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Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during an interaction with professionals from various sectors, in Jammu, on September 25, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI Intensifying his agitation over the issue of Statehood, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday threatened to wage protests inside and outside the Parliament to “force the BJP to grant Jammu and Kashmir its Statehood”.Follow LIVE updates from the phase-2 polling on September 25, 2024“Statehood is your right and your future. J&K cannot move forward without it. The INDIA alliance will build pressure on the BJP-led government to…

Following concerns in the Indian textile and garment industry, which is the largest employment generator after agriculture, Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that India is to have the same facility as Bangladesh, and that Indian garment and textile exporters will also benefit. File picture used for representation only. | Photo Credit: Reuters The story so far: In the U.S.-Bangladesh Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, signed on February 9, the U.S. has committed to “establish a mechanism that will allow for certain textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh to receive a zero reciprocal tariff rate”. A statement from…

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) carried out a series of coordinated attacks on January 31 in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. These covered a wide swathe of territory stretching from Gwadar and Pasni along the Makran coast to Panjgur and Tump on the Pakistan-Iran border, and Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin and Kharan in the shadow of the Durand Line. In addition, the BLA also attacked targets in the provincial capital, Quetta.Seventeen security personnel, 31 civilians and 133 BLA insurgents lost their lives in these attacks. The Pakistani authorities claimed that in further operations over the last three days they have succeeded in killing…

Genetic disorders often stem from small errors in the DNA sequence with major consequences. Many diseases like cystic fibrosis and Batten disease can be traced to changes disrupting the cell’s ability to build a complete, functional protein. One particularly common culprit is the nonsense mutation, where a single incorrect DNA letter inserts a premature stop signal. When the cell encounters it, protein production ends too early, leaving the body without important enzymes, transporters or structural components.Nonsense mutations account for about a quarter of all known disease-causing genetic changes. Each one halts a different protein at a different point, creating a…

A delegation of diplomats from various countries arrives at a polling station during the second phase of assembly elections in Srinagar on September 25, 2024. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar In a first, foreign diplomats from 15 countries on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) arrived in Kashmir to observe the electoral process. They expressed satisfaction over the process here after touring several polling booths. However, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah termed it “a guided tour”.“It’s a rare opportunity to come to Kashmir and see the electoral process and see democracy in action. And also see another part of India’s big…

It’s no wonder that home loan borrowing in India is growing at a 14% pace, as per official data. Owning a home is one of the most sought-after dreams in India, especially for the middle class income group. But what usually follows this dream is taking a loan to fulfill it.Most homebuyers in India are all too familiar with the usual drill that follows once you decide a buy a home.Navigating the sky-high property prices has most of them knocking the doors at banks for a loan.And once that happens, they are usually handed the bundled insurance deal along with…

A World Cup, by its very nomenclature, implies the involvement of the world — a sporting spectacle that makes space for a wide array of countries, with distinct customs, cuisines, quirks and languages, to converge in one location in pursuit of a shared dream.It is a concept that football comes closest to pulling off on a quadrennial basis because of its universal spread and appeal. Cricket on the other hand?Not inclusive enoughHistorically, the willow game, whose roots can be traced back to 16th century England, has been the preserve of a select few. Sure, South Asia — with India, Pakistan,…

As you navigate the potholed, dusty roads of the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region (a little more than two hours from Nagpur), it becomes apparent that you have left behind the comfort and familiarity of an urban centre. Instead, you find yourself in the heart of rural Maharashtra, where the rhythm of life moves at its own pace. For those venturing to the Tipai Wildlife Luxuries resort in this region, it is not just a getaway — it feels like a cultural initiation. On the way, school children in neatly pressed uniforms wave at you from outside their modest…

India’s zero allocation for Iran’s Chabahar port in this year’s Budget has raised debate on the fate of this strategically important project. Several experts, however, believe it is more of a pause rather than an exit — until the sanctions’ environment becomes more predictable. The reduction comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has intensified sanctions and military pressure on the Ayatollah regime.On 12 January 2026, Trump announced that any country doing business with Iran would face a 25 per cent tariff on all trade with the US. This raises the stakes beyond traditional sanctions. It signals a…

A photo posted by @ispaceflight_in showing a a PLF (Payload Fairing) washed up on an uninhabited island near Maldives. | Photo Credit: Photo credits: X/@ispaceflight_in Debris of a launch vehicle with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) logo and the national emblem have reportedly been found recently in an uninhabited island in Maldives.The debris of the Payload Fairing which are believed to be that of ISRO’s Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) washed up to an island near L. Kunahandhoo in Maldives, and found on February 12. Local Maldivian media have also reported on parts of the debris washing up to the…