Explainers News - Page 4

From golden crown to Nobel nomination: Are accolades the key to diplomacy with Trump?

The US President is currently on a week-long trip to Asia, where he is being feted and showered with gifts. South Korea welcomed Donald Trump with a golden crown and its highest award. Japan followed a similar strategy, nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize and gifting Shinzo Abe's former golf club

In Graphics | How do rare earths become magnets?

Rare earths are a key ingredient in much of our technology and the industries of the future. But have you ever wondered how they go from being raw ore to powerful magnets? Let’s take a closer look at the step-by-step process, why countries want rare earths and China’s dominance within the industry

Why economic ties with 'bailout nation' Pakistan is a lose-lose for Bangladesh

After two decades, Bangladesh and Pakistan have revived their Joint Economic Commission in Dhaka to explore trade. But with Pakistan’s economy under strain and Bangladesh pursuing export-driven stability, the dialogue raises a critical question — can Dhaka truly benefit from a partnership with its struggling former counterpart?

How greying hair might actually be defending you against cancer

Researchers at the University of Tokyo found that the process behind hair turning grey could be part of the body’s natural defence mechanism against cancer. The study, published in Nature Cell Biology, examined how stem cells in hair follicles react when their DNA gets damaged, and uncovered an unexpected link between grey hair and melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer

Trade, TikTok and war… What will Trump and Xi Jinping discuss at tomorrow’s big meet?

It’s one of the biggest diplomatic meetings of the year — the Trump-Xi talks will be held tomorrow (October 30) in South Korea on the sidelines of the Apec summit. The timing of this face-to-face is significant; the US and China are engaged in an ongoing trade war with repercussions that are shaking the world. But other than tariffs, what else are the two powerful leaders likely to discuss?

How Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar is training the Jaish women's jihad brigade

In a 21-minute audio recording at Markaz Usman-o-Ali in Pakistan's Bahawalpur, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar announced his plans to introduce a women's brigade called Jamat-ul-Mominat. The unit will train, indoctrinate and deploy women on 'global jihad' missions. Earlier, the terror outfit also launched an online course for women

How and why RBI is flying more of India's gold back home

The Reserve Bank of India, between March 2025 and September 2025, has brought over 64 tonnes of gold back to the country. Last year, the central bank repatriated over 200 tonnes of gold from the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements. Since March 2023, the RBI has brought home 274 tonnes of gold. But how and why is it doing so?

Why President Murmu’s Rafale photo with IAF pilot Pak falsely claimed it captured is powerful

President Droupadi Murmu undertook a 30-minute Rafale sortie and stood beside IAF’s Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, the Rafale pilot Pakistan had falsely claimed was captured during Operation Sindoor. By doing this, India has exposed Islamabad’s misinformation campaign yet again

Explained in Graphics: What happens if humanity missed the 1.5°C climate target

Ten years after the Paris climate pact, it’s inevitable that the 1.5 limit, seen as the threshold of dangerous warming, will be breached. What does this mean for humanity?

Genocide unfolding in Sudan? What’s the RSF that has killed 2,000 civilians in El-Fasher?

Sudan has been in the middle of a civil war since 2023, arguably the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The paramilitary group has long been accused of committing atrocities in Darfur, including mass killings, ethnic targeting, and sexual violence. Now, the fall of the city of El-Fasher after an 18-month siege is leading to accusations of an ongoing genocide

Why was the Bangladesh national anthem sung at a Congress event in Assam?

A major controversy has erupted after an Assam Congress leader, Bidhu Bhushan Das, reportedly sang 'Amar Sonar Bangla', the national anthem of Bangladesh, at a party meeting in the state’s Sribhumi district. The BJP has slammed the Congress for being 'Bangladesh-obsessed' and demanded an inquiry into the matter

Could failed Afghanistan-Pakistan peace reignite the conflict?

Efforts to end Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border conflict have failed once again. High-stakes talks in Istanbul mediated by Turkey and Qatar ended in deadlock, exposing deep mistrust and unresolved disputes over drone strikes, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and cross-border violence

No rain in Delhi after cloud seeding trials. Why did the experiment flop?

Delhi’s ambitious Rs 3-crore cloud seeding trials failed. The capital received no rain despite two experiments being conducted, leaving residents to wonder what went wrong as they battle poor air. Scientists point to the dry winter air as a major obstacle, and even pointed out that this method isn’t a long-term solution to the pollution problem

How Japan’s new prime minister played the ‘Trump’ card

US President Donald Trump met newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for the first time on Tuesday (October 28). It was a major diplomatic test for Takaichi, and she passed with flying colours. The Japanese PM really went all out to woo the US leader, offering everything from a promise of big increases in Japanese defence spending to publicly supporting his Nobel Peace Prize bid

Can the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire survive Israel’s latest strikes on Hamas?

