Explainers News - Page 16

Highway to hell: How a traffic jam on Delhi-Kolkata highway has lasted for more than 4 days

Thousands of commuters and truck drivers have been stuck for days in an awful traffic jam on the Delhi-Kolkata highway near Sasaram and Rohtas in Bihar. The chaos began after torrential rains and expansion work crippled six-lane National Highway 19, with some vehicles reportedly covering only five kilometres in an entire 24-hour stretch

US approves sale of AMRAAM missiles to Pakistan: Should India be concerned?

The US-Pakistan friendship is growing from strength to strength. Now, Washington has approved a sale of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) missile to Islamabad. Their deployment enhances a powerful Pakistan air force, which is already equipped with Chinese as well as Turkish military hardware, posing a risk to India

Why gold is shining brighter than ever at $4,000 an ounce

Gold rates have jumped more than 50 per cent this year and 12 per cent in September alone. This comes in the face of uncertainties over global trade, the Federal Reserve’s independence and fiscal stability in the US

Who is the woman captured on camera cutting ribbons dedicated to Israeli hostages in London?

Nadia Yahlom, an artist and PhD student from the University of Westminster, was seen snipping away yellow ribbons in north London’s Muswell Hill tied in solidarity for Israeli hostages in Gaza. In the footage, the woman can be seen with a pair of scissors, declaring that they were ‘condoning genocide’ while onlookers try to stop her

Was an Indian, fighting for Russian army, captured by Ukrainian troops?

The Ukrainian army has released a video of an Indian being captured on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war. In the video, the national, identified to be Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein, claims that he is a 22-year-old from Gujarat’s Morbi and he had gone to Russia to study. However, he ended up joining the Russian military in an attempt to avoid a seven-year jail term

History Today: How Indian Air Force got its wings and soared in the skies

The Indian Air Force was established as the Indian Aviation Corps on October 8, 1932, with the purpose to provide air support to the Indian Army. On this day in 1871, one of the worst urban disasters in the history of the United States took place in Chicago. As many as 300 people lost their lives in the fire that went on for two days

Keir Starmer in India: Trade, immigration & much more… What’s on the agenda?

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is on a two-day state visit to India months after the two countries signed a free trade agreement (FTA). As Starmer and Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Mumbai, here’s what the two leaders are set to discuss

FirstUp: UK's Keir Starmer in Mumbai, Nobel Prize in Chemistry to be announced... Today’s headlines

UK PM Keir Starmer is in Mumbai during a two-day visit to India. The 2025 Nobel Prize for Chemistry will also be announced today. In India, PM Modi will inaugurate the Navi Mumbai International Airport

Is TikTok recommending porn to children?

TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, has long been under the scanner from rights groups, parents and authorities about its possible effects on children. Now, a UK-based campaign group has claimed that the algorithm recommended explicit material to accounts created for minors earlier this year. Let’s take a closer look

Why a Belgian filmmaker has been walking on all fours for three years

Belgian-born documentary filmmaker Alexia Kraft de la Saulx has been practising quadrobics for three years. This new fitness trend involves people moving on all fours, with enthusiasts claiming it promotes fitness, strength, mobility, and spirituality. But the unusual workout is not without its limitations

Yet another PM resigns in France. Can President Emmanuel Macron restore stability?

France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned just a month after taking office. The development comes as Emmanuel Macron, who has insisted he will serve out his term as president till 2027, struggles to find an option who can bring together a divided parliament. But what happens next in France?

Why are wealthy nations struggling with debt?

Debt levels are on the rise across the globe with some of the world’s wealthiest and most developed nations struggling to balance the books. France, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom are facing crushing levels of debt compared to their GDP. But why is this? What happened?

No American dream this season for Indians and Chinese: Is US losing its global classroom?

The United States, once the leading destination for global higher education, is witnessing an alarming decline in international student arrivals — especially from India and China. New government data for August show foreign student inflows dropping nearly 19 per cent overall, with Indian enrolments plunging 44 per cent

In Graphics l Two years after Hamas attack on Israel, a key timeline of events in Gaza war

Two years ago, on October 7, 2023, at the close of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, Hamas launched a massive assault on Israel, marking the deadliest day in the country's history. Israel then began an offensive to destroy the Palestinian militant group in Gaza. As both sides negotiate for peace, here is a key timeline of events of the war

'Full circle' moment: Meet Ragini Das, once rejected by Google, now leading its startup wing

Ragini Das, co-founder of Leap.club, becomes Head of Google for Startups India, marking a full-circle journey from her 2013 Google rejection to leading support for early-stage founders.

