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BRICS 2026: Putin’s pragmatic pitch in Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday determined to show that neither Moscow nor the BRICS grouping is in the business of isolation. Hours after landing for the three-day 18th BRICS summit, he sat down with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and told business leaders that the club of emerging economies “is not against anyone.” It is simply in favour of its own interests—and open to working with the whole world. The message was carefully calibrated. Russia remains under more than 30,000 Western sanctions. Its president has not attended a BRICS summit outside his own country since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the Indian capital he sought both to deepen a vital partnership and to present the expanded bloc as a constructive force rather than…
Hormuz reignited
After weeks of uneasy quiet, American missiles again lit up Iran’s southern coast on September 1. The targets were Revolutionary Guard air defences, radars, mine-laying craft and communications nodes clustered near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington framed the action as retaliation for Iranian attempts to seed the waterway with mines and harass shipping and American forces. Tehran answered with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at bases in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq. Civilian deaths, including at a wedding celebration, followed. The exchange marked the sharpest flare-up since late July in a conflict that has already lasted more than six months. U.S. Central Command stated the facts with characteristic precision: “Today at 12 p.m. ET, U.S. forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran. The strikes follow recent…
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The politics of a plume
US Vice President J D Vance has written to the Environmental Protection Agency’s acting inspector general Nicole N Murley, demanding…
From selfies to slang: India’s politicians rediscover the young
After a month of student unrest forced an education minister from office, the country’s leaders have taken to Instagram with…
Editor's Choice
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America’s quarter-millennium: fireworks over the fragility
The rockets’ red glare lit up Washington on July 4th 2026 with unusual ambition. Organisers promised—and duly delivered—what they called…
Iran’s Defiant Farewell
In the sweltering heat of a Tehran summer, hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners gathered this week at the Grand…
A Decade of Instability: How Brexit Fractured British Politics
Ten years after Britain voted to leave the European Union on 23 June 2016, the country finds itself marking the…
Government Decisions & Policy
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FCRA 2026: Strengthening Accountability or Redefining the Space for Civil Society?
Foreign funding for civil society organisations has always occupied a sensitive space in India. Such contributions support work in education, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, social development…
A Temple Tarnished: How a Scandal at Ayodhya Threatens the BJP’s Hold on Uttar Pradesh
In the sacred town of Ayodhya, where a grand temple to Lord Ram was inaugurated in January 2024 amid fervent celebration, an uncomfortable drama is…
Southern drawl in the courtroom
A federal court in Alabama delivered an unexpected rebuff to Republican mapmakers on Tuesday, blocking a congressional redistricting plan that would have pared back Black…
India’s Sacred Cows and Shifting Sensitivities
As Eid-ul-Azha approaches, a festival centred on sacrifice and submission to God, Muslim leaders in several Indian states have issued an unusual plea: forgo the…
India & Neighbourhood
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FCRA 2026: Strengthening Accountability or Redefining the Space for Civil Society?
Foreign funding for civil society organisations has always occupied a sensitive space in India. Such contributions support work in education, healthcare, humanitarian assistance, social development…
Political Theatre
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Travel & Tourism
View AllIndian authorities warn travellers of harsh new drug penalties in Maldives, including possible death sentence
India's Narcotics Control Bureau has issued a strong advisory cautioning citizens travelling to the Maldives that even small quantities of…
A bumpy ride ahead
As summer 2026 looms, the travel industry is confronting an uncomfortable truth. Jet-fuel prices in America averaged $8.63 a gallon…
Trends
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Hormuz reignited
After weeks of uneasy quiet, American missiles again lit up Iran’s southern coast on September 1. The targets were Revolutionary Guard air defences, radars, mine-laying…
States & Cities
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The politics of a plume
US Vice President J D Vance has written to the Environmental Protection Agency’s acting inspector general Nicole N Murley, demanding…
BJP will fight municipal polls from booth level, says Nitin Nabin in Hyderabad
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday called on party workers in Telangana to strengthen the organisation…
Saints of the flame: Rajasthan ascetics ready to renounce earthly life for a sacred grove
In the blistering heat of Rajasthan’s Dudu district, a group of Hindu seers have chosen fire and fasting over comfort.…
From Workshop to Encrypted Chat: How Four Ordinary Men Allegedly Built a Toy Car Bomb Plot Targeting India’s Heart
In the dim glow of a private automobile workshop on the outskirts of Thane, just north of Mumbai, Mosaib Ahmad…
Life & Culture
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Economy & Markets
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The Quiet Battle for the Heart of India’s Greatest Business Empire
In the polished corridors of Mumbai’s legal and philanthropic world, a discreet but intense struggle is unfolding over one of India’s most storied institutions. On…
