Page 26 - Elections

OpenAI, Meta, other tech cos sign accord to fight AI election interference

Technology to identify AI-generated content or certify its origin could include watermarking or embedding metadata, the companies said

Pakistan polls to be remembered for biggest voter fraud: Imran's party

Independent candidates - a majority backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) - won 93 of the 265 National Assembly seats that were contested in the February 8 election

Pakistan Army & art of elections

This is the first time in its history that Pakistan's people have risen to vote against the Army and defeat it. If this isn't a win for democracy, how would you describe it?

Day after swapping smiles, Lalu Yadav says doors open for ex-ally Nitish

Lalu Prasad Yadav's remark came a day after he was spotted exchanging greetings with Nitish Kumar at the Bihar Assembly. Lalu was accompanied by his son Tejashwi Yadav

Imran's PTI announces nationwide protests on Feb 17 against poll 'rigging'

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced "peaceful" protests across the nation on February 17 against the alleged rigging in the general elections conducted on February 8

RS nomination filling window ends, many set to get elected unopposed

BJP chief J P Nadda, new party entrant Ashok Chavan and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi are among those in the fray for the Rajya Sabha elections with the deadline for filing of nominations ending Thursday. The biennial elections are scheduled on February 27 in 56 seats - 10 in Uttar Pradesh, six each in Maharashtra and Bihar, five each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, four each in Gujarat and Karnataka, three each in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Odisha, and one each in Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. However, a majority of the candidates are likely to get elected unopposed. February 20 is the last date of withdrawing candidature. Voting is scheduled to take place from 9 am to 4 pm on February 27 and the counting will be held on the same day from 5 pm onwards. In Uttar Pradesh, eight BJP candidates have filed nominations - former Union minister R P N Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, state party general secretary Amarpal Maurya,

Shehbaz may become next Pak PM as coalition set to cross majority mark

Shehbaz Sharif is expected to become Pakistan's new prime minister as the coalition of leading political parties led by him is set to comfortably cross the simple majority mark to form the next government, ending speculation about the future of the administration after elections produced a split mandate. Shehbaz Sharif along with Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan Peoples Party, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) met at the residence of Shujaat Hussain of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) for a consultative meeting and Tuesday night and agreed on government formation. Today we have united to tell the nation that we all accept the split mandate. I am thankful to Zardari and Bilawal (Bhutto) that they decided for their party to vote for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he said and thanked the other gathered leaders as well. PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif has nominated the party president a

Congress announces candidates from 3 states for Rajya Sabha elections

Earlier today, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan

Tech companies plan to sign accord to combat AI-generated election trickery

At least six major technology companies are planning to sign an agreement this week that would guide how they try to put a stop to the use of artificial intelligence tools to disrupt democratic elections. The upcoming event at the Munich Security Conference in Germany comes as more than 50 countries are due to hold national elections in 2024. Attempts at AI-generated election interference have already begun, such as when AI robocalls that mimicked US President Joe Biden's voice tried to discourage people from voting in New Hampshire's primary election last month. "In a critical year for global elections, technology companies are working on an accord to combat the deceptive use of AI targeted at voters," said a joint statement from several companies on Tuesday. "Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, TikTok and others are working jointly toward progress on this shared objective and we hope to finalize and present details on Friday at the Munich Security Conference." The companies .

Rajya Sabha elections: Sonia Gandhi likely to file nomination from Jaipur

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi are likely to travel with Sonia to Rajasthan's capital city where she will file her nomination, party sources said on Tuesday

Pak poll panel denies rigging charge but owns up to 'few irregularities'

"Immediate decisions are being taken on complaints filed," the poll panel added in its statement

France accuses Russia of disinformation campaign in key election year

French government officials on Monday accused Russia of operating a long-running online manipulation campaign against Ukraine's Western backers in the lead up to the second anniversary of Moscow's military invasion of its neighbour. French foreign ministry officials said in a media briefing that Russia has stepped up efforts to manipulate information and spread deception, targeting Kyiv's allies in the West, including Poland, Germany and France. They referred to messages on social media platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, and websites like Sputnik as "massive in scope" and "complex in structure". The aim of Russia's disinformation campaign remains the same, officials said: To amplify Russia's success in the Ukraine war, justify its invasion, discredit and diminish Ukraine's military resistance and undermine civilians' resilience in the face of daily attacks on cities and towns, and fracture Western support for Ukraine's military and slow if not stop supply with weapons ...

Farmers' discontent threatens election year upsets around the world

Some farmers worry that green policies will curb their yields and therefore their incomes, while the cost-of-living crisis makes it harder to pass on costs to consumers

Pakistan's old guard parties near coalition deal to thwart Imran Khan

The parties of the Sharif and Bhutto clans "agreed in principle to save the country from political instability," according to a statement posted on X last night

Imran Wins. Army defeated. Instability ahead in Pakistan

The general election in Pakistan is a watershed moment in its patchy democratic history. Never before have the Pakistani people defied the Army so openly by voting against the parties it supported

Pakistan polls: PTI-backed Qadir jumps ship, joins PML-N after victory

'Waseem Qadir, the successful independent candidate from National Assembly Constituency NA-121 Lahore, officially announced his joining of Pakistan Muslim League (N),' said PML-N in a post on X

Pakistan polls: MQM-P denies discussions with PML-N on forming next govt

MQM-Pakistan Convener, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the polls have created a challenging situation in Pakistan and stressed that all parties must play their part in moving the country out of crisis

PTI independents lead as delay in Pak poll results sparks speculations

As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed candidates lead the game of politics as of now, speculations simmer countrywide on who will become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan

Let's join hands to rebuild Pak, says Sharif after failing to gain majority

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Friday called for a unity government as the cash-strapped Pakistan appeared to be heading towards a hung parliament, with independent candidates backed by jailed ex-premier Imran Khan's party springing a surprise by winning 92 out of the 226 seats for which results were declared so far. Addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters at the party's Central Secretariat in Lahore, 74-year-old Sharif said his party respects the mandate of all parties, including the independent candidates backed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. According to the latest Election Commission data, results of 226 constituencies out of 265 were declared. Independent candidates (mostly supported by PTI) bagged 92 seats while PML-N got 64, Pakistan Peoples Party secured 50, Muttahida Qaumi Movement won 12 and other parties got 8 seats. To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 in the National Assembly. Election to one seat was postpone

My govt would try to improve ties with neighbouring countries: Nawaz Sharif

In an indirect goodwill message to India, Pakistan's former premier Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that his government would try to improve relations with the neighbouring countries. Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) technically emerged the single largest party in the National Assembly despite the fact that the number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supported independent candidates was higher than any political party. "We would improve ties with the world and with our neighbours and try to solve all issues with them (neighbours)," the 74-year-old former three-time premier said. He asked his supporters if they agree with his point of view (regarding ties with neighbours), and hundreds of supporters present to hear him apparently backed him with a roar. While Sharif stopped mentioning India directly in his speech, the use of word "neighbours" could hardly be missed as Sharif in his previous tenures also tried to mend ties with India. However, terror attacks on Indian defence ..