There is an uproar in Norway over the question of a journalist whose question was ignored by Prime Minister Modi. However, the Indian Foreign Ministry has made its stand clear on this. Hayley Ling had written on social media that Norway is at number one in the World Press Freedom Index, while India is at number 157 and is competing with Palestine, UAE and Cuba. Now political analyst in India Tehseen Poonawala has replied to the Norwegian journalist.

Tehseen Poonawala, while replying to Helle Lyng on X, wrote that being an opponent of the current government, my argument about India is a little different. He wrote, ‘There is no doubt that everyone in India will demand even greater freedom of expression and accountability from the media, but we are certainly not Palestine, UAE or Cuba, but far from them.’

I am amongst the voice of the opposition in INDIA & everyday I attack the government on television & social media, am severely critical of the PM & his ministers and no one has ever taken any action against me. I find it offensive you compare my country’s press freedom with… https://t.co/nS8ZyPeO3o

— Tehseen Poonawalla Official (@tehseenp) May 18, 2026

The political analyst further told the Norwegian journalist that if you look at my Instagram or Twitter posts or yesterday’s TV commentary, I have described the ministers as spineless. Tax raid is called tax terrorism. Ministers have been described as motivated by nepotism and yet no one arrests me.

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Poonawalla said, ‘We should try even more for freedom of expression and this is what young India wants, but India is a free country, a prosperous democracy, where no matter how hard the government tries, it cannot curb freedom of expression, it will be very difficult to do so! Best wishes to you and please visit India. Best wishes for all your endeavours.

What did the Norwegian journalist say?

When the Norwegian journalist did not take questions from PM Modi, she had said that she had not expected such a thing from him. Sharing the video, Helle Lyng said, ‘Norway is at first place in the World Press Freedom Index, while India is at 157th place, where it is competing with Palestine, UAE and Cuba. It is our duty to question the powers that be with whom we cooperate.

Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question, I was not expecting him to.

Norway has the number one spot on the World Press Freedom Index, India is at 157th, competing with Palestine, Emirates & Cuba.

It is our job to question the powers we cooperate… pic.twitter.com/vZHYZnAvev

— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) May 18, 2026

Also read- ‘Go, go to court…’, Foreign Ministry angry at PM Modi’s non-answering question in Norway, VIDEO

Journalist gave clarification after controversy escalated

However, after the controversy escalated, Helle Lyng also gave clarification. He wrote, ‘I never thought that I would have to write this, but I am not any kind of foreign spy, sent by any foreign government. My job is journalism and I work mainly in Norway.

I never thought I would have to write this, but I am not a foreign spy of any sort, sent out by any foreign government.

My work is journalism, primarily in Norway now.

— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) May 18, 2026

What did MEA say on this controversy?

After this incident, the same journalist was again present in the press conference of the Ministry of External Affairs. He asked MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George why the world should trust India and whether human rights violations in India would stop. He also asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would start answering tough questions from the Indian media.

Responding to this, Sibi George said that India is not just a country but a five thousand year old continuous civilization. He said that any country is identified by its population, government, sovereignty and territory and India stands strongly in the world with all these values. George said that India has given a lot to the world and during the Corona epidemic, India did not isolate itself from the world, but came forward to help the needy countries. This trust makes the world trust India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going on an important strategic visit to five countries from 15 to 20 May 2026, which includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as four major European countries. This visit is taking place at a time when the world is going through a period of geopolitical turmoil and economic uncertainty. This 5-day visit will start from May 15 to May 20 and during this the Prime Minister will visit five countries. Now the question arises that why is PM Modi visiting in the environment of ongoing tension in the Middle East and what is its strategy?

PM Modi will start his tour from UAE…

1. United Arab Emirates (UAE) – 15 May: PM Modi’s journey will start from Abu Dhabi. That means PM Modi will go there on the very first day. There he will meet President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. These are old and trusted friends of our country. The most important thing is energy security, meaning the need for oil and gas. With the kind of news that is coming these days, this thing becomes even more important. Apart from this, UAE is also a big investor in our country and more than 45 lakh Indians live there, so there will be talk about their welfare also. UAE is India’s third largest trading partner and a major investor.

2. Netherlands- 15 to 17 May: After UAE, PM Modi will go to Netherlands. This is his second visit there after 2017. The special thing here is that the focus of the conversation will be on completely new technologies and ideas. For example, water management (how they manage water, because they are world masters in this), semiconductor (which is the brain of electronic things), green hydrogen and new inventions. PM Modi will also meet the wedding family there along with the Prime Minister there. During this period, many agreements related to India-Netherlands strategic partnership are expected to be signed.

