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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday that India is seeking self-reliance in energy independence and the development of its own powerful defence systems, vowing to defend his country’s interests “like a wall”.Modi delivered his annual Independence Day address from the imposing ramparts of New Delhi’s Red Fort at a time when India faces intense pressure and threats of additional tariffs from the United States.”Self-reliance is the foundation of developed India,” Modi said after a flypast of military helicopters scattered flower petals above an invited crowd of thousands.”Freedom becomes meaningless if someone becomes too dependent on others”.Ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump’s ultimatum that India end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine.India has said it “stands ready” to support efforts to end the Ukraine war and endorses a summit to be held between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.But the United States says it will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers.”We know that we remain dependent on many countries to meet our energy needs”, said Modi, leader of the world’s most populous nation and fifth-biggest economy.”But to build a truly self-reliant India, we must achieve energy independence.”US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement congratulating India’s Independence Day, said the relations between the two nations were “consequential and far-reaching”, and wanted to “ensure a brighter future for both”.- ‘Blood and water’ -Modi urged scientists and engineers to focus on building key sectors and technologies including fighter jet engines, semiconductor chips and military hardware systems.”We will have India-made semiconductor chips in the market by the year’s end,” Modi said.He added that the country was also working towards building a space station and would have a “defence shield” in the next decade, without giving further details.Modi also honoured the Indian armed forces, which took part in a four-day conflict with arch-rival Pakistan that ended in a ceasefire on May 10. “India will give a befitting reply to any other misadventure by the enemy,” he added, and referred to New Delhi’s suspension of its cross-border water sharing treaty with Pakistan.”India has decided that blood and water will not flow together”, he added.Modi did not speak directly about Trump, but said he would “stand like a wall” against any policy that hurts the interests of farmers.Agriculture employs vast numbers of people in India and has been a key sticking point in trade negotiations.”When economic selfishness is rising day by day… we must not just sit and worry about the crisis but instead focus on our strengths,” Modi said.

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities marked the fourth anniversary of their takeover on Friday, buoyed by Russia’s first official recognition of their government, a step they hope other countries will follow. Parades were planned in several cities, including in central Kabul, where helicopters were set to drop flowers and the white-and-black flags of the Taliban’s “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” fluttered across the city to mark their capture of the capital on August 15, 2021. Taliban members gathered on Thursday night at a square near the shuttered US embassy — seat of their enemy during their 20-year insurgency — waving flags and setting off fireworks, an AFP journalist said. The military parade held last year with much fanfare at the Bagram airbase, once the linchpin for US-led operations, was cancelled this year, without public explanation. The Taliban government remains largely isolated on the global stage over restrictions imposed under their severe interpretation of Islamic law, targeting women in particular. The International Criminal Court issued in July arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the persecution of women and girls, who are banned from most education and work, as well as parks, gyms and travelling without a male guardian.  But the authorities scored a victory in early July when Russia became the first country to officially recognise their administration. Kabul also enjoys close ties, despite lacking official recognition, with countries including Central Asian states, China and the United Arab Emirates.On the Western front, the Taliban government reported talks in Kabul with officials from Norway, Britain and the United States, among others. The authorities face almost no internal opposition, though steep challenges stem from economic fragility, international aid cuts and the influx of four million Afghans expelled from neighbouring countries.Independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday called on the international community not to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities and to reject their “violent and authoritarian rule”. “Operating without legitimacy, the Taliban enforces an institutionalised system of gender oppression, crushes dissent, exacts reprisals, and muzzles independent media while showing outright contempt for human rights, equality and non-discrimination,” the experts said in a statement.

