For the first time, he began to see himself as he really was, naked and defenseless at the center of a universal debacle, buffeted this way and that by events, threatened on every side by an all-pervasive decay, sinking slowly into the quick-sands of failed resolutions, and finally disappearing into the ultimate morass against which… Read More The Death of Napoleon by Simon Leys
A group of young people are in the third week of a hunger strike in Berlin, claiming Germany’s political parties aren’t adequately addressing climate change ahead of this month’s general election. The protestors – aged from 18 to 27 – have vowed to continue their hunger strike until the three leading candidates vying to replace… Read More German election: Hunger strikers want greater action on climate change
Indian anti-smuggling intelligence officials have seized nearly three tonnes of heroin – reportedly worth around $2.7bn (£1.9bn) – in a major operation at a port in Gujarat state. Forensic testing is still under way to determine the exact value of the seized drugs, officials told the BBC. Two people have been arrested and several others… Read More Mundra Port: Nearly three tonnes of heroin seized at Gujarat port
‘With the exceptions of economics and demography, I don’t think social-science methods can be used to engineer historical research. In place of methodological prescriptions, I would invoke two remarks by historians I admire. Marc Bloch said (I am speaking from memory and may get the words slightly wrong): ‘The historian is like the ogre of… Read More Robert Darnton and Zhang Chi: a conversation
Hong Kong (CNN): When Ho Feng Shan died at the age of 96, he took a secret to his grave. The only clue was a single sentence in his obituary in 1997. Throughout his long life, Ho never mentioned his heroic deeds during World War II – not to his wife, his children or friends.… Read More Ho Feng Shan: The 'Chinese Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews. By Wayne Chang
Bharat Bhushan on the birthday gala to refurbish ‘Brand Modi’ The birthday celebrations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have metamorphosed into a three-week project of “Service and Dedication” from the single week of “Seva saptah” followed until last year. They will showcase a grateful nation thanking the prime minister for his service. The events projected as entirely… Read More A Grateful Nation watches a Roman circus
More than a dozen women staged a protest in Kabul on Sunday, holding up signs calling for the participation of women in public life. The protest came as female government employees in Kabul were told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men. The order was given by… Read More Afghan women stage protest in Kabul after Taliban crack down on women's rights – video report
Millions of people forced to leave their homes because of severe drought and powerful cyclones are at risk of modern slavery and human trafficking over the coming decades, a new report warns. The climate crisis and the increasing frequency of extreme weather disasters including floods, droughts and megafires are having a devastating effect on the livelihoods of… Read More Sarah Johnson: Climate crisis leaving ‘millions at risk of trafficking and slavery’
The truth is that Indians have switched to palm oil not because of some great choice but merely because it has come cheap. For most people cooking their food in palm oil or some mixture thereof, the content makes little difference. It is just another vegetable oil to them. The very versatility of the oil… Read More Omair Ahmad: What would the proposed large-scale cultivation of oil palm mean to India’s ecology and economy?
The torrent of fake news from groups sympathetic to the ruling party that flows through the Indian public discourse everyday is a phenomenon analysed by Neelanjan Sircar who writes of the ‘disinformation’ that is curated and then disseminated under centralised control to intimidate and harass critics as well as caricutarise the Muslim community. It is a year… Read More The India Forum on government propaganda; sexual violence, periodic labour, the new agricultural laws, and more
After the truth-shower 