THIS October 7 marks a year since Israeli aggression on Gaza. Israel used Hamas attack as an excuse to carry out its genocidal war on Gaza, Palestine. It declared the elimination of Hamas as its objective in attacking Gaza. Far from achieving its objective, Israel has today pushed the entire West Asia into a cauldron of fire with its attacks on Lebanon, Iran, Syria,Yemen and Iraq. The US has stood steadfastly with Israel backing its every aggressive move...
THE fact that the world economy has slowed down since the financial crisis of 2008 is beyond dispute. In fact even conservative American economists have started using the term “secular stagnation” to describe the current situation (though they have their own peculiar definition for it). The purpose of the present note is to give some growth-rate figures to establish this particular point.
ISRAEL’S policy of climbing the escalation ladder has now brought West Asia to the brink of a much larger war. With Israel entering Lebanon and Iran’s missile strikes on Israel, it is no longer about the fate of Gaza and its people, which has been under Israel’s genocidal attack for almost a year. The war is about to enter a new phase with Israel’s...
THE value of creative labour has always been very context specific and dependent on subjective appreciation of the buyer of the products of such labour. The importance of aesthetic value of products has increased particularly with increased possibility of customisation of products. This has also increased the demand for artists, designers and different types of content creators who could add value to the product or service beyond its core uses. The range...
THE victim in the RG Kar case has a new name born in the womb of protests against the barbarities she had to face. She is called Tilottama – one who combines in herself the best of all. The solidarity struggles for justice for Tillottama — have shaken not just Bengal but the country. Thousands of self-mobilised citizens, their conscience awakened have come out in street protests in solidarity . The West Bengal Junior Doctors...
THE 16th Finance Commission (FC), constituted on December 31, 2023, with Aravind Panagariya as chairman, is currently preparing its report. The FC has already started visiting state governments and holding discussions on the memorandum submitted by the state governments. Recommendations of the 16th FC will cover a five-year period starting on April 1, 2026.
NOT even the festive spirit of Durga Puja could overshadow the burning demand for justice in Kolkata. Left-wing student, youth and women’s organisations staged a massive rally in Dharmatala, braving heavy rains and police restrictions, to declare that the fight for justice will continue unabated. The rally, held on September 26th afternoon, saw a massive turnout of young protesters who defied police orders...
ISRAEL assassinated Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (1960-2024) because he refused to stop the attacks on northern Israel until the Israelis ended the genocide against the Palestinians. During the brief Israeli ceasefire, Nasrallah’s organisation –Hezbollah – paused their attacks also. When the Israelis resumed fighting, so did Hezbollah. Nasrallah was killed because he was unrelenting in his support for Palestine. Unlike every other...
THE electronics giant Samsung is South Korea’s largest "chaebol," a term that refers to family-owned conglomerates. In 2022, Samsung's revenue accounted for 22.4 per cent of the country’s GDP, underscoring its unparalleled influence on South Korea's economy and politics. However, South Korea’s current economic prosperity, which relies significantly on conglomerates like Samsung, carries a legacy of authoritarian management practices...
PULVERISING Gaza, emptying the Strip of its people, bombing the West Bank, and expanding illegal annexations of land there – none of that is enough for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his genocidal drive to build “Greater Israel.” Lebanon, too, it seems, must be parceled up and pieces of it brought under Tel Aviv’s control. Since the war on Gaza was launched by Israel following the October 7, 2023,...
