Firstpost Editor's Picks: Nirmala Sitharaman's press meet, Hindi Divas, Donald Trump's dismissal of John Bolton; today's must-read stories

Nirmala Sitharaman's mega housing push of Rs 10,000-cr special window for stuck projects, relaxed ECB rules hits all right notes

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will contribute Rs 10,000 crore funding to incomplete housing projects and roughly the same amount is expected from outside investors. A few things are crucial here: One, how soon will the fund be set up and what is the criterion for availability. Details need to be seen. Two, what follow-up action will the government take to boost housing demand. The announcement of a Rs 10, 000 crore fund makes the intent clear; what is required is to follow up action.

Donald Trump should be grateful to John Bolton; dumped NSA saved US from major embarrassment by preventing ludicrous deal with Taliban

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The dismissal — or resignation — of National Security Advisor John Bolton seems to underline that hoary old cliché of Afghanistan being the graveyard of diplomats (and empires). Notably, before he left, John Bolton did get his way with the Afghanistan issue, resulting in the cancellation. For those now saying ‘good riddance,’ it is as well to remember that Bolton was always grounded in reality, which was that some of the world’s dictators and thin-lipped khakis couldn’t be trusted. Time has proved him right on several counts.

Aided by steely resolve Kim Clijsters defies age, injuries and personal loss to embark on remarkable sporting comeback

Tennis player Kim Clijsters has announced another return to the game in the 2020 season; she will be fewer than six months shy of 37 when she returns. But for Clijsters, a return is nothing particularly new. She may be ‘old’ by tennis standards, but consistently considered one of the most athletic, best moving players on the court, Clijsters is perhaps one of the best candidates for a return. The time off that Clijsters has had, coupled with the elite training she has almost certainly been undergoing for years, is almost crucial in the sense of being a refresher. It has served for Clijsters, as it has for many returning players.

Remembering Bharatendu Harishchandra on Hindi Divas, a man whose work fortified the language

Besides Bharatendu Harishchandra's formal educational endeavors, there was also the matter of his dalliance with many of Varanasi’s tawaifs, some of whom moved him enough to make him burst into poetry. They also made him something of a connoisseur of the arts. In 1868, Harishchandra made his acting debut in the role of Lakshmana, and published Vidyasundar , which was a translation from Bengali. In the same year, he also founded Kavivachansudha, a literary journal.

Gangs Of Wasseypur only Indian film to feature on The Guardian's list of 100 Best Films of 21st century

Critically acclaimed films like Persepolis (2007), Waltz With Bashir (2007) and Capernaum (2018), were ranked beneath Anurag Kashyap's film on the Guardian's list of 100 Best Films of 21st century. Since the list is curated on feature films made from the turn of the century (after 2000), it may be the main reason why the usual Indian filmmakers like Satyajit Ray (for his iconic Pather Panchali, which released in 1955) and Guru Dutt (Pyaasa in 1957) are not part of the list.