Blogs

A week since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination in joint US-Israeli strikes, Gulf is at a dangerous turn facing an unprecedented spillover of the US-Israel-Iran war into Arab monarchies and neighbouring nations. Such a spillover was rarely seriously anticipated. Is it, however, surprising? Not really. What has been reported as a footnote was in reality a…

Iran war will end when Trump chooses. Question is when? Some say he’ll stop when petrol gets too pricey in US, others say when US casualties rise. All are counting on US midterms in Nov. They reckon Trump can’t alienate voters and risk a Democrat takeover of Congress. Perhaps, they haven’t listened to him carefully….

Life expectancy in the West is around 80 years today. Two key questions arise: what was it before capitalist development began (in around 1650-1700) and what factors have contributed to this huge improvement? Addressing the first question can help us to identify the total increase, and addressing the second question can help to quantify the…

Today’s edition moves from immigration policy to identity debates and ancient mythology. Australia has sharply raised the cost of its post-study work visa, a move that could affect thousands of Indian students hoping to stay and work after graduation. In the US, a debate over what constitutes a “Hindu name” has sparked a social media…

It is a fact that history of post – Independence India cannot be complete without mentioning the Role of Public Sector Enterprises – the majority shareholding of these Enterprises being held by the Central / State Governments (mainly separately but in certain cases joint holdings of centre and states). What was planned at the second…

Among the many things that Vedic astrology conjures up, three take the centre stage, namely, the law of Karma, rebirth or reincarnation, and Hindu practices and rituals. To most traditional Vedic astrologers, the slightest idea of separating Vedic astrology from these tenets is viscerally revolting. And such a sentiment isn’t entirely misplaced. It cannot be…

Forensic science has fascinated the world for decades. From TV shows like CSI to crime thrillers, it’s often portrayed as a magical tool that can instantly solve any crime. But the real world of forensic science is far more complex and sometimes slower than what we see on screen. These misconceptions have even influenced jurors…

A fictional spiritual journey imagines snowy winter travelling across cultures and faiths The dreary-nighted winter month was restless as it arrived at the Cimitero Acattolico, the Roman cemetery, to meet John Keats, who had lain buried beneath a cold Protestant stone since February 23, 1821. The air was heavy, cold, and wrapped in silence. Winter…

“He who has access to the divine realities is drawn away in rapture,” said Hazrat Sayyid Abū l-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī (1196–1258), the founder of the Shadhili Sufi order (tariqa). In our modern times, rapture is understood as a term limited to the experience of the senses. Our thirst for spiritual growth may find rapture in the…

From Delhi’s AI Summit to Maoris, protesters have put skin in the game In a demonstration that raised both eyebrows and hackles, some members of Youth Congress gate-crashed the recent AI Summit in Delhi, and as a gesture of protest against issues ranging from what they perceived as an Indo-US trade proposal unfavourable to Indian…