How Journalists Can Protect Themselves Against a Global Surveillance Industry
Governments worldwide are deploying sophisticated spyware against journalists through methods that are growing cheaper, more powerful, and harder to detect, according to a recent report by the International Federation of Journalists (IJF). For journalists who want to understand what they are up against and what they can do about it, the report also offered a set of recommendations, based on interviews with digital security specialists.
Press Freedom Situation in India ‘Very Serious’: Reporters Without Borders
India has ranked 157th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, which rated the country’s press freedom situation as “Very Serious,” the highest level of threat in the annual index.
‘We Push Them in the Dark’: Assam CM’s Statements and Their Implications
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s appearance on ABP News on April 15 may have triggered a minor diplomatic row, with Bangladesh formally objecting to offensive remarks and summoning India’s acting High Commissioner, but his answers in the interview point to a much more troubling set of issues.
Commercial Spyware, Once a Military Tool, Is Now Routinely Deployed Against Journalists
Governments worldwide are systematically deploying commercial spyware against journalists, and the business of building and selling such tools has grown into a global industry operating with little regulation or accountability, according to a study by the International Federation of Journalists, or IFJ, a Brussels-based organisation representing journalists globally.
AI-Driven Changes at Work Taking a Psychological Toll on Workers, a New Study Finds
A global study has found that work is now in a state of constant change due to rapid technological advances, with India feeling this more acutely, as roles, tools and expectations keep changing all at once. As workers are having to adjust, the pressure shows in how they feel, with 67 percent in India saying they are anxious about becoming obsolete.
The India Thread in the Epstein Files: Everything That’s Been Documented
The documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, a U.S. financier who built a network of relationships with political leaders, business figures and public personalities, contain several references involving India, including instances of direct contact between Epstein and Indian political and business figures. Here is a clear account of what the Epstein files say about India and how to read those references.
Predators Have Used Roblox to Groom Children for Sexual Abuse
The Roblox gaming platform, widely used by children under 13 and estimated to have tens of millions of users in India, has come under increasing legal and regulatory scrutiny following documented cases in which its social features have been used by predators to groom children for sexual abuse. Children and parents in India, one of Roblox’s fastest growing markets, need to take note and act to protect themselves.
Iran War: Costs Rising in India After 4 Weeks, Impact May Grow if It Continues
Over the past four weeks, the war in West Asia has disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and increased the cost of raw materials and components used not only in fuel, but also in medicines, plastics and packaged goods in India. If the war continues for two more months, the impact is likely to become much harsher and more widespread in household expenses and access to essential services, as seen in many countries around the world during earlier conflicts.
India Holds Oil Reserves for Only 9.5 Days of Demand Amid Gulf Supply Risks
India’s strategic petroleum reserves can cover only about 9.5 days of national crude oil demand if the reserves are filled to their maximum capacity, according to a government response obtained through the Right to Information law. The disclosure places India at the lower end of energy preparedness at a time of heightened supply risks linked to the ongoing Iran war.
Your Happiness Depends on How Good Your Government Is, a Report Suggests
Finland stands first again in the World Happiness Report 2026, while Afghanistan sits at the bottom of the ranking. India is placed 116th among the 147 countries included in the report. The countries at the top and bottom of the report, based on how people rate their own lives, help explain why people in some societies report greater satisfaction with their lives than those in others.
Behind the Growing Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
A Hindu businessman was attacked by a mob in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on 31 December 2025. He was beaten with sharp weapons, doused in petrol and set on fire. This was the third such attack in a month, part of a larger pattern of violence against religious minorities since the fall of the previous government. The incident shows that the interim administration has failed to enforce the rule of law in cases involving political or communal violence. That failure has left the country’s transition in a dangerously exposed state.
Sex Ratio Among British Indians Worse Than in India
A U.K. government-commissioned study has found a skewed male-to-female birth ratio among Indian-origin families that exceeds even India’s national figures. This indicates that migrant Indian communities in Britain have retained, and in some cases reinforced, patriarchal cultural norms favouring sons over daughters.
Why Delhi’s Deadly Air Suits Big Business
As pollution levels in Delhi trigger emergency measures once again this December, the public is told the usual causes: crop burning, vehicle emissions and weather. But a far more persistent source of pollution continues throughout the year, worsens the crisis each winter, and is enabled by government policy. It comes from coal power plants operating within 300 kilometres of the city.
Bhutan’s Rising Debt Crisis Tied to India-Funded Hydropower Projects
At the 70th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Ngultrum 40-billion (roughly $450 million) line of credit for infrastructure and energy development. While the move signalled strong bilateral ties, an uncomfortable truth lies behind the public warmth. Bhutan’s dependence on Indian-funded hydropower has locked it into an escalating debt trap.
New Global Study May Transform Mental Illness Treatment by Studying Causes
A major research project in the U.K. is studying why serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder happen, so that new, safer treatments can be developed. It involves collecting detailed data from 600 people and sharing it with scientists around the world to change how these illnesses are understood, diagnosed and treated.
Nepal’s Gen Z Didn’t Topple the Government, But They Deserve Credit for It
Closer attention to what happened in Nepal suggests that the government did not fall solely because of the Gen Z protests, but because of the chain of events they triggered. It is crucial for Gen Z movements elsewhere to understand the role Nepal’s youth played in the change, so that their hopes are not misplaced and their decisions not misguided. The story also carries lessons for governments around the world.
$100,000 US Visa Fee Could Block Indian Talent. What Comes Next?
The U.S. has introduced a $100,000 fee for every H-1B visa, making it far too costly for most companies to hire Indian professionals. This puts at risk the kinds of jobs that once built careers, brought in foreign income and helped Indian firms deliver global projects. So, what we see here is that India has spent years building a workforce geared for international jobs, yet access to those jobs still depends on rules set by other countries. Could India have done more to prepare for this?
Nepal’s Gen Z Must Move from ‘Nepo Kid’ to ‘Every Kid Matters’
Nepal’s Gen Z recently led nationwide protests sparked by a ban on social media but driven by anger at corruption, nepotism and authoritarianism. The slogan “Nepo Kid” helped mobilise young people to reject inherited privilege and dynastic politics. Now that the government has been overthrown, the movement cannot remain defined only by what it opposes. It must advance a constructive agenda. One way forward is to move from “Nepo Kid” to “Every Kid Matters,” making inclusion a central demand. It is essential because the contrast between elite children and ordinary children will remain hollow unless the inequalities among ordinary children are addressed first.
Can Nepal Break Its Cycle of Revolutions?
Nepal has recently toppled its government, the fourth such event since 1950. What matters now is recognising that these recurring storms are not caused by failed politicians alone. They come from a “state” that remains unreformed, no matter who holds power. Nepal can end its cycle of revolutions only by reforming the institutions that have blocked reform, protected the powerful and outlasted every elected government.
Nepal’s Rulers Paid for Seeking a Monopoly Over ‘Illegitimate’ Violence
A government does not survive by force alone, but by the public’s acceptance that it has the right to use force in the first place. Nepal’s government seemed unaware of this basic principle. The little trust that remained, already hanging by a thread, gave way completely on September 8, when police used brutal violence against young protesters. By the time ambulances began arriving with school and college students bleeding from bullet wounds to their heads and chests, the state’s claim to legitimacy was in free fall.