India loses airbase in Tajikistan: The Ayni Airbase in Tajikistan, once India’s only real overseas military footing has been quietly vacated after pressure from Russia and China.
Water scarcity - Pakistan's Arabia wish coming true: Afghanistan has announced plans to construct a dam on the Kunar River, a key tributary of the Kabul River, aiming to restrict water flow to Pakistan after deadly clashes along the Durand Line.
Why Taliban trusts India but hates Pakistan: After 2001, India quietly supported Afghanistan with schools, roads, and Deobandi education. Meanwhile, Pakistan trained the old Taliban with violent Wahabi ideas. Pakistan also mistreated Afghan refugees and tried to control them. Today, the new Taliban trusts India and rejects Pakistan’s influence.
GOP versus scholars: The US is witnessing the beginnings of a Science brain drain. Other countries may benefit.
India must decide if it’s ready to welcome back scholars: A perceived threat to academic freedom is prompting many academicians to consider relocating. Countries in Europe have taken swift action on the perceived brain drain from the US. Emmanuel Macron extended an open invitation to the best brains to relocate to France.
Deep tech, shallow pockets: Indian deep tech startups raised only about 3.2% of the total funds funneled into Indian startups since 2014. Unlike e-commerce, ride-hailing or financial services, where revenues kick in from the beginning, startups focusing on deep tech take years to develop and commercialize their products. While Silicon Valley might have become obsessed with startups dealing in robotics, rockets, chips and other complex technologies, such deep tech companies are having a much harder time fundraising in India. . . Frugal tech.
Bharat Karnad: "The trouble lies in Modi’s inordinate desire to please America, to be in Trump’s good books, and that’s the joker in the pack".
Remittance Tax: Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' proposes 5% remittance tax, may cost India $1.65 billion
Tenacity: Xi defiance pays off as Trump meets most China trade demands
Stand tough: China-US trade truce prompts nations to consider tougher tactics
Al-Bakistan: Afghanistan plans to build dams to cut water flow to Pak . . . Pak always wished to turn into Arabia.. water scarcity coming soon :)
#FundKaveriEngine trending: Many called on PM Modi to allocate more funds and resources for the Kavera engine. The goal is to end India's dependence on foreign engines for building fighter jets, promoting self-reliance in defence technology.
US DIA Report: China still India's 'primary adversary', Pakistan mere security problem.
Prepare for China conflict: "If India really did lose between two and five aircraft, as most outside analysts believe is the case, the explanation for that appeared to be the superior radar of the Chinese aircraft. I hope Indians are really reflecting upon what does this mean for a potential China-India conflict, not just what does this mean for future India-Pakistan conflicts".
The price of defeat: The US fled Afghanistan exactly a year ago, but the real consequences are yet to come.. The US military left up to 650,000 weapons to the rapidly advancing Taliban forces.
Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani: "The government of the United States became the enforcer of the Taliban agreement on us, threatening us with cut-off of aid, with every conceivable form of pressure to release 5,000 of the most hardened criminals, et cetera”.
Russian-made laptop with homegrown CPU: The heart of the Titan is the Baikal-M1 SoC, which uses eight outdated Arm Cortex-A57 cores operating at 1.50 GHz and outfitted with an 8MB L3 cache accompanied by an eight-cluster Arm Mali-T628 GPU with two display pipelines.
Meat and prostate health: A growing body of research suggests that meat and dairy products act directly on the prostate, in addition to their cancer-promoting effects. The prostate is directly adjacent to the end of the large intestine. This is where the droppings are collected, which contain remnants of decomposing animal proteins that contain various toxic substances. They can penetrate the lining of the intestine and also enter the prostate. That's why it's so important to limit the amount of meat you eat and to eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products rich in fiber and other toxin-absorbing substances.
Social-media addiction: California lawmakers killed a bill that would have allowed suing social-media companies for features that allegedly harm children by causing them to become addicted.
