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Narendra Modi has declared victory in India's national elections. It secures him a third term as prime minister, extending what has already been a decade in power. But it's also reduced the majority of his ruling coalition, led by his Hindu nationalist BJP, with an unexpectedly strong challenge from the opposition. Where does it leave the populist leader and his polaraizing agenda? For more on this, we talk to Sumit Ganguly. He is a professor of political science at Indiana University in the United States and has written extensively on Indian domestic politics & foreign policy. He joins us from Bloomington. For a look on US-Indian relations, we talk to Katherine Hadda. She is a former US diplomat who served as consul general in the Indian city of Hyderabad. She's currently chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. And we talk to Richard Rossow. He is the director of the Chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and he joins us from Washington.

US President Joe Biden has issued an executive order to block irregular migrants from claiming asylum at the US-Mexico border. The measure enables officers to quickly return people across the border or to their home countries as long as illegal crossings average at least 2,500 a day. Now, migration is one of the thorniest issues this election year, and one where Mr Biden's Republican rival Donald Trump is seen as tougher. The president's plan would shut the southern US border to irregular asylum seekers when the numbers of arrivals becomes too high for border guards to process. Crossings have risen considerably since Biden took office, peaking at 300,000 last December – but have fallen in recent months. In a recent poll, Americans said immigration was the most important problem facing the country.

Russia's biggest annual economic forum gets underway in St Petersburg today. Among those invited are the Taliban, which currently rule Afghanistan. Last week, President Vladimir Putin said the Islamic militant group should be removed from Russia's list of banned terrorist groups and he backed proposals to formally recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government. No Western nation recognizes the Taliban government. Moscow has been trying to strengthen regional ties, after being shunned by the West for its invasion of Ukraine.

The win of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led alliance in the general election has largely been welcomed by India's regional partners. But not so whole-heartedly by many in India's immediate neighbor Pakistan. As India enters a new era under Modi's third term, let's look at what this could mean for India's south Asian neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh.

China’s Chang’e lunar probe has taken off from the far side of the moon to return back to earth, according to China’s national space agency. If China successfully makes it back to earth, it will be the first country to have gathered samples from the far side of the moon. China’s previous lunar mission, Chang’e 5, gathered samples from the near side of the moon, but collecting samples from the far side has required additional technical know-how as well as operating on more challenging terrain. According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Chang’e 6 “withstood the test of high temperature on the far side of the moon.

Counting is underway in India after hundreds of millions of people voted in an election to decide who will form the next government in the world's most populous democracy. The National Democratic Alliance, the NDA, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist party BJP, is currently ahead in the count. But early trends indicate its victory will not be the landslide forecast. The NDA appears on track to win about 300 of the 543 seats available. The opposition INDIA Alliance, which includes the once-dominant Congress Party, is leading in around 230 seats. Modi is on course to retain power for a historic third term, but without the supermajority he aimed for.

Heavy rainfall leading to severe flooding in southern Germany has killed several people and forced thousands to flee their homes. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited one of the areas hardest hit in the state of Bavaria. He said the floods were yet another indicator of the threat posed by man-made climate change.

Efforts to counter Russian disinformation are moving into overdrive in the remaining days before the European Parliament elections. In January, the German government said it had uncovered a coordinated Russian disinformation campaign on X, formerly Twitter. Before it was shut down, the campaign had distributed more than a million messages through fake accounts, pushing false or misleading narratives, such as that aid to war-torn Ukraine was neglecting local citizens. By spreading such messages in large numbers on online platforms, some experts critical of these so-called “hybrid warfare” networks argue that Russia aims to maximize its visibility and foster a sense of legitimacy. The alleged goal is to widen social divides, fuel anger, and sow distrust in democratic processes and the media. A multi-pronged approach is needed to counter hybrid warfare, experts agree. Countries must ensure that their critical infrastructure, including voting technology, is adequately protected against cyberattacks.

Four more hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have been declared dead. The Israeli army says 85-year-old Amiram Cooper, Haim Perry and Yoram Metzger, both 80, and 51-year-old Israeli-British citizen Nadav Popplewell died together in Khan Younis. Hamas has not yet released their bodies. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will not accept a cease-fire in Gaza until all of Israel's conditions are met. The military has carried out more airstrikes in the south of the territory, with no let up in the fighting.

