EVERYDAY EXPLAINERS NEWS

The risk is not AI. It is our overreliance on imperfect technologySubscriber Only

July 1, 2025 11:11 IST

For India, and for the world, the challenge is to harness the real strengths of AI while remaining clear-eyed about its weaknesses. The true danger is not that machines will outthink us, but that we will stop thinking for ourselves

The GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri

‘Bunker-buster’ MOP and B-2: Why US bomb, stealth bomber were Israel’s best chance at destroying Iran’s Fordo nuclear facilitySubscriber Only

July 14, 2025 15:53 IST

America has entered Israel’s war with Iran, attacking a major underground nuclear facility that Israel does not have the capability to penetrate. Here’s what happened, and the bomb that was used

A cheetah on the lookout, with her cubs.

What is the International Big Cat Alliance, launched by India?Subscriber Only

June 17, 2025 18:36 IST

The Indian government established the IBCA through the National Tiger Conservation Authority in 2024, with the mandate to protect seven big cats – the Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.

Ahmedabad plane crash: Why retrieving black boxes matters in aviation accidentsSubscriber Only

June 14, 2025 15:34 IST

Ahmedabad plane crash: Among other things, black boxes will aid understanding of what happened between the takeoff and the crash in the next few days.

Firefighters respond to a car burning during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Trump vs California governor: What triggered protests against immigration authorities?Subscriber Only

June 8, 2025 20:59 IST

Confrontations broke out in the city of Paramount, which has a significant Latino population, over the weekend. US President Donald Trump has now called in the National Guard.

Extradition is the formal process of one country surrendering an individual to another country for prosecution or punishment for crimes committed in the requesting country’s jurisdiction

This Word Means: ExtraditionSubscriber Only

April 10, 2025 23:05 IST

Every day, 500 words on a word (or expression) that has appeared in The Indian Express

Cadet College Hasanabdal: Pak military school where David Headley first met Tahawwur RanaSubscriber Only

April 11, 2025 14:09 IST

The two conspirators of the 26/11 terror attacks met at the elite military prep school in Pakistan, whose alumni have gone on to serve at the highest echelons of the Pakistani military

Why mathematician Masaki Kashiwara was awarded this year’s Abel PrizeSubscriber Only

March 27, 2025 12:12 IST

Named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, the prize is considered to be equivalent to a Nobel Prize in the field of mathematics.

Mercury soaring in parts of country: How a ‘heatwave’ is defined and measured, what makes it worseSubscriber Only

March 17, 2025 12:32 IST

IMD Heatwave Alerts India: If temperatures in your area are high, that does not automatically mean your region is experiencing a heatwave. How does the IMD define a heatwave? Why does it issue specific warnings for different places?

Pakistani religious scholar shot dead: Recalling his involvement in Kulbhushan Jadhav caseSubscriber Only

March 9, 2025 19:20 IST

Mufti Shah Mir was reportedly involved in the kidnapping of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been lodged in a Pakistan jail since 2016 over allegations of spying and terrorism.

Women's Day: Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg attending the German Social Democratic Party congress in 1910; right: Zetkin in 1897. (Wikimedia Commons)

The woman behind ‘Women’s Day’: Story of socialist leader Clara ZetkinSubscriber Only

March 9, 2025 21:10 IST

Clara Zetkin was a German leader who engaged with the question of women within the socialist movement. Here is how her activism led to International Women’s Day.

A woman holds a sign during the debate on Senate Bill 836 (SB836), sponsored by Tennessee State Republican Senator Bo Watson in the senate education committee, which if passed into Tennessee state law would allow a Local Education Agency (LEA) or public charter school to enroll, or refuse to enroll, an undocumented student present in the United States, at Cordell Hull State Office building in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., March 5, 2025.

Why Trump may be planning to shut down the US Dept of EducationSubscriber Only

March 7, 2025 20:03 IST

Why does Trump want to shut down the department? What exactly does the US DoE do? Is Trump empowered to order its closure? Here's what to know.

Cyclone Alfred in Australia: What makes it rare and potentially more dangerousSubscriber Only

March 9, 2025 15:02 IST

Cyclone Alfred is unusual for two reasons — it has formed way too south, and is moving slowly. Both these factors make it more dangerous. We explain why.

US President Donald Trump delivering his Joint Address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., in 2017.