Biden told Ghani to lie: Biden called President Ashraf Ghani to help him "project a different picture" and to stop the narrative from looking bad for his presidency.
Taliban to rely on Chinese funds: “There are rich copper mines in the country, which, thanks to the Chinese, can be put back into operation and modernised. In addition, China is our pass to markets all over the world.”
The Mystery of Narayana Murthy's Retail Biz: So prolific has been the growth of Cloudtail's dominance on the Amazon platform that it faces accusations of unfair trade practices, and of crowding out small retailers
N+1: Israel’s virus czar calls to get ready for eventual 4th vaccine dose
Why You Should Stop Using Antibacterial Soap: A 2008 survey found triclosan in the urine of 75% of people tested. Antibacterial soaps acts as endocrine disruptors and have the potential to create antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Bury the cables: India’s renewable energy plants ‘Not Bird-Friendly’
America's friend: “We are facing a full-scale invasion, composed of Taliban, full Pakistani planning and logistical support, and at least 10-15,000 international terrorists, predominantly Pakistanis thrown into this,” Ghani told Biden over phone.
As the two presidents spoke, Taliban insurgents controlled about half of Afghanistan's district centers, indicating a rapidly deteriorating security situation. Biden instead focused on 'perception'.
May be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.
Oliver North: China will reverse-engineer weapons left in Afghanistan.. Heavy equipment transporters have been used to transport two M1 tanks from Afghanistan into Pakistan. “They’re going to be heading to the port where they will be loaded aboard a ship and taken to communist China for exploitation.”
Nikki Haley: China trying to take over Bagram base
Take a night off, anti-Facebook people. #DeleteChrome - it’s no longer a trusted user agent. They’ve sided with adtech and surveillance over their users. https://t.co/5wlR014ksm
Who Abandoned Bagram Air Base? Biden essentially blamed his generals. “They concluded—the military—that Bagram was not much value added, that it was much wiser to focus on Kabul. And so, I followed that recommendation.”
Delete Chrome: “Chrome is the only major browser that does not offer meaningful protection against cross-site tracking... and will continue to leave users unprotected.” Having promised to ditch tracking cookies, Google changed its mind. “If you use Chrome, you give up your privacy”.
Google “has trackers installed on 75% of the top million websites,” several times as many as Facebook. Similarly, just look at the recent reports suggesting Google will pay Apple some $15 billion this year to be the default search engine on its devices.
Light pollution from street lamps linked to insect loss: Artificial street lights disrupt the behaviour of nocturnal moths, reducing caterpillars numbers by half. Modern LED streetlights appeared to have the biggest impact.
Online gaming: China restricts kids’ online gaming to three hours a week
- Exhausted: Youth in China, Japan and South Korea are 'lying flat' because they're exhausted and without hope
Taliban 2.0: Swapped Kalashnikovs for Twitter, cricket gear and selfies with children. But they never bothered addressing human rights or women’s rights concerns. When pushed, the Taliban adopted a “women’s rights within an Islamic framework” fudge.
Tamal Bhattacharya returned from Afghanistan, and said Taliban in 90's and Taliban now are different. But Sharia law in 90's and Sharia law now are not different.
China’s ISS rival: While the future of International Space Station remains uncertain after 2024, China's Tiangong station will be up and running by next year.
‘We defeated ourselves’: Trump’s national security adviser H. R. McMaster says Pompeo signed ‘surrender agreement’ with Taliban that led to the current catastrophe.
More proof that Indian Journalists are better than American ones. The Americans need their Government and Air Force to evacuate from #Afghanistan. Indian journos outrun Talibs, swing their khadi jholas over their head making it into a makeshift helicopter and take off for India. pic.twitter.com/CNzpMkgiBU
Women persecuted for suspected witchcraft: Raipur-based doctor and rationalist, who has been relentlessly raising his voice against the practice of women being beaten ruthlessly and socially boycotted for suspected witchcraft, was thanked by the victims a day after Raksha Bandhan.
