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Anne Carson stands out among authors adhering to a single genre of writing. For Carson, this year's recipient of Nobel prize for literature often blended verse, prose, dialogue and translation. Indeed it is a genre defying mix. Small wonder, Swedish Academy which awards the prize, called her "bold and inventive oeuvre".

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is good news for the elderly population in the State. The Keralam Government has just unveiled a 12-tier elderly care plan for healthy ageing.

The byelection results of the five assembly constituencies – Thattanchavady in Puducherry, Madurantakam and Dharapuram in Tamil Nadu, and Rejinagar and Nandigram in West Bengal, along with Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, have given clear signal that regional parties of the country still hold central position in the Indian politics. As for national political parties, BJP’s gain in West Bengal still does signal its consolidation, which has become doubtful after reports of largescale rigging, while Congress’ loss in Assam signals continuance of its vulnerability to political poaching by the BJP.

KOLKATA: By-poll results are usually predictable going in favour of the ruling party but the victory margin of twin electoral contests at Rejinagar and Nandigram declared on Friday, October 9 came as surprises. Even as a motley Opposition cried itself hoarse alleging electoral malpractices, thumping victories were registered by BJP candidates in both constituencies inhabited by a sizeable Muslim population who had not voted for the saffron outfit in successive elections.

Notwithstanding accomplishing significant organisational expansion in post assembly election period, the West Bengal unit of RSS was facing the incredible threat of committed Sangh cadres turning inactive and withdrawing from energetic participation in the Sangh activities. RSS was put in a piquant situation; whether to rejoice the lateral expansion of Sangh in Bengal or bemoan at the old cadres, committed to the Sangh ideology turning disinclined.

India’s GST reform has reached its real test: not how much tax the government collects, but how much time, money and uncertainty businesses must absorb to pay it. Lower rates and a widening tax base have strengthened the case for moving beyond rate rationalisation. The next battle is against an administration in which refunds can languish, input tax credit can trigger years of litigation, routine discrepancies invite notices and procedural lapses can carry the threat of criminal prosecution.

NEW YORK: The Trump administration has decided that the surest way to protect American workers is to shut out the people who help employ them. On Thursday, Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling, standing beside Vice-President JD Vance, suspended eight employers from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, the compulsory first step towards an employment-based green card. They are Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini.

BJP Government is facing crisis of legitimacy. Over a decade of governance failures, official denials, organized loots, attacks on institutions and subversion of democracy and many other such, the party has been facing an identity crisis. Added to all this is the conduct of the Election Commission of India, that has triggered mass protests all over the country.

LONDON: This weekend tens of thousands will march again for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza. The mass movement for Palestine has changed British policy and British politics.

The first week of anti-CEC agitation – 2 to 8 October, originally called by 19 political parties of INDIA bloc on September 30, now looks like the beginning of a broader electoral-rights movement in India. Several streams are converging: INDIA bloc parties, the youth-led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), student organisations, civil-society activists, academics, and increasingly ordinary citizens. The next big thing to watch is October 10 Jantar Mantar mobilization in New Delhi.