The European Union’s migration policy has been failing for decades. The question of how to deal with the arrival of migrants and refugees has divided the continent like no other. Far-right politicians have seized upon that as a part of successful campaigns. Today it’s heading in a different direction: border fences and agreements with autocratic leaders. Chapters 0:00 Why so many migrants & refugees are dying at the European border 3:40 How (right-wing) populists exploit the situation 5:55 Do fortified borders work? 7:41 Outsourcing the “dirty work” 11:48 Conclusion

Campaigning has drawn to a close in Mexico ahead of the general elections on June 2nd. People will cast their ballots for a new president and choose local lawmakers, mayors and council members. It will be the biggest ever election in Mexico's history - ending a campaign that has been its most violent. The last-minute campaigning was once again accompanied by violence. On Thursday, gunmen shot dead a mayoral candidate in the southern state of Guerrero. Alfredo Cabrera was at a campaign rally when he was approached and shot several times at point-blank range. His death brought the number of politicians who have been murdered during their campaigns to well over 20. 0:00 Intro 0:45 David Frum, Senior editor, The Atlantic, Washington D.C.

Swedish security services are accusing Iran of working with criminal gangs in the country to target Jewish and Israeli interests. Swedish authorities say Iran is recruiting gang members, including children, to commit acts of violence. The head of the Swedish Intelligence Services Daniel Stenling said: ‘Recently we at the Security Services have noticed that Iran is more and more focusing on other states' interests in Sweden and specifically states that it feels like it is in conflict with, and this applies not least to Israel. The Security Services can now state that criminal networks in Sweden are a proxy that Iran uses. The activities that Iran is conducting, are very much about planning and trying to implement an attack against Israeli and Jewish interests and goals and activities in Sweden.’ 0:00 Intro 0:55 Diamant Salihu an award-winning journalist, Lillehammer

Germany has authorized Ukraine to use weapons supplied by Berlin to strike limited military targets inside Russia. It marks a policy shift and follows a similar US decision to allow Ukraine to use American weapons on targets on Russian soil. The looser restrictions only apply to the eastern Kharkiv region, where Ukraine is struggling to hold off Russia's latest advances. 00:00 Intro and report 02:45 DW speaks with Fabrice Pothier, international security expert and CEO at the Rasmussen Global think tank in Brussels, and former NATO director of policy planning

Russia's war against Ukraine has prompted Germany to beef up the country's long-constrained military, including expanding the Navy's capabilities. One of their roles is supporting allies across the world. Now, two German vessels are heading to the South China Sea. DW's Washington Bureau Chief Ines Pohl spent a few days on board.

US President Joe Biden has endorsed what he calls an Israeli proposal for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. The plan would unfold in three phases and assure a permanent ceasefire, the return of Israeli hostages and the reconstruction of Gaza. Hamas has released a statement saying it views the proposal 'positively'. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said it still wants to see the destruction of Hamas's military and governing ability. 0:00 US President Biden announces new cease-fire offer 1:19 Benjamin Alvarez Gruber, DW correspondent, Washington 5:05 Tania Krämer, DW correspondent, Jerusalem

US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use some US weapons to strike inside Russia. It marks a significant reversal in policy by Washington, which has restricted the use of its weapons to avoid a direct confrontation with Moscow. For more, we talk to DW’s Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl.

The German government has authorized Ukraine to use weapons supplied by Germany to strike certain military targets inside Russia - but only in defense of the eastern Kharkiv region. The move marks a turning point for Berlin and follows a decision by US President Joe Biden who earlier allowed Kyiv to use American weapons to strike certain targets on Russian soil. The looser restrictions are intended to help Ukraine beat back Russia's latest advances near Kharkiv.

Israel's military on Wednesday said it had achieved full 'operational control' of the so-called Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt. Israel Defense Forces troops are currently engaged in a military offensive in the nearby southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel says that numerous smuggling tunnels belonging to Hamas run beneath the corridor. The narrow corridor is part of a demilitarized zone along Israel's border with Egypt — established following the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries — with both sides only allowed to station a small number of troops and guards there. In 2005, Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip, including the corridor. Egypt warned earlier in the conflict that an Israeli "occupation" of the corridor would breach the bilateral treaty's terms. Meanwhile, Israel's military says it wants to dismantle what it calls the last Hamas brigade in Rafah. But many experts warn this war may never end, as Hamas will continue to draw new recruits. Could this be an endless war?

