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PAGE 5

Reimagine Brics for present times

A broad consensus on most of the contested issues — such as West Asia and Ukraine — may appear difficult at the outset, but Brics at least offers a platform where nations are talking. (Reuters)
Published on May 20, 2026 14:56 IST

Clearing the air on right to bail

The top court’s thrust on the importance of bail even under anti-terror laws has the potential to effect a structural shift in judicial doctrine that privileges the right to a fair trial over prolonged pretrial detention. (HT Archive)
Published on May 19, 2026 15:07 IST

Global lessons from Ebola emergency

Pandemic preparedness, until recently a bipartisan baseline, has become a partisan project. The erosion of trust in public health expertise is such that measles — once eradicated by vaccines in the developed world — has made a comeback. (Reuters)
Published on May 18, 2026 15:11 IST

Wake-up call from Ukraine

There are no ceasefire proposals on the table. Both Moscow and Kyiv are willing to bleed each other rather than negotiate territorial claims. In the absence of any external push towards peace-making, closure is unlikely in this war. (AP)
Updated on May 18, 2026 15:11 IST

Testing times for social amity

The 1991 Places of Worship Act — which locks the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947, except the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site — is as good as dead. (PTI)
Updated on May 17, 2026 15:44 IST

When Trump and Xi met

Trump’s 30-Minute Statement Sparks Questions: Did Xi Outplay Him In Beijing Meet? | Watch, China, US
Published on May 15, 2026 15:36 IST

Oil casts a shadow on WPI inflation

Is the government prepared to hold retail fuel prices as long as crude prices stay high? What prevents it from raising retail prices? Is it the hope that voluntary rationalisation of fuel consumption will ease demand and the fiscal burden? (Bloomberg)
Published on May 14, 2026 15:02 IST

A small big win for democracy

VD Satheesan ticks many boxes. He will be the first Kerala CM born in the post-Independence era. He is the first from his family to join politics and contest elections. He rose from the grassroots, served for nearly a quarter century as a legislator and led the victorious UDF campaign. (PTI)
Updated on May 14, 2026 15:02 IST

Mitigating pain from the war

So, what is to be done? The only solution is calibrated demand deflation, focusing on the current account deficit. Some of it, such as buying fertilisers at much higher prices, is a given; their lack can trigger a food security crisis. (Reuters)
Published on May 13, 2026 14:23 IST

The AIADMK’s loss, beyond poll setbacks

After a series of electoral defeats — including the recent assembly elections, where it came third — the party has split in all but name. (AIADMK/ANI)
Published on May 13, 2026 14:23 IST

A much-needed push to faster bail

The Supreme Court’s latest intervention, nudging high courts to prescribe timelines for bail hearings and discouraging routine adjournments sought by governments and prosecuting agencies, is therefore not just an administrative suggestion but also a constitutional reminder. (HT Archive)
Published on May 12, 2026 14:58 IST

An unacceptable breach of faith

National entrance exams carry enormous burdens of aspiration. As exams that select the country’s future doctors, NEET is key to shaping India’s future. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)
Published on May 12, 2026 14:58 IST

Understanding the rise of Reform UK

A political startup formed in 2018 around the Brexit agenda, the rise of the Reform UK is revealing, especially considering its espousal of anti-immigration and anti-minority agendas. (Bloomberg)
Published on May 11, 2026 14:52 IST

A calibrated demand deflation

The ongoing war shows no signs of ending anytime soon. Unless this changes, hopes that the supply shocks will be transient rather than persistent are fading daily. (AFP)
Updated on May 11, 2026 14:51 IST

Blowing the whistle in Chennai

The TVK is a two-year-old political start-up centred on Vijay’s stardom. Vijay has claimed allegiance to the inheritance of Periyar EV Ramaswamy and K Kamaraj, titans who defined Tamil politics in the last century. (ANI)
Updated on May 10, 2026 15:39 IST

Delivering the mandate in West Bengal

With the BJP now in power in both Kolkata and Delhi, the new government should focus on augmenting Bengal’s socioeconomic and cultural infrastructure, even as it works to usher in new investment. (Samir Jana/HT Photo)
Published on May 10, 2026 15:39 IST

The INDIA bloc is imploding

The contradictions within the INDIA bloc date back to the time of its formation in 2023. This big tent of non-BJP parties was visualised as a national platform, and it was accepted from the beginning that its members could compete with each other at the state level while agreeing at the national level. (AICC/ANI)
Published on May 8, 2026 15:20 IST

Beyond the crime and punishment numbers

While conventional crime fell, new-age, new-economy crimes such as cybercrime continue to rise. (HT Archive)
Published on May 7, 2026 16:01 IST

Strange reluctance of Governor Arlekar

The Governor is allowed discretion in such a scenario and the judiciary has suggested a “prima facie” assessment of majority. But using this grey zone, the Governor’s action has caused unnecessary confusion in the government formation process. (Lok Bhavan/ANI)
Published on May 7, 2026 16:01 IST

The thin red line

Both India and Pakistan focussed on the communication component, as controlling the narrative became as important as (if not more than) battlefield victories. (PTI)
Published on May 6, 2026 15:51 IST

Don’t jeopardise Iran ceasefire

The Iran-US negotiations are unlikely to lead to an understanding until there is a realisation by all the stakeholders that there is no military solution to the West Asia crisis. (AFP)
Updated on May 5, 2026 15:22 IST

A boost for NDA, jolt to INDIA bloc

The BJP retained Assam; the NDA, Puducherry; and the Congress-led United Democratic Front swept Kerala, but all three results were expected.  (Bachchan Kumar/HT Photo)
Published on May 4, 2026 18:18 IST

Shadow of fear, state of mistrust

Many parts of this country have experienced violence due to insurgencies and communal clashes since Independence. But it’s rare to have disturbances within a state go unaddressed for this long and in this manner. (ANI)
Published on May 3, 2026 17:51 IST