The right way: “First you bring out all of the American citizens. Then you bring out ALL equipment. Then you bomb the bases into smithereens — And then you bring out the military. You don’t do it in reverse order like Biden and our woke Generals did” -- Donald Trump
Cool roofs: 'Whitest ever' paint reflects 98% of sunlight. "So if you were to use our paint to cover a roof area 1,000 sq ft, we estimate you could get a cooling power of 10 kilowatts. That's more powerful than the central air conditioners used by most houses". Cool white roofs are seen as an easy, urban climate solution.
Women's lib in China: A Chinese platform is erasing radical feminist accounts that shun men and the patriarchy
Erdoğan’s caliphate: Pak helping Turkey to develop nuclear weapons and control Afghanistan.
Reports from Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggest that Turkey is in the process of deploying its Syrian Islamist client militias in Kashmir.
China and Russia fear Turkey’s possible deployment of Islamist militias to Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region
The Axis: China, Pak want Turkey to replace Saudi Arabia as the leader of Islamic world?
Delhi can strengthen its old links to the Tajik and Uzbek factions, provide covert help to TTP and Baloch fighters, and cooperate with Iran in propping up the Afghan govt.
White man's privilege: Livestock and dairy industries responsible for 50% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gases. . . . . . NZ’s clean, green image hides a dirty truth. Polluted by intensive dairy farming, its waterways are some of the most degraded in the world.
Used masks in mattresses: "Officials in Maharashtra found mattresses being stuffed with used masks. A case was registered against the factory owner, Amjad Ahmed Mansoori".
Peaceful Rise: Chinese firm copies Gilead's remdesivir, the most promising drug against the new coronavirus. . . . Chinese govt spin: "Coronavirus did not originate in China".
Afghan deal: Paki intelligence may end up the real winner in the Afghan peace deal. “You can’t succeed in Afghanistan independent of us, because we manage, if not actually control, the militant framework in that country.” . . . Pakistan does not want any role for India in Afghanistan
No one aspires for English. People aspire for jobs, economic opportunities. The State deprives people without English of opportunities—competitive exams, higher education, law, even tax filings.
Purging Huawei: US Congress gives small ISPs $1 billion to rip out Huawei, ZTE network gear
Handing over keys to China: When Italy became the only G-7 nation to sign a Belt and Road accord last March, it drew criticism for choosing Beijing at the expense of its western allies. German Foreign Minister warned at the time that if you “think you can do clever deals with the Chinese, you will come down to earth with a bump.” Italy learned that lesson the hard way. Italian exports to China showed a 1% decline while Chinese imports grew. And then came the coronavirus...
Hydrogen Mobility: Coming soon to a bus or truck near you. Possible hedge against oil and metal shortages? .
Afghan proxy war - India is the big loser: The Four-Party format crystallises Pakistan's crucial role as a factor of Afghan security and stability. This works in China's favor and, paradoxically, makes Pak an indispensable partner for the US (and Russia) as well. A revival of Pak's moribund strategic ties with the US is already under way. China's shadows lengthen over the Hindu Kush and Afghanistan transforms as a hub of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Han Love Jihad: China promoting marriages among Han and Tibetans
Comparing Indian and Chinese startups: Nine of India’s top 10 unicorns by value are in the online-consumer space. In China, three of the top 10 are online consumer companies, two are bricks-and-mortar businesses, and the rest are a mix of hardware and B2B.
pSecular utopia: 50% nominated posts in Andhra Pradesh for SCs, STs, BCs, minorities
Security concerns: Now Japan considers ban on Huawei and ZTE networking hardware. Huawei is the world's biggest supplier of mobile network infrastructure, ahead of Ericsson and Nokia.
Blue light has a dark side: Link between exposure to light at night and some types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Retail giant: Data from states shows thousands of Amazon employees are on food stamps
Helping the vernacular: Google makes aggressive push in local language adoption in India. Developing a slew of new products that are mostly India-specific.
