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The shipping industry is keeping its fingers crossed till the Gaza-Houthi triggered crisis in Red Sea-Suez Canal areas lasts. The duration of the current situation is what matters. A temporary disturbance – a perceived bump in the road – and the industry may cope. But, if it lasts, with container vessels forced to divert around the Cape of Good Hope, and the inaccessibility of critical ports will add to the strain.

In contradiction to the claim of the Modi government of improvement in the labour market, latest Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) data pertaining to the formal sector shows a downturn. Quality jobs generation declined sharply by 16.7 percent in October 2023 compared to the September figure, a 7-month low. The number of new monthly subscribers of EPF declined to 772,084 in October from 926,934 in September, and 757,792 in March 2023.

The vaulting ambition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overturn existing structures is the hallmark of his nearly 10 years at the helm. Take the case of the three new laws that have replaced three colonial-era laws and the authoritarian streak in Modi sticks out like a sore thumb.

A country with relatively unrestricted trade will face two problems: the first is a balance of payments problem because its exports are insufficient relative to its imports. And the second, the creation of unemployment, and more generally of domestic resources remaining idle, because domestic goods cannot compete with imports.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in Kerala has upped the ante against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan by seeking President Droupadi Murmu’s intervention in the crisis involving the Governor and the State government, at the root of which are Khan’s alleged gubernatorial excesses; the Governor is not even sparing varsities and students as he goes about settling scores with the state government.

Reverses suffered by the Israeli army in 80 days of the ‘War on Gaza’ reminds of the Vietnam War. The then US President, Lyndon B. Johnson, invaded Vietnam to check the communism juggernaut. Today, POTUS Joe Biden is commanding the Israeli Defence Forces much to the disgust of centrist liberal forces.

A coalition of 10 countries, with the United States at the helm, will struggle to prevent Yemen's Houthi rebels from targeting ships in the Red Sea. That is not to say that both parties don’t have a shared interest in avoiding an escalation that could potentially spiral out of control. The Houthis claim their assaults on ships linked to Israel, be they commercial or military, are to exert pressure on Israel to cease the Gaza conflict.

Think that the heart wrenching images streaming out of the Gaza Strip suggest that Israel has Hamas over a barrel? Think again. Talks in Europe and in Cairo suggest otherwise. The talks stalled after Hamas insisted that it would not engage in prisoner exchange negotiations unless Israel halts fighting and agrees to a ceasefire. US President Joe Biden admitted as much, declaring that “there is no expectation at this point” of a renewed prisoner exchange. Even so, Israeli media reported that talks had not broken down.

There are not too many leaders who are looked upto by his/her followers and political opponents even when they are no more. Late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee belongs to this distinguished group. A great consensus builder whose 99th birth anniversary is being observed today, December 23, he cobbled together a coalition of divergent political ideologies into a winning combination. It did not matter whether he was wielding the seals of office or was sitting in the Opposition benches, whenever Vajpayee stood up to speak, parliamentarians cutting across the political divide listened.

Maharashtra boasts a seemingly healthy tiger population, but the numbers hide a troubling reality: a significant number of these magnificent creatures are dying, with a third of the deaths attributed to unnatural causes. Since 2018, Maharashtra has lost 151 tigers. Poaching and electrocution were responsible for 42 tiger deaths. Drowning incidents and rail/road accidents killed another 16. Tiger habitats should be kept free of road/rail intrusions.