Explainers

Mumbai vs Delhi: Which city has the more toxic air?

India’s two major metro cities are choking. The air in Delhi and Mumbai is toxic, as a thick layer of smog envelops both. While Graded Response Action Plan-4 restrictions have been imposed in several areas of Mumbai, Grap-3 was revoked in the national capital last week despite its worst air quality. But what makes the Indian capital more polluted?

What is rage bait, the Oxford 2025 Word of the Year?  

It’s often used in ‘internet-speak’. Rage bait is defined as ‘online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive’ to drive engagement. It is named by the Oxford University Press as the Word of the Year 

Why you might get logged out of WhatsApp Web every 6 hours in India

In a move to improve India’s cybersecurity, the Centre has rolled out new rules under the Telecommunication Cybersecurity Amendment Rules, 2025, that place messaging platforms under tighter scrutiny. The directive will mean that the companion web services, such as WhatsApp Web, will be automatically logged out every six hours to ensure SIM binding

Water-pocalyse in parts of Asia: Why are floods that claimed 1,000 lives so deadly?

Heavy rainfall triggered by tropical storms such as Cyclone Ditwah, Typhoon Koto, and Cyclone Senyar has unleashed widespread flooding and landslides across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. The extreme weather has claimed the lives of over 1,000 people already, with hundreds of others still missing. Is climate change to blame for this watery chaos?

Cyclone Ditwah: Inside India’s Operation Sagar Bandhu to aid flood-ravaged Sri Lanka

Cyclone Ditwah, which triggered heavy rains, floods and landslides, has caused widespread destruction in Sri Lanka, killing 334 people and displacing lakhs of others. Nearly 400 remain missing as rescue operations enter their fifth day. Under its ‘Neighbourhood First policy’, India launched ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu' to provide humanitarian assistance to the island nation. Over 300 stranded Indian nationals, as well as foreign citizens, have been rescued, while tonnes of relief material have been supplied

Who will replace Jerome Powell as US Fed Chair as Trump nears his final choice?

US President Donald Trump is preparing to select the next chair of the US Federal Reserve. The White House has narrowed its search to five contenders, and they could reshape American monetary policy for years. Jerome Powell’s term is ending in 2026, and internal divisions over rate cuts are growing

Why is Elon Musk and his ‘half-Indian’ partner Shivon Zilis’ son’s middle name Sekhar

Elon Musk spoke about his partner Shivon Zilis’ India connection during his podcast with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath. ‘…my partner Shivon is half Indian. One of my sons with her, his middle name is Sekhar after Chandrasekhar,’ the soon-to-be trillionaire said, adding that he was named after Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Why has Israeli PM Netanyahu sought a presidential pardon? What happens next?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a presidential pardon, submitted while his corruption trial is still underway, has been described as unprecedented in the country's history. The appeal places President Isaac Herzog in an extraordinary position, and has drawn criticism from legal experts

Stockton mass shooting: How a child’s birthday party turned into a deadly tragedy

A child’s birthday celebration in Stockton, US, took a tragic turn when a mass shooting left four people dead, including three children, and injured more than 10 others. With the shooter still at large, investigators believe this was a 'targeted' attack. They are now urging anyone with information to come forward, with Stockton Mayor announcing a $25,000 bounty

Is Venezuela military prepared for a possible US strike?

Tensions between the US and Venezuela continue to grow, with US President Donald Trump declaring the closure of the Venezuelan airspace. Trump has said time and again that US strikes on drug boats could develop into land action. But if the situation does take a turn for the worse, how capable is the Venezuelan military to take on the Americans?

H-1B visas, Indian connection, future of jobs… What Elon Musk revealed in podcast with Nikhil Kamath

What does Elon Musk think about the world and its current events? That’s what Nikhil Kamath, the famous podcaster and co-founder of Zerodha, asked the world’s richest man during a nearly two-hour conversation. The discussion covered everything under the sun, including the SpaceX CEO’s opinions on Indians in the US, as well as his predictions about the future of working

History Today: When Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat started a social movement

One of the biggest civil rights movements began in America when a coloured woman, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. On this day in 1913, the Ford Motor Company revolutionised industrial manufacturing when it introduced the moving assembly line

FirstUp: Parliament's Winter Session to begin and other big news of the day

All eyes are on the Winter Session set to commence today. Key bills on nuclear energy, insurance, and more are in focus, while the opposition plans to grill the ruling government over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and other issues. Meanwhile, Anthony Williams of Langford Road, who was remanded in custody in the Cambridgeshire train stabbing, is due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court today

Why are more and more people becoming ‘polyworkers’?

The American workforce is currently facing inflation and fear of layoffs, among other factors, which is stalling their chances of securing a higher income. Some workers are taking two or three jobs, sometimes even up to four, to battle this financial crisis. Here's how people are doing it