This week a landmark trial is underway in the United States, where Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram is being accused of deliberately getting young users addicted to its platforms. Google-owned YouTube is also part of the trial, which hinges on the mental health problems faced by a 20-year-old who has used social media and video content platforms since childhood. Two other similar trials are scheduled for later this year, as thousands of lawsuits blame social medial for the epid...
Feb 21, 2026•23 min
In his speech at the Munich Security Conference last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the MAGA vision of American foreign policy -- which has been dubbed by some as ‘Make the West Great Again’. At one level, it marked a clear shift from the speech that Vice President JD Vance gave last year, when he accused Europe of suppressing freedom of speech and democracy. Rubio, in contrast, played up the shared history and civilisational values between the US and Europe. He painted a future ...
Feb 20, 2026•42 min
Last weekend, the Indian Super League (ISL), the highest league in Indian football, kicked off after months of uncertainty. The disruption, which compelled some clubs to halt their operations and consigned the players and coaches to a state of desperation, emanated from the absence of a commercial partner for the league once the Master Rights Agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) expired in December. The Indian football team, wh...
Feb 19, 2026•39 min
Japan’s strategic posture is undergoing one of its most consequential transformations since the end of the Second World War. Long defined by its pacifist Constitution and its reliance on the United States for security guarantees, Japan built its global identity as an economic power that exercised influence largely through trade, technology and diplomacy. Over the past decade, however, shifting regional dynamics, particularly China’s rise and growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, have prompted a ...
Feb 18, 2026•23 min
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed two American citizens in Minnesota in January 2026. At least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025. The Trump administration has deported more than 500,000 people since January 2025. The budget for ICE is more than twice that of the FBI – making it the largest funded federal policing machine in the US. As the Trump administration continues its hiring spree for ICE – with more than $100 billion set aside for immigration enforcement activitie...
Feb 17, 2026•56 min
The expiration of the New START treaty, the last active nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, marks a significant shift in the global security landscape. For more than a decade, the treaty placed verifiable limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and maintained inspection and data‑exchange mechanisms between the two countries. With these provisions no longer in force, longstanding channels of transparency and communication have effectively paused, raising pra...
Feb 16, 2026•23 min
More than 99% of humanity lives in nation states. But nations are less than 200 years old, and today many countries are sliding into xenophobia, debt and a cost of living crisis. With the liberal ideas that underpinned the nation-state system -- human rights, dignity, security for all – in retreat, millions are feeling abandoned by the nation-state, and turning to cross-border migration in desperation. At the same time, nation states are proving ill-equipped to handle urgent planetary threats su...
Feb 14, 2026•1 hr 12 min
After months of administrative paralysis, the Indian Super League 2025-26 season finally kicks off in February 2026, but this is no ordinary season.With the collapse of the AIFF's commercial partnership, slashed budgets, mass pay cuts and a condensed four-month format, Indian football finds itself at a crossroads.What does this truncated version of the tournament mean for players and clubs? Are fewer foreigners this season good or bad for the league? And how deep has the crisis cut into the Indi...
Feb 13, 2026•26 min
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kerala and Tamil Nadu, scheduled to have Assembly elections soon, and stressed the need for a double-engine government. The term double-engine government refers to having the same political party (in this case, the Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies in the National Democratic Alliance) in power at both the Centre and in a State. Critics of this model include Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who has asked how Opposition-ruled States are doing...
Feb 12, 2026•43 min
The Supreme Court’s landmark judgement recognising the right to menstrual health and hygiene as a fundamental right grabbed headlines all of last week. Why was this recognition needed? Because thousands of girls continue to drop out of school every year in our country due to a lack of clean, safe toilets with access to running water. And because periods continue to be shrouded in stigma and silence despite nearly half the population of the country experiencing them.What exactly does the judgemen...
Feb 11, 2026•23 min
Bangladesh will have its general elections on February 12. Nearly 2,000 candidates will contest on 300 seats of the Jatiya Sangsad. Alongside the parliamentary vote, electors will also vote in a referendum – on whether or not to adopt the July National Charter. Bangladesh has two major legacy parties -- the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the Awami League. With the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League banned from contesting, the two main players are the BNP, which is contesting from 288 seats, and...
