Press said.
The main opposition Congress party was leading in 96 constituencies.
The Election Commission does not release data on the percentage of votes tallied, but counting is expected to go on through the day. A total of some 642 million votes are being counted in the world’s largest democratic exercise.
Modi’s party is part of the National Democratic Alliance, whose parties were leading in 286 constituencies according to the early count. The Congress party is part of the INDIA alliance, which was leading in 197 constituencies.
A total of 272 seats are needed for a majority in parliament.

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Indonesia Condemns Israeli Attack Resulting in Death of Another Peacekeeper

Members of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in armored vehicles, patrol the road of the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
Members of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in armored vehicles, patrol the road of the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
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Indonesia Condemns Israeli Attack Resulting in Death of Another Peacekeeper

Members of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in armored vehicles, patrol the road of the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
Members of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in armored vehicles, patrol the road of the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba on April 12, 2026. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)

Indonesia once again strongly condemned an Israeli attack in Lebanon that resulted in the death of a fourth Indonesian peacekeeper, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

The peacekeeper sustained severe injuries due to an artillery explosion from an Israeli tank on March 29 and the ministry announced on Friday that he has passed away.

Three other Indonesian peacekeepers had also died due to the attack, Reuters reported.

Indonesia urged the UN to conduct a thorough, transparent and accountable investigation into the deaths of its UNIFIL peacekeepers.

World

Araghchi Set to Travel to Pakistan, Raising Hope for Renewed Talks to End War

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Araghchi Set to Travel to Pakistan, Raising Hope for Renewed Talks to End War

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency confirmed Friday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was heading to Pakistan for talks and will also stop in Oman and Russia.

The trip to Pakistan comes as officials there have been trying to get the United States and Iran to a second round of ceasefire negotiations. The report said the trip, beginning Friday, is focused on “ongoing regional developments” and the US-Iran war.

This came as US President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House on Thursday. The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday.

Also, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov who appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role” in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States.

Dar reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to supporting efforts that promote dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes, it said. Both sides agreed to remain in contact, it added.

World

NATO 'Must Remain United', Says Italy PM Meloni

FILE PHOTO: A NATO flag flutters at the Tapa military base, Estonia April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A NATO flag flutters at the Tapa military base, Estonia April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo
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NATO 'Must Remain United', Says Italy PM Meloni

FILE PHOTO: A NATO flag flutters at the Tapa military base, Estonia April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A NATO flag flutters at the Tapa military base, Estonia April 30, 2023. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday urged NATO allies to stick together, after a report that the United States was mulling action against Spain over its refusal to support operations against Iran.

"NATO must remain united. I believe it is a source of strength," Meloni told reporters as she attended an EU summit in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The Reuters news agency cited an anonymous US official saying the Pentagon had outlined potential measures to punish allies over their response to the Iran war, including suspending Spain from the alliance.

There is no provision in the NATO treaty allowing for the suspension or expulsion of one of the alliance's members.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against NATO allies for refusing to help out more with the Iran war, saying he viewed it as a betrayal.

Some of them -- France, Spain and Italy -- did not allow US military aircraft deployed for the war to overfly their territories or to use bases.

Britain initially also refused, but later allowed US flights from its bases for "defensive" missions in the conflict.

Trump also tried, in vain, to get European NATO members to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed with military threats and attacks.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose country was reportedly singled out for suspension, said Friday he was "not worried", stressing his country was a "reliable member" of NATO.

Meanwhile, as Trump deepens questions over whether Washington would help defend NATO allies, the EU is set to lay out a "blueprint" for how its own mutual assistance clause works if a country is attacked.

Meloni insisted that NATO would remain central to Europe's defence, but that European nations needed to play a bigger role in their own security.

"We must work to strengthen NATO's European pillar which must clearly complement the American one," she added.