Was COP28 a cop-out?
The Dubai chapter of COP concluded with several investment pledges to curb climate change, but where is all this money going? We explain the progress since the Paris chapter in 2015.
Dec 05, 2023•9 min•Ep. 55
News18 Explainers
An audio series where we make complex issues easy, explain events and concepts in politics, economy and a lot more.
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Episodes
State election results 2023 explained
While Rajasthan might have been predictable, pollsters had predicted a neck-and-neck in Madhya Pradesh and a Congress victory in Chattisgarh. What went wrong, what mistakes did KCR make in Telangana, and why is ZPM leading in Mizoram? Explained.
Dec 04, 2023•19 min•Ep. 54
Exit polls: True or false?
The exit polls for the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram are a mix bag for ruling parties and challengers. Here is why.
Dec 01, 2023•19 min•Ep. 53
Why no Rythu Bandhu In Election
The Election Commission revoked the Telangana Govt. permission to distribute Rythu Bandhu Scheme aid to farmers. What led to this decision? Explained.
Nov 27, 2023•6 min•Ep. 52
Ray of hope from Uttarkashi tunnel?
After being trapped for 12 days, 41 workers inside the Silkyara tunnel may finally be rescued as efforts to save them continue. The tunnel collapsed on November 12th. Tune in to learn more.
Nov 23, 2023•9 min•Ep. 51
Open AI doomed?
OpenAI, the hottest tech company, is facing turmoil after its CEO, Sam Altman, was removed under mysterious circumstances. Altman has now taken up an entirely new job at Microsoft, and the employees of OpenAI are in open revolt. Almost everyone is threatening to quit and follow Altman. How does this event impact the future of Open AI and AI safety? Explained.
Nov 21, 2023•9 min•Ep. 50
Why India lost ICC World Cup 2023
The Indian cricket team's loss to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final has left fans heartbroken. Despite their exceptional performance throughout the tournament, India couldn't bring home the trophy. Here's what led to their defeat.
Nov 20, 2023•15 min•Ep. 49
Battleground Al Shifa Hospital
An important hospital for civilians in Gaza, Al Shifa, has turned into a battleground after the IDF launched an operation with tanks and bulldozers. Was there a Hamas command centre inside the hospital or was it an Israeli excuse? Find out in this episode.
Nov 17, 2023•12 min•Ep. 48
Suella Braverman controversy
Sacked UK Home Secretary’s stinging attack on PM Rishi Sunak and consequences of the Supreme Court’s verdict against the government’s Rwanda refugee plan explained.
Nov 16, 2023•8 min•Ep. 47
Can artificial rain clean Delhi?
Delhi government plans to induce artificial rain through cloud seeding this month to combat pollution. But how feasible and effective is this initiative? Explained.
Nov 10, 2023•10 min•Ep. 46
Why Nitish Kumar goes vulgar
Nitish Kumar's controversial comments on population control and sex during the State Legislative Assembly session have sparked outrage. How did he make such a blooper? Explained.
Nov 09, 2023•7 min•Ep. 45
Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake troubles deeply
The circulation of a deepfake video featuring Rashmika Mandanna has sparked concerns about the issue of deepfakes. Explaining the potential legal recourse available to victims in this episode.
Nov 08, 2023•7 min•Ep. 44
Cricket shamed at Bangladesh-Sri Lanka World Cup match
Angelo Mathews being timed out during the SL vs BAN match has drawn significant attention to cricket etiquette, bad behaviour and the fourth umpire. Rules of the sport and Angelo’s plight explained.
Nov 07, 2023•8 min•Ep. 43
Delhi chokes in toxic air
Delhi’s air is the most polluted it has been since 2020. The average AQI in the city stood at 210 between October 1 and October 29, just a little lower than the 257 recorded in October 2020. Why is the nation’s capital inhaling such toxic air? Explained.
Oct 31, 2023•10 min•Ep. 42
Free right to hell?
Explaining the rampant political culture of freebies before polls and its implications.
Oct 30, 2023•10 min•Ep. 41
Economic impact of Israel-Hamas conflict
IMF head Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the Israel-Hamas war is negatively impacting neighboring countries' economies. The global economic implications of the ongoing war explained.