On a lively weekend, a bartender in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu balances carefully a slice of titaura, a local tangy and spicy hog plum treat, on top of a martini glass.The drink is an example of how a new wave of cocktail bars is combining age-old techniques with local traditions to craft uniquely Nepali drinks to make a global mark.Until recently, cocktails were an afterthought on most bar menus in the capital of the Himalayan nation, often overshadowed by beers or straight spirits.Concoctions available tended to be unbalanced, too strong or far too sweet.But over the past five years, the city’s cocktail scene has changed, led by a new generation of bartenders turning global experience into local innovation.”It’s definitely evolving at a very fast pace,” Abhishek Tuladhar, who started his own bar after returning home to Kathmandu from a finance job in Singapore, told AFP.”We’re really thrilled, because we have a lot of ingredients and a lot of talent that we can definitely showcase to the world.”Tuladhar’s Barc this year won the prestigious Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ Michter’s Art Of Hospitality Award, a first for Nepal, and has climbed up their rankings to number 35.The speakeasy Barc’s menu champions tea from Ilam in western Nepal, childhood tangy street favourites like titaura and khattu — dried fruit sweet snacks — and local rice spirit aila, flavouring it with local spices.”I think it is understanding that flavour and making it palatable to all markets,” Tuladhar said. “It’s not just a direct translation.”- ‘Forced creativity’ -When Rabin Gurung returned from Hong Kong and decided to open a cocktail bar, he spent months trying to finding a simple key ingredient — lemon.”Classic cocktail recipes demand lemon, but I could only find lime in the markets,” said Gurung, 37, co-founder of the bar Bitters & Co.”We sent out people to look at all citrus grown here in Nepal until we found something.”Many imported ingredients and liqueurs can be hard to find — or are very expensive.US-returnee Santosh Faiia, 29, who runs the popular BlackBird bar and newly opened Layaa in the heart of Kathmandu’s tourist hub Thamel, said that the struggle to find ingredients forced the industry to be “creative”.Bartenders now make several ingredients from scratch, including special bubble-less clear ice, house bitters, and syrups infused with local botanicals like rhododendron.That approach is paying off.With a growing curiosity among Nepali drinkers and tourists alike, bartenders now find themselves at the heart of a fast-evolving scene.”I think that is what creates a great amount of excitement amongst consumers. And that is why I think the recognition has happened,” said veteran Indian bartender Yangdup Lama, who has designed the cocktail menu of the newly opened Old House in Kathmandu. “There’s this ‘wow’ factor.”Both BlackBird and Bitters & Co have previously been listed in Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ extended list. – ‘Nepali hospitality’ -Growing interest in cocktails is driving new investments, creating more stable job opportunities for bartenders, particularly significant in a country where around 1,600 young people leave daily in search of work abroad.”Things are gradually shifting, and bartending is starting to be seen as a viable career path so people can work here in Nepal and stay close to their families,” said Faiia.The drinks themselves are out of the price range of many ordinary people in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in Asia.But several new bars have popped up in the last year that prominently feature cocktail recipes with home-grown names and ingredients.  Emma Sleight, head of content for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, sees strong potential in Nepal’s emerging bar scene.”Anyone who has experienced Nepali hospitality knows it is full of sincerity and heart,” she said.”Combine that with Nepal’s rich culture, its incredible ingredients, and the passion of its people, and you get something truly unique.”

At least 56 people have died and dozens more remain missing after torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain crashed through a Himalayan village Thursday in Indian-administered Kashmir, a top disaster management official told AFP.It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month.”The news is grim,” Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement, reporting a “cloudburst” of heavy rain that had hit the Kishtwar district.Crowds gathered at a Kishtwar hospital while people carried some of the injured on stretchers. Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP “56 dead bodies were recovered” from the site before rescue efforts were halted for the night.Irshad said 80 people were reported missing and 300 people were rescued, “50 of whom are severely injured” and were sent to nearby hospitals.Local officials said the death from the devastating flood that damaged or washed away many homes was likely to rise.Sushil Kumar, a resident of nearby Atholi village, told AFP: “I saw at least 15 dead bodies brought to the local hospital.”Pankaj Kumar Sharma, district commissioner of Kishtwar, said earlier that “there are chances of more dead bodies being found”.- Pilgrims’ kitchen washed away -Chisoti village, where the disaster hit, is on a Hindu pilgrimage route to Machail Mata shrine.Officials said a large makeshift kitchen where there were more than 100 pilgrims — who were not registered with local authorities — was completely washed away.Rescue teams were facing difficulty reaching the area and soldiers also joined the effort.The region’s weather department has issued an alert for more heavy rain and floods, asking residents to remain vigilant.Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) by road from the region’s main city Srinagar.”Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.Floods on August 5 overwhelmed the Himalayan town of Dharali in India’s Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has yet to be confirmed.Floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency and severity.The UN’s World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a “distress signal” of what is to come as climate change makes the planet’s water cycle ever more unpredictable.

