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| Moitree chugs for friendship |
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India and Bangladesh conducted a trial run of an Indian train Moitree or Friendship from Kolkata, West Bengal to Dhaka , Bangladesh . This was a step in resuming rail ties between the two countries after a period of 42 years. The 1965 war between India and Pakistan had cut off train services to Bangladesh , which was then East Pakistan .
Even after Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, the services did not resume. It is |
| expected that after clearing security, immigration and customs issues, the train would become regular by mid-August for the 3,000 people who cross the borders daily. |
| Cherapunjee regains old name |
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The Meghalaya government announced that Cherapunjee, the wettest place on Earth, will revert to its original name Sohra . The British could not pronounce the word ‘Sohra' so they changed it to Chera. Later, the Bengali word ‘punjee', meaning a cluster of villages, was added to it. The change to the original name was sought by the syiem or chieftain of Sohra and the Khasi Students Union, KSU.
Sohra holds several records for rainfall including the highest rainfall in a calendar year, 905 inches during August 1860-July 1861; highest rainfall in a year, 966 inches in 1974 and highest rainfall in a day, 61 inches on June 16, 1995 . However, it faces water shortage in the winter leading to its name ‘wet desert'. It has also been overtaken by Wai-ale-ale Crater in Kauai Islands in Hawaii as the wettest place. |
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Falconry fest attracts players |
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Bird of prey keepers came together for the first Festival of Falconry at the Englefield Estate near Reading , England . The event was aimed at highlighting the popularity and importance of the sport the world over. Here, a team from Kazakhstan is looking at the photos taken during the event. — Reuters |
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| ISRO offers space courses |
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| The Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, has set up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, IIST, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, to meet its growing need for talented engineers. Courses offered include BTech in Space Technology Avionics, BTech in Space Technology Aerospace Engineering and Integrated Masters in Applied Sciences. In addition, there are undergraduate, post
graduate and doctoral programmes in space technology and space science with emphasis on the technological requirements of ISRO.
The ISRO association allows students to make use of the organisation's advanced facilities for high technology research. Students will have an opportunity to work with ISRO for five years, provided they pass out with a first class. The institute also comes as a boon for students who do not get in to the Indian Institutes of Technology, IITs, in spite of passing their entrance exams. |
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Warner Brothers displayed the Batcycle for their new release The Dark Knight in the 2007 Licensing International Expo at the Javits Convention Center in New York , USA . The vehicle is referred to as the Batpod in the latest film version of the Batman series. The film will be released in July 2008. — Reuters |
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The annual Sindhu Darshan festival was held in honour of the Indus river in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. It is locally known as the Sindhu river and revered in ancient Indian texts. For the event, dancers wore traditional costumes and performed before a gathering. — Reuters |
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| Five-star comfort for dogs |
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A DOG hotel called Kennell on the outskirts of New Delhi is offering pets and adopted street dogs 5-star treatment. Here, one of the hotel's guests is seen playing on a cushion. Most stray dogs are treated cruelly as they are beaten, rounded up into trucks, poisoned and thrown into pits. — Reuters |
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