WORLD
Russia Ukraine conflict: What we really know, and what is being magicked away from view
Truth is the first casualty in a war. But rarely has the entire western media so unitedly projected one man as the good guy (Zelensky) and another as an out-of-control psychopath (Putin).
TRENDS
Die Hard fans: The WYSIWYG charms of Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis was that crazy paradox—a star with great screen presence who always seemed to be the unglamorous everyman pushed to do extraordinary things.
POLITICS
Birbhum killings: Bhadu Sheikh's murder and the history of political violence in West Bengal
Political violence has been almost a part of daily life in West Bengal since the mid-1960s.
WORLD
Russia-Ukraine conflict: The war has been 30 years in the making. Many saw it coming
History has its own logic, and for 30 years, the West—more specifically the US and NATO—has been determinedly making sure that Russia would strike back one day, when it finally ran out of patience.
TRENDS
Covid pandemic 2nd anniversary | An optimist's view of life since Covid
The history of Homo Sapiens is about finding solutions and ways to progress, from taming fire to inventing vaccines for Covid at blinding speed.
WORLD
Russia Ukraine conflict: The case for atmanirbharta
The Ukraine war will change the world in fundamental ways. For a country like India, it becomes imperative now to develop its own systems and infrastructures that are immune to international bullying.
TRENDS
Tribute: Intensely competitive but always cheerful, Shane Warne was one of a kind
Shane Warne was more than just a magnificent cricketer. In him, you got a full human package, superbly talented and deeply flawed.
WORLD
Russia Ukraine conflict: India must watch out for its own interests
Oil shocks, disruption in imports of weapons and technology and exports of tea and medicines, opportunistic neighbours, and other dangers to watch out for as the situation escalates over 4,000 km away.
WORLD
Will they, won't they invade? Gas at the centre of the Russia Ukraine conflict
Russia has claimed that it has begun its withdrawal of troops, but Biden says that Vladimir Putin is lying and the invasion can occur… any time.
TRENDS
Biopic: What else is there to say about Michael Jackson?
'Michael' - the film - is being made with the approval of and cooperation from the Jackson estate. It may turn out to be the “authorised biography”. And authorised biographies are always suspect.
TRENDS
Winter Olympics 2022 | Well done, India. Time to play nice has passed
The surreal has become real in Beijing.
TRENDS
The Godfather turns 50: Epic story of one of the greatest movies ever made
'The Godfather' premiered in a New York theatre on March 15, 1972. Paramount Pictures has released a digitally remastered 50th anniversary version of the film.
TRENDS
Covid origins: Wuhan lab leak theory resurfaces as Dr Anthony Fauci’s emails are released to US oversight committee
What is slowly becoming clear is that a host of top scientists chose to dismiss the lab leak theory for political and funding reasons, rather than scientific ones.
WORLD
US Capitol riots anniversary | Will the Republicans back Trump if he stands for election again in 2024?
The January 6, 2021, Capitol riots seemed to desecrate every democratic principle that the nation had supposedly been built on. Yet, a year later, opinions of the American people remain sharply divided.
TRENDS
Best books of 2021, featuring spies, dirty money and big ideas
Plus, Graham Greene, who helpfully classified his books in two categories—“novel” and “entertainment”.
TRENDS
A brief history of poll violence and vote-rigging in West Bengal
“Scientific rigging”, booth jamming, delay tactics drawn from competitive sports, masked threats and other tried and tested ways often used to ensure the desired poll results in West Bengal.
TRENDS
Economics of 'Money Heist': Cheer for the looters, but mind the anarchist doodle
Money Heist’s message resonates with the frustration that lies deep in the hearts of a majority of humanity. So we cheer for the looters. And this is where the problem with Money Heist lies.
TRENDS
44 million pending court cases: How did we get here?
There are about 73,000 cases pending before the Supreme Court and about 44 million in all the courts of India. Cases that have been in the courts for more than 30 years, as of January 2021: 1,05,560.
TRENDS
Here's looking at you, kid: A lot of happy accidents went into making 'Casablanca' a classic
The secret of 'Casablanca' is its lead characters—Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). Everyone in the audience can recognize them—perhaps even identify with them.
TRENDS
Why are Joe Biden's approval ratings dropping, and what could it mean?
As US president, Joe Biden appears to have embraced the “progressive” policies of Bernie Sanders—big government, large doles, harsh ecological policies and general wokeness. A backlash may be brewing.
CRICKET
May the force be with you, Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid comes in as coach right when Indian cricket appears to be in need of a calm logical longview.
TRENDS
Four reasons why Facebook's metaverse isn’t everything they say it is or will be
Yes, the metaverse can happen. But it is unlikely to either make us more free or create a more fair world. It will be Big Tech getting even bigger and more powerful.
TRENDS
"James Bond will return." But he should have gotten a better finale first
For many devoted fans of James Bond films, 'No Time To Die' is not only the most disappointing Bond film ever; it is distressing.
TRENDS
Why India should ignore global rankings, including the ones where it fares well
Problems with global indices like Ease of Doing Business and the Global Hunger Index, where India didn't even place in the top 100 countries, boil down to methodology.
