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In a symbolic assertion of India’s maritime rise and military self-reliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali this year aboard the Indian Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant , off the western seaboard near Goa and Karwar.  Addressing sailors on the indigenous vessel, Modi described the experience as a deeply personal one, framing the Navy not only as a strategic arm of national defence but also as an embodiment of modern Indian resolve. Prime Minister Narendra Modi aboard INS Vikrant with Indian Navy personnel during Diwali.  Image: PM NaMo “This is my family,” Modi said, referring to the personnel onboard, “and I have come home for Diwali.” His remarks blended patriotic fervour with policy clarity, anchoring India’s naval capability to its larger strategic shift -- from regional balancing to active global maritime engagement. Witnessed an awe-inspiring Air Power Demo on INS Vikrant, showcasing precision and prowess. The take-off and landing of MiG-29 f...

In a significant global recognition of India’s growing influence in the domain of intellectual property law, Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court has been appointed Chair of the Advisory Board of Judges of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for the 2025–2027 term.  Image Source: hughes.cam.ac.uk Her appointment marks a historic milestone--not only for the Indian judiciary but also for global judicial collaboration on IP law and innovation policy. Justice Singh, a formidable force in India’s legal and academic IP ecosystem, brings to this role a deep understanding of both international legal frameworks and grassroots implementation challenges.  Her elevation as Chair comes at a critical juncture when the global IP landscape is being reshaped by emerging technologies, data sovereignty debates, AI governance, and traditional knowledge protection--areas in which Justice Singh has consistently been an intellectual leader. A graduate of the University...

The French Ministry of Culture has officially confirmed the details of the brazen daylight robbery that took place this Sunday at the Louvre Museum, calling it an act of high-level cultural vandalism.  Image Source: Pop Crave The heist — now being investigated as part of an organised criminal conspiracy — has stunned global observers, as thieves made off with some of France’s most historically significant jewels in under four minutes. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the robbery in strong terms, calling it “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our History.”  He vowed that “everything is being done, everywhere” to track down the perpetrators and recover the stolen artifacts. The museum, home to over 35,000 artworks including the Mona Lisa, was forced to shut its doors for the day after three to four masked intruders used a mechanical basket lift to gain access to the Apollo Gallery — a heavily secured wing that houses the Crown Jewels of France.  Usin...

In an audacious daylight heist that unfolded like a scene from a Hollywood thriller, masked thieves stormed the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday morning, escaping with priceless crown jewels in under seven minutes. The robbery, which has sent shockwaves across the world, took place in the heart of one of the world’s most secure cultural institutions. Image Source: New York Post French President Emmanuel Macron called the act an “attack on a heritage that we cherish,” vowing swift justice and the full might of