In the World Chess Championship so far, the series was tied between the reigning champion Ding Liren (China) and his Indian rival D Gukesh. That changed on Sunday as the latter managed to force his resignation from Liren. The lead up to victory was a painful hour. For an hour, nothing happened on the chessboard as Gukesh contemplated his 11th move. However, the end came in two moves within a minute. There are only three games left in the championship. Are we about to see the biggest chess upset ever, or will Ding make a comeback?
With that, let’s move on to today’s news.
big story
For a long time, Indians have bought into the sacred American dream, with fresh graduates flocking to pursue their masters in the United States. Everyone wants a piece of Ivy League fame. In the fiscal year 2023-24, Indians became the largest international student group in US universities.
The American dream, however, may be losing its luster. Consider this: U.S. State Department data shows a sharp 38 percent drop in F-1 student visas issued to Indians from January to September compared to the same period last year.
What is behind this recession? here it is What we got.
Only on express
The likes of all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer don’t come easy, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) know it. In the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction last month, KKR spent almost half of their purse on Indore-based Iyer. At Rs 23.75 crore, he became the fourth most expensive player in the history of the league. speaking with The Indian ExpressIyer has become a true player. “Once the tournament starts, it’s almost unnecessary. You can be a 2 million player or a 20 million player, you have to win,’ he says.
Read all that Iyer had to say in the latest edition Exchange of ideas.
From the front page
Almost half a century later, Syria is feeling the winds of change as they say. President Bashar al-Assad was forced to flee the country after Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marched on the Syrian capital, Damascus. As of Sunday, Assad is said to have taken refuge in Russia. His exit was celebrated in the streets of Damascus, marking the end of the Assad family’s rule since 1971.
In capitals including New Delhi Caution remains the keyword.
A must read
CM of Tinsel Town: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ swearing-in ceremony was a star-studded affair attended by political elites, corporate honchos, Bollywood stars and more.the saint. The importance of grandeur goes beyond poems and shows. In his latest column,Neerja Chaudhary writes How the incident underscored the fragmentation of Indian politics and its glamorisation.
Playing it safe: India is wary of over-reliance on the dollar. India’s neighborhood was rife with social and political unrest as dollar reserves dwindled. With US President-elect Donald Trump warning against dedollarization, the Reserve Bank of India has a plan De-risk its business relationships.
Conspiracy for Success:Pushpa 2 (The Rule) was pegged as an all-India spectacle right from the start. It has everything that makes a good masala film. The makers chose Patna as the location for its grand trailer launch, cementing that it is not a “South Indian movie”. And soon, the film earned 3 million tickets in advance sales, the highest ever in India. But the trade-off seems to be the plot of the film. “Pushpa 2 doesn’t seek depth, instead, the film relies heavily on Pushpa’s swagger,” Alka Sahani has an opinion.
‘My brother… he’s going to kill me.’And then, Rekha calmed down, says Bandari Srikanth. On December 1, his wife, Kongara Nagamani, was murdered on charges of ‘honour killing’. The killing of a 27-year-old police constable from Hyderabad has shocked the entire country. We talk to the husband and try to find outThe story behind the crime.
And finally…
Lehengas, hair wigs, thermocol balls and children’s books – you might think these items are unrelated but they’ve been seen together lately. Report of India’s apex anti-trafficking agency. These are just some of the inventive ways smugglers try to bring illegal cash and drugs like heroin and cocaine into India.
🎧 In today’s episode The ‘3 Things’ PodcastWe talk about the current state of India-China relations, the case at the International Court of Justice on climate change, and how to deal with active landslide areas in Uttarakhand.
until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
Business as usual by EP Unny