Powerful torrents driven by intense rain smashed into a Himalayan mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir and killed at least 46 people on Thursday, a top disaster management official told AFP.It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month.”The news is grim,” Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement, reporting a “cloudburst” of intense rain that had hit the Kishtwar district.Crowds gathered at a Kishtwar hospital while people carried some of the injured on stretchers.”Death toll has increased to 46,” a top disaster management official Mohammad Irshad told AFP, adding “some people are missing but we can’t say how many.” Irshad said 150 wounded people were also rescued from the disaster site, “50 of whom are severely injured”. All were sent to nearby hospitals.Sushil Kumar, a resident of nearby Atholi village, told AFP: “I saw at least 15 dead bodies brought to the local hospital.”Pankaj Kumar Sharma, district commissioner of Kishtwar, said earlier that “there are chances of more dead bodies being found”. – Pilgrims’ kitchen washed away -Chisoti village, where the disaster hit, is on a Hindu pilgrimage route to Machail Mata shrine.Officials said a large makeshift kitchen where there were more than 100 pilgrims — who were not registered with local authorities — was completely washed away.Rescue teams were facing difficulty reaching the area and soldiers also joined the effort.The region’s weather department has issued an alert for more heavy rain and floods, asking residents to remain vigilant.  Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) by road from the region’s main city Srinagar.”Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.Floods on August 5 overwhelmed the Himalayan town of Dharali in India’s Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has yet to be confirmed.Floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency and severity.The UN’s World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a “distress signal” of what is to come as climate change makes the planet’s water cycle ever more unpredictable.

India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order.Past trade between the neighbours across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism.The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia.However, the two countries, caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, have moved to mend ties.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected for talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July.That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly 2020 border clash between troops. “For a long time, China–India border trade cooperation has played an important role in improving the lives of people living along the border,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement sent to AFP on Thursday.It said the two sides have “reached a consensus on cross-border exchanges and cooperation, including resumption of border trade”.New Delhi’s junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told parliament last week that “India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade”.No restart date was given by either side.- ‘Transitions and challenges’ -Successive US administrations have seen India as a longstanding ally with like-minded interests when it comes to China.India is part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, as well as Australia and Japan.However, ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump’s ultimatum for India to end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine.The United States will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers.Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Thursday that the partnership between New Delhi and Washington had “weathered several transitions and challenges”.Jaiswal said India hoped that the “relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests”.He said India “stands ready” to support the efforts to end the Ukraine war and endorses the summit to be held between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Indian media, might also visit China in late August. It would be Modi’s first visit since 2018, although it has not been confirmed officially.Beijing has said that “China welcomes Prime Minister Modi” for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit opening on August 31.burs-bb/pjm/pbt

Pakistan will establish a new military force to supervise its missile capabilities, the prime minister has said, after its worst conflict in decades with South Asian arch-rival India.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the formation of the Rocket Force Command while addressing an Independence Day ceremony in Islamabad attended by senior military officials late on Wednesday.”It will be equipped with modern technology and capable of striking the enemy from all directions,” Sharif said at the ceremony, during which the deadly clash with India in May dominated official speeches and displays.”It will improve our conventional war capabilities,” he said, commending the military for its performance.Pakistan and India fought an intense four-day conflict in May that killed more than 70 people on both sides in missile, drone and artillery fire, the worst clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999.Pakistan has sophisticated missile capabilities, some of which it deployed in May alongside J-10C Vigorous Dragon and JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.Islamabad is boosting its military capabilities following the conflict, increasing defence spending by 20 percent in the current budget that was passed in June.The government also announced that it was in discussions to acquire 40 new Chinese fighter jets and new air defence systems. “After the recent conflict, the object of course is to further strengthen Pakistan’s military capability and this is a part of that process,” defence analyst Talat Masood, a former general, told AFP.The May conflict was triggered by a deadly attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir a month earlier that Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan denied the allegation. Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the region in full and have fought two wars and several conflicts over its control. 

