Amidst a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 100 million people have already cast their ballots in early voting, putting the country on course for its highest turnout in a century. Some 239 million people are eligible to vote this year.
Hundreds of Republican supporters sporting light blue T-shirts and the familiar red MAGA (Make America Great Again) caps gathered at the South Lawns of the White House as the US president addressed them from his balcony in a campaign-style event.
A railway engine driver abducted by a little-known tribal outfit called United Democratic Liberation Army, from a remote area in Hailakandi district in southern Assam last month, was released unharmed by the abductors on Friday much to the relief of the Railway authorities and his family members.
'When Sachin Tendulkar bats, no one in India cares if he is from Mumbai or if he is a Hindu or a Brahmin or whatever.' 'We just want him to win it for India.' 'The same is with Modi and the people who voted across caste and regional lines for him.' We want him to win it for India,' says Madhu A K.
Justice Chandrachud also said that use of state machinery to curb dissent instills fear, which violates the rule of law.
'For any government in India the core ideological issue as far as governance is concerned is very straightforward; which is how do you produce growth of 9 to 10 percent and then use the proceeds of that growth to create a more inclusive society. Unfortunately, for the UPA government there are too many internal ideological divisions for them to be able to tell this large story very clearly,' says Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, Centre for Policy Research.
For two decades the US paid in blood and blood money for dependence on Pakistan to carry out one president's boast. Now, having been defeated by its proxies, another president will go into Rawalpindi's embrace to satisfy his constituents, predicts Shekhar Gupta.
A high-level delegation of Union Home ministry is in Assam to prepare the ground for starting political negotiations with various militant outfits including the United Liberation Front of Asom, United People's Democratic Solidarity, Dima Halim Daoga-Jewel which have come forward for dialogue to resolve their problems.
'The Kerala saga also requires a reappraisal of Nehru himself. 'The real Nehru is to be found somewhere between the syrupy panegyrics on him and the demonisation of him that is currently happening,' says Ambassador MK Bhadrakumar.
With militants belonging to anti-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland and Kamatapur Liberation Organisation trying to strike fresh routes along the thickly forested and rugged terrain on the India-Bhutan border in North East and North Bengal (West Bengal), both the countries have decided to mount vigil along the border.
The decision to enhance AI fleet came after Tatas withdrew from the race to pick up stake in the national carrier in December 2001.
Inarguably the biggest gainer in the Grand Alliance, the CPI-ML, often working in the margins of mainstream politics, had 19 candidates in the fray, most of them students and youth leaders.
Warming up for his visit to Bangladesh in the company of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on September 6 and 7, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday showered praise on Bangladesh Prime Minister Seikh Hasina and her government for being very helpful in evicting militants leaders of the northeast, including those from the United Liberation Front of Asom and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, which has been instrumental in containing insurgency in the state of late
'That would once and for all teach all the film-makers of this country a fitting lesson!'
'Our love for our great nation -- Bharat is second to none and our patriotism towards our motherland -- India is for the entire nation to emulate.'
'The best thing that Modi can hope for in this visit is that he is able to mobilise Indians in America to vote Republican and try and help Trump return to power,' argues Aakar Patel.
A joint team of the army and police gunned down seven tribal militants on Friday morning in an encounter inside a dense forest along the Assam-Mizoram border in Karimganj district of South Assam.
The narrative in America after Donald Trump's victory sounds like the questions and debates that took place in India after May 2014. Were both electoral results all about jobs and economic anxiety? Mihir S Sharma doubts it.
A Bloc Quebecois motion to ban the kirpan from the precincts of parliamentary buildings moved on February 14 was defeated with the Conservatives, Liberals and the New Democratic Party voting against it. The move came close on the heels of Quebec politicians banning the Sikh ceremonial dagger from the Quebec National Parliament.
For this dispensation, ideas are dangerous. Those who propagate liberalism and democratic traditions are even more dangerous, observes Rashme Sehgal.
'This is a historic juncture when the US is in great need of an alliance with India to strengthen its hands in the fierce struggle with China in the Asian theatre,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmey Thinley on Monday said there were no militants from Assam in the Himalayan country and reiterated Bhutan's commitment to prevent any anti-Indian activities on its soil.During a brief stop-over at the Guwahati International Airport on his way to Thimphu, Thinley told reporters that as on date, there was no presence of any militant from the banned United Liberation Front of Assam or National Democratic Front of Bodoland in Bhutan.
More than 750 constituencies spread across four states and one union territory will go to the polls on Tuesday
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls' education, has been named as Britain's most influential Asian by a weekly publication in London.
'The strength of an uprising is directly proportional to the level of anger simmering among the people. Wherever this anger spills over, people will rise up in revolt. People will not tolerate despotic regimes for long; once they have raised their voice the regime has to listen to them.'
Riding on a wave against the liberal policies of President Barrack Obama, and inspired and helped by the right wing Tea Party movement, led by leaders like Sarah Palin, former candidate for vice president, Haley, whose parents came from Amritsar in the 60s, trounced her Democratic opponent state Senator Vincent Sheheen.
A wise politician would disarm his critics, try to take them along, co-opt them, or, at least, take the criticism in his stride. Developing a thick skin ought to be an essential part of any politician's toolkit, notes Virendra Kapoor.
Early results suggested that Moon, the Democratic Party's candidate in the election to replace ousted president Park Geun-hye.
The home ministry said the entire Assam, besides bordering areas of Meghalaya, have been declared 'disturbed' under the AFSPA for three months with effect from May 3.
Nita Ambani hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has great vision to transform India into a global sporting powerhouse.
It is important to approach the belief of people in ancient India's achievements with a sense of proportion, balance and empathy, argues B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant.
Bernie Sanders has vowed to work with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to defeat Republican Donald Trump in the November polls, but declined to bow out of his race to the White House.
Former chief of the Intelligence Bureau P C Haldar will be the interlocutor between the government and the proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam if a peace process is initiated with the outfit, given the positive signals emanating from its ranks.
'If there were no Ahmedabad programme -- no flashy town hall event in a huge cricket stadium with thousands cheering him on -- then Trump may well have decided not to go to India.'
The government declared NSCN-K, all its front organisations and formations as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, a home ministry spokesman said.
The Blinken visit indicated that the Biden administration is still somewhat tentative about the specifics of its relations with India, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan, who has served multiple stints at India's embassy in Washington, DC.
The newly-formed common forum of Northeast insurgent groups based in Myanmar has posed a renewed threat to security and peace in the troubled region.
Three Hurriyat Conference leaders were taken into custody, as police foiled the separatists plan to march in connection with Martyrs day on Monday.
Not with standing the Western nations' zeal to wage a war against the group, unless its source of funding is known and curbed, its rampage will likely continue.
'All of Indira Gandhi's bad economic ideas are being strengthened, from nationalised banks to anti-poverty, handout yojanas,' says Shekhar Gupta.