UK Exporting Naan To India? "Selling naan breads in India from a company based in Dunstable would once have been unthinkable".
Pashtun movement: A new nonviolent mass movement has swept through Pakistan in recent months, demanding an end to Pakistan military’s oppression and extrajudicial killings of minority ethnic Pashtuns. This grassroots movement has rattled Pakistan’s deep state, primarily the notorious spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence.
Flipkart deal: Is it really good news for India? For India as a country, the falling of Flipkart into foreign hands is a serious setback to Modi’s ‘Make in India’ dreams. The entire e-commerce battle is now America versus America.
Indian trader, farmer groups decry Flipkart deal: Traders say they are most concerned about predatory pricing and steep
discounting by e-commerce firms with deep pockets thanks to foreign
funding that could edge out smaller rivals. “If you look at our history as a country, there was a history of colonialism. And there is always a fear that you start with trade and then it becomes control”.
"The Hindu Religion alone is Santana Dharma. The various creeds that you hear of nowadays have come into existence by the will of God & will disappear again thro His will.....The Hindu Region has always existed & will always exist" Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna date 20.10.1884 p642
Rape Jihad: Teenage girl who plotted British Museum grenade terror attack was "sexually groomed" and "groomed to be radicalised" online by IS fighter Naweed Hussain.
Moringa craze takes over: Drumstick leaves, the superfood of 2018... soon, poor Indians won't be able to afford it
Why fiber is good for you: Dietary fiber = undigested by humans = food for gut bacteria. Byproduct is short-chain fatty acids, absorbed by intestinal cells, which use it as fuel.
Clean meat: Cell-cultured “clean” meat is grown by extracting cells from an animal and then growing those cells in a bioreactor filled with a high-tech nutrient-dense liquid. The cells feed on the liquid and proliferate, producing chicken meat that’s molecularly identical to conventional meat without having ever slaughtered an animal.
Maneeshaa Panchakam: He who is firmly established in the Pure Consciousness – be he a Chandala (outcaste) or a Brahmana, such a one is indeed worthy of being a Guru.
..dridha prajna api yasya asti chet, chandaalah astu sah tu dvijah astu guruh iti..
Bollywood's lack of ideas: What happened to all those life-changing films like V. Shantaram's Do Aankhen Barah Haath (about prison reform), Mehboob Khan's Mother India (about matriarchal pride and dignity), Bimal Roy's Sujata (about eradicating the caste system).....?
Slam vs Slam: Islamic State declares war on rival Hamas with video execution
It's Time to End Pak's Double Game: Pakistan concocted a complex strategy of cooperating on logistics and occasional help with hunting Al Qaeda leaders in exchange for massive U.S. aid, while simultaneously building out a clandestine program to reconstitute the Taliban.
President @realDonaldTrump’s first tweet of 2018. A promising message to Afghans who have suffered at the hands of terrorists based in Pakistan for far too long. https://t.co/NJdYB5qOWl
Why did America abandon the Kurds? "We had so much trust in America. We never thought America would accept Iranian proxies using American weapons against their allies." Less than 72 hours after Trump heralded a get-tough-on-Iran policy, the US just did the opposite in Kirkuk and alienated the Kurds, its longest and most stalwart counter-terrorism ally in Iraq.
India is among world's hottest: India is quickly becoming one of the hottest countries in the world,
which is triggering significant weather impacts and affecting its
economy.
Rajeev on alt-meat: Generating Meat In Labs: The Technology, Opportunities And The Consequences
Bleeding because of Amazon: Sellers are protesting against Amazon India’s returns policy by pulling back ads
“Second war of economic independence”: A
century after freedom fighters launched a movement against British
goods — the backlash against Chinese products is ramping up.
