World

In order to promote religious freedom in India, the US has announced a grant of about $ 5 lakh (about Rs 3.24 crore). The US Foreign Ministry has sought applications from NGOs for this.

With the application, a proposal to develop a pre-warning system for reducing religious violence and discrimination in India has been sought. Similar grants have been announced for Sri Lanka also.

The information released by US Department of State's Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau in this regard has said that the purpose of the $ 493,827 program is to reduce religious violence and discrimination in India. The applicants have been asked to give an idea of positive messages for the success of the program to counter the offensive messages.

Apart from this, he has also been asked to give a proposal to educate the civil society and journalists regarding religious freedom, especially religious minorities. After scrutiny of applications, grantees of India and Sri Lanka will be announced.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina flagged off the Bandhan Express between the opening of Kolkata and Bangladesh through video conference. During this, PM Modi said that sometime ago we did video conferencing at the time of the launch of South Asia Satellite.

PM Modi said that today we have inaugurated two railway bridges. The bridge, built at a cost of around $ 100 million, will help strengthen Bangladesh's rail network. He said that being a trusted partner in the development work of Bangladesh is a matter of pride for India.

PM Modi said that both development and connectivity are connected together. We have taken some more steps towards strengthening the centuries-old historical connection between the two countries today. The movement and contact between the people of West Bengal and Bangladesh, in particular, will be better.

Earlier, the Maitri Express train is already underway between Bangladesh's capital Dhaka and West Bengal's capital Kolkata. Now the Bandhan Express will increase the proximity between the two countries. PM Modi said that development and connectivity have been linked to each other, relations with neighboring countries' leaders should be as close as neighbors.

China is considering a plan to build a thousand-kilometer long tunnel to divert the stream of Brahmaputra river. If this dam is built then it will be the longest damaged in the world.

According to the Times of India report, China wants to turn the stream of Brahmaputra from Tibet to its Xinjiang province. China's Xinjiang Province lacks water. In China, the Brahmaputra river is called Yarlong Sangpo. This river coming from Tibet falls through the northeast of India and falls in the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh.

If China makes these tunnels, then there will be a change in the flow of Brahmaputra, which will result in water crisis in many areas.

According to the Times of India report, due to the construction of the tunnel, the water of the river will be deposited in large quantities, which could increase the possibility of flood.

According to the news published in the Chinese newspaper China Morning Post, the plan to build a tunnel on the path of Brahmaputra was given to high level officials who would have to give their opinion till March 2018.

This tunnel can also damage the ecology of Tibet and Northeast India. These tunnels will also make China very expensive.

According to a report published in the Chinese newspaper, a Chinese expert has estimated that this tunnel will cost $ 150 crore per kilometer. That is, about $ 150 billion will be spent to build the full tunnel.

Responding to the concern expressed by India in the past, China had assured that it was not making any dams in Tibet on Zhangmu.

China had said that it is only building a hydroelectric project, which will not affect the river water going to India. If China makes these tunnels, then obviously its impact is on the river stream.

Spain has taken control of Catalonia directly in its own hands and has dismissed the separatist government's field by publishing special measures online in the official gazette at night.

Catalonia's separatist MPs had passed the declaration of freedom on Friday, after which the Spanish government took this step on Saturday.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has dissolved the regional parliament and has called for new regional elections on December 21.

Mariano Rajoy is now the top decision-maker in the North-East, replacing Catalan President carles Puigdemont. Puigdemont and 12 members of Catalonia cabinet will no longer be paid and if they refuse to follow the instructions then they can be accused of grabbing others' liability.

There is no immediate response from Catalonia's top executives. Sacked Catalonia Regional Police Director is the only such officer who has issued the statement and said that he will follow the instructions.

It is notable that the Catalonia parliament passed a resolution on Friday declaring independence from Spain and coming into existence as a republic of its own. In favor of the declaration of independence, 70 votes came, while 10 votes were cast in the opposition. Two members were absent from voting.

Opposition MPs walk out before voting in the Catalonia 135-member parliament. Opposition members said that this announcement is unlikely to get official recognition from Spain and abroad.

Let's say, 90 percent of the people voted to be separated from Spain in the referendum of violence in Spain's second-largest state of Catalonia. In the state of 7.5 million people, about 40 percent of the people participated in the referendum. There are 53 lakh registered voters.

