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Twelve days before the terrorist attack in New Orleans in which a car ran through people celebrating a festival, the same modus operandi was employed in Magdeburg Germany where a vehicle rammed through a Christmas market. There was also something common between the two perpetrators besides the method—they operated alone in contrast to the perception that terrorism is an organised crime. They were lone wolves.

The turmoil in South Korea hasn't received as much attention as it should have in both India and the West because what is seen as a domestic political crisis is indeed a domestic crisis—so far. But events since Yoon Suk Yeol's botched attempt at imposing martial law, with a failed and then a successful—the Constitutional Court is sitting in judgment on it—attempt at impeaching him followed by the removal of his first interim successor, to the failure of police to arrest the suspended president despite a warrant, after being physically thwarted by his security team, have become steadily more dangerous, not less.

Coming into what was eventually the final day of this long and winded edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), everything was technically still very much in the balance. Balanced, at that point in the morning, was the outcome of the Sydney Test, as well as series itself (1-2), retaining of the trophy (in case of a drawn series, the previous winners get to keep it) and, most significantly for Indian cricket, the public perception of the Test team – for all the visceral hate received online by the players, there was an equal amount of love and appreciation to even the keel.

Punjab farm unionist Jagjit Singh Dallewal's fast has crossed 40 continuous days and even after appeals by the Supreme Court he remains adamant about fasting until the Centre “listens” to the demands of “farmers.” It is another matter that these demands are couched in such maximalist terms that these demands cannot be met, short of economic ruin for the entire country.

At a recent meeting with his Union Cabinet ministers, PM Narendra Modi advised them to focus on the work of their ministries and also restrict their public comments to speaking only about their ministerial work. Many viewed Modi's counsel as the beginning of an assessment of performance of ministers ahead of an impending cabinet reshuffle. It was seen as a signal that non-performing ministers would be dropped even as Modi 3.0 hasn't completed a year. The moot point is when will the reshuffle take place? Will it be after the Delhi Assembly polls are held in February? Or soon after the Union Budget is presented on February 1? Since the immediate focus for the Centre will be Mahakumbh mid-January, one may well say PM Modi will choose his time. With too many parties trying to join the BJP's bandwagon in Maharashrashtra – NCP (SP) leaders and Shiv Sena (UBT) praising CM Devendra Fadnavis — there may be pressure to induct new faces at the Centre. Which means it will not be just old allies Shiv Sena ( Eknath Shinde) and the NCP; NCP leader Praful Patel who spurned the initial MoS offer is certain to be included. The turnaround by veteran leader Sharad Pawar who met Modi along with pomegranate farmers could pave the way for a suitable role for daughter Supriya Sule. There is a buzz that there could be a reshuffle in the PMO too. Both NSA Ajit Doval and Dr PK Misra, principal secretary to the PM, could be hanging their boots. A 1968 Kerala cadre IPS officer Doval has had a very long and distinguished innings and retired in 2005. Misra, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer has worked closely with Modi and retired in 2013.

At least eight police personnel have lost their lives in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast carried out by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. According to preliminary reports, Maoists targeted a vehicle carrying soldiers of the police's District Reserve Guard (DRG), a special force formed to carry out anti-Maoist operations in the state. The blast took place at approximately 14.15 hours near Ambeli village, under Kutru police station. The party was returning after an operation, according to a senior police officer.

The timing of Justin Trudeau's announcement of resignation as the Prime Minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party is not surprising. Battered by poor economic performance and abandoned by allies like the New Democratic Party (NDP), Trudeau had hobbled for a while but the end was not far. On Sunday it was speculated that he could quit as early as this week. The end came on Monday.

We've all been there – meticulously planning the perfect gateway or gearing up for a business trip with our bags packed (brimming with excitement) to explore a new city or perhaps a country. But, once we reach our destination and kick-back on our cozy bed to drift off to a well-deserved blissful slumber, sleep evades us. Instead, we find ourselves staring at the ceiling and counting sheep! For years, research has been conducted to decipher why sleep is such an enigma during travelling. In this article, we will explore why does catching a simple good night's sleep turns into an epic conquest rather than a relaxing retreat.

With the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) also came the end of India's hopes of qualifying for the third edition of the World Test Championship final later this year. It was largely caused by a transitioning team unable to stop the hemorrhage that began with the New Zealand series at home, bleeding that saw India lose six out of their last eight Tests in the current cycle. Yet, all is not lost for Indian cricket, for under the flab of disappointment, there is hope of rebuilding a side with players who performed with elan in testing conditions, without much support from their teammates. They just happen to be from three different specialised skill sets —a batsman, an all-rounder and a bowler—respectively, who the new team can regrow around.

Sudarshan Vetti was 21 when he joined the Chhattisgarh Police's District Reserve Guard (DRG), an anti-Maoist force that recruits entirely from tribal communities. The DRG has three components. One consists of the erstwhile members of Salwa Judum, a civil militia force, which the Supreme Court in 2011 declared illegal and unconstitutional and ordered its disbanding. Many of its members were then absorbed in the DRG. The other consists of personnel inducted formally, while the third is a section of surrendered Maoists who are used mainly for intelligence purposes. In the last few years, the force has scored several victories against Maoists. But there also have been complaints of indiscipline. These stem from the fact that the recruits have very little (formal) training and also because many of them were earlier with the Salwa Judum, which was in many ways a rogue force.