Tag: State

BJP-PDP split: Kashmir could fracture more in this state

Loknath Das

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. The balance of national interest and political interest is always a tricky play in security situations. By that shifting rubric Jammu and Kashmir could be eyeing more violence and fracture. The formal withdrawal of support on 19 June by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to its partner in Kashmir’s chaos, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will have feathered that future. It could also cauterize Kashmir and offer electoral gain—for the BJP, that is. For four years, the…

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Do you think Goa is only about beaches? The tiny state also has a serene countryside

Loknath Das

Goa is known for its beaches, churches, temples and the carnival among other things. But, the state also has a beautiful countryside that is never explored by tourists. For starters, the structure of an average Goan village is lined with huge Portuguese style villas that will simple leave you in awe. A large percentage of Goans work and stay abroad. So, more often than not, you will find just one or two people staying in these massive residences. Therefore, finding someone who can rent out a room in one of…

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Research and training top the agenda in Australian state visit to India

Loknath Das

In his first trip to the country since he entered office, Malcolm Turnbull was accompanied by Australian education minister, Simon Birmingham, who led a delegation of 120 representatives from Australian universities, industry and training institutions. Turnbull said in a speech that in the fields of education, training, science and innovation, “our dynamic and growing knowledge partnership can be truly transformative.” “We will continue to ensure that we provide outstanding opportunities for Indian students,” he said. “And also that Australian students learn more about India by visiting and studying here including through…

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North Korea cannot ‘tip’ missile with nuclear warhead – U.S. State Dept

subhadip

North Korea continues to pursue nuclear and ballistic missile technologies but the United States does not believe it is in a position to “tip” one of them with a nuclear warhead, State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, said on Sunday his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising the prospect of putting parts of the United States within range. “We do not believe that at this point in time he has the capability to tip one of…

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INTO partners with Washington State University

subhadip

The partnership, which was announced last month, will see international students enrol in the pathway programme to improve their English language ability and prepare for entry into the university. Kirk Schulz, president of WSU, said enhancing international diversity across the campuses is “critically important”. “This new venture will increase the exposure of students throughout the WSU state-wide system to international perspectives” “This new venture will increase the exposure of students throughout the WSU state-wide system to international perspectives, thereby better preparing them to work in environments around the globe and…

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Trump’s criticism of Obama, Clinton as ‘co-founders’ of Islamic State called ‘false’

subhadip

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s characterization of U.S. President Barack Obama and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as “co-founders” of the Islamic State militant group drew swift rebuke on Thursday as “false” and “unhinged.” The exchange was the latest in a series of attacks from Trump in which he has sought to depict America as less safe, Democrats to blame and himself as the only one who can restore security. Democrats, in turn, have used Trump’s often hyperbolic statements to argue he is unfit to be president and lacks the temperament…

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As Islamic State is pushed back in Iraq, worries about what’s next

subhadip

As U.S.-led offensives drive back Islamic State in Iraq, concern is growing among U.S. and U.N. officials that efforts to stabilize liberated areas are lagging, creating conditions that could help the militants endure as an underground network. One major worry: not enough money is being committed to rebuild the devastated provincial capital of Ramadi and other towns, let alone Islamic State-held Mosul, the ultimate target in Iraq of the U.S.-led campaign. Lise Grande, the No. 2 U.N. official in Iraq, told Reuters that the United Nations is urgently seeking $400…

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NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft In State Of Emergency

subhadip

NASA scientists are scrambling to save the planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft after it slipped into a state of emergency. The ageing spacecraft – which has detected almost 5,000 planets – is around 75 million miles away from Earth. Scientists discovered that it had entered emergency mode at some point last week. The last time they made normal contact with it was 4 April, when there were no signs of any problems. The emergency mode means that it is now at its “lowest operational level” and is burning through a huge amount…

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Mass grave found in Syria’s Palmyra after city recaptured from Islamic State: state media

subhadip

Syrian troops found a mass grave containing around 40 bodies in Palmyra city, captured from Islamic State last Sunday, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Friday. SANA said the grave, which contained many women and children, was in the north-eastern edge of Palmyra. Some of the bodies had been beheaded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which monitors the five-year-old Syrian conflict through a network of sources on the ground, said that Islamic State had killed a number of people at an earlier time and buried them on the…

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Islamic State truck bomb kills at least 60 people south of Baghdad

subhadip

People gather at the site of a bomb attack at a checkpoint in the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, March 6, 2016. A truck bomb at an Iraqi checkpoint south of Baghdad killed at least 60 people and wounded more than 70 on Sunday, medical and security officials said, and Islamic State claimed responsibility for the blast. The suicide attack, involving an explosive-laden fuel tanker, is the second deadliest this year after one on Feb. 28 that killed 78 people in Sadr City, a Shi’ite district of Baghdad. This…

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