BOTH the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have accelerated a new mood amongst people around the world against conflict and for peace. This mood had been growing before 2022, when Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory, but has only increased since then. Faith in the west’s role in the management of world affairs declined during the pandemic, when certain older trends continued to the horror of large sections of the world.

IT has become a crime in New India to observe Children’s Day by remembering the Palestinian children killed in Israel’s war on Gaza.  This is what happened on November 14 in Mumbai when a few score people, including minor girls, held a silent prayer in Juhu beach. 17 of them were arrested by the police and kept in the police station till the evening. All of them belong to the minority community.

THE massive Starship super-heavy lift launch vehicle by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company took off last week on November 18, 2023 on its second test flight.  The launcher is the largest and most powerful ever built, weights 5,000 tonnes and can carry payloads of 100-150 tonnes. The launcher is a 2-stage vehicle comprising the booster and the spaceship atop, both stages being powered by SpaceX’s own Raptor engine, 33 of which power the booster.

“What is your greatest fear?” he was asked.His reply was sharp and emphatic. “That India may someday be ruled by fanatics who will silence the voice of reason, and intellectuals will be singled out and shot”, he said.The interviewer pressed further. “What is your favourite dream?”“All peoples shall be equal”, he said.“And your nightmare?”“Fascism”, responded Salil Chowdhury firmly. IN an interview with an English daily newspaper on November 21, 1993, the music legend and versatile genius expressed his fears, dreams and nightmares in this way.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau has issued the following statement on November 20THE Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its deep concern and anxiety at the plight of the 41 workers who have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel under construction in Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.