Catalonia government spokesman Jordi Turul said that about 2.2 million votes were counted, in which about 2 million votes fell in favor of separation from Spain.

At least 31 people died due to overcrowed a bus crashed in the Dhadid district of Nepal due to fall in the river on Saturday. The dead included an Indian woman.

Dhadid's Superintendent of Police Dhrub Raj Raut said that around 70 km west of Kathmandu, on Ghatbasi mode, just about five in the morning, crashed and fell into Trishuli river.

Security forces and armed forces personnel, including Nepal Army soldiers, evacuated 16 injured passengers from the river from the accident site located on the earth highway.

According to the media report, the rescue team has so far removed 31 bodies and other missing passengers are being searched.

Police said that all the injured have been taken to the nearest hospital, but two seriously injured passengers have been taken to Kathmandu for treatment.

Police said that according to preliminary reports, due to poor visibility, there was an accident due to the failure of the driver to get control over the fast speed bus at a turning point.

Police said that 52 passengers were traveling in the bus. The police have considered the worst visibility responsible for Saturday's accident.

Catalonia parliament today announcing to independence from Spain and come into being as a republic of its own, passed the proposal attached to it. 70 votes were cast in favor of the declaration of independence, whereas 10 votes in the opposition. Two members were absent from voting.

Opposition MPs walk out before voting in the Catalonia 135-member parliament.

Opposition members said that this announcement is unlikely to get official recognition from Spain and abroad.

Let's say, 90 percent of the people voted to be separated from Spain in the referendum of violence in Spain's second-largest state of Catalonia. In the state of 7.5 million people, about 40 percent of the people participated in the referendum. There are 53 lakh registered voters.

Catalonia government spokesman Jordi Turul said that about 2.2 million votes were counted, in which about 2 million votes fell in favor of separation from Spain.

Catalonia separatists had won in Spain in the election of 2015. During this election they promised to make a referendum to liberate Catalonia.

It was considered to be the biggest political crisis in Spain since the withdrawal of dictatorship in 1977.

However, Spain's leadership rejected this referendum. On the other hand the courts also asked to stop it. The Spanish Police arrested many Catalonia officials on this issue.

Some youths in Fatehpur Sikri have come to know about Quentin Jeremy Clerk and Mary Droze, a couple of Switzerland, for about an hour on Sunday, to torture them and attack them with stones and sticks.

After the matter came to the headlines, the police has started the proceedings. An accused has been arrested by registering an FIR against unknown 4.

After the attack, the victims were admitted to a hospital in Agra.

India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj has sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday in connection with the attack on a couple of Switzerland in Agra on Sunday.

Sushma tweeted the news of the attack on Switzerland's couple and said, "I saw it now. I have sought a report from the state government in this regard."

Sushma said in another tweet, "Officials of my Ministry will go to the hospital and meet the victims."

Officers met the couple in the afternoon.

On this whole incident, the Uttar Pradesh's former chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has put the yogi government in the dockyard. Akhilesh said that foreign tourists are being beaten for taking selfies. Where is the Anti-Romeo Squad of Uttar Pradesh? He was addressing a press conference in the Samajwadi Party's office on Thursday.

Akhilesh said, "What happened to the Anti-Romeo Squad? A foreign couple was beaten for taking selfies in Fatehpur Sikri. In Uttar Pradesh, incidents of untimely crime and robbery have increased. The law and order has completely demolished.''

According to the Times of India report, 24-year-old Quentin Jeremy Clerk came to India on 30 September with his girlfriend Mary Droze. He told that after spending a day in Agra he was standing near Fatehpur Sikri railway station when a group started pursuing him.

According to Clerk, "In the beginning, they said something that did not come to our understanding, and then they asked us to stop so that they could take selfies with Mary."

Exploitation soon turned into attack. Both were beating, in which Clerk hit his head. The doctor said that the hearing ability of one ear has affected due to injury. Mary Droze's hand is broken and there are many signs of injury.

According to the report, both of them remained lying in the injured position. People standing nearby used to take their videos on their mobile phones.

Recalling the frightening experience, Clerk said, "Despite the boy refusing, we continue walking with us. They took pictures of all the paths and kept trying to come to Mary. According to whatever we could understand, they were asking for our names and our place of residence in Agra. They asked us to take some place, on which we refused. After a while, the sticks and stones started to rain on me. When Mary Droze stopped them, she was not even left.