3. Sweden- 17 to 18 May: Now it’s Sweden’s turn. Here PM Modi will talk to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersen. The issue of discussion here will be Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI, Defence, Space and how to promote new startups of our country there. Apart from this, there will also be a lot of talk on the green revolution that saves the environment. Both the Prime Ministers will also address ‘European Round Table for Industry’, a major business forum, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. There will also be a big business forum here in which people from big companies of Europe will come.

4. Norway- 18 to 19 May: This is the most special. No Indian Prime Minister has visited Norway in 43 years. Now after such a long time, PM Modi is going there. The big thing is that he will attend a big summit named ‘India-Nordic’, in which the leaders of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland will be together. There will also be a separate meeting with the Prime Minister there. The agenda of the talks is green energy, working together in the Arctic region and blue economy related to marine resources. So, in a way, this is a tour that opens up completely new paths and new possibilities.

5. Italy- 19 ​​to 20 May: Here PM Modi will meet Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and the President. This meeting is also important because both the leaders had met some time ago in the G7 conference. Here he will review a ‘Joint Strategic Action Plan’ decided in the previous meetings. This plan includes things like defence, clean energy and trade. Meaning, there is a preparation to take the old things forward and give them momentum.

What is the biggest objective of PM Modi’s entire visit?

This is not just a tour of going here and there, shaking hands and taking photos. There is complete planning and many big objectives behind this:

• Removing energy concerns: In today’s situation, the biggest fear is that there may be some interruption in the supply of oil and gas. So by talking to countries like UAE and Norway, India wants to ensure the supply of its needs.
• Bringing new business and investment: A major Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has just been signed between India and Europe. This visit will help in speedy implementation and finalizing the new deal.
• Taking help from future technology: Water management technology from Netherlands, AI and startup understanding from Sweden. Not to borrow all this, but to work together so that we also benefit.
• Making our strong place in the world: This entire journey sends a big message that no matter how much turmoil there is in the world, India is a strong and reliable country that chooses its own path. He can work together with everyone in Europe and Gulf countries.

So overall, this is a huge strategic bet by which India is simultaneously trying to strengthen its energy security, new technology, trade and its power in the world.

US Iran Talks 2.0: US Vice President JD Vance had reached Islamabad for the first round of peace talks with Iran. A small incident related to that time raised a big question. Recently a video has surfaced, in which American Ambassador Steve Witkoff was seen introducing Vance to a person. Norwegian newspaper VG later identified the man as Omar Farooq Zahoor. From here this matter came into discussion.

Omar Farooq Zahoor is a name which is viewed differently in different countries. In Norway he is a wanted man accused of major financial crimes, while in Pakistan he is seen as a respected investor. Omar Farooq Zahoor was born in Oslo. His parents were from Sialkot, Pakistan.

The first major action against Omar Farooq in Norway was in 2003, when a court sentenced him to one year in prison for embezzling money from his own family’s travel agency. But he did not appear in the court at the time of sentencing and left the country.

Norway government’s allegation

Since 2010, the Norwegian police is searching for Umar Farooq Zahoor in a major bank fraud and money laundering case. It is alleged that more than 60 million Norwegian kroner was embezzled in a case related to Nordea Bank. Norwegian agencies have been continuously demanding his arrest and extradition, but Zahoor has been denying these allegations.

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Investigations in Switzerland and other countries

Zahoor’s name was not limited to Norway only. An investigation was conducted against him in Switzerland also. In 2004, he was accused of defrauding investors of approximately $20 million through a fake bank. However, he was never arrested in this case and later the case was closed due to expiry of the time limit. Apart from this, his name also appeared in a big power project deal with Ghana in 2015. However, it was not clear how much direct role he played in this and there was no punishment in this case either.

Umar Farooq Zahoor, who is wanted in Norway in a $6 million bank fraud case, is part of a Pakistani negotiation team! pic.twitter.com/t4YcR7tbor

— Major Sammer Pal Toorr (Infantry Combat Veteran) (@samartoor3086) April 20, 2026

different image in pakistan

Despite the allegations in Europe, Zahoor’s image is completely different in Pakistan. Here he is seen as a successful business man and a person who brings investment. He has been credited for bringing foreign investment into the country. In March 2025, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari gave him the country’s second highest civilian award ‘Hilal-e-Imtiaz’. This honor was given to him for facilitating investment of about 700 million dollars in infrastructure, IT, logistics and energy sectors.

Connection with Imran Khan case

Zahoor’s name also cropped up in the Toshakhana case related to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to reports, he played the role of whistleblower in this case. In this case, there was an allegation that Imran Khan had sold government gifts. Zahoor had claimed that he had bought an expensive watch for about 2 million dollars.

Interpol and legal status

At one time, an Interpol red notice was also issued against Zahoor, which was related to a case registered in Pakistan. But this notice was withdrawn in 2022, because Pakistan had withdrawn its demand and sufficient evidence was not found in the investigation. He has also got relief in some cases in the courts of Pakistan. In 2025, a court ruled in Zahoor’s favor in a defamation case against a Norwegian media outlet.

