Author: Ranjan Shree

Brussels/Dushanbe (10/8- 75) Once more Tajikistan comes on the radar screen. Who will be the next president of Tajikistan? How is the ban on the hijab helping the deradicalization of Tajik society? What is the role of the Chinese and Russian influence? And how is the relationship with the European Union coming along? Every year we face a plethora of Tajik issues, for example corruption and drug usage involving officials, now the ban on face veils, or the newest version a ban on black clothes. The desecration of the grave of one of leaders and the promotions of killer squad…

The primary purpose of Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Hungary might be to ensure that Hungary can help China gain market share in the EU, as Beijing and Budapest prepare to sign a total of 16 bilateral agreements. The Chinese president has arrived in Budapest late Wednesday, in the third and last stop of his European visit. During his three-day stay, Xi Jinping and his delegation are expected to conclude a series of economic agreements with Budapest, as China sees Hungary as an important bridgehead in conquering European markets: among other things, Chinese companies are building electric car and battery factories.…

India’s space agency Isro says it has successfully brought back into Earth’s orbit a part of the rocket that carried its historic Moon mission recently. The “propulsion module” had detached from the Vikram lander after ferrying it close to the Moon where it finally touched down on 23 August. After a series of complex manoeuvres, the module re-entered Earth’s orbit. The experiment is significant for Isro’s plans to bring back manned missions in the future. The module will continue to keep an eye on Earth from its new perch, Isro said. When Chandrayaan-3’s lander, carrying the Pragyaan rover in its…

Rescue work to save 41 workers trapped in a tunnel in India’s Uttarakhand state has been delayed again because of a problem with the drilling machine. The US-made machine is being used to drill through the debris to create an escape route for the workers. Officials say the machine is being repaired and that drilling work is likely to restart on Friday. The workers have been stuck inside the tunnel for 12 days after a portion of it collapsed due to a landslide. A section of the 4.5km (3 miles) Silkyara tunnel in the Indian Himalayas caved in on 12…

Ukraine “in all respects” is not ready to begin negotiations on its membership in the European Union, says Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He shared this opinion in an interview on Radio Kossuth, speaking about the political difficulties facing Hungary. “Ukraine in all respects is not ready to talk about its aspirations to join the EU. Ukraine is as far from EU membership as Mako is from Jerusalem ,” HVG quoted the prime minister as saying. According to Orbán, Hungary’s “clear position” is that negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU should not even begin. At the same time, he noted that the European Union “owes Hungary…

Copenhagen (14/11 – 40) The massive mobilization and sustained pressure jolted the Sri Lankan presidency of the previously all-powerful Gotabaya Rajapaksa, prompted mass resignations from the government at the time, and solidified existing spaces and created new spaces for dissent and discussions on much-needed reforms. Sri Lanka is facing an exceptional political and economic crisis that has sparked months-long protests across the country. The new leadership under President Ranil Wickremesinghe struggles with the economic situation and seemingly failed to uphold basic human rights and pursue accountability for grave crimes towards the people of Sri Lanka. Despite troubling trends of authoritarianism,…

Rescuers are racing to save 40 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand since Sunday morning. The workers, who were building the tunnel, were trapped when part of it caved in due to a landslide. Officials have been able to establish contact with the men and have been providing them with food, water and oxygen while they try to get them out. They say they expect to rescue the workers by Tuesday night or Wednesday. On Tuesday morning, the state government said rescue teams were “preparing to drill and insert a metal pipe of…

At least 13 people have died and about 50 are injured after two passenger trains collided in India’s southern Andhra Pradesh state on Sunday. A rescue operation was launched and hundreds of emergency workers were at the site to clear the wreckage. Officials said a preliminary investigation has found that a “human error” had led to the collision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said he was in touch with the railways minister. The crash took place in the Vizianagaram district on Sunday evening. Officials said three carriages of a passenger train, travelling between Visakhapatnam and Palasa, derailed…

Amsterdam, Berlin (16/11 – 10) Diwali, a.k.a. Deepavali, is a Hindu religious celebration as well as a traditional festival, celebrated across India. Customarily known as “The Festival of Lights”, as it is festooned with arrays of colored illumination, it is held from October to November every year. Deepavali 2023 was celebrated on November 12, over a five-day period. Deepavali is the annual Hindu celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. Rarely will you visit a Hindu home during Deepavali without passing under a doorway highlighted by a beautiful, vividly-colored picture created out of flour, rice or flower petals. It…

An Indian MP who is known to be a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is embroiled in a controversy over alleged misconduct in parliament. Nishikant Dubey, a BJP lawmaker, has accused Mahua Moitra – an MP from the opposition Trinamool Congress party (TMC) – of asking questions in parliament in exchange for bribes. Mr Dubey has alleged that Ms Moitra asked several questions targeting the Adani Group – a business conglomerate owned by one of Asia’s richest men, Gautam Adani – in exchange for gifts and cash from a businessman. Ms Moitra has…