There is a severe information deficit regarding the capabilities the Houthis have amassed since the truce. The paradox of striking them is that that's what's expected from the US as the defender of free navigation; oth, the strikes may push the Houthis to strike Saudi-UAE—US allies.

Delighted that Vinod Kumar Shukla is being awarded the Jnanpith! A thinker par excellence.

I wonder whether it is the ennui that creeps in with rampant, mechanistic capitalism, or a general frustration with the state of the political and personal (they are the same), that I have nearly ceased to read for the sake of it

While the importance of social media and registering their country's stance is undeniable, leaders, of both liberal and populist persuasions, over-estimate the gravitas of their social media posts. Starmer has many flaws but not knowing when to call a summit to mobilise allies is not one of them.

Donald Trump and JD Vance signify the worst of the human psyche: petty, sectional, churlish, and unidimensional. Foreign policy has been reduced to a partisan exercise so that the current administration is not answerable for the previous regime's policies. The USA is a joke.

A more unstable world means more people seeking asylum. Trump has already shown he won't just abandon those needing protection, he will exacerbate the reasons they need it. This is a time when any sensible leader needs to defend human rights and international law, not play politics with them. 3/