CLASHES AS HUNDREDS PROTEST ATTACK ON LOW-CASTE INDIANS

Members of the Dalit community protest against thrashing of the community members earlier 

A police officer was killed on Tuesday (July 19) when violence broke out at a demonstration in western India to protest an attack on low-caste villagers by cow protection vigilantes. Police fired teargas shells and used sticks to try to control stone-throwing crowds angered by attempts to stop them from demonstrating in western Gujarat state. Hundreds of people have been detained as authorities try to contain the unrest, which began on Monday and has since spread. 

One senior officer was fatally wounded in Tuesday's clashes and several more suffered minor injuries, the local superintendent of police J A Patel said. The protests erupted after video footage emerged of an attack last week on four villagers from the lowest Dalit caste who were taking a dead cow to be skinned. Cows are considered sacred by Hindus and killing them is banned in Gujarat, but the villagers said the animal had died of natural causes. 

Low-caste villagers are commonly tasked with removing the corpses of dead cows from the streets of India, where the animals often roam freely. 

Local lawmaker Shambhu Prasad Tundiya said the violence was a sign of frustration among low-caste Hindus after years of discrimination by people from higher castes who often went unpunished. 'Such atrocities by upper-caste people on Dalits have been happening time and again since ages. This is unacceptable,' Tundiya told reporters. 

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel meanwhile said 16 people had now been arrested over the attack and appealed for calm after a series of apparent attempted suicides among Dalits. 'I appeal to Dalit youth to not resort to desperate measures like attempting suicide & assure them that govt is with Una victims,' she tweeted, referring to the town where the original attack took place.

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CENTRE RUSHES 800 CRPF TROOPS TO KASHMIR

Eight hundred additional central  paramilitary forces are being rushed to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of continued violent protests across the Valley. The reinforcements will be in addition to 1,200 personnel which were sent to aid the state police on Saturday. Official sources said eight companies (with 100 personnel each) of CRPF are being sent in the wake of ongoing protests. About 60 battallions (about 1000 personnel each) are already stationed in the state as part of counter insurgency grid.

A police station in Sopore was torched by a mob on Monday (July 11)  while air force airport in Pulwama and other security installations in Kashmir have also came under attack as ongoing clashes between protesters and security personnel continued following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on Friday (July 8).

The violent protests have so far left 23 dead and over  250 injured. Normal life has been paralysed due to curfew-like restrictions and separatists-sponsored strike since Saturday  (July 9).

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BANGLADESH REELS FROM NEW DEADLY ATTACK AT START OF EID

Suspected Islamists carried out another deadly attack in Bangladesh Thursday at the country's biggest prayer service for the start of Eid, days after a mass murder of hostages in the capital Dhaka.

Authorities said four people, including two policemen, had been killed after several explosions and gunfire near a prayer ground in Kishoreganj district as at least 250,000 people joined a post-Ramadan gathering.

'Two policemen, an attacker and a woman who was shot during the gunfight were killed,' national police spokesman A.K.M. Shahidur Rahman said.

Nine policemen were also injured. They are in a critical condition and have been shifted to a military hospital in Dhaka.


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JAMMU AND KASHMIR GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES BORDER TOURISM

A local in a Shikara at Dal lake which is the main tourist attraction in Jammu and Kashmir The rattle of guns was replaced by the excited noises of people clicking selfies and dancing to the beats of drums at the Border Out Post (BoP) in the India's northen state of Jammu and Kashmir as government launched its border tourism initiative.

Ahead of their departure to Amarnath cave shrine to pay obeisance at ice-lingam of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir Himalayan shrine, a group of nearly 100 pilgrims from various states of the country made a beeline at Octerio Border Out Post (BoP) along IB with Pakistan which has a three-tier border fencing.

Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Priya Sethi led the group which traveled in a special tourism bus to Suchetgarh border belt in R S Pura tehsil of Jammu district. 'This is an effort by the government to promote border tourism in the state. After this, the next step of the government would be to promote cross-border tourism," the Minister told reporters.

"Tourists and pilgrims are ambassadors for our state and the government wants to send a message of peaceful atmosphere and cultural harmony across the country through them," she said, adding that such visits would become a routine exercise in the coming days.


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SANIA MIRZA-MARTINA HINGIS STORM INTO ROUND 3 IN A QUICK GAME

India's Sania Mirza and Switzerland's Martina Hingis pose with their trophy

Top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis breezed into the women's third round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over the Japanese pair Eri Hozumi-Miyu Kato at the Wimbledon championships in London on Sunday (July 3).

The Indo-Swiss were clinical in their approach and wrapped up the second round clash in 52 minutes on Court No.3.

The fancied duo served well besides converting five of the eight break points they earned in the match.

Sania and Martina's third round opponents will be Christina McHale and Jelena Ostapenko. The American-Latvian combine defeated 13th seeds Alla Kudryavtseva and Vania King 6-1 6-4 in their second round match.

Earlier today, the 10th seeded Finnish-Australian pair of John Peers and Henri Kontinen needed only 62 minutes to dispatch India's Leander Paes and his Polish partner Marcin Matkowski 6-3 6-2 in the second round.


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TATA, STARBUCKS TO BOOST SYNERGY WITH NEW GLOBAL INITIATIVES

A file pic of Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry with John Tulver, President of Star Bucks coffee (China and Asia Pacific)

Tata Sons and Starbucks have finalised multiple new joint initiatives to expand their collaboration at a global level, apart from building the iconic American coffee chains brand and business. The initiatives include sourcing Indian coffee for the US market, introducing the Teavana brand of specialty teas in Indian stores, expanding the market of the Tata-owned mineral water brand Himalayan and skilling over 3,000 youths, the companies said.Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry met Starbucks Chairman and Chief Executive Howard Schultz last week in Seattle and finalised these initiatives, which will be rolled out by the year-end, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday (June 27).


The two groups have been running Tata Stabucks coffee chain in the country since October 2012 as part of a joint venture.The JV operates 80 stores in six key cities, but that is way below the initial target as they had set a target of opening 50 stores in the first year itself. The company has been citing difficulty in getting the right retail location as the main reason for the slower expansion."Starbucks now spans over more than 80 stores across six Indian cities. As we continue on our journey with the Tatas, we are delighted to introduce the finest coffee from India to a new audience," Shultz said in the statement.

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INDIA'S FIRST INDIGENOUS COMBAT PLANE ENTERS SERVICE AFTER 33 YEARS

India's first locally-built combat aircraft officially took to the skies on Friday, 33 years after it was cleared for development, marking a long-held goal of cutting expensive imports to build a domestic defense-industrial base.

India's fighter aircraft fleet, made up of a mix of Russian, British and French planes, is down to 33 squadrons as against the air force's requirement of 45 to face Pakistan and China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has nudged the military to accept the first version of the "Tejas" Light Combat Aircraft to make up for the shortfall while a more powerful subsequent model is under development.

Indian Air Force officers broke coconuts and priests held multi-faith ceremonies to mark the induction of two planes in the southern city of Bengaluru. Later, the aircraft took off in the colours of the air force as fire tenders sprayed water on he tarmac in a military ritual.

"Moment of national pride. Indigenously developed Tejas fighter jet inducted into Air Force. Tejas will take our air strength to new heights," Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, who has led the drive for indignation, said in a Twitter post.

Early this month China said it is still testing its first stealth fighter, the J-20, but it would enter service soon.

The single-seat Indian fighter is considered superior to counterparts like the JF-17 aircraft jointly built by China and Pakistan. Tejas has had no accident in 3,000 hours of flying and its use of composites helps lower its radar signature, making it harder to detect early, air force officials said.


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