Om Marathe
Om Marathe writes on geopolitics, law, and science, and has a strong penchant for languages. He tweets at @marathe_om
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Explained: What is Kanal Istanbul, and why is Erdogan keen on seeing the project through? Subscriber Only
August 22, 2021 22:16 IST
The canal, once described by Erdogan himself as a "crazy project", is being seen as a lifeline for the leader, who has been at Turkey’s helm since 2003 but has seen his popularity decline.
Mon, Aug 23, 2021
Explained: 46 years ago, another US exit and the fall of SaigonSubscriber Only
August 16, 2021 04:25 IST
When Saigon fell, TV and the next morning’s newspapers showed large groups of Americans, soldiers and civilians on the roof of the US Embassy, waiting to be rescued by military helicopters.
Fri, Aug 20, 2021
Explained: Why withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan is being compared to the fall of SaigonSubscriber Only
August 15, 2021 19:01 IST
In 1975, Saigon, the capital of US-backed South Vietnam, fell to Communist-ruled North Vietnam two years after the withdrawal of the American military which had been in the country for 19 years.
Tue, Aug 24, 2021
Explained: What Left leader Pedro Castillo’s narrow win means for PeruSubscriber Only
July 21, 2021 21:04 IST
Results of the June 6 poll remained in limbo for weeks as Keiko Fujimori, Castillo’s right-wing opponent and daughter of former conservative autocrat Alberto Fujimori, alleged fraud.
Thu, Jul 22, 2021
Suborbital flight: Fast enough to reach space, not stay thereSubscriber Only
July 12, 2021 04:20 IST
With Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos kicking off private space flight, several companies are looking for customers wanting to go on suborbital or even orbital journeys.
Tue, Jul 13, 2021
Explained: Why discussions on ‘critical race theory’ are dividing the USSubscriber Only
July 10, 2021 07:00 IST
Critical race theory, or CRT, which has suddenly become a lightning rod for conservatives, began as a leftwing academic discussion in the 1970s and 1980s by scholars who were studying the lack of racial progress following the passing of landmark civil rights laws in the decade preceding.
Sat, Jul 10, 2021
Explained: A controversy in Brazil over buying vaccines from Bharat BiotechSubscriber Only
June 29, 2021 04:03 IST
In March, a Brazilian Health Ministry official, Luis Ricardo Miranda, informed President Bolsonaro about pressure being brought on him to buy Covaxin despite certain red flags that he had raised over purchasing a tranche of doses.
Tue, Jun 29, 2021
Explained: Who is Mohamedou Ould Slahi, the Mauritanian?Subscriber Only
June 13, 2021 15:59 IST
Mohamedou Ould Slahi, now 50, was arrested in Mauritania three months after the 9/11 attacks, and detained in Jordan and Afghanistan before being transferred to Guantánamo in August 2002, where his long incarceration included 70 days of intensive torture and three years of 18-hours-a-day interrogations.
Mon, Jun 14, 2021
Explained: What El Salvador’s decision to use Bitcoin as legal tender means for cryptoSubscriber Only
June 07, 2021 19:01 IST
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele also said that Bitcoin will help increase financial inclusion in El Salvador, where 70% of the population does not have a bank account and relies on the informal economy.
Tue, Jun 08, 2021
Explained: Why a China rocket crashing in Indian Ocean has drawn NASA flakSubscriber Only
May 09, 2021 19:43 IST
For days, there had been speculation on whether the Chinese rocket's debris would hit a populated area on the Earth’s surface.
Tue, May 11, 2021
Explained: Lockdowns resulted in lower birth rates in US. Why it’s not great newsSubscriber Only
May 06, 2021 20:12 IST
Before 2008, when the global financial crisis hit, the country had an estimated fertility rate of 2.1, which is considered sufficient for replacing the existing population. That rate has now dropped to 1.6 in 2020, the lowest on record.
Fri, May 07, 2021
Explained: Why does Russia want to leave the International Space Station?Subscriber Only
April 25, 2021 21:10 IST
Russia has announced that it would be withdrawing from the International Space Station in 2025, and build and manage its own floating laboratory that will be launched into orbit by 2030.
