Author: Dilip

I'm a scholar, writer and teacher; and my blog is designed for intellectual exploration. It carries no advertisements and requires no cash subscription

Neither Confirm nor Deny: How the Glomar Mission Shielded the CIA from Transparency

Neither Confirm nor Deny: How the Glomar Mission Shielded the CIA from Transparency by M. Todd Bennett; Reviewed by Chuck Steele Despite the centrality of the ocean research vessel Glomar Explorer to this fascinating story, this is not a book intended for an audience of environmental historians. It is, however, a first-rate account of the… Read More Neither Confirm nor Deny: How the Glomar Mission Shielded the CIA from Transparency

Dilip

Our north stars

Trusting in the students to lead us to a brighter tomorrow Tanvir Haider Chaudhury Let’s get one thing straight: The only north star here is the students. They fought, suffered incarceration and torture, bled, and died to see this revolution happen. The only people I trust in this whole mess we find ourselves in are… Read More Our north stars

Dilip

Alicia Vikander: ‘If you’re depicting an abusive relationship, you can’t shy away’

To get into the mindset of her latest character, Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr, Alicia Vikander would put in her AirPods between takes, alternating between classical music and “a lot” of techno. “It gave me a bit of physical stress,” she recalls. “Something that never stopped, like a heartbeat that always goes… Read More Alicia Vikander: ‘If you’re depicting an abusive relationship, you can’t shy away’

Dilip

More than 90 Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on school and mosque sheltering displaced people, Gaza officials say

UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, said Israel was “genociding the Palestinians one neighborhood at a time, one hospital at a time, one school at a time, one refugee camp at a time, one ‘safe zone’ at a time.” GAZA casualties, live statistics At least 93 Palestinians have been killed in an… Read More More than 90 Palestinians killed in Israeli strike on school and mosque sheltering displaced people, Gaza officials say

Dilip

Grey silence (2023)

The deference of India’s cricketing gods to authority Mukul Kesavan There have been several public protests in Delhi against the State during Narendra Modi’s prime ministership. The Shaheen Bagh sit-in and the long farmers’ protest are the obvious examples. Compared to these mobilisations, the dharna at Jantar Mantar led by Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat and… Read More Grey silence (2023)

Dilip

Supreme Court grants bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Delhi excise policy case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, noting that he has been in custody for 17 months. A bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said Sisodia has been in custody for… Read More Supreme Court grants bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in Delhi excise policy case

Dilip

A Proclamation regarding the Anniversary of the First Nuclear War Crimes

H. Patricia Hynes Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – As I write, five of nine governments with arsenals of nuclear weapons – capable of destroying life on our planet many times over – are engaged in war: the United States (in multiple wars and stoking one with China), Israel, Russia, and NATO members… Read More A Proclamation regarding the Anniversary of the First Nuclear War Crimes

Dilip

‘We’ve ousted this regime and will do so again’: the students bringing change to Bangladesh

Kaamil Ahmed and Redwan Ahmed in Dhaka Students are out in force on the streets of Dhaka, no longer protesting but working to put a city back together after the dramatic events of the past few days. After Monday’s resignation of Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, subsequent looting and pockets of violence meant the initial jubilation quickly turned to… Read More ‘We’ve ousted this regime and will do so again’: the students bringing change to Bangladesh

Dilip