As pundits, politicians and public commentators intensely debate the election results, I caution against hyperbole and overinterpretation of what was, in reality, a close race, though the margin of victory looks wider than it actually is, due to the special quirk of the electoral college system.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna assumed office as the 51st Chief Justice of India on Monday, following Justice DY Chandrachud’s tenure. The oath of office was administered by President Droupadi Murmu in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The victorious Trump camp is touting its newfound “historic” mandate while the dejected Harris camp accuses the country of being “racist and sexist” for letting them down. Both are untrue. Trump won with 295 electoral votes to Harris’ 226. A solid victory, but hardly a landslide.
As the world focuses on the United Nations’ upcoming Conference of Parties (COP 29) which begins tomorrow, The Statesman looks at environmental issues closer home.
Readers that only know Shinie Antony for her witty, often whimsical, pieces in the national newspapers would be amazed at her expertise in the Old Testament, Septuagint, the Hebrew Bible, the Synoptic Gospels and Apocryphal, Jewish magical and Kabbalistic sources that did not find their way into the Biblical canon, apart from her striking eloquence for female assertion and empowerment. Her learning is combined here with an evocative and vigorous, even uncompromising, writing style.
During the election of 2016, I observed that “Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are the two most hated people in America. One of them is going to be our president.” Such is the chokehold that the Democrats and Republicans (or the “duopoly” as some call it) have on American political life.
Behind closed doors: When ‘happily ever after’ becomes a hostage situation
The impact of Cyclone Dana on the vast population in Sunderban in West Bengal and Kendrapara in Odisha was significantly mitigated due to the natural protective barrier provided by the mangrove forests. “Human settlements along the coast were shielded by these mangrove forests, which helped absorb the wind velocity of Cyclone Dana.
Kolkata, My Endless City is a collection of binary photographs by renowned photojournalist Rajib De. This book is an ode to the city and an archive for the future metropolitan who would like adventures in the everyday mundane.
“Cyclones are caused by excessive heat,” explained a scientist of the Indian Meteorological Department in layperson’s terms. When the sea or ocean water gets hot, centres of depressions are formed with the hot air rising and creating a hollow centre. This hollow centre is the “eye of the storm”.
