A couple of questions on the horror in Kabul, in the hope someone might have seen some relevant reporting (I can’t find any) @anand_arni and @DaudKhattak1 I know have also been puzzling over some of this... 1. Why has only one suicide attack been claimed by the Islamic State? Is there a second claim of responsibility out there, somewhere?

Little startled by the furore over Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he participated in the Jana Sangh’s Bangladesh Gana Satyagraha of August, 1971. The protests happened; Bangladesh even gave Prime Minister AB Vajpayee an award citing his role in them hcidhaka.gov.in/pdf/scan0079.p… If there’s some evidence the PM was not at these protests, that’s one thing. But I can’t see why his saying he was part of these protests, is per se unbelievable: he was in the Jana Sangh, so why is it odd he would participate in Jana Sangh activities?

Money part of @rajnathsingh statement: `.“चीन अपनी सेना की टुकडि़यों को North Bank में Finger 8 के पूरब की दिशा की तरफ रखेगा। इसी तरह भारत भी अपनी सेना की टुकडि़यों को Finger 3 के पास अपने permanent base धन सिंह थापा पोस्ट पर रखेगा। 2. इसी तरह की कार्रवाई South Bank area में भी दोनों पक्षों द्वारा की जायेगी। ये कदम आपसी समझौते के तहत बढ़ाए जाएंगे तथा जो भी निर्माण आदि दोनों पक्षों द्वारा अप्रैल 2020 से North and South Bank पर किया गया है उन्‍हें हटा दिया जाएगा और पुरानी स्थिति बना दी जाएगी।

I see some angry that the PM seems to have given up on territory along the LAC India claims, and China holds. It’s not clear to me, though, whether those angered (a) want war to enforce that claim or (b) think it's best to perpetuate our national self-deceit for some more time Some are calling for Churchillian defiance—many, perhaps not coincidentally, people who can be reasonably certain their bodies will not be torn apart or livelihoods ruined by the course of action they advocate

For Indian Trump fans deluding themselves this is some big win for India: the term “mediate“ indicates a position of equidistance and impartiality from the claims of both adversaries

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1265604027678670848

For eg, extreme to illustrate the point, a state offering to mediate between Germany and Poland would not, obviously, have been a friend of Poland. Nor would someone offering to mediate between East and West Pakistan be a friend of Bangladesh

Hey @religarehealth I’ve been waiting four hours at @JaypeeHospital in Noida, for you to deal with my claim so my severely asthmatic child can get off her hospital bed. The hospital isn’t attending on her now she’s “discharged“; we can’t leave because... ... because you aren’t dealing with their bill. You’ve always been really helpful when it’s been time to renew her insurace—can you be similarly helpful now so I can get a very ill child home? Thank you.

Bit surprised to see some in India blaming US Democrats’ purported Hindu-phobia after whipping delivered in the Congressional hearing on Kashmir... First, there were plenty of Democrats delivering the stick to Pakistan in the Senate not very long ago foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…

Some thoughts:
What’s happening in Kashmir is awful, but hardly unprecedented. 175 days curfew from January-May 1990; 56 days non-stop curfew in 2016. Lots of curfew in 1984. No surprise: many Kashmiris (not all) don’t want India, and are willing to die for their cause. The scale of violence now is small. 2008 saw 40 killed in police firing on violent protests; 2010 saw 112; 120+ in 2016. Media restrictions and communications shutdowns are commonplace. The BBC footage from Soura is undoubtedly genuine, but I’ve seen worse there plenty of times.

For guys claiming Pakistan is finally cracking down on terror, a few thoughts (1/n) “Religious seminaries, their curriculum, and ties to foreign organizations and funders are increasingly scrutinized. Dozens of unregistered or suspect seminaries have been raided or forced to close“ 2/n