Thu, May 06, 2021
Explained: The many obstacles in making Washington, DC the 51st US stateSubscriber Only
April 23, 2021 17:57 IST
Although the House has approved the bill and Biden has signalled his support for the measure should it become law, the statehood question is expected to hit a roadblock in the Senate.
Mon, Apr 26, 2021
Explained: How did NASA’s Perseverance mission produce oxygen on Mars?Subscriber Only
April 22, 2021 15:39 IST
On Mars, carbon dioxide makes up ~96% of the gas in the planet’s atmosphere. Oxygen is only 0.13%, compared to 21% in Earth's atmosphere. Like a tree on Earth, MOXIE inhales carbon dioxide and exhales oxygen.
Fri, Apr 30, 2021
Explained: How bullfighting has suddenly found centre stage in Spanish politicsSubscriber Only
April 18, 2021 19:52 IST
Bullfights have a long history in Spain, believed to be taking place since Roman times. Its current form -- with the characteristic sword and cape -- is said to have taken shape in the 18th century.
Tue, Apr 20, 2021
Kumbh Mela: A ‘recent’ pilgrimage with political undercurrentsSubscriber Only
April 07, 2021 17:21 IST
Because of its popularity, the British recognised that the festival was a carrier for “news, rumours, sedition, and eventually nationalism, and they consistently sought to control the pilgrimage”
Wed, Apr 07, 2021
Explained: Why resignation of military chiefs spells trouble for BrazilSubscriber Only
April 01, 2021 21:29 IST
The united exit of the commanders is said to be unprecedented for the Latin American country and is being seen as a protest against Bolsonaro’s efforts to exert greater influence over the military.
Sat, Apr 03, 2021
Explained: How Kolkata’s 8 Theatre Road hosted the first Bangladesh governmentSubscriber Only
March 26, 2021 21:46 IST
While the role of the Indian armed forces and former PM Indira Gandhi in liberating Bangladesh is well-known, it is often forgotten how Kolkata provided vital support to the struggle when it served as the capital-in-exile of the nascent nation’s first provisional government.
Sat, Mar 27, 2021
Explained: What Swiss vote against full face covering means for the country, its MuslimsSubscriber Only
March 08, 2021 20:51 IST
As per the proposal, no one would be allowed to cover their face completely in public, including while going to shops and restaurants, using public transport or walking on the footpath.
Tue, Mar 09, 2021
Explained: Why France has admitted to killing an Algerian freedom fighter 6 decades laterSubscriber Only
March 07, 2021 10:24 IST
French President Macron’s recognition of Boumendjel’s torture and death at the hands of French soldiers is being seen as a step towards healing old wounds.
Sun, Mar 07, 2021
Explained: Why Harry and Meghan’s Oprah Winfrey interview is in the spotlightSubscriber Only
March 04, 2021 19:47 IST
On Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A Primetime Special, which will be broadcast on CBS Sunday, the couple will talk about why they quit their royal roles.
Fri, Mar 05, 2021
Explained: Why a viral rap song has left Cuba’s communist regime fumingSubscriber Only
March 03, 2021 21:31 IST
The song ‘Patria y Vida’ has raked up 2.8 million views on YouTube since its release on February 17.
Thu, Mar 04, 2021
Explained: What the ‘three-finger salute’ seen at Myanmar protests meansSubscriber Only
February 10, 2021 18:46 IST
A striking feature of the protests is the three-finger salute displayed by pro-democracy activists, a symbol of resistance that was also seen in October last year.
Mon, Feb 15, 2021
Explained: What TMC means when it calls the BJP ‘bargis’Subscriber Only
January 31, 2021 16:58 IST
Simply speaking, the word bargi referred to cavalrymen in Maratha and Mughal armies. The word comes from the Persian “bargir”, literally meaning “burden taker”, notes historian Surendra Nath Sen in his 1928 work The Military System Of The Marathas.
Tue, Feb 02, 2021
Explained: Why does the US want to put an end to private prisons?Subscriber Only
January 27, 2021 20:18 IST
US President Joe Biden has described the move as "a first step to stop corporations from profiting off of incarceration".
Thu, Jan 28, 2021a better experience