7 attacks in 1 year: Why Pakistan’s Jaffar Express is a favourite target of Baloch rebels

Coaches of the Jaffar Express, running from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan, derailed on Tuesday after an explosion, injuring at least seven people. The Baloch Republican Guards, a Baloch rebel group, has claimed responsibility for the attack. This is the seventh such incident in this year alone — in March, the train was taken hostage for more than 30 hours

Who is Tarique Rahman, set to return to Bangladesh for polls? What does his return mean?

Tarique Rahman, the de facto chief of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has said his return to the country is imminent ahead of next year’s polls. Rahman, 59, has been in self-imposed exile in London for nearly two decades

Was an Indian student with Rs 89 lakh scholarship denied US visa over social media posts?

Kaushik Raj, a 27-year-old Indian, with a $100,000 (Rs 89 lakh) scholarship from the prestigious Columbia University was denied a US visa. While his rejection letter states that he had failed to demonstrate ‘sufficient ties to India’, he believes it was because of his critical social media posts

Is Tim Cook preparing to leave Apple? Who could succeed the tech CEO?

Tim Cook may be preparing to step down from Apple after more than a decade at the helm and speculation is growing about who could take his place. Senior executives such as Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, Senior Vice President John Ternus, and software head Craig Federighi are viewed as potential successors

Is Pakistan’s offer to US to build Pasni port in Arabian Sea a threat to India?

Pakistan’s courtship of Donald Trump continues. Islamabad has reportedly proposed that the US build and operate a port in the small, coastal fishing town of Pasni, which is located close to Gwadar and the Pakistan-Iran border. If this plan goes ahead, it would have serious implications for India, with New Delhi having to rethink its Arabian Sea strategy and patrols

2 years of Israel-Hamas war: How a Gaza mother has survived against odds

A Gaza mother, Lamis Dib, has been taking care of her two children since the war began in 2023. The 31-year-old lost her husband and father in a missile attack in 2024, leaving her to take care of her family

Bovine beauty! Inside Thailand’s pageant for buffaloes

Thailand hosts a unique beauty pageant for buffaloes. Part of the broader Chonburi Buffalo Racing Festival, the Buffalo Beauty Pageant is a beloved tradition in Thai culture, celebrating the animal’s deep connection to rural life and agriculture. Here's  all you need to know about it

Can Donald Trump’s Gaza plan win him the Nobel Peace Prize?

As the 2025 Nobel Prize announcements trickle in, Donald Trump is hoping to bag the prestigious peace prize — this time tying his latest bid to his proposed Gaza peace plan. Despite touting the Abraham Accords and claiming credit for ending multiple wars, experts suggest his aggressive lobbying and polarising diplomacy may hinder his long-sought Nobel ambition

Will Trump invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy more troops in US cities? How will the law empower him?

Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act after courts blocked his deployment of National Guard troops to major US cities. But what is this law from 1807? When can it be invoked?

‘Divine force guided me’: What prompted Rakesh Kishore to hurl shoe at India’s Chief Justice?

A 71-year-old advocate, Rakesh Kishore, hurled a shoe at CJI BR Gavai in the Supreme Court during a hearing. While the CJI escaped unharmed, Kishore was escorted out of the courtroom and later suspended by the Bar Council of India. The now-suspended advocate claims he was guided by a ‘divine force’ and said he has ‘no remorse’ for his act

How two years after October 7 attacks Israel pays the price on world stage

In the days that followed the October 7 terror attacks, the sympathy of much of the world was with Israel. Across the world, many spoke of the Jewish nation’s ‘right to defend itself’ and condemned the actions of Hamas. But now, two years later, much has changed with pro-Palestine sentiment growing

History Today: How Hamas' October 7 attack plunged West Asia into unprecedented turmoil

Hamas launched massive coordinated attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, beginning one of the worst wars in West Asia, killing 1,200 people in Israel. Nearly 2,200 rockets were fired towards Israeli cities, thus overwhelming their defence system, the Iron Dome. On this day in 2001, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania

FirstUp: 2nd anniversary of Oct 7 attacks, Nobel Prize in Physics to be announced... The headlines today

Today has been two years since the Hamas attack on Israel, which led to the Gaza war. Anti-Israel protests will be held across the world. The 2025 Nobel Prize for Physics will be announced today in Sweden. In India, Vice President CP Radhakrishnan will formally meet Opposition leaders in New Delhi

What is Grokipedia that Elon Musk is set to unveil?

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is set to unveil Grokipedia – a potential competitor to Wikipedia. Musk has claimed that the venture, which will be linked to his AI firm xAI, will launch within a matter of weeks. But what is it? How will it work?

Why US military’s beard ban has sparked concerns among Sikhs

The Pentagon has issued a memo directing all military branches to revert to ‘pre-2010 standards’ for beards, saying that 'facial hair waivers are generally not authorised'. This comes after US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s remarks last month that the era of 'rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles' through waivers for medical or religious reasons is over