The first month of the coup in Myanmar ended in a bloody disaster as security forces executed a violent crackdown on peaceful protesters. On February 28, at least 25 people were killed and many more injured in various towns. This is certain to harden positions on all sides — the anti-coup movement, their external supporters, and the Tatmadaw (military) that is signalling its steely resolve. On February 1, Myanmar’s generals suddenly suspended the country’s experiment with partial democracy, taking full charge read more

The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 Mars launch window were simultaneous events. A ‘launch window’ is a brief period when the position of Mars and Earth in the solar system is such that spacecraft bound for Mars can reach the planet in the shortest 6-7 months travel duration. Such windows occur only once in two or three years, making it necessary for countries to schedule missions accordingly. The US, UAE and China did not let the pandemic affect their Mars-bound missions. read more

The year 2020 was particularly challenging for India as it faced a belligerent China at the border amidst the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic and durig a nationwide lockdown, China may have wanted to surprise and tie India to the 1959 claim line through its actions in April-May 2020. Unlike the previous stand-offs, the present stand-off turned out to be a violent one with the clash read more

It is not just cherry blossoms that Japan and North East India have in common. Even as spring marks the onset of the sakura festival in Japan, in Meghalaya it arrives only in autumn where the hillsides are a-burst with pink. Meghalaya celebrates the flower too: The first Cherry Blossom Festival was held in the state by the government in 2016. In 2018, Shillong hosted India’s first International Cherry Blossom Festival, where then Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu was the chief read more