The November 6 U.S. midterm elections may have come and gone, but the issue of voter suppression still lingers, drawing responses mostly along partisan lines. Many Republicans have wanted to tighten laws around voter eligibility, ostensibly to prevent fraud, and Democrats have wanted to make it easier for people to …

It was as if the collective mood of optimism had a fragrance, and it wafted through the narrow streets of Male, bringing the Maldivian citizenry to its feet. People thronged to the picturesque Republic Square that overlooked the presidential jetty. Saturday was a day of monumental change in this tiny …

Last Monday, a group of environmental activists occupied the front entrance of the London offices of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. They spray-painted doors and windows with the symbol of the ‘Extinction Rebellion’ campaign group to protest, among other things, the government’s support for fracking. Later in …

The Navy will formally inaugurate the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) later this week. Through this Centre, information on “white shipping”, or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean. “The IFC-IOR is established …

T.M. Krishna, a leading Carnatic vocalist, has previously commanded a full lawn in Delhi’s chilly season tradition of classical music and dance performances in Nehru Park. His scheduled participation in a Spic Macay programme this weekend was always going to be a big draw. But in a move that should …

Lower courts, performing critical functions, must not be bogged down by vacancies The burgeoning docket burden that weighs down the judiciary is not because of its lumbering judicial processes alone, as it is often made out. The chronic shortage of judges and severe understaffing of the courts they preside over …

The pursuit of nuclear-armed submarines reflects a security assessment that is becoming increasingly irrelevant On November 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India’s first indigenous ballistic-missile armed nuclear submarine (SSBN), Arihant, had “successfully completed its first deterrence patrol” and claimed that this “accomplishment” would “always be remembered in our …

Trafficked into Haryana in their teens, they were sexually exploited and physically abused all through their youth before being abandoned by their ‘husbands’ in their middle age. Ashok Kumar reports on the plight of the hundreds of survivors of trafficking, some elderly, who, in the absence of any support from …

It is important to understand the myth and reality of the current economic situation in order to map the road ahead Economics is a technical subject of interdependent variables and parameters, that allows for objective mathematical and statistical analysis. It is no more a single commodity demand-supply subject. Those in …

In a historic vote, nations on Friday unanimously approved a ground-breaking overhaul to the international system of measurements, uniting together behind new scientific definitions for the kilogram and other units.For more than a century, the kilogram has been defined as the mass of a cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy kept in …

In new research studying how genetic factors determine taste, scientists now believe they know why some humans prefer coffee, while others opt for tea.A paper published this week in the journal Nature Scientific Reports found that people who are genetically predisposed to like more bitter tastes typically choose coffee due …

The government wants greater involvement in the RBI’s decision-making as it feels the current practice leaves it out on many critical issues such as single-day default turning a loan into an NPA, sources said ahead of the crucial board meeting of the central bank.The Centre feels that as the representative …

India faces a potential sharp slowdown in credit availability as non-bank financial institutions face a possible credit squeeze even as the asset quality is stabilising, Moody’s said in its 2019 Global Emerging Market Outlook.“In India, an ample foreign exchange reserves buffer and very low external debt levels help provide greater …

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday directed automajor Volkswagen to deposit an interim amount of Rs. 100 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), following a plea that alleged that the company used “cheat devices” in emission tests in its diesel vehicles.A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice …

One important reason for the delay in releasing the back series of the GDP data is the fact that the government took so long in appointing a new Chief Statistician of India, a former government official told The Hindu .The NITI Aayog, earlier this week, said that it would hold …

More than Rs. 400 crore worth of electoral bonds were sold by the State Bank of India (SBI) in the 10-day window of October, a sharp rise from the Rs. 32 crore worth of bonds sold in the July tranche, according to data the bank released under the Right to …

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen the testing of a “newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon”, Pyongyang’s state media reported on Friday, a move seen by analysts as more of a political message than a serious provocation.It marked the first official report of a weapons test by North Korea since …

Crop sowing in the ongoing winter (rabi) season is lagging behind this year, with the acreage sown of most major crops lower than usual for this time of year. Overall, 21% less acreage has so far been sown, according to the data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday. Wheat, …

The Centre has set up a tribunal, headed by Delhi High Court Judge Justice Suresh Kait to adjudicate whether or not two Tripura-based militant outfits should be declared banned organisations under the law.The decision has been taken by the Home Ministry exercising the powers conferred under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) …

In a bid to encourage employers, especially in the private sector, to implement the extended 26-week maternity leave law, the Labour Ministry plans to refund them for seven weeks’ worth of wages for women workers with a wage ceiling up to Rs. 15,000 per month. The Ministry is in the …