Explainers News - Page 24
How screen addiction is harming children: India’s top doctors explain
Children are spending more time on gadgets like phones and video games, which is bad for their bodies and minds. From autism to declining IQs, research points to several side effects. Can laws to restrict screentime help?
Fake offices, Indian HR network, and more: Inside the ICE crackdown on OPT foreign student job programme
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said on Tuesday (May 12) that investigators have uncovered more than 10,000 cases of potential fraud linked to the Optional Practical Training programme. During the inspection, the officials found that many OPT beneficiaries were being ‘managed’ by employees in India, which is against the rules
PCOS becomes PMOS: How this single letter change is big for millions of women with the condition
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) — a condition that affects one in eight women — has now been renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). But what does this single letter change mean? A lot, according to experts and women who suffer from the condition
Why has India sharply increased gold and silver import duty to 15%?
India has raised gold and silver import duty from six per cent to 15 per cent amid concerns over rising imports, pressure on forex reserves, a weakening rupee, and widening trade deficit. The move comes as the government seeks to reduce dollar outflows and curb non-essential imports during global volatility
Prateek Yadav death: Who was Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son, who died at 38?
Prateek Yadav, the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, passed away today (May 13) in Lucknow. The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained. However, he was suffering from lung-related issues for a long time and was undergoing treatment for a blood clot in his lungs, reports suggest
From Nashik to Dehradun and beyond, the multi-state network behind Neet paper leak
On Tuesday (May 12), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took custody of a 30-year-old Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student from Maharashtra’s Nashik in connection with the leak of the Neet paper. The arrested man has been identified as Shubham Khairnar. Police have made multiple arrests across India — from Nashik to Dehradun to Rajgir —with investigators uncovering a well-organised multi-state network behind the leak
Hantavirus has no cure. What do we know about potential vaccines?
At least three people have died after an outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, and another eight have been infected. Now, with the last passengers deboarding the cruise ship and at least three new cases linked to the outbreak, many are wondering when a possible hantavirus vaccine will be ready
Is India’s first made-in-India C-295 aircraft finally ready for rollout?
India’s first domestically assembled Airbus C-295 transport aircraft appears close to rollout from the Tata-Airbus facility in Vadodara. The project marks a major milestone for India’s defence manufacturing ambitions, military aviation modernisation, and the 'Make in India' initiative, with the aircraft set to replace ageing IAF transport fleets
Who is Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel, Vijay’s astrologer, now part of Tamil Nadu govt?
Rickey Radhan Pandit Vetrivel, Vijay’s astrologer, has been officially appointed the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD). Vetrivel has long been associated with astrology and numerology when it comes to the rich and powerful in Tamil Nadu. He reportedly predicted the actor-turned politician’s win
Trump wants to make Venezuela the 51st US state. Is it legally and politically feasible?
US President Donald Trump is said to be seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st US state. The development comes months after the Trump administration deposed long-time Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump has previously threatened to annex Canada, Greenland, Panama and Cuba. But can it be done?
How PM Modi’s austerity call echoes a global economic mood amid West Asia tensions
Grappling with the West Asia crisis, PM Narendra Modi has urged Indians to adopt austerity measures such as work from home, avoid buying gold and travelling abroad. This appeal reflects a worldwide pattern. At least 40 countries have implemented emergency energy conservation measures such as fuel rationing and air-conditioning limits
Trump-Xi summit: Will the two superpowers see eye to eye on tariffs, Iran, Taiwan, and AI?
US President Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to cover the Iran war, tariffs, Taiwan, AI competition, rare earth exports and trade ties. The high-stakes meeting comes amid worsening rivalry between Washington and Beijing
Neet exam cancelled: How ‘guess paper’ trail led NTA to order re-examination
It all began after the undergraduate medical entrance exam was conducted on May 3. Complaints emerged from Rajasthan and Bihar that a ‘guess paper’ had been doing the rounds on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram and student groups before the test. The Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group then launched a probe into the ‘guess paper’, which uncovered links to Rajasthan and Kerala
Why Nvidia’s Jensen Huang didn’t make it to Trump’s list of CEOs for China visit
All eyes are on Beijing as Donald Trump is set to meet Xi Jinping during his state visit, starting tomorrow (May 13). The US president has invited 16 high-profile business leaders, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook. However, Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, has been left off the invite list
Who could replace UK’s Keir Starmer as calls for resignations grow?
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting calls to resign after Labour’s crushing local election losses exposed internal unrest. With MPs, Cabinet figures and party aides questioning his leadership, attention has shifted to possible successors, including Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, ex-Deputy PM Angela Rayner, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting
Who is Eileen Wang, mayor of California’s Arcadia, accused of being a Chinese agent?
Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. She tepped down after the case became public on Monday (May 11) and has been accused of acting on behalf of Chinese officials, including sharing articles favourable to Beijing, without informing the US government beforehand, as required by law
What happens if Indians give up buying gold for 1 year, as PM Modi advised?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to avoid buying gold for the next year, citing the West Asia crisis. If Indians heeded the PM’s advice, it would help reduce the country’s import bill by millions and bring down the current account deficit. However, jewellers note that such a move in the long term would hurt the employment of millions of people in the sector
Is it mandatory for offices to implement PM Modi’s work-from-home appeal?
Amid the West Asia crisis, PM Narendra Modi has been making fervent appeals to adopt work from home to reduce fuel consumption. While several companies have expressed willingness to switch to remote or hybrid work, the PM’s request isn’t enforceable, note experts. That’s because the country doesn’t have a dedicated work-from-home law
Tracking hantavirus: Where did the virus originate? Where has it spread so far?
Argentina remains in the spotlight over hantavirus as authorities retrace the footsteps of the ship’s passengers. According to some reports, the Dutch couple, who died from the infection, had travelled to a landfill site in Ushuaia, a popular tourist spot in southern Argentina’s Patagonia region. Since then, cases have been reported in various countries across the globe
Fact-check: Is hantavirus a side effect of Covid-19 vaccine?
Social media claims linking Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to hantavirus infection are misleading. A fact-check shows that the condition was only listed as a potential adverse event for monitoring and not a confirmed side effect
Iran formalises Hormuz toll: How will it work? Will India have to pay?
Iran has established a new agency known as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to collect the tolls from ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping journal Lloyd’s List has said that the agency will also approve transits for ships before they enter the Strait. But what do we know? Will India have to pay
Are long hours at office making you obese?
A new study has found that people who work longer hours are more likely to be obese. As per research by Australian scientists, countries where employees worked fewer hours usually had fewer highly overweight workers
Can Keir Starmer be ousted as UK PM by the Labour Party? The possibilities explained
After a drubbing in the local polls, there is growing buzz that UK PM Keir Starmer should go. The Labour Party could force him out. Here are the seven possible ways
Meet Anil Kochhar, the Indian-origin philanthropist paying off more than 175 student loans in US
Students of North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles received a huge surprise when the commencement speaker, Indian-American Anil Kochhar, announced that he would be paying off the loans of more than 175 graduates. This act of generosity, amounting between $4 and $8 million, was a tribute to Kochhar’s late father, Prakash Chand, an alumnus of the university
Why US proposal of 30% wage hike for H-1B workers spells bad news for Indians
The US Department of Labour is currently seeking public comments on its proposal to increase the minimum wages paid to H-1B visa workers by 30 per cent. While the foreign workers will be paid more, the hiked salary could discourage American companies from hiring overseas talent
How Pakistan army chief Asim Munir’s big lies on Operation Sindoor are exposed
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir is fond of making tall claims. At an event, he said that India approached the US for mediation amid Operation Sindoor. However, lobbying disclosures reveal another story. It was Islamabad that mounted an intense diplomatic outreach, logging 60 interactions with US officials between May 6 and May 9
Why WFH, carpooling, public transport use are needed if India wants to absorb oil shocks
Since the outbreak of the Iran war, India has cut fuel taxes and absorbed global price shocks to shield consumers. Now, PM Narendra Modi has urged remote work, carpooling, and the use of public transport. Experts say this can help ease pressure on crude oil demand
How a UPI payment helped police nab killers of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide
Three people have been nabbed in the murder of Chandranath Rath, the personal assistant of new West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari. Police tracked the UPI payment made by the assailants at a toll booth in Bally near Kolkata, leading to the arrest. Officials said efforts are ongoing to trace others involved in the killing
Will work from home make a comeback in India after PM Modi’s appeal?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 10) called on citizens to conserve fuel, emphasising the need to return to Covid-era steps such as remote work and online meetings amid a global energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran. Several countries, including Pakistan and Thailand, have already adopted work-from-home policies to ease pressure on energy demand
Quarantine, testing and more… What awaits passengers after evacuating hantavirus-linked cruise ship
The MV Hondius, which is at the centre of the hantavirus outbreak, docked at Spain’s Tenerife on Sunday following which 94 passengers and crew members were evacuated. Those who disembarked from the Dutch cruise will now undergo quarantine and testing, following which they will be allowed to return home. The period of self-isolation has been set at 45 days, as the incubation period for the infection takes time