Hong Kong's High Court on Thursday found 14 activists guilty of "subversion" in the city's biggest trial against pro-democracy campaigners since China imposed a national security law (NSL). Those who were found guilty included former lawmakers Leung Kwok-hung, Lam Cheuk-ting, Helena Wong and Raymond Chan. Two former district councilors Lee Yue-shun and Lawrence Lau were acquitted. In 2021, 47 protesters and activists, known as the Hong Kong 47, were charged under the national security law with "conspiracy to commit subversion." While 16 of them maintained their innocence throughout the trial, the remaining 31 pleaded guilty, hoping for more lenient sentences. Those found guilty could face from three years to life in jail. The sentencing is expected later this year. Judges Andrew Chan, Alex Lee and Johnny Chan released a statement summarising their verdict that said the 14 defendants had planned to undermine "the power and authority of both the government and chief executive. In our view... that would create a constitutional crisis for Hong Kong." It was not immediately clear if they would appeal as the court adjourned until the afternoon session. Most of the defendants have been in jail since they were first brought to court in March 2021. The trial was held without a jury and the judges were chosen from a pool of jurists handpicked by Hong Kong's leader John Lee. Supporters of the defendants queued overnight to be in the courtroom but attempts at protest were quickly shut down by police. Australia voiced "strong objections" and deep concern over the conviction, vowing to raise the fate of a condemned Australian at the "highest levels". "We are deeply concerned by the verdicts handed down today," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, "including a guilty verdict for Australian citizen Mr Gordon Ng". Diplomatic officers from the consulates of Britain, France, the European Union and Italy were present in court on Thursday. The British Consulate-General told AFP the UK was concerned "over the erosion of meaningful political opposition in Hong Kong." They began attending court proceedings following accusations that the trial was politically motivated and joined calls for the immediate release of the accused. China responded by telling international critics to "stop interfering." "We advise individual countries and politicians to face reality squarely, uphold an objective and impartial stance... and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs immediately," the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong said. Mass pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019 over the NSL that was being planned at the time by Beijing. Democrats argued the NSL would infringe on freedoms guaranteed when Hong Kong was handed back to China by the British in 1997. The charges centered around an unofficial pre-selection ballot in July 2020 that prosecutors called a "vicious plot" to paralyze the government. The democrats maintain it was an unofficial attempt to select the strongest candidates for a citywide election in a bid to win a historic majority in Hong Kong's legislature.

The EU's law to ban deforestation from the supply chains of its companies is frustrating trade partners abroad. Just take Indonesia, which says the law is harming its small farmers. The spat comes as the two are thrashing out a free trade deal and the EU needs Indonesia’s supply of minerals for batteries and computer chips. So does the EU back down on its environmental principles or put at risk its relationship with Indonesia and potentially harm important industries? DW's Daniel Winter spoke with Indonesia’s ambassador to Germany, Arief Havas Oegroseno, asking him if they’re close to sealing a deal.

Israel's military on Wednesday said it had achieved full operational control of the so-called Philedelphi Corridor along the length of Gaza's shared border with Egypt. Israel says that numerous smuggling tunnels belonging to Hamas run beneath the corridor. The Israeli military has stepped up its operations in southern Gaza, despite international criticism over mounting civilian casualties in the city of Rafah. Israel's national security adviser says the offensive in Gaza is expected to go on at least until the end of the year.

North Korea accuses South Korea of sending balloons filled with propaganda across the border. Their response: hundreds of balloons carrying trash and excrement. South Koreans are worried the tit-for-tat actions might not stop there. Relations between North and South Korea are at an all-time low. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has announced that his country will expand its weapons programme, including tactical nuclear weapons. Chapters 00:00 North Korea sends hundreds of trash balloons across the border 01:52 Edward Howell, Expert on the Korean Peninsula

The White House has condemned the loss of life of dozens of civilians as a result of an Israeli airstrike in Rafah at the weekend. But Washington says it does not believe Israel's offensive in Gaza has violated President Joe Biden's declared 'red-line' for withholding future transfers of weapons to Israel. We ask to Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East analyst and New York Times best-selling author, if there is any evidence.

Parts of Asia are experiencing severe heatwaves. Temperatures in the Indian capital, Delhi, reached an all-time high of 52.3 degrees Celsius. That's a national record for India, and the first time the mercury has risen above the 50-degrees mark. And in neighboring Pakistan, tempertures have exeeded 52 degrees in recent days. Chapters: 00:00 Intro and report 03:00 Beenish Javed, DW Reporter 06:47 Maha Husain, Research Society of International Law

European Parliament elections are next week and right-wing parties are projected to make major gains. This could have a huge impact on EU policies including migration and defense.