Special

The country has entered a historic phase following the sudden collapse of the Bashar al-Assad family’s decades-long authoritarian rule, ushering in an uncertain future for the nation. The militant rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies have orchestrated a rapid and decisive offensive that led to the ousting of Assad, dismantling a regime that has dominated Syria since 1971, beginning with his father Hafez al-Assad

Opposition parties, led by the Congress, have moved a resolution of no-confidence to unseat Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar from office, alleging partisanship. However, how much this motion achieves in outcome and symbolism has to be observed

The President-elect has chosen a different criterion for selecting his cabinet than during his last term. Now, relevant experience or educational background appears unnecessary. His unwillingness to select people based on competence and reputation to manage departments that spend billions of taxpayer dollars and have tens of thousands of employees is a problem for politicians and those organizations focused on responsible government

An international conference on ending plastic pollution comes unglued after countries want curbs on plastic production. Hope lives on for another attempt, even with climate skeptic Donald Trump looming large on the horizon

The conflict in the state is a product of historical grievances, socio-economic inequalities and political mismanagement rather than a singular issue like religion or migration. Only through sustained and inclusive efforts can lasting peace be achieved in the state

The recent Maharashtra elections have raised concerns about the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines. With a significant mismatch between votes counted and votes polled, the electoral balance could have been compromised. Justice Kamaljit Singh Garewal highlights the importance of free and fair elections, a constitutional promise that remains unfulfilled

Kamala Harris has been taking some personal time after a four-month rushed campaign for the top spot. Her seven more weeks as vice-president end with Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025. Harris won 60 percent of the votes in Hawaii, where she and husband Doug Emhoff have relaxed for a long week, no doubt asking themselves how could we have come so close and lost to that angry guy as well as losing control of the entire Congress? Some answers follow:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently said that the undertrials who have spent more than a third of the maximum prescribed sentence for the crime they are accused of committing should be released before Constitution Day on November 26. This is in light of the new relaxed provisions on bail for first-time offenders in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

In Kolkata a brilliant rendition by jail inmates of Tagore’s Valmiki Pratibha ends with its 100th show, but social reformer and danseuse Alokananda Roy, the brainchild of the show, has promised more reformative programmes ahead

The CJI’s observation on the exodus of young lawyers from litigation reveals a troubling trend. Can the legal community respond to this challenge by providing the support and structure necessary to retain fresh talent?