The Latest: Top stories of the day
1. The United States House of Representatives voted to upgrade ties with India, bringing them on par with NATO on matters of technology and equipment sale.
2. At least five people have been killed by Cyclone Roanu as the storm continues to lash Bangladesh.
3. Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom has failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics after losing her second-round match in the World Boxing Championships.
Weekend Reads
1. Abantika Ghosh in the Indian Express explains the work that went into ensuring a Bharatiya Janata Party majority in Assam.
2. "Offered a choice between a rock and a hard place, the Tamil electorate has preferred to stay put on the rock," writes AR Venkatachalapathy in the Hindu.
3. Mitali Saran in the Business Standard wants to shake the Congress by its shoulders and rattle its bones.
4. Somewhat unconvincingly, Swami Aiyar in the Times of India attempts to insist that it is economic growth and not just identity politics that explains some of the election victories.
5. Shekhar Gupta in the Business Standard says that the 2016 results might have given the BJP a reprieve, but it hasn't brought the party a more convincing claim for 2019.
6. These Lokniti-CSDS post-poll analyses in the Indian Express (here, here and here) break down the Assam verdict.
7. Sruthisagar Yamunan in the Hindu writes that the Pattali Makkal Katchi's votes might have led to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's loss in many constituencies.
8. Ruchir Joshi in the Telegraph sulks about the inability of intellectuals to see the writing on the wall in West Bengal politics.
9. And looking abroad to another election, Amana Fontanella-Khan in the Guardian says Donald Trump is emboldening bigots across the world.
10. Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker writes about the dangerous acceptance of Donald Trump.
Reading
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1
The story of how one family from Maharashtra built a thriving Hindustani music scene in Kanpur
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2
‘Kandukondain Kandukondain’ at 25: An enduring charmer about losing and finding love and happiness
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3
Ramachandra Guha: Manmohan Singh helped unshackle India’s economy – but also enabled Modi’s rise
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4
Why is a Bahujan writer questioning the legacy of Fatima Sheikh, an associate of Savitribai Phule?
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5
Sunday book pick: The pleasures of abiding by your convictions in ‘The English Understand Wool’
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6
China’s Medog Dam: A double-edged sword for South Asia
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7
‘Sita’s Voice in the Assamese Ramayana’: A rebellious Sita and translating classical Assamese texts
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8
Books of conscience, books of courage, books of pain: Harsh Mander’s 15 favourite books of 2024
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9
‘Black Warrant’ review: Grim show about Tihar jailers rarely lets up
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10
‘Loveyapa’ trailer: A couple swap phones for 24 hours as a condition for marriage