Feb 10, 2026•48 min
In late January and early February this year, coordinated attacks across multiple districts in Pakistan’s Balochistan province marked one of the most intense phases of violence in decades. The Balochistan Liberation Army described the offensive as Operation Herof Phase II —a “Black Storm”—involving simultaneous strikes on security installations, transport routes, and administrative targets. For Pakistan’s security establishment, the attacks raise urgent questions about control, intelligence, and...
Feb 09, 2026•30 min
On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) National President Ajit Pawar died in a tragic air crash, leaving behind state politics in flux. Within a week, his wife was hurriedly sworn in as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the country’s richest state. There has also been one-upmanship between the two NCPs for control of the party, amid speculation about the ‘invisible hand’ of the BJP, sparking a debate on whether the two NCPs will reunite, and ...
Feb 06, 2026•43 min
Last month, during the joint session of the Karnataka legislature, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot walked out of the House after reading only a few lines of his customary address prepared by the State Cabinet. The Chief Minister accused the Governor of violating his constitutional obligation and indicated that the government was considering approaching the courts. The incident followed similar developments in two other Opposition-ruled States. In DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu, Governor R. N. Ravi walked out...
Feb 05, 2026•1 hr 4 min
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced on social media that India and the US have agreed on a historic trade deal, or at least the broad framework for one. Under the agreement, the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. India will reduce tariffs on all American goods to zero, and eliminate all non-tariff barriers. Trump also announced that India has agreed to import American goods worth $500 billion. To put this figure in perspective, American imports to India are c...
Feb 05, 2026•44 min
On January 13, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified new regulations to promote equity and protect from discrimination students from SC/ST/OBC communities and other marginalised categories. These are the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. These regulations are an updated version of the UGC’s campus equity rules passed in 2012. This revision was the outcome of a Supreme Court order. But the new rules sparked a wave of p...
Feb 04, 2026•45 min
Last week proved to be a whirlwind for Americans and Europeans and for those observing events around the world. The week began with Trump’s tariff threat against eight European countries that opposed his claims of U.S. control over Greenland. It then escalated with the EU mulling over a trade bazooka and Trump doubling down on claims over Greenland. He even shared a post on Truthsocial showing Greenland as a part of the U.S. And then at Davos, Trump emphasised the importance of Greenland again t...
Feb 03, 2026•18 min
Just 10 days after the New Year, news hit the headlines of a software engineer found dead in her home in Bengaluru. The police initially suspected her death was due to a fire that broke out in her apartment, but later arrested an 18-year-old man. Police said that the man, who was the victim’s neighbour, assaulted her and then set fire to house. The reason? The woman rejected his sexual advances. This is not a unique case: hundreds of assaults, murders and acid attacks are routinely reported acro...
Feb 02, 2026•25 min
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tabled the Economic Survey 2025–26, offering the first official snapshot of where India’s economy stands—and where it’s headed next. The Survey pegs India’s potential growth at around 7%, flags a slight moderation in GDP growth next year, and lays out the government’s thinking on everything from inflation and exports to jobs, infrastructure, manufacturing, and welfare.But beyond the headline numbers, what really matters is how to read this document. ...
Jan 31, 2026•31 min
With less than 48 hours to go before India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tables the Union Budget in Parliament for the 2026–27 fiscal. Kunal Shankar, The Hindu’s Deputy Business Editor, speaks to colleagues Soundariya Preetha, who has tracked India’s MSMEs for over two decades — based out of Coimbatore, and Lalatendu Mishra, who has followed the markets and the Reserve Bank of India for just as long, and is based out of Mumbai. They discuss how the customary Economic Survey, settled by...
Jan 30, 2026•28 min
India's Ministry of Finance is set to scrap curbs on Chinese firms bidding for government contracts, which were introduced in 2020, following a deadly clash between the country's troops in the Galwan Valley. Now that India is showing a change of heart, the Ministry's actions beg the question: Will removing curbs on Chinese FDA help India? Here, we discuss. Tune in! Guests: Mr. Shyam Saran , former Foreign Secretary to the Government of India and currently President of the India International Cen...