Bye-bye globalization:
Republican tax bill unveiled in the U.S. Congress could disrupt the
global supply chains of large MNCs by slapping a 20% tax on cross-border
transactions they routinely make between related business units. The proposal could run afoul of WTO and other international tax treaties
Marxist dogma: Calls for Lenin's body to finally be buried ahead of 100th anniversary of Bolshevik revolution
In Kaangress era: India never intervened or even raised its voice in the past, about numerous Chinese incursions into the Bhutanese side, including the more serious road-building activities. This is because they did not affect Indian security, unlike Doklam.
Indian role in Afghanistan: An India-Japan-South Korea consortium (with the US as an absent partner) could revive the Chabahar route to Afghanistan and, perhaps, manage the crucial supply chain to support US operations in the region.
Induced seismicity: A 2010 study by the China Earthquake Administration found that Three Gorges Dam had triggered about 3,400 earthquakes from mid-2003 to the end of 2009, as well as numerous landslides, representing a 30-fold increase in seismicity. Human induced earthquakes
Nano EV: Nano not to be phased out; Tata Motors to re-position it as electric vehicle
David Shulman: The notion that there was a pure Tamil that had no Sanksrit in it is a complete fantasy. There are Prakrit and Sanskrit words in the earliest Tamil Brahmi inscriptions we have. The Tamil Brahmi script has some features peculiar to it, but it’s deeply interwoven with the Sanskrit system.”
Greece, China's colony in Europe: “While the Europeans are acting towards Greece like medieval leeches, the Chinese keep bringing money”
“Unlike democratic nations that change politicians every few years, the Chinese have a long and steady strategic view. They know what they want”.
Last summer, Greece helped stop the EU from issuing a unified statement against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. This June, Athens prevented the bloc from condemning China’s human rights record. Days later it opposed tougher screening of Chinese investments in Europe
As Greece struggles through record joblessness, Chinese companies use subcontractors on short-term contracts at wages far below what unionized Greek dockworkers are paid.
Afghan women in 1972: This 1972 photo of women in Afghanistan helped persuade Trump to commit to war in Afghanistan
Comment on NYT: "Where did you get the bit about the US paying billions to India? A quick google search should help clear this up. India has spent billions of its own in Afghanistan to build roads and infrastructure" - nytcalif.
India already helps: India has given $3 billion in assistance since the Taliban government was toppled by coalition forces in 2001. And over the years India, Afghanistan’s biggest regional donor, has built more than 2,500 miles of roads, dams, hydropower plants and the country’s new parliament building
India already gives Afghanistan billions in aid. Now Trump says India must 'help us more.' https://t.co/3le2UakUgH
Another Comment on NYT: Pradeep Bangalore, India:
Thin ray of hope for India always comes from Republicans. Right from JFK, Democrats have unpleasant relationship with New Delhi. Bill Clinton's obsession with Kashmir followed by hard sanctions post nuclear tests hurt Indians. Obama's failure to throttle strategic partnership has propelled Indians to hope the hard hitting current President will do some constructive damage to Pakistan vis-a-vis declaring it a paraiah state.
Republicans however, other than Nixon, have not failed to recognize India as a strategic Partner. Regan's negotiations to help India find nuclear suppliers is not forgotten. Bush Jr accepted India as a nuclear power by concluding 123 agreement, a watershed moment for India's strategic posture.
Ramadan special: ISIS blows up 800 year old Grand al-Nuri Mosque of Mosul.
Bibi: 1 | BBC: 0: BBC backtracks after a badly misleading headline about the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem
Border 'wall': Pakistan fencing its border with Afghanistan
Rohingyas manage PRCs, buy property in Jammu: Intelligence agencies have already asked the local authorities to keep a strict vigil on the Rohingyas after some reports published that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba was trying to exploit them for carrying out terror activities in India and Bangladesh.
10 million: Number of dogs killed in China every year for their meat.
India’s bees are dying: The union and state governments are promoting non-indigenous bees, mostly Apis mellifera, a Western European bee. “Since the government is promoting mellifera, indigenous species such as Apis dorsata (rock bees) or Apis cerana indica (Indian hive bees) have declined.”
