Explainers

Trump UK visit: How the $204 billion US investment may help the British economy bounce back

US President Donald Trump’s second State visit to the UK featured lavish royal ceremonies, record US investments worth £150 billion, and the signing of a landmark Tech Prosperity Deal with PM Keir Starmer. While the visit brought pledges of thousands of jobs, differences over steel tariffs and immigration remain unresolved

Apple's iPhone 17 series sale starts today: How much of it is ‘made in India’?

Apple's latest iPhone 17 series, with four new models, has officially gone on sale. Long queues were seen outside stores in India. This year, Indian Apple fans have a bigger reason to cheer, as all the latest iPhones, including the high-end Pro models, are assembled in the country

What is Marine One, Trump’s helicopter that made emergency landing in UK?

US President Donald Trump’s helicopter, Marine One, was forced to make an emergency landing as he was returning from his state visit to the United Kingdom. Notably, Marine One is the radio call sign given to any United States Marine Corps helicopter carrying the president. It usually travels alongside several identical helicopters acting as decoys

How India will be affected by Trump’s withdrawal of sanctions waiver on Iran’s Chabahar Port

The US under Donald Trump has revoked its 2018 sanctions exception for Iran’s Chabahar Port, which has serious implications for India. The harsh measure, which will come into effect on September 29, is likely to hurt New Delhi's economic and trade ties as well as undermine its position in the Central Asian region

History Today: When India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty

India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty on September 19, 1960, effectively dividing the six rivers of the Indus basin between the two nations. The treaty was signed between Pakistani President Ayub Khan and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in Karachi. On this day in 2008, the Batla House encounter took place, claiming the lives of two terrorists and a Delhi Police officer

FirstUp: Trump and Xi hold talks on TikTok, iPhone 17 on sale in India.... today's big headlines

US President Donald Trump will talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about the framework for the sale of TikTok. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 and its variations will go on sale in India. Also, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita will begin a two-day visit to China

Lalit Modi's brother Samir Modi arrested in rape case. What we know

According to reports, Samir Modi was first detained at the Delhi airport while returning from London and then taken into police custody. Samir, the brother of fugitive businessman and ex-IPL chief Lalit Modi, was taken to court and remanded to judicial custody for one day. He is slated to be produced in court again tomorrow (September 19). Here’s what we know

‘Vote chori’ row: Can software delete voters’ names, as Rahul Gandhi claims?

Rahul Gandhi has doubled down on his claims of ‘vote chori (theft)’. The Congress MP alleged on Thursday that attempts were made to delete more than 6,000 votes in Karnataka’s Aland Assembly constituency in 2023. He claimed that applications for deletion of names, especially of Congress voters, were filed using software from outside Karnataka. How are electors' names deleted, though?

Why is there an outcry in Maldives after new media law?

President Mohamed Muizzu has given his assent to the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act, which allows journalists and media outlets to be fined heavily or even shut down. The law was passed by parliament last week by an overwhelming majority

20 million tonnes of gold lie beneath Earth's oceans. Can it be mined?

Scientists estimate that 20 million tonnes of gold, worth more than $2 quadrillion, is dissolved into our planet's oceans. But there’s a catch. The gold is scattered in microscopic traces, so diluted that it may never be within our reach. But can evolving technology help?

Is US making it harder to pass citizenship test?

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the United States has slowly been clamping down on immigration. Now, the US government is reinstating a civics test that was removed by the previous Biden government in 2020

Is the Sun waking up faster than scientists expected?

Nasa research reveals that the Sun’s activity has been steadily increasing since 2008, reversing decades of decline. This unexpected surge is driving stronger solar winds and more frequent solar storms that could disrupt satellites, GPS systems, and power grids while posing challenges for upcoming lunar and deep space missions

Why France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron will prove in court she is a woman

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are planning to provide ‘photographic and scientific evidence’ in a court in the US to prove that the First Lady is a woman, as per their lawyer. The documentation will be presented in a defamation lawsuit filed by the couple against Maga influencer Candace Owens

‘Let’s bury Macron’: Inside the massive protests that have gripped France

More than 800,000 demonstrators — from teachers to transport workers and more — have descended on to the streets of France in a ‘day of rage’ against President Emmanuel Macron and his political and economic policies. These protests come a week after the 'Block everything' agitation and are expected to be even bigger than the 2023 pension protests