Question on presence in Islamabad

Amidst all these incidents, Zahoor’s appearance with US Vice President JD Vance and Ambassador Steve Witkoff in Islamabad on April 11 raises many questions. It is not clear whether he was part of an official delegation or was present there personally, but it is clear that a person who is considered wanted in one country is respected in another country and appears to be close to international leaders.

Story of Omar Farooq Zahoor

The story of Umar Farooq Zahoor shows two different identities of the same person. In Norway he is accused of major economic crimes, while in Pakistan he is a respected investor and influential personality. This contradiction makes this whole matter more interesting and complex.

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The US Justice Department has recently made public about 3 million pages of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. An email has also surfaced in these files, which was allegedly sent by Norwegian diplomat Terje Rode-Larsen. In this email, it has been claimed that an objectionable comment has been made about Indians.

According to the file, Jeffrey Epstein had forwarded the email of an Indian politician to Terje Rode-Larsen. In response, Rode-Larsen wrote in an email sent on December 25, 2015: ‘Have you heard that saying: When you’ve got an Indian and a snake, kill the Indian first!’

Who is terje rode-larsen?

Terje Rode-Larsen has been a senior diplomat of Norway. He has also been a former Ambassador to the United Nations (UN). Apart from this, he has also been the President of the prestigious International Peace Institute, but in the year 2020, he resigned from his post after his name surfaced in the cases related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Anger visible on social media

After this alleged email in the Epstein files came to light, there was tremendous outrage on social media, where one user wrote, ‘This is very messed up.’ While another user wrote, ‘They all hate Indians.’

A look at the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein

Jeffrey Epstein was a financier who was well known for his international and political reach. The investigation against him began in 2005, when the family of a minor girl accused him of sexually assaulting her in Epstein’s mansion.

After this, in the year 2006, the authorities accused him of having illicit sex with a minor and the case was handed over to the grand jury. The jury also indicted Epstein on one count of inciting prostitution.

At the same time, in the year 2007, federal prosecutors prepared an indictment against him. In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to one count each of soliciting prostitution and soliciting the prostitution of a girl under the age of 18. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but was released from prison in 2009. After this, over the next decade, many victims came forward and filed several lawsuits against Epstein.

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Norway PM Jonas Gahr Store Reply To Trump: Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has informed that he has received a message from US President Donald Trump, in which he has expressed his disappointment over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. After receiving the letter, the Norwegian PM has also reacted on this matter.

Norwegian Prime Minister Storr made it clear to Trump that the Norwegian government has no right to decide the Nobel Prize winners. Storr said in a statement, ‘I have clearly explained to everyone, including President Trump, that everyone knows that this prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee, and not by the Norwegian government.’

What did the Prime Minister of Norway say?
The Norwegian Prime Minister said Trump’s message came in response to his message about Norway and Finland’s stance on Washington’s tariff threats against EU countries over Greenland.

He said, ‘I can confirm that this is a text message that I received. It came in response to a short text message sent by me and Finnish President Alexander Stubb to President Trump that same day. In our message to Trump, we had protested against his announced tariff increase against Norway, Finland and some other countries.

What did PM Storr say?
PM Storr said that we emphasized the need to reduce tensions and proposed a telephone conversation between Trump, Stubbs and me on the same day. Trump’s reply came immediately after the message was sent. In his message, Trump had claimed that Norway’s denial of the award had changed his outlook towards global affairs and alliance politics.

What did Trump say?
Trump had said, ‘Dear Jonas, given that your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing 8 wars, I no longer feel any obligation to think about peace at all.’

America’s President Donald Trump’s anger over not getting the Nobel Prize is now coming out openly. The US President has sent a threatening message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. In this letter, Trump said that he has not been given the Nobel Prize, so peace is no longer a priority for him.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storey confirmed on Monday (January 19, 2026) that he had received a message from US President Donald Trump, in which he said that he is not bound to peace after not receiving the Nobel Prize.

America should be handed over to America: Trump

Trump has asked Norway to ask Denmark to hand over Greenland to America. In a letter to Norway’s PM, Trump said, ‘Since your country has decided not to honor me with the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing eight wars, I no longer need to think only about peace. Although peace will always remain paramount, now I can think about what is good and right for the United States of America.

Denmark can’t protect Greenland: Trump

Donald Trump said, ‘Denmark cannot protect that land (Greenland) from Russia or China. Anyway, Denmark does not have any written document, so how does it have ownership rights. It’s just that hundreds of years ago a ship had landed there, but our ships also used to land there. This is not the first time that Trump has targeted Norway for not awarding the Nobel Prize. However, the most important thing is that the Nobel Prize is not decided by the Norwegian government, but by an independent committee based in Oslo.

