Firstpost Editor's Picks: Star power in Lok Sabha polls, hurdles in job creation, Game of Thrones Season 8; today's must-read stories

Lok Sabha polls: Gautam Gambhir, Vijender Singh’s half-baked campaigns reveal the ills of choosing star power over governance The entry of celebrities into the electoral battle is a disservice to the complex governance challenges in the national capital and an erasure of nuance from a solutions-centric political narrative. Candidates must keep in mind the complex municipal backgrounds of areas that fall within their constituencies, before taking to social media and making simplistic judgments. Loosely planned campaigns aren’t what voters expect from experienced political parties. China's endorsement of Masood Azhar as international terrorist will be India's victory, but won't curb Pakistan China’s acquiescence to accepting the labeling of Masood Azhar will in no way dilute its strategic support to Pakistan. Besides the historical aspect of the support it has extended to Pakistan, the current geopolitical environment existing in the crucial belt from South to Central Asia (the traditional New Great Game zone) makes Pakistan a very significant State. India’s continued absence at the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) makes China wary, but in many ways it is the consistency of India’s stand that also keeps it under pressure. Engaged in mad race of competitive populism, India’s politicians are forgetting real roadblocks in job creation Reforming labour laws is highly critical to revive the lost momentum in job creation. Are our politicians serious about it? Sadly, very little has been done to reform labour laws not just in the last five years of Narendra Modi-government but even during the UPA years. There is no major mention of labour reforms in the BJP manifesto, even the Congress manifesto which speaks of GST reforms and job creation has paid no significant attention to labour law reforms. Champions League: Injury-hit Tottenham Hotspur need to dig deep to halt free-flowing Ajax in semi-final first leg There will be mixed emotions in the Tottenham Hotspur camp as they prepare for the biggest European match in the history of the football club. On one hand, there is a buzz of positivity around London with the team set to play the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time. But on the other hand, there is a sense of fear clouding White Hart Lane after a poor run of form. Add to that the injury woes, with captain Harry Kane and midfielder Harry Winks certainly out of the game, while Moussa Sissoko and Jan Vertonghen aren’t 100 percent fit for the match. Game of Thrones season 8: Post-Battle of Winterfell, what next for the Lannisters, Targaryens and Starks? No matter which way the Last War goes, of one thing we can be certain — there will be no conventional “victory”. We know that the Red Keep will be destroyed, thanks to Daenerys and Bran’s visions (and a handy hint or two contained in the lyrics of “Jenny’s Song”). Daenerys may well win the Iron Throne, but it will be at too high a cost. She will lose everyone and everything that she holds dear in the quest to gain it. In learning the moral, she may have a second chance at starting afresh.