Oct 27, 2023•14 min•Ep. 40
H1B visa: Turbulent flight to America
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, via the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to modernize the H-1B specialty occupation worker program. How will these changes affect Indians? Explained.
Oct 26, 2023•8 min•Ep. 39
Dance of death: Linked to Garba?
The Navratri celebrations in Gujarat turned out to be a tragic affair this year. Shockingly, within just 24 hours, at least ten people lost their lives due to heart attacks at the state's garba events. Is there a definite link between dancing and heart attacks? Explained.
Oct 25, 2023•8 min•Ep. 38
SC maintains status quo on same-sex marriage
The Supreme Court has ruled against the legalisation of same-sex marriage. However, the Union govt has been directed to form a committee to decide what rights can be given to same-sex couples. Explaining why the issue is in the domain of the legislature.
Oct 18, 2023•12 min•Ep. 37
A 5-poll prelude to 2024 election
Five Indian states are going to polls in the remaining part of 2023. Will or won't Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram polls have a bearing on the Lok Sabha election next year? Explained.
Oct 16, 2023•12 min•Ep. 36
India-Pakistan cricket-politics mix
While the cricket teams of India and Pakistan have been playing each other since the 1950s, politics associated with the game often takes centre-stage at the cost of the sport. The grand reception of the Pakistani team at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 has frayed many nerves once again. We explain why this happens, should it happen and what can be done about it.
Oct 13, 2023•14 min•Ep. 35
Israel vs Hamas: Middle East burns again
6th October was Simchat Torah, a holy occasion for Jews. The terrorist organisation Hamas chose the day to bomb Israel unprovoked. Israel retaliated strongly. Now the Middle East peace process has been derailed again. We get into the genesis of this long-standing conflict.
Oct 09, 2023•12 min•Ep. 34
Caste In Stone? The Bihar Census
The much debated Caste Census of Bihar is out. We now have a clearer picture of the caste demography of the state. However, there is a contrarian view that says such an exercise divides people. Was a caste census needed at all? Explained.
Oct 03, 2023•9 min•Ep. 33
Bengaluru bottlenecked
Why Outer Ring Road of Bengaluru, mostly in news for the wrong reason of traffic jams, and surrounding areas that consists of major tech parks and around 10 lakh IT employees, turned worse in the evening of 27 September — explained.
Sep 28, 2023•18 min•Ep. 32
Gender justice in Parliament
On 20 and 21 September 2023, the women’s reservation bill was passed in both houses of Parliament. What it has for Indians in general and women in particular–explained.
Sep 22, 2023•16 min•Ep. 31
Why India-Canada relations are nosediving
India-Canada relations are at an all-time low because of some irresponsible statements by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and his subordinates. While India is responding to every wild allegation coming from Canada, there is no sign of a thaw in the bilateral ties. Here is an explanation of what went wrong.
Sep 20, 2023•10 min•Ep. 30
Why Nipah virus outbreak recurs in Kerala
Six Nipah virus cases have been reported in Kerala so far. This is the fourth Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala since the first back in 2018. All schools and educational institutions have been closed to curb the spread of the infection, and almost 11 wards have been declared as containment zones till Wednesday in Kozhikode district. Why does Nipah virus recur in Kerala? Explained.
Sep 18, 2023•11 min•Ep. 29
Trudeau fiddles as India-Canada relations burn
PM Modi slammed Canadian PM Justin Trudeau over allowing anti-India elements such as separatists and extreme Khalistani groups to prosper on Canadian soil. Trudeau has defended his stance, saying that the actions of a few do not represent the entire community. What does this mean for Indo-Canadian relations going forward? Explained.
Sep 11, 2023•6 min•Ep. 28
What India can achieve from G20
New Delhi is all set to host the G20 Summit from 8th to 10th September, 2023. How has India’s G20 Presidency shaped the vision of the group that consists of the world’s most developed and developing nations? What does India hope to achieve through this massive geopolitical event? Explained.
Sep 07, 2023•9 min•Ep. 27
Bharat vs India: Why this debate
In some recent communications by the GOI, the President and Prime Minister have been mentioned as holding these posts of Bharat. Why is it being speculated that India may be renamed as Bharat? Explained.
Sep 06, 2023•11 min•Ep. 26
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