Why Donald Trump will deliver a ‘Joint Address to Congress’, not a ‘State of the Union’ speechSubscriber Only

March 4, 2025 19:39 IST

The US President delivers an annual ‘State of the Union’ address to Congress. Why has this speech been termed differently? We explain.

A Miyawaki forest in Kotturpuram, Chennai.

Miyawaki method at Mahakumbh 2025: How the afforestation technique worksSubscriber Only

March 4, 2025 13:34 IST

With the stated aim of curbing pollution, the Uttar Pradesh government employed the Miyawaki method in Prayagraj. Why has it become popular in many parts of the world, and received criticism from some conservationists?

Mamata alleges voter fraud: Can two electors have identical EPIC numbers?Subscriber Only

March 4, 2025 08:17 IST

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission to influence the upcoming Assembly election in West Bengal using fake voters

Saint Kitts and Nevis, one of the many countries in the Caribbean that offer golden visas.

With Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ announcement, a look at why countries offer ‘golden visas’Subscriber Only

February 28, 2025 18:59 IST

The idea of a system for charging high-net-worth individuals for an expedited path to residency in a country is not unique, and has also been subjected to criticism.

Measles death in US after 10 years: Who are the Mennonites, affected by the outbreakSubscriber Only

February 28, 2025 12:42 IST

The measles outbreak was originally concentrated in a rural Mennonite community in Gaines County, where many children are not vaccinated. Who are the Mennonites?

Over 100 US intelligence staff fired over ‘sexual chats on official platform’: The case, how it came to lightSubscriber Only

February 28, 2025 14:21 IST

The fired employees allegedly discussed gender reassignment surgeries and gender neutral pronouns. How were the chats discovered? How is this case linked to the DEI programme that Trump has been targetting?

Indian soldiers patrol under a UN Peacekeeping mission in Congo, Africa.

Jaishankar reiterates Indian commitments to UN Peacekeeping: What this meansSubscriber Only

February 26, 2025 17:21 IST

Since the 1950s, India has contributed over 290,000 peacekeepers across more than 50 UN Peacekeeping missions. Here is what to know about them and why India has remained one of the biggest contributors of troops over the years.

Four Indian firms among those sanctioned by the US: Why, and what are sanctions?Subscriber Only

February 25, 2025 15:37 IST

What are sanctions, and why has the US issued fresh sanctions against Iran? What have the Indian companies on the list been accused of?

Elon Musk holds a chainsaw onstage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., February 20, 2025. He said, “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy.”

‘Reply or resign’: Why Musk’s email to US govt employees has irked many, including Trump-appointed FBI chiefSubscriber Only

February 24, 2025 08:08 IST

The email is part of Musk’s larger stated aim to make government more efficient. But there has been pushback, including from the FBI, headed by Donald Trump’s appointee Kash Patel.

Artistes perform the jhumur dance during rehearsals for the upcoming Jhumoir Binandini programme, at Sarusajai Indoor Stadium, Guwahati, Assam.

PM Modi to attend ‘biggest ever’ jhumur event in Guwahati today: All about the tribal danceSubscriber Only

February 24, 2025 13:39 IST

Jhumur is the dance of Assam’s traditional ‘tea-tribes’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness some 8,600 dancers perform at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.

Bengaluru commuters protest hike in Namma Metro fares: How was the decision made?Subscriber Only

February 21, 2025 15:34 IST

While Karnataka BJP politicians have blamed the Congress State government for the fare hike, Congress has shifted blame to the Centre. How exactly was the hike determined?

Senior writer Padma Shri Madhu Mangesh Karnik receives award free m CM Devendra Fadnavis, DCMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar during the inauguration of Vishwa Marathi Sahitya Sammelan 2025 at Ferguson College.

Security downgraded for Maharashtra MLAs: who decides the level of security, and how?Subscriber Only

February 18, 2025 15:54 IST

Based on the seriousness and immediacy of the perceived threat, protected individuals are assigned security in the X (likely threat), Y (continuous threat), Y-plus (grave threat) or Z (impending threat) categories. But it is alleged that political motivations often drive this decision.

Will go after other targets if no peace, says Trump as US strikes 3 nuclear sites in Iran

WorldJune 25, 2025

President Donald Trump said that the United States military had struck three nuclear-related facilities in Iran, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict and a direct American role in efforts to dismantle Tehran’s infrastructure. The strikes represent the most significant direct US military action against Iranian territory in years and come amid rising regional tensions.

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