Harris, Trump Locked in Tight Race in Swing States, NYT/Siena Poll Shows

Supporters attend a campaign rally of Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Greensboro, North Carolina, US November 2, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo
Supporters attend a campaign rally of Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Greensboro, North Carolina, US November 2, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo
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Harris, Trump Locked in Tight Race in Swing States, NYT/Siena Poll Shows

Supporters attend a campaign rally of Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Greensboro, North Carolina, US November 2, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo
Supporters attend a campaign rally of Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump in Greensboro, North Carolina, US November 2, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe/File Photo

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump remain in a tight race in the country's seven battleground states two days before the US presidential election, according to the final New York Times/Siena College poll.

The opinion poll showed Vice President Harris with marginal leads in Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin and former President Trump just ahead in Arizona. The two are in close races in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania, according to the poll, which surveyed 7,879 likely voters in the seven states from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2.

In all seven states, the matchups were within the poll's 3.5% margin of error, Reuters reported.

About 40% of the respondents had already voted and Harris led among those voters by 8 percentage points, while Trump leads with voters who say they are very likely to vote but have not yet done so, the poll found.

The tied race in Pennsylvania shows Trump gaining momentum in a state Harris had led by four percentage points in all prior New York Times polls, the outlet said.

Both candidates are campaigning in battleground states this weekend, with Trump set to appear in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia on Sunday, while Harris will campaign in Michigan.



Taliban Say India Is a ‘Significant Regional Partner’ after Meeting

Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
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Taliban Say India Is a ‘Significant Regional Partner’ after Meeting

Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP

The Taliban's foreign office said they saw India as a "significant regional and economic partner" after meeting with its most senior foreign ministry official, the highest level talks with Delhi since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday.
Afghanistan's foreign ministry said in a statement that they had discussed expanding relations with Afghanistan and to boost trade through Chabahar Port in Iran, which India has been developing for goods to bypass the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in its rival Pakistan, Reuters reported.
"In line with Afghanistan's balanced and economy-focused foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate aims to strengthen political and economic ties with India as a significant regional and economic partner," the statement from Afghanistan's foreign ministry said late on Wednesday.
India's foreign ministry said after the Delhi meeting that India was considering engaging in development projects in Afghanistan and looking to boost trade ties.
No foreign government, including India, officially recognizes the Taliban administration.
However, India is one of several countries with a small mission in Kabul to facilitate trade, aid and medical support and has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan under the Taliban.
Regional players including China and Russia have signaled they are willing to boost trade and investment in Afghanistan.
The Delhi meeting could ruffle Pakistan, which borders both countries and has fought three wars in the past against India.
Pakistan and Afghanistan also have a strained relationship, with Pakistan saying that several militant attacks that have occurred in its country have been launched from Afghan soil - a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.
Earlier this week India's foreign office told journalists they condemned airstrikes conducted late last year by Pakistan on Afghan soil.