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Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...
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India’s popcorn tax sparks memes and humour online

Social media erupted with a wave of memes and humour after the Indian GST Council confirmed an 18% tax on caramelised popcorn, categorising it as sugar confectionery. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman explained that caramelised popcorn is taxed differently from salted and plain popcorn due to the added sugar content. She clarified that the tax rates are determined by the preparation method and characteristics of each type. Currently, unpackaged and unlabelled salted popcorn is taxed at 5%, branded popcorn at 12%, and caramelised popcorn at 18%. The differentiation has drawn sharp criticism for its complexity while providing meme creators with ample material. This isn’t the first time India’s GST classifications have sparked controversy. Past disputes have included different tax rates for chapatis versus parathas, curd versus yoghurt, and cream buns versus buns with separate cream. Memes flood social media platforms The decision to impose varying GST rates on popcorn has sparked a wave of creativity on social media, with users sharing memes and humorous takes. One user quipped, "Russia develops a cancer vaccine, the US creates AI robots, and India finds three tax components in popcorn!". Photo: X Indian stand-up comedian and Bigg Boss winner Munawar Faruqui shared his witty take, asking if "sugarcoating our words" could soon be taxed, tagging it with #PopcornTax. Photo: X One social media user likened the caramel popcorn tax to "cartoonishly evil" acts, sparking witty comparisons online. Photo: X While another user joked about calculating the GST rate for "Himalayan Salt Caramel Popcorn," adding humour to the tax debate. Photo: X

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
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Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

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Indian opposition supporters detained ahead of protest at Modi's home

Police in the Indian capital detained dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday as they attempted to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to protest against last week's arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, a key opposition leader whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has governed the national capital territory for a decade, was arrested by the financial crime-fighting agency on corruption charges relating to the city's liquor policy, weeks before India begins voting in general elections on April 19. He was remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate until March 28, with the lawyer for the agency arguing he was the "kingpin" in the case and needed to be interrogated. Kejriwal's party, all of whose main leaders are now imprisoned in connection with the case, says he has been "falsely arrested" in a "fabricated case". The federal government and Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny political interfere...
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