Seattle, Aug 18 (IANS) In a unique initiative, the ‘India Pavilion’ at the First ‘India Day Parade’ organised in Downtown Seattle last week as part of the 79th Independence Day celebrations featured more than 30 booths that were set up to represent the 28 States of India along with several thematic exhibits. Each booth showcased distinctive One District One Product (ODOP) items, accompanied by descriptions highlighting their cultural and historical significance. Several top dignitaries who grace…

Seoul, Aug 18 (IANS) South Korean jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at a special counsel’s office Monday to undergo questioning for the second time, less than a week after her arrest over corruption allegations.Kim was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki’s office in central Seoul in a prison van to attend the questioning.The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention centre in southwestern Seoul last week after a court issued a warrant to arres…

Kathmandu, Aug 18 (IANS) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday handed over light strike vehicles, critical care medical equipment and military animals to Nepal’s Chief of Army Staff Suprabal Janasewashree General Ashok Raj Sigdel at a special ceremony held at Nepali Army headquarters in Kathmandu. In a post on X, Indian Embassy in Nepal stated, “Strengthening Defence Cooperation Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri handed over Light Strike Vehicles, Critical Care Medical Equipment and Military Anim…

Almaty, Aug 18 (IANS) A light plane crashed in the Tselinograd district of Kazakhstan’s Akmola region, killing the pilot and a passenger, the country’s transport ministry said on Monday. An Aerostar R40F UP-LA229 aircraft crashed during a general aviation flight without catching fire, said the ministry’s press service. “In line with the Rules for the Investigation of Aviation Accidents, a commission has been established. Staff from the ministry’s department for the investigation of accidents hav…

Yangon, Aug 18 (IANS) Myanmar is set to hold the first phase of the General Election on December 28, the Union Election Commission said on Monday. The Union Election Commission has announced December 28 as the date for the first phase of the multi-party general election in accordance with the constitution and relevant laws, and said that the dates for subsequent phases will be announced in due course, Xinhua News Agency reported.Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing said in June that the election will …

Moscow, Aug 18 (IANS) An An-24 passenger plane overran the runway during takeoff at Roshchino International Airport in Tyumen, western Siberia of Russia, on Monday morning, said local authorities. The aircraft carried six crew members and 40 passengers, including 13 children, but no injuries were reported in the incident, according to a statement posted on Telegram by the Central Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Xinhu…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Amid the Opposition’s silence over Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s proposal for honouring astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla inside Parliament, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor extended support and said that the entire nation as well as countrymen are proud of his achievements and milestones achieved in space.Shashi Tharoor taking to X, hinted that the Opposition will not participate in the special discussion and stated that this doesn’t take away the feats and exploits attained …

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee in a corruption case linked to the alleged multi-crore cash-for-school job scam.A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh also allowed the special leave petitions (SLPs) filed by the West Bengal School Service Commission’s (WBSSC) then Chairman Subiresh Bhattacharyya and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education’s (…

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) The number of higher education institutes (HEIs) in the QS World University Rankings (QS-WUR) has doubled in the last five years — rising from 27 in 2021 to 54 in 2026, the government informed the Parliament on Monday.In a reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed that the country has recorded its strongest presence in QS-WUR 2026. He also shared the status of higher education in the country.“The number of Indian HEIs featured in the…

Kottayam, Aug 18 (IANS) Once discarded as waste, coconut shells in Kerala have turned into a lucrative commodity, with prices hitting record highs on the back of rising industrial demand from other states and even overseas. The price of coconut shells has seen a significant jump, rising to a record high of up to Rs 35 per kg in some parts of Kerala in the past few months.Interestingly, a year ago, coconuts in the state were sold for Rs 30-40 a kg (now Rs 80-90), while today their shells are fetc…