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India’s political conversation appears to be acquiring a new address. It is no longer confined to Parliament House, party headquarters, election rallies or television studios. Increasingly, it begins with a mobile phone placed at a flattering angle, a carefully chosen background and the familiar instruction to look into the camera and speak directly to the people.

The extraordinary student and youth upsurge witnessed across India in recent weeks has done far more than challenge the credibility of the country's examination system. It has exposed the widening gap between the government's claims and the lived reality of millions of young Indians. More importantly, it has created a rare political and social moment—one that offers an opportunity to build a narrative centred on democracy, equality, scientific temper, secularism, and the public good.

Donald Trump has declared a "historic" deal for Hamas to fully disarm in Gaza, brokered by his Board of Peace. But Netanyahu calls it inadequate, Hamas ties disarmament to a full Israeli pullout, and Washington simultaneously readies fresh strikes on Iran - exposing how unsettled the region truly remains.

When India is in the midst of the Monsoon season and the second half of it is just to start, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) have predicted below normal rainfall ahead. It has brought a fresh concern for the country, and Union Government needs to take the forecast seriously and prepare for all the eventualities.

On July 20, when thousands of youth marched towards the Indian parliament, the police cracked down with tear gas, pellet guns and nail-studded lathis, leaving more than a hundred injured, with a 22-year-old man losing his eyesight. While most evidence shows that it was a peaceful protest and later, the Rapid Action Force chief conceded to the excessive use of force, what exactly does the Indian law say on the rightful use of force to contain assembly?

NEW YORK: Last week, the United States State Department released a 100-page document titled “Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism.” Those 100 pages contained a multitude of outright lies, excoriating damnations, and the creation of a mythical nation of epic proportions, hell bent on destroying the U.S. I can only hope that whoever wrote the report stretched before that reach, lest they pull a hamstring.

Nearly a week has passed since the withdrawal of the historic students and youth protests at Jantar Mantar on July 25 following the resignation of the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the centre agreeing to the other demands of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Since then the issue centres on the release of the protesters by the police. The centre agreed to that after threats by the CJP leaders. The status is most of the detained protesters have been released, cases of some detained with earlier reports of activities, are being reviewed.

Union Government led by PM Narendra Modi and the RSS-BJP clan ruling elsewhere in other states have now started witch-hunting students and others who participated in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) led protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and across India, despite the words of “no action against protestors” given by the government to protesters after which they called off their movement against the paper leaks. Subsequently, several BJP ruled states have also announced the same, but witch-hunting of students and others continues in various forms.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An attempt by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government in Kerala to politicize the police force has failed with the High Court frustrating the move.

In an age when political dynasties cultivate celebrity with the precision of a public relations campaign, one woman stands apart by doing almost the opposite. For nearly two decades, Nara Brahmani has quietly occupied one of the most extraordinary intersections of power in India. She is the daughter of Telugu cinema legend and politician Nandamuri Balakrishna. She is the daughter-in-law of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. She is married to Andhra Pradesh's IT Minister Nara Lokesh.