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Congress’ wait to join the Tamil Nadu Cabinet continues

Congress accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of demonstrating “extreme moral cowardice” by standing out in support of Israel. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The Congress on Friday (May 29, 2026) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of demonstrating "extreme moral cowardice" by standing out as Israel's strongest supporter, and said that his stance is a "betrayal" of all that India stands for and is unacceptable to crores of Indians.Also read | Congress criticises Modi govt. over Israel-Gaza conflict stanceHis remarks came after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said at a conference in West Bank that Israel faced delegitimisation all over the world except in India.In a post on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi never condemned the targeted assassination of the Iranian head of state, never condemned the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, and maintained total silence on the forced dispossession and displacement of lakhs of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank."Mr. Modi has stood out as Mr. Netanyahu's strongest supporter. Israel is embedded in the Modani conglomerate. He has been demonstrating extreme moral cowardice, and his stance is a betrayal of all that India stands for. It is shameful and unacceptable to crores of Indians," Mr. Ramesh alleged in his post.The Congress leader pointed out that Mr. Netanyahu stated that Israel faces delegitimisation all over the world except in India."It would have been more accurate to say that of Prime Minister Modi's ecosystem and not in India as a whole," he said.Mr. Ramesh claimed that Mr. Modi embraced Israel very warmly just two days before it launched the heavy aerial bombing of Iran alongside the U.S. on February 28, 2026."Mr. Modi never condemned the targeted assassination of the Iranian head of state and other top leaders. Mr. Modi has never condemned the ongoing Israeli genocide and devastation in Gaza nor has he publicly voiced his strong opposition to Israel's bombing of Lebanon," he claimed."Mr. Modi has maintained total silence on the forced dispossession and displacement of lakhs of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and on the manner in which civil rights of Palestinians living in Israel itself have been curbed," he said in his post. Published - May 29, 2026 11:27 am IST

The HinduMay 29

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Politics

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shortmorestate

A.P. Intermediate education chief raps principals of 50 underperforming government junior colleges

Last week, the newly elected Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, went walkabout at Fort St. George. Which is a good thing. He must be the first Chief Minister in living memory who went and saw some of the monuments in the precinct. The itinerary was predictable – the Church of St. Mary’s and the Fort Museum. But what was left out was what he really needed to go and see. And had he done so, he may have begun pondering over what can be done to save this historic enclave from its steady decline.The first problem that faces the Fort is its poor general upkeep. Tonnes of rubbish lurk behind the massive walls – the byproducts of the administrative setup at the place. You don’t need to go looking for it. All around, you will see heaps of plastic, paper, and other discarded items. Go closer to the walls, and you will see a lot more. Go to the rear of the Fort and you will see the moat in all its ghastly (lack of) upkeep. Weeds, stagnant water, and refuse on both sides. This is not to be confused with the front side of the fort, where the moat is regularly tended to, but is bone dry. Last House, photographed in 2023 | Photo Credit: Sriram V. Ownership tussleThe next is the conflict of multiple ownership. The Fort has five owners, as far as I know. There is the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and there are the Legislative Assembly, the Tamil Nadu government, the Army, and the Navy. Each has its private turf and guards it fiercely – not by way of protecting the buildings within, but more in terms of recognised bounds. Thus, the Navy had, what is known for some mysterious reason, as Clive’s Library. Years ago, a tree began growing out of it, and nobody noticed it until it took on a stranglehold of the building itself. It is quite certain that the tree, unlike the beanstalk in the fairytale, did not grow overnight and yet, no steps were taken to remove it. Finally, the tree crushed the building for good.If that is the Navy’s record, the Army fares marginally better. It has taken good care of some buildings, such as the Embarkation HQ. However, the King’s Barracks, said to be the largest in the country, is in a state of near collapse. This is because the Army and the ASI are at loggerheads over control of the building. The ASI wants the Army to hand it over, and the latter is reluctant, given the former’s track record of suddenly denotifying structures under its control, handing them over to the State government for demolition, and putting up new buildings in their place. As a result, King’s Barracks is a shabby, roofless shell. Despite being a site of significance, the Fort suffers from poor general upkeep | Photo Credit: Sriram V. The Army is not wrong in the doubts it entertains. The ASI has, of course, done a stellar job in restoring Clive’s House (now the ASI HQ) and the church. But the rest of the Fort is littered with episodes where more could have been done. Even in the 1980s, an entire section of historic buildings was denotified to allow the government to build Namakkal Kavignar Maligai. That structure itself would have never been permitted in a precinct of this kind, if we had had a Heritage Act in place. Then came the wilful neglect of Wellesley’s House and Last House on Snob’s Alley, both of which were allowed to collapse. Their ‘protected status’ was subsequently withdrawn.Which leaves us with the historic gates. Of these, the Sea Gate and the more ornamental entry and departure points are well taken care of. St. Thomas’ Gate, under Army supervision, is good, but the remaining, namely Wallajah, St. George’s, and North, are in very poor repair. The spaces under the arches serve as rubbish tips and the gates themselves are in a state of severe wear and tear. A garbage pile in front of the North Gate, which is in a state of severe wear and tear | Photo Credit: Sriram V. The buildings under government ownership, namely the Secretariat and Assembly, seem in good condition because of use and regular maintenance. But o

The HinduMay 27

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Politics

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visitliveforeign

PM Modi Foreign Visit Live: PM Modi to meet Dutch King shortly, talks with PM Rob Jetten next

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) receives Norway's top honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, during a ceremony in Oslo, Norway. | Photo Credit: YouTube/@NarendraModi via PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday (May 18, 2026) conferred with Norway’s highest civilian honour, the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, for his contribution to advancing the India-Norway relationship and his leadership.This is Prime Minister Modi’s 32nd international honour.Also read: PM Modi’s Norway visit highlights on May 18, 2026King Harald V of Norway conferred upon PM Modi the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.“Honoured to receive the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. This honour is dedicated to the people of India and is a tribute to the enduring friendship between India and Norway. It reflects our shared commitment to global progress,” PM Modi said on social media.Prime Minister Modi described the honour as a reflection of the affection and goodwill between the people of India and Norway.The Grand Cross is the highest grade of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. It is awarded for exceptional service in advancing Norway’s interests and international relations.A day earlier, PM Modi was awarded Sweden’s prestigious ‘Royal Order of the Polar Star, Degree Commander Grand Cross’ in recognition of his exceptional contributions to bilateral ties and his visionary leadership.The award is Sweden’s highest honour conferred on foreign Heads of Government.PM Modi arrived in Oslo earlier in the day on a two-day visit from Sweden. This is PM Modi’s maiden visit to Norway and marks the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 43 years. Published - May 18, 2026 07:17 pm IST

The HinduMay 18

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general

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statevisitsouth

Ram, Krishna & Shiv unite India, says Yogi

BMW M440i Convertible India Launch Price Rs 1.09 Crore CarLelo

CarLeloMay 4

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World

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Baby teeth hold clues to the harms of toxic metals for infants — and older kids

kuppa_rock/Getty Images Baby teeth have a value that goes beyond money from the tooth fairy. Scientists say they also hold the key to figuring out what metals in the environment infants were exposed to — and how they affect not just developing baby brains, but behavior in adolescents. "It seems like an impossible question to answer," says Dr. Manish Arora, a professor of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Luckily for us, baby teeth are this amazing organ." He says baby teeth work kind of like tree growth rings....

NPR NewsApr 29

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