Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi await his arrival in Ghaziabad, India, on April 6.   © Reuters KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writerApril 18, 2024 10:37 JST NEW DELHI — As India gets ready for a multi-phase national vote kicking off on Friday, all eyes are on the fate of top politicians who are hoping to play a key role after the elections in the South Asian nation of nearly 970 million registered voters. The voting in the seven-phase general election in the world’s most populous country ends on June 1, while counting takes place on June 4. The last two gen ..read more

CNN —  Well before the sun rises in Chapra, a small village in the northwest of Bangladesh, Mohammad Abdur Rouf is on his feet. He travels six miles to a neighboring village, where he joins hundreds of other people in line to play a carnival-style game. But instead of throwing darts at a wall of balloons or tossing rings at beer bottles, Abdur, 35, hits a small yellow ball repeatedly with a plastic putter. Try as he might, he can’t manage to whack the ball with enough precision for it to travel upside down along a track and emerge perfectly between two goal posts. But instead of leav ..read more

Published On 18 Apr 202418 Apr 2024 A court in the Maldives has overturned the conviction of former President Abdulla Yameen and cancelled his 11-year prison sentence. The High Court said on Thursday that his 2022 trial had been unfair and ordered a new trial. end of list “The lower court ruling was not fair,” Judge Hassan Shafeeu said while reading out a lengthy decision that was broadcast live. The decision was made three days before the Indian Ocean archipelago nation holds a parliamentary election, in which Yameen is fielding candidates from a political party he formed while serving his ..read more

Most patients have to travel hours to the capital Dhaka where two facilities are equipped to treat fire injuries. Ahammad Foyez 2024.04.18 Dhaka Staff members at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka care for a burn victim, April 9, 2024.  Mehedi Rana/BenarNews Three people severely burned in an explosion at a shop in Bangladesh earlier this week had to be taken for treatment 18 miles (29 km) away to the capital Dhaka because there were no health facilities in Savar, the site of the blaze. They were considered lucky, because other Bangladeshi bu ..read more

By Bharat Dogra NEW DELHI | 14 April 2024 (IDN) — In December 2019, when the Space Force was formed in the USA, President Trump called this a big moment and added that there are “going to be a lot of things happening in space. Because space is the world’s newest war-fighting domain.”  Mark Esper, US Secretary of Defense, added, “Maintaining American dominance in that domain is now the mission of the United States Space Force.” These statements have been regarded as official confirmation that the militarization of space has started. It is now generally agreed that billions of dol ..read more

CNN —  What was supposed to be a time of celebration for Asna Tabassum – the University of Southern California’s 2024 valedictorian – has turned to disappointment after the university denied her the chance to give a speech at commencement over security concerns. “Over the past several days, discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor,” USC Provost Andrew Guzman said in an online campus-wide letter. “The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outsi ..read more

Rajan said India was not reaping the benefits of democratic dividend, emphasizing that there is need to focus on improving the human capital and enhancing their skill sets. Business Today DeskApr 17, 2024 Raghuram Rajan Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said a lot of Indian innovators now are going to Singapore or to Silicon Valley to set up because they find access to the final markets much easier there. “We need to ask what is it that forces them to go outside of India to set up rather than stay inside India? But what is really heartwarming is talking to some of these entrepreneurs and ..read more

University of Southern California (USC) student Asna Tabassum has gained national spotlight after valedictorian speech at next month’s graduation was cancelled. While the authorities claimed their decision was prompted by fear of violence, her supporters allege it was to stifle her views on the “genocide” in Gaza. Since the news broke this week, the young Indian American student has been interviewed by several news outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and CNN. Overnight, she has not only become a symbol of American angst triggered by Israel’s war against Gaza, but als ..read more

One of the giant oil tanks with the jungle encroaching at Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm in Sri Lanka’s east (David Brewster) Published 16 Apr 2024   DAVID BREWSTER : India has recently moved to take effective control over the giant oil tank farm in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. This marks a key step in integrating Sri Lanka into India’s national energy system, with important strategic consequences for Sri Lanka and potentially also for region. The huge oil tank farm at Trincomalee in eastern Sri Lanka has regularly fascinated many strategic analysts. Trincomalee is one of the finest natur ..read more

Andre Damon : The United States and its imperialist allies will imminently announce new sanctions targeting Iran as the US-led war drive against Tehran continues to accelerate. In a statement Tuesday, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US and its G7 allies would announce the sanctions “in the coming days.” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) “We will not hesitate to continue to take action, in coordination with allies ..read more