Mary Droze said that first I thought they would not attack a woman, but she turned out to be wrong. They said, "I do not know why they attacked? They did not take any of our stuff.''

Mary Droze also denied that they were doing both 'Kiss'. A local policeman tried to explain the reason behind the 'anger of the crowd', which Droze termed 'rumor'.

American company Tesla Inc.'s product architect Allan Musk has decided to open the company's new factory in China.

According to the news of The Wall Street Journal, Tesla has signed a deal with China to open a factory outside of the United States for the first time. Tesla's decision is believed to be a major blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign.

According to the report, the owner of this factory in China will be Tesla, not the local manufacturer preparing it. China has recently given some legal concessions for the convenience of electric vehicle manufacturing. It is believed that China would rarely discount the 25 percent import duty to Tesla.

According to the Money Control report, Indian Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had offered Tesla to open a factory in India with an Indian automobile manufacturer.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the factory located in Tesla's Fremont in 2015. In June this year, Tesla's chief Alan Musk informed on Twitter that his company is negotiating with the Indian government on this issue.

According to the report, the car company wanted to ease the imposition of imports and other restrictions imposed up to the construction of the local factory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Make in India' scheme on September 25, 2014. Under this, various multinational companies are encouraged to build in India. Through this, the Indian government is promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. The government expects that 'Make in India' will increase the investment in the country as well as in employment.

The United States has announced the withdrawal of military aid given to the units and officials of Myanmar who were involved in violence against Rohingya Muslims.

Due to this violence, Rohingya Muslims have had to flee in large numbers from Myanmar.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Norte declares the punitive steps: "We express deep concern for the kind of harassment Rohingya and other communities have experienced due to the recent violence in Rakhine province.''

She said that it has become mandatory that people and institutions, including state-level elements responsible for excesses, be held accountable.

Due to the violence in the Rakhine province, a large number of Rohingya Muslim migrated from Myanmar who went to Bangladesh, thereby causing a deep humanitarian crisis in there (Bangladesh).

Heather Norte said that America is considering accountability options with its friends and colleagues.

Heather said in a statement that US will continue to help with the rise of Myanmar towards democracy and in the efforts to overcome the current crisis in Rakhine province.

Norte said, "Although the government of Myanmar and its armed forces will have to take immediate steps to ensure safety and stability."

After the army's action in the Rakhine province, 600,000 Rohingya Muslims left from Myanmar and crossed the border to Bangladesh. This crisis has accelerated at the end of August.

After the insurgents attacked Myanmar's security forces, the army started the action on this community.

Norte said that the US has stopped considering the withdrawal of the travel restrictions on the existing and former leadership of Myanmar's army since August 25.

At the same time, there was news on Monday that leaders associated with UN officials, government ministers and rights groups are organizing a conference which aims to raise money for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

EU, Kuwait Government and United Nations Overseas, Refugees and Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Agencies aim to achieve the goal of US $ 43.4 crore made by the United Nations by February.

Officials said that by now only a quarter of this goal has been found.

During coming out from the army camp in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital killed 15 trainees of the Afghan army in a suicide bomb attack.

Afghanistan's Defense Ministry spokesman Daulat Waziri said, "On Saturday afternoon, when a mini-bus was coming out of the cadet military academy, a suicide bomber targeted them, in which 15 cadets were killed and four were wounded.''

At the same time, at least 63 people have died in a suicide attack in two mosques during Jumme's prayers in Afghanistan. In these attacks, a Shiite mosque in Kabul and a Sunni mosque in the western Gore province was targeted.

Affected by war in Afghanistan, there were several attacks last week.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned these attacks and said in a statement that the security forces will intensify the fight to end terrorists targeting all religions and castes.

Maj Gen Alimast Momand, the official of the Home Ministry, told that a suicide bomber blew up himself in the Shia mosque of Imam Jaman in Kabul. In this attack, 30 people were killed and 45 injured.

Provincial police chief spokesman Mohammad Iqbal Nizami said that 33 people were killed in a suicide attack during a prayer in Jumme in a Sunni mosque in Gore province. No group has taken responsibility for this attack immediately.

The US government has also condemned other attacks in Afghanistan this week, including the attacks in Kabul and Gore.