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The FinePrint

Dharamshala future is on steroids. All it took was a cricket stadium

Dharamshala is changing, from soul tourism to stadium tourism, Tibet to T20. New hotels, convention centre, airport expansion and perhaps even an IT park dominate official conversations.

Water sports fest, fireworks near Assam Ramsar site trigger alarm over endangering birds, elephants

Conservationists say biodiversity at Deepor Beel wetland affected by raised water level in lake during Rising Sun Water Fest. Forest dept says level raised to improve water quality.

Sriharikota, we have a problem. The ground is eroding

ISRO’s spaceport island has lost over 100 metres of shoreline to erosion in the last 4 years. Scientists may now have to zero in on a new launchpad for India’s space ambitions.

Muslim politics is shifting from religion to reservation. All due to Modi’s Pasmanda outreach

Muslims—both Pasmandas and upper ‘castes’—want political representation at the national level, seats in universities, and govt job quotas. But they have different ideas on how to get it.

SC justice for Madigas—How PM Modi endorsed Rahul Gandhi’s ‘jitni abadi, utna haq’ politics

Madigas' grouse has been that the Malas, who are numerically smaller, end up cornering a larger share of the SC reservation pie.

Sindhis, Jains, Yadavs and Muslims of Indore avoiding courts, going for mediation first

We did not expect that so many cases would start coming so soon after the center opened in June. Out of the 56 cases, we have disposed of 12, says the Sindhi mediation centre chief.

Muslims must let go of victimhood. India is far more secular than West, writes Shehla Rashid

Muslims must participate in the vision of a rapidly progressing India. It will also require ignoring some noise, election rhetoric and carrying on like a model minority.

Israel is repeating mistakes of 1982 Lebanon war in Gaza. It might get revenge but not peace

Israel has learned few lessons from its campaign in Lebanon. War in Gaza has no strategic end.

Goodbye Dabangg & Singham-style cops. Kathal & Kohrra’s gritty, grimy OTT police are here

Dahaad, Paatal Lok, Kohrra, and Kathal are recent productions that are breaking stereotypes about the quintessential Bihari cop banging tables under a single lightbulb.

Rafiath Rashid Mithila is Bangladesh’s Swara Bhasker. And she’s accused of ‘corrupting society’

Rafiath Rashid Mithila started her acting career when she was in class III. Mithila’s rise is in sync with the growth of OTT platforms like Bangladesh’s Chorki and West Bengal’s HoiChoi.

On Camera

Can Syria’s tiny Druze minority survive West Asia’s new storms? There’s little hope

Indians see West Asia as one uninterrupted wash of Islam, but the reality is more complex. For the Druze, support from Israel—where they are a recognised minority—is now critical.

India-US set to ink mini trade deal soon, reach understanding on agricultural & dairy products

Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.

Not just AK-203, India & Russia to jointly manufacture AK-19 and PPK-20 for domestic use and export 

India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.

Strategic partner one day, tactical nightmare the next: India’s learning Trumplomacy the hard way

Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.