Jan 29, 2026•32 min
Bangladesh is out of the ICC T20 World Cup starting next month. It will be replaced by Scotland. Cricketing observers have slammed the sport’s governing establishment for mismanaging the issue. It all began when Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman on BCCI orders. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not take kindly to this. It banned the telecast of IPL 2026 in Bangladesh. And subsequently, it asked for all its league matches in India to be shifted to Sri Lan...
Jan 28, 2026•23 min
There are plenty of questions swirling around US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. Trump has extended invitations to dozens of countries to join this outfit, including India. But many, including his European allies, are yet to confirm their participation. Interestingly, Norway, Denmark and Sweden have refused, while Pakistan and the UAE have already said ‘yes’. Is this Board of Peace only about Gaza reconstruction? Or is this about setting up a parallel body to settle global conflict on A...
Jan 27, 2026•39 min
A recent Supreme Court ruling has put the process of how India taxes foreign investors in focus. The top court ruled in favour of the Income Tax Department by setting aside the Delhi High Court’s judgment quashing the tax demand of Tiger Global. Tiger Global and Indian tax authorities have been locked in a legal tussle over its 2018 stake sale in Flipkart to Walmart worth ₹14,440 crore $1.6 billion. The deal was part of the U.S. retail company’s $16 billion acquisition of Flipkart that year. I...
Jan 26, 2026•28 min
Our guest today is a legend in the world of entrepreneurship. He began his adult life as an immigrant student in the US, way back in the 1960s. He started his own company in the US tech space at a time when Indian-Americans were not particularly known for entrepreneurship. In 1987, he became the first Indian-American founder to take a venture-backed company public on the Nasdaq. He was also the first Indian-American to serve as a top executive in a multi-billion-dollar Silicon Valley giant, blaz...
Jan 24, 2026•49 min
People of the Global South have long argued that the so-called rules-based international order is a fiction. That it was only ever applied selectively, with the big powers doing the selection. But now, for the first time, there is official acknowledgement of this fiction from a prominent Western leader. In an extraordinary speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly stated that even the ‘pretence’ of a rules-based order is over, and that this is not ...
Jan 22, 2026•37 min
Days after the January 3rd U.S. attack on Venezuela and the capture of its sitting President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his push to seize Greenland, calling it an absolute necessity for the U.S. national security. On January 17, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on eight European countries over their support for Greenland. This ambiguity revives imperial undertones and tests NATO’s Article Five pledge. Does Trump's Greenland plan signal the end of NATO, and what does it...
Jan 22, 2026•35 min
There's a new Barbie in town. She avoids direct eye contact, makes repetitive physical movements in social settings, and her pretty purple dress is comfortable and free from irritating seams. Her pink headphones -- they're more than just a fashion statement. Mattel, the multinational toy company, has launched an ‘autistic’ Barbie as part of its range of “inclusive” dolls. It has partnered with the U.S.-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) to create an intentional set of features that aim ...
Jan 21, 2026•38 min
On January 3rd, The United States of America launched Operation Absolute Resolve bombing the city of Caracas in Venezuela and capturing the sitting president Nicolas Maduro. He has been accused of Narco terrorism. He is now jailed in New York. Meanwhile, Trump has stated that he would be effectively running the country for the benefit of both U.S. and Venezuela. He also said that he would open the country for American Oil companies. The recent developments in Venezuela is said to have huge polit...
Jan 20, 2026•41 min
The release of Jana Nayagan, the high-budget farewell film of actor-politician Vijay, has reached a legal and bureaucratic impasse that threatens a ₹500 crore investment. The film was diverted to a Revising Committee just days before its planned January 2026 debut. This last-minute intervention fuelled allegations of a "political conspiracy" intended to stifle Vijay’s entry into politics. This was not an isolated event but part of a massive trend in Indian cinema. Data show that between 2017 and...
Jan 19, 2026•24 min
