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Film lovers in Europe and America observed on May 8the 116th birth anniversary of Roberto Rosselini, touted as one of the originators of the neorealist movement in post-war Italy of 1940s. His Rome, Open City was released in 1945, heralding the beginning ofa new movement in Italy pursued by a band of young directors Like Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti and many others. This was the golden period of Italian film industry when the new films talked of common Italian people using a new cinematic language, distancing itself from the glamour-driven Hollywood films of those days.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M. K. Stalin completed one year in office on May 7. He has emerged out of the shadows of his famous father and late former chief minister M. Karunanidhi. After winning the state last year, Stalin now had to live up to the voters' expectations, as he assumed office when Tamil Nadu lacked charismatic leaders.

Russia’s war in Ukraine gives no signs of coming to an end even after two and half months of deaths and destruction. So far Russia couldn’t advance considerably inside Ukraine as it has expected, due to fierce resistance from the Ukrainians and strong Western support. The West is very concerned about Ukraine as it is situated at the doorstep of E.U and NATO, both of which has a vested interest in ensuring that the country’s sovereignty is maintained and that Russia’s aggression is curtailed. Having failed to achieve its objectives of a blitzkrieg victory in the early days of its invasion, Russian military now appears to be settling in for a much longer war, “a deliberate, cynical strategy to besiege Ukraine, cut them off, bomb them and starve them into submission” immediately.

Some people with their antics make you run to the dictionary. Like the Ranas, Navneet and Ravi Rana. They liked their stints in jail. They want to go right back to its precarious safety. Navneet Rana in Byculla jail for women, and Ravi Rana in Navi Mumbai’s Taloja correction unit. In fact, Ravi should thank his stars that he stepped out sporting his own skin. What if jailbirds there had mistaken him for gangster Ravi Pujari?

The Indian government’s anti-cryptocurrency policy which includes high taxation and denial of banking services has resulted in many top-tier crypto exchanges shutting shops in India and moving to the UAE, which is fast emerging as a hub of crypto business. The massive exodus of business and talents from the Indian cryptocurrency sector has put the government on the defensive, forcing it to come up with a nuanced response to the criticism.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s deafening announcement at a rally at Siliguri in Bengal that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented once the Covid-19 situation is over has multi dimensional implication. In recent months Shah has announced many programmes to be implemented in near future. He is also contemplating to implement Uniform Civil Code. Shah in right earnest has started preparing the ground and setting agenda for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while the opposition parties particularly the Congress are still busy sorting out their differences and identify the issues.

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party is the only opposition party which held the review meeting with all the 403 candidates contesting last assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and started preparations for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. There is a great demoralisation in BSP leadership and workers after worst ever performance of Party in UP Assembly polls concluded in March when Party could win only one seat with total votes share of 12 per cent.

The Delhi police’s initial reluctance to book saffron activists for their hate speech against Muslims, and the centre’s certificate to the sedition laws before the Supreme Court, are typical signs of authoritarianism. Left unchecked, such an official attitude is bound to pave the way for an intolerant, pro-Hindu state.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will pull out all the stops to frustrate any attempt to rip the fabric of communal amity and effect religious polarization. That is the unmistakable message emanating from the arrest and subsequent release of Kerala Janapaksham leader P C George for making vicious comments against the Muslim community at the Ananthapuri Mahasammelanam recently.

The declaration by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 4.7 million as ‘excess’ Covid deaths over and above the officially acknowledged figure in India and the response of the Modi government to the report are both shocking, but not surprising. The WHO has resisted persistent opposition from the Indian government to finally release the report.