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  The state of Kerala is on the southwest coastal region of India south of Goa, and had its first encounter with the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. It is also the state with one of the highest literacy rates in the country. It lagged in industrial development after independence with a large number of people migrating to other countries. Prime minister Modi inaugurates the first Kerala Vande Bharat high speed train between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod. He also inaugurates today the Kochi Water Metro with  electric boats covering 38 terminals over 10 islands. Kochi is the commercial capital of the state. Modi said: "Our government emphasizes cooperative federalism and considers the development of the states as the source of the country's development. If Kerala develops then India will develop faster." "Kerala is a state of aware and educated people. Hard work and humility of people here is part of their identity." ...

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German chancellor Merkel met with leaders of Germany's 16 federal states to come up with an exit plan for reopening the economy from the lockdown in phases. In the first phase shops with up to 800 square metres of space will reopen on April 20. Bookshops, libraries, car dealers, bicycle shops, and museums will open too. Larger retailers will wait till May 4 to reopen. On May 4 school children in primary school can attend school and teenagers can take exams. Germany has 133,000 infected cases, 3592 deaths. Merkel warned that the performance with coronavirus was "fragile and provisional success" and the need for social distancing measures. A ban on gatherings of more than 2 people from separate households will remain in place till May 1. The government will strongly recommend that face masks be worn in public and in shops, public transport. Mass events will be prohibited till September. Bars clubs and restaurants will remain closed at least till May 3, or beyond. ...

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37 missiles downed overnight after a missile barrage on Kviv. Pictures in The Guardian show Kviv residents sheltering in underground subways sitting on stairs or escalators.

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With steady productivity and fewer people quitting using a four day week, companies are adopting this change that came during the pandemic period with hybrid work.

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Tata and Airbus will jointly make 56 C-295 aircraft in India for the Indian Air Force. 16 aircraft will be Made in India by 2025.

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WSJ provides a look into the electric vehicle manufacturing plants of Rivian and Ford Motor in the US as they scale up quickly to increase production.

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Auto loan interest rates hit a high of 8.5% by Jan 2023. Credit Unions that offer lower rates have increased their share of auto loans to 28%.

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The crew of 3 Americans and one Canadian on the Artemis II Moon Mission will be the first human beings to reach the moon in 50 years.

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The number of specialist referrals for NHS mental healthcare reached a record of 4.3 million in the UK in 2021, according to this report in the BBC.

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Tech jobs are opening up for blue collar workers without a college degree as companies loosen requirements, in  the effort to find new workers.

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Hear the recording of the first Easter message by Queen Elizabeth II, a message of the Easter hope and the lighting of candles, of light and life.

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This WSJ report is part of its ongoing investigation of the origins of the coronavirus and the role of a risky coronavirus research study in Wuhan, China.

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Isolated for long periods during the coronavirus people come to the ancient Buddhist temples in Nara, Japan, for a revitalizing experience. See the video from NHK World.

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The Guardian provides a visual guide with maps and pictures of the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge that crosses the outer part of Baltimore harbor. 

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Watch this British woman sailing around the world in a sailing ship. At 77 years she is the oldest person to sail round the world, solo, unassisted.

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More lockdowns this time in Chengdu in the interior of China, are causing a great deal of anxiety for 60 million people, says this report in NYT.

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21% of US job openings are now with small companies of less than 10 employees in December 2023 within a larger cooling job market.

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Southern California, particularly Los Angles is hit with mega floods. BBC cites predictions for half a years rainfall to fall in a single day in February 2024.

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Macron uses a clause in the French Constitution to pass the budget without a vote in parliament because parliament is too divided to come to an agreement.

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New forms of development aid that take intermediate technologies and advocate self-help are shown here in The Guardian. One is a Kew Gardens project in Madagascar.

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Infrastructure renovation in Hoboken, New Jersey, on marshy land near the Hudson river, helped it escape the floods that affected New York City a few months back.

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Biden shows Xi photo of a young man at the Golden Gate Bridge in 1985. The picture is of Xi during a visit to the US.

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England make it to the semifinals of Euro Cup soccer 2024 with a 2-1 win over Slovakia. Jude Bellingham's overhead kick puts England ahead.

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The Cambridge English language exam from 1913 is shown here by the BBC. Try taking 5 questions from that exam on proper wording of sentences in English.