What did the Norwegian PM say?

The Prime Minister of Norway confirmed Trump’s message to the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten. Jonas Gahr Storey said, ‘I received President Trump’s message on January 18, 2026. This message comes in response to a brief message sent earlier in the day by me and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb. According to Jonas Gahr, he, along with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, had sent a letter to Trump. In this, there was opposition to the imposition of tariffs on Finland, Norway and many other countries.

Trump called himself a better candidate for the peace prize

The entire attention of the US President is currently focused on Greenland and he wants to achieve it at any cost for America. Trump repeatedly claimed to stop the war and described himself as the best candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. Last year’s award was given to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Machado later presented his award to Trump.

US President Donald Trump has sent a message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storey, in which he said that after not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer feels any compulsion to think about peace. Trump has now spoken openly about Norway’s role in hosting the Nobel Peace Prize and has linked it to his foreign policy views.

Now I will think only about America- Trump
According to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Trump wrote, “Given that your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize despite stopping 8 wars, I no longer feel any obligation to think only about peace. Now I can think about what is good and right for America.”

Threatened again to occupy Greenland
Trump questioned Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and argued that neither Denmark nor existing security arrangements could protect the region from major powers. He said, “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China and anyway how do they have ownership rights? They have no written documents, it is just that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, our boats also used to land there.”

Threatened the whole world regarding Greenland
Emphasizing his role in the Western military alliance, Trump claimed, “I have done more for NATO since its founding than anyone else, and now NATO must do something for the United States.” He further said, “The world is not safe until we have complete control over Greenland.”

China and Russia are afraid of America – Trump
Trump has claimed on several occasions that he single-handedly ended eight wars. He says that although the Nobel Peace Prize is unimportant, Norway’s decision not to award the prize was wrong. He also said that the only country that China and Russia fear and respect is America.

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A Russia has gathered a very large army to capture the Sumi region of Ukraine. Ukraine is claiming that the situation is currently stable and the enemy’s army has been stopped at the boundary of Junakivaka, Yabalunivaka, Novomicolevka, Olexiavaka and Kindrathi. At the same time, Russia says that it is impossible to stop its army and soon the whole situation will be controlled.

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Free Trade Agreement: India had earlier signed a free trade agreement with Britain and has now approved the FTA with four countries of Europe. The four countries of Europe with which the free trade agreement has been included- Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Lynchister. This is expected to make many goods cheaper after the customs are zero. According to the report, the free trade agreement will be removed from it. This will make it cheaper like chocolate with Swiss watch. From the month of September, it will be implemented with four other European countries along with Switzerland.

India can come to a big investment

At this time, 30 percent import duty is levied on Swiss chocolate from India. It is believed that high and technology can benefit the most of this agreement. Through this agreement, more than $ 100 billion can be invested in India from these four countries of Europe. It is believed that a big investment in pharmaceutical companies can also come after this agreement.

What is FTA

Significantly, after the agreement with these four countries of Europe, duty on 90 percent of goods will be removed. One of its biggest advantage will be that there will be a big opportunity for those countries as a market in India for investment. However, in these agreement, special care has been taken to the interests of the farmer and products related to agriculture

Actually, after the free trade agreement, the trade between countries is made easier. After this, the customs and subsidy on import-export are either finished or very low. That is, this free trade agreement is completely against the business protectionism of any government.

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Norway jackpot: European country Norway has got a big jackpot, which costs Rs 10167492000000. Actually, the ‘world’s largest phosphate store’ has been detected in South Norway. It can be used in green technology in the coming time.

Norway has 70 billion tonnes of phosphate in this reserves. Due to this, there will be no shortage in the supply of this ion used in electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, fertilizers. This biggest deposit of phosphate was discovered by a company called Najar Mining earlier this year. This discovery matters a lot for Europe struggling with lack of natural resources. With this, it can now be expected to become self -sufficient in this case of Europe.

Why phosphate is so important?

According to a report by Euronews, this stock of phosphate found in the southwest region of Norway was discovered in 2018, but in May, the company said that the site has 70 billion tonnes of phosphate. It is being called a jackpot because it will not reduce its supply for at least 50 years due to its meeting.

This will greatly boost the production of green technology as phosphate has a major role in many devices. From the production of battery used in electric vehicles to solar panels and fertilizers for plants, it is used in many important tasks. Since the world is now moving towards sustainable energy, its importance has increased even more.

Now Europe will give them a tough competition

With the receipt of this deposit, Norway is now ready to compete with countries like China, Morocco and Russia because till now European has been dependent on these countries for the supply of phosphate and every time there is some obstruction in supply, such as the rust in Ukraine has been affected and the supply of phosphate was affected and Europe had to find alternative sources. Now the receipt of this new deposit will reduce the dependence of Europe on other suppliers.

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