Alliances fight wars effectively only when they share an endgame. If Israel acted without US knowledge, then the military alliance is operating without real coordination at the level of strategic targeting. Neither picture is reassuring in a war that is no longer regional in its consequences. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'It is too early to conclude that there will be a bloodbath, that there will be no jobs, and that there will be civil unrest.' 'Let's calm down.' 'AI is a tool, it is not a weapon, it is not a virus.'
Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
Thirty-six former judges have called on people, including parliamentarians, to denounce opposition leaders' move to impeach Madras High Court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, saying such an attempt would undermine democracy and judicial independence.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday urged people to maintain peace as he presented a vision of an inclusive society, saying the country belongs to people of all faiths, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians.
'On August 22, 2015, Shyamvar Rai disclosed to you that he had committed the murder of Sheena Bora along with Rahul Mukerjea.' How would Indrani have reacted to this?
'The law under the guise of security represents a grave and unnecessary expansion of State power at the cost of fundamental rights,' asserts Aakar Patel.
Whether Freedom At Midnight 2 has a political agenda, a bias or two will be read into it, depending on the affiliation of who is watching, notes Deepa Gahlot.
A court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat has directed the Congress and four of its leaders to remove a deep fake video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani from social media platforms.
Forty-two members of the United States Congress, led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding immediate sanctions against senior Pakistani officials for what they termed an 'escalating campaign of transnational repression and worsening human rights crisis in Pakistan' under the military-backed government of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Fresh clashes between Bodos and Adivasis erupt in Assam's Kokrajhar, leading to the deployment of the Rapid Action Force, suspension of internet services, and imposition of prohibitory orders.
'The implementation of the judgment has largely been left to the discretion of the very executive authorities it sought to restrain.'
'I don't think it is right to remove him over one lapse. The focus should be on restoring operations, not on removing a key management personnel.'
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman has returned to Dhaka after 17 years in self-exile in the UK, amid political instability following the killing of a youth leader. His return is significant as BNP emerges as a forerunner in the changed political landscape.
'You cannot 'clear' your way to peace.' 'You need intelligence, calibrated force, impartial law enforcement, political neutrality, humanitarian returns and a sustained reconciliation plan.'
'Even as the Supreme Court's anti-punitive demolition judgment nears its first anniversary, no formal contempt proceedings have been initiated either by the Supreme Court or any high court against officers or demolition squads who have acted in violation of it.'
Civil society groups, led by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, are planning a nationwide protest -- similar to the farmers' stir a few years ago -- starting December 19 demanding scrapping of the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission.
While Zohran Mamdani captured national attention with his meteoric rise to be elected New York City's first Muslim mayor, his wife Rama Duwaji was helping orchestrate his win -- one pixel, one brushstroke, one brand decision at a time.
'Non-compatible with Western Civilization' is about as vague and jingoistic as it gets and Trump saying this gives full license to his acolytes to go full throttle on making life as difficult and scary as possible for as many non-white people as possible,' notes Sree Sreenivasan.
'You don't have to lose your identity to be part of Congress. You can be who you are, as long as you believe in the core principle of strong citizenry and nation-building through that concept'
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi criticizes the Modi government's stance on Palestine, calling it a 'profound silence' and an abdication of humanity and morality. She argues that India needs to demonstrate leadership on the issue and that the government's actions are driven by personal friendship rather than constitutional values or strategic interests.
In the wake of Team Anna stating that it is considering a political alternative, Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said the civil society group has every right to form a political party and nobody has the authority to prevent anybody from contesting the elections.
The fierce battles of Galwan, Rezang La, Gurung Hill, and Walong taught the PLA a hard lesson: Fighting the Indian Army would never be easy or inexpensive.
The hope is that the film raises significant issues about the rights of women, and does not become a diatribe against a minority community that has happened with some recent films, points out Deepa Gahlot.
According to Mr Babar, within four days of this interview the Mumbai terror attack was underway, bringing the two countries closest to war in years -- 'The warmongers shattered Zardari's dream of peace with India'.
'It is high time to recognise that this is the greatest issue India is confronting.' 'Even the BJP should be raising concerns because polluted air suffocates everybody's child.'
The birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, whose political influence has surged with the passage of time, on Monday was marked by bitter trading of charges between the ruling BJP and opposition parties as they fought for his legacy.
'Don't look at Russia only as a place to earn quickly and then leave.' 'Try to build experience in serious companies, skills and certifications that will serve you anywhere in the world.'
India abstained from a UN General Assembly vote on a resolution regarding Afghanistan, citing the need for a balanced approach that combines incentives and disincentives, and calling for new initiatives to address the humanitarian crisis.
'The moment they fall foul of the party in power, they become unsafe. Then nobody can guarantee their safety.'
The West Bengal Police on Tuesday afternoon reconstructed the crime scene with the five accused and the friend of the Durgapur gangrape victim, as part of the investigation, a senior officer said.
'Instead of the government and telecom operators solving the mess of their own creation, they're telling us we need to give access to our phones perpetually.'
France today increasingly resembles the Italy of the past, when governments fell with bewildering regularity, prime ministers came and went in rapid succession, and political instability became the norm rather than the exception, point out Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
As a leader, he was ambitious, not for himself but for India and its people. His was not the short-term election cycle calculation of individual political gain. His was a practical vision of how to better the lives of his fellow citizens, asserts Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, who served as foreign secretary and national security advisor when Dr Singh was prime minister.
Whether it was in the company of superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan -- or, on rare occasions with both together, among others -- Saravanan's demeanour would stand out, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The columnist said that Munir was reported as saying on stage at a Brussels gathering that: "God has made me protector of the country. I do not desire any position other than that."
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor alleges Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary escaped a murder trial by falsely claiming to be a minor. He demands Choudhary's dismissal and threatens to expose further financial irregularities.
Creating a powerful new chief of defence forces has split the Pakistan military into four competing factions, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that the next general election will be held in February 2026, marking the first anniversary of the 'July Uprising'.
'I wanted to go for the heart, and at the same time, open the audience's mind.'
