In Focus by The Hindu

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents killed two American citizens in Minnesota in January 2026. At least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025. The Trump administration has deported more than 500,000 people since January 2025. The budget for ICE is more than twice that of the FBI – making it the largest funded federal policing machine in the US. As the Trump administration continues it...

The expiration of the New START treaty, the last active nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, marks a significant shift in the global security landscape. For more than a decade, the treaty placed verifiable limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and maintained inspection and data‑exchange mechanisms between the two countries. With these provisions no longer in...

More than 99% of humanity lives in nation states. But nations are less than 200 years old, and today many countries are sliding into xenophobia, debt and a cost of living crisis. With the liberal ideas that underpinned the nation-state system -- human rights, dignity, security for all – in retreat, millions are feeling abandoned by the nation-state, and turning to cross-border migration in despera...

After months of administrative paralysis, the Indian Super League 2025-26 season finally kicks off in February 2026, but this is no ordinary season. With the collapse of the AIFF's commercial partnership, slashed budgets, mass pay cuts and a condensed four-month format, Indian football finds itself at a crossroads. What does this truncated version of the tournament mean for players and clubs? Are...

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kerala and Tamil Nadu, scheduled to have Assembly elections soon, and stressed the need for a double-engine government. The term double-engine government refers to having the same political party (in this case, the Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies in the National Democratic Alliance) in power at both the Centre and in a State. Critics of this mode...

The Supreme Court’s landmark judgement recognising the right to menstrual health and hygiene as a fundamental right grabbed headlines all of last week. Why was this recognition needed? Because thousands of girls continue to drop out of school every year in our country due to a lack of clean, safe toilets with access to running water. And because periods continue to be shrouded in stigma and silenc...

Bangladesh will have its general elections on February 12. Nearly 2,000 candidates will contest on 300 seats of the Jatiya Sangsad. Alongside the parliamentary vote, electors will also vote in a referendum – on whether or not to adopt the July National Charter.  Bangladesh has two major legacy parties -- the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the Awami League. With the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami Lea...

In late January and early February this year, coordinated attacks across multiple districts in Pakistan’s Balochistan province marked one of the most intense phases of violence in decades. The Balochistan Liberation Army described the offensive as Operation Herof Phase II—a “Black Storm”—involving simultaneous strikes on security installations, transport routes, and administrative targets. For Pak...

On January 28, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) National President Ajit Pawar died in a tragic air crash, leaving behind state politics in flux. Within a week, his wife was hurriedly sworn in as the first woman Deputy Chief Minister of the country’s richest state. There has also been one-upmanship between the two NCPs for control of the party, amid speculation...

Last month, during the joint session of the Karnataka legislature, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot walked out of the House after reading only a few lines of his customary address prepared by the State Cabinet. The Chief Minister accused the Governor of violating his constitutional obligation and indicated that the government was considering approaching the courts. The incident followed similar develo...

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced on social media that India and the US have agreed on a historic trade deal, or at least the broad framework for one. Under the agreement, the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%. India will reduce tariffs on all American goods to zero, and eliminate all non-tariff barriers. Trump also announced that India has agreed to import A...

On January 13, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified new regulations to promote equity and protect from discrimination students from SC/ST/OBC communities and other marginalised categories. These are the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. These regulations are an updated version of the UGC’s campus equity rules passed in...

Last week proved to be a whirlwind for Americans and Europeans and for those observing events around the world. The week began with Trump’s tariff threat against eight European countries that opposed his claims of U.S. control over Greenland. It then escalated with the EU mulling over a trade bazooka and Trump doubling down on claims over Greenland. He even shared a post on Truthsocial showing Gre...

Just 10 days after the New Year, news hit the headlines of a software engineer found dead in her home in Bengaluru. The police initially suspected her death was due to a fire that broke out in her apartment, but later arrested an 18-year-old man. Police said that the man, who was the victim’s neighbour, assaulted her and then set fire to house. The reason? The woman rejected his sexual advances. T...

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tabled the Economic Survey 2025–26, offering the first official snapshot of where India’s economy stands—and where it’s headed next. The Survey pegs India’s potential growth at around 7%, flags a slight moderation in GDP growth next year, and lays out the government’s thinking on everything from inflation and exports to jobs, infrastructure, manufactur...

With less than 48 hours to go before India’s Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tables the Union Budget in Parliament for the 2026–27 fiscal. Kunal Shankar, The Hindu’s Deputy Business Editor, speaks to colleagues Soundariya Preetha, who has tracked India’s MSMEs for over two decades — based out of Coimbatore,  and Lalatendu Mishra, who has followed the markets and the Reserve Bank of India for...

India's Ministry of Finance is set to scrap curbs on Chinese firms bidding for government contracts, which were introduced in 2020, following a deadly clash between the country's troops in the Galwan Valley. Now that India is showing a change of heart, the Ministry's actions beg the question: Will removing curbs on Chinese FDA help India? Here, we discuss. Tune in! Guests: Mr. Shyam Saran, former...

Bangladesh is out of the ICC T20 World Cup starting next month. It will be replaced by Scotland. Cricketing observers have slammed the sport’s governing establishment for mismanaging the issue. It all began when Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman on BCCI orders. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not take kindly to this. It banned the telecast of IPL 2026 in...

There are plenty of questions swirling around US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. Trump has extended invitations to dozens of countries to join this outfit, including India. But many, including his European allies, are yet to confirm their participation. Interestingly, Norway, Denmark and Sweden have refused, while Pakistan and the UAE have already said ‘yes’.  Is this Board of Peace only...

A recent Supreme Court ruling has put the process of how India taxes foreign investors in focus. The top court ruled in favour of the Income Tax Department by setting aside the Delhi High Court’s judgment quashing the tax demand of Tiger Global.  Tiger Global ⁠and Indian tax authorities have been locked in a legal tussle over its 2018 stake sale in Flipkart to Walmart worth ₹14,440 crore $1.6 bill...

Our guest today is a legend in the world of entrepreneurship. He began his adult life as an immigrant student in the US, way back in the 1960s. He started his own company in the US tech space at a time when Indian-Americans were not particularly known for entrepreneurship.  In 1987, he became the first Indian-American founder to take a venture-backed company public on the Nasdaq. He was also the f...

People of the Global South have long argued that the so-called rules-based international order is a fiction. That it was only ever applied selectively, with the big powers doing the selection. But now, for the first time, there is official acknowledgement of this fiction from a prominent Western leader. In an extraordinary speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark C...

Days after the January 3rd U.S. attack on Venezuela and the capture of its sitting President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified his push to seize Greenland, calling it an absolute necessity for the U.S. national security. On January 17, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on eight European countries over their support for Greenland. This ambiguity revives imperial undertones and te...

There's a new Barbie in town. She avoids direct eye contact, makes repetitive physical movements in social settings, and her pretty purple dress is comfortable and free from irritating seams. Her pink headphones -- they're more than just a fashion statement. Mattel, the multinational toy company, has launched an ‘autistic’ Barbie as part of its range of “inclusive” dolls. It has partnered with the...

On January 3rd, The United States of America launched Operation Absolute Resolve bombing the city of Caracas in Venezuela and capturing the sitting president Nicolas Maduro. He has been accused of Narco terrorism. He is now jailed in New York. Meanwhile, Trump has stated that he would be effectively running the country for the benefit of both U.S. and Venezuela. He also said that he would open the...