Blogs

Orbán gets a proper shellacking – a reminder that the lovely thing about democracy is its penchant for change Greeting a massive crowd, cheering alongside River Danube, Péter Magyar said, “We did it.” He is set to be Hungary’s next PM. Viktor Orbán, after four consecutive terms, didn’t just lose his majority, but took a…

If imitation is sincerest form of flattery, Trump’s blockade of Hormuz Strait is a compliment to Iran. For 45 days already, Iran has blocked this geographical tap, through which 20% of world’s oil flows. The only tankers going in and out have been those filled at Iran’s own ports. In fact, Iran shipped more oil…

“It was bad enough that social media sometimes declares that celebrities are dead before their time, now comedians have started announcing that they are Still Alive on YouTube,” Kamala informed me, as she watched the Samay Raina comeback special on her phone. ‘Main Samay Hoon’ was a phrase heard in every household, during the telecast…

Around 2,300 years ago, Chanakya wrote in his Arthashastra (paraphrased), “I shall create troubles in his fort… [and] cause him to sustain heavy loss of men and money…sow the seeds of dissension among his friends… cut off supplies and stores going to him…and compel him to make peace with me on my own terms.” He…

A strait does not have to be closed to be weaponised. It only has to be made conditional. That is the danger now visible at Hormuz, where transit is being treated, not as a right under international law, but as leverage, in a power struggle. For India, this isn’t a distant legal dispute. It’s a…

The US has started blocking ships near the Strait of Hormuz, an important sea route where about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes. Iran had already been stopping many ships for about 45 days. During that time, only ships carrying oil from Iran were moving freely. Iran even managed to sell more oil than usual….

France is famous for fancy food and beautiful restaurants. But something surprising is happening there. In places like Paris, the most popular food spots right now are not expensive restaurants—they are fast food places! People are lining up to buy simple meals like chicken and rice. Many young people (Gen Z) prefer quick, easy, and…

By Harvinder Pal Singh Baisakhi, a festival of harvest, is also when Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, created the Khalsa, a psychological construct that galvanised common people to rise against oppression. To test their courage, the Guru, unsheathed, called for volunteers to sacrifice themselves for the faith. The five brave hearts who stepped…

By Farida Khanam The month-long military confrontation involving US, Israel, and Iran, which began in late Feb, was suspended on March 25, 2026, under a temporary ceasefire. The conflict claimed nearly 5,000 lives, and left a trail of destruction in terms of infra, environment, and human livelihoods. In the present age of weapons of mass…

Alter-Me scores over Me and D2 Startled by Me’s reaction on skimming the show timings of D2, Alter-Me said, “I’m not accompanying you. It is longer than a T20 match.” A determined Me in rising crescendo said, there is a show in almost every theatre, single or multiplex, every 30 minutes past the hour, throughout…