Israel's strikes in Gaza on Tuesday (October 28) killed at least 26 people, following what it called ceasefire violations by Hamas. The renewed violence, amid accusations over hostage remains and rising civilian casualties, threatens to unravel the fragile US-brokered truce

How online harassment has taken a toll on Brigitte Macron’s life

France's First Lady Brigitte Macron has been forced to prove for a long time that she is a woman. Now, Brigitte's daughter, Tiphaine Auziere, has appeared in court to stress the 'deterioration' of her mother’s life after alleged cyberbullying and claims that President Emmanuel Macron’s wife was born male

'Storm of the century’: Why Hurricane Melissa, heading towards Cuba after Jamaica, is so devastating

Hurricane Melissa, with wind speeds of nearly 300 kmph, peeled roofs off homes, swelled rivers and forced 77 per cent of Jamaicans to be without energy. And the worst is yet to come, as officials are still to make an assessment of the damage caused by what is now being called the ‘storm of the century’. The Category 4 storm is now making its way to Cuba, prompting large-scale evacuations

History Today: When bomb blasts at crowded markets, bus rocked Delhi 20 years ago

On October 29, 2005, three bomb blasts on two crowded markets and a bus in New Delhi killed nearly 60 people and left 200 injured. The attacks took place just before Diwali. On this day in 1998, John Glenn became the oldest person to fly in space

FirstUp: Trump travels to South Korea, Amit Shah to address rallies in Bihar... The big news today

After completing his Japan visit, US President Donald Trump heads to South Korea today, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with President Lee Jae Myung. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing rallies in Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur in poll-bound Bihar. And Prime Minister Modi will be travelling to Mumbai to address the Maritime Leaders Conclave and chair the Global Maritime CEO Forum at India Maritime Week (IMV) 2025

In Graphics | Why are rare earths magnets such a big deal?

While rare earths themselves comprise over a dozen elements on the periodic table, rare earth magnets are even more valuable. These are among the strongest permanent magnets known to science and are used in smartphones, electric vehicles (EVs), robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Here’s why they matter

28-year-old Indian stabs teens on Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. What happened?

Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli is accused of using a metal fork to stab two 17-year-old male teens on a Lufthansa flight. The 28-year-old also allegedly slapped a female passenger and attempted to assault a crew member before being restrained

Is the gold rally over? What about silver? Is it a good time to invest?

Gold has delivered massive returns for investors over the past few years, arguably better than even equity and properties over two decades. Many analysts continue to view the precious metal as an excellent diversification tool and a hedge against the markets. However, recent developments have left some wondering if the gold and silver run is over. What do experts think?

How lakhs of ChatGPT users exhibit suicidal thoughts week after week

More than a million users of ChatGPT exhibit signs of mental health distress or emergencies, including suicidal thoughts, according to OpenAI’s estimates. Around 0.07 per cent of the chatbot users active in a given week, about 560,000 people of the total 800,000,000 weekly users, exhibit ‘possible signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania’

Where will Prince Andrew stay if he is forced to move out of Royal Lodge?

Prince Andrew is said to be on the outs with the Royal Family, including his older brother King Charles, over his ties to the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Now, there are reports that Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, with whom he continues to share a home, will be asked to leave Royal Lodge. But where could Andrew go?

The mysterious story of Chernobyl’s dogs turning blue

Pictures of stray dogs roaming with bright blue fur in Chernobyl are circulating widely on social media. A group called Dogs of Chernobyl, which looks after the canines in the nuclear disaster-struck exclusion zone, noticed the sudden change last week. What's going on?

When the world's richest country can't pay employee salaries...

The United States is reeling under its longest government shutdown, now in its fifth week, leaving 1.4 million federal employees unpaid and vital programmes on the brink of collapse. From food aid to airport security, the crisis has crippled public services and exposed deep political divisions

After Pakistan, why is Bangladesh hosting India's fugitive preacher Zakir Naik?

The Bangladesh government has reportedly approved a nearly month-long visit of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. During the tour, the Indian orator is expected to travel across the South Asian country and deliver sermons. This comes a year after Naik, wanted in India, had gone to Pakistan for a month-long state visit

Tata Trusts battle: Why Mehli Mistry, Ratan Tata’s close confidante, has been ousted

He was considered a close confidante of Ratan Tata. But now Mehli Mistry is on his way out of the Tata Trusts after Chairman Noel Tata, along with Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, voted against his reappointment. This move puts Noel Tata in the driver’s seat despite possible legal challenges from the 65-year-old Mistry

What is India’s military exercise that has forced Pakistan to close most of its airspace?

India is set to conduct a major exercise on its western frontier with Pakistan – and Islamabad is not happy. Pakistan has issued a notice to air missions (NOTAM), covering the majority of its airspace. The development comes months after India conducted Operation Sindoor targeting terror hubs in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April. But what do we know about India's military manoeuvres that have rattled the neighbour?

'Largest downsizing in history': Why is Amazon set to lay off 30,000 people?

Amazon is reportedly gearing up to lay off around 30,000 employees across almost all departments, from human resources to operations and AWS. The move, starting Tuesday, will reportedly slash nearly 10 per cent of the tech giant's white-collar workforce. Amazon is yet to respond to the matter