India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order.Past trade across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes between the neighbours was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism.The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia.But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, the countries have moved to mend ties.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected for talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July.That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly border clash in 2020 between their nations’ troops. “For a long time, China–India border trade cooperation has played an important role in improving the lives of people living along the border,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP on Thursday.It added that the two sides have “reached a consensus on cross-border exchanges and cooperation, including resumption of border trade”.New Delhi’s junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told parliament last week that “India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade”.No restart date was given by either side.Successive US administrations have seen India as a longstanding ally with like-minded interests when it comes to China.India is part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, as well as Australia and Japan.But ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump’s ultimatum for India to end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine.The United States will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Indian media, might also visit China in late August. It would be Modi’s first visit since 2018, although it has not been confirmed officially.Beijing has said that “China welcomes Prime Minister Modi” for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit opening on August 31.burs-bb/pjm/sco

Nepal has waived climbing fees for 97 mountains, officials said on Wednesday, hoping to steer people to its lesser-known peaks and boost local economies.Climbers pay for permits on Nepali peaks and the fees vary depending on the mountain’s height and popularity, with heftier charges for those such as Everest.The 97 mountains, ranging in height from 5,870 metres (19,300 feet) to 7,132 metres, are located in the western Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. “We hope it will bring our hidden treasures in the limelight and diversify the mountains Nepal offers,” Himal Gautam, of Nepal’s tourism department, told AFP. It follows a busy spring climbing season in Nepal during which the government issued 1,168 climbing permits. Over half of those were for peaks above 8,000 metres, including Everest, the tallest in the world at 8,849 metres.In contrast, others saw little climbing activity and generated minimal revenue from so-called royalty fees.”These remote areas have immense tourism potential and we hope the local economy can benefit,” said Gautam.  Nima Nuru Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, welcomed the decision but said much more was needed to drive interest in remote mountains. “Royalty fees alone is not keeping mountaineers (away) from these areas. We need to develop the infrastructure and manpower required for running expeditions there,” Sherpa said. Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers every year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons. A boom in climbers has made mountaineering a lucrative business since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa made the first Everest ascent in 1953.In February, Nepal increased permit fees for Everest from $11,000 to $15,000 starting next spring, hoping it will help tackle pollution and boost safety.

Indian officials say at least 68 people are unaccounted for a week after a deadly wall of icy water swept away a Himalayan town and buried it in mud.On top of four people reported to have been killed, it takes the likely overall toll of the August 5 disaster to more than 70 dead.Videos broadcast by survivors showed a terrifying surge of muddy water sweeping away multi-storey apartment blocks.Disaster officials said Tuesday that they were searching for corpses in the wreckage of the tourist town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state.Gambhir Singh Chauhan, from the National Disaster Response Force, said sniffer dogs had identified several sites indicating there was a body but when “when digging started, water came out from below”.Chauhan said teams were also using ground penetrating radar in the grim search.More than 100 people were initially reported as missing.But with roads swept away and mobile phone communications damaged, it has taken rescuers days to cross-check the list.The local government now lists 68 people as missing, including 44 Indians and 22 Nepalis. Nine soldiers are on the list.Deadly floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency and severity.Climate change experts warned that the disaster was a “wake-up call” to the effects of global warming.No official cause of the flood has been given, but scientists have said it was likely that intense rains triggered a collapse of debris from a rapidly melting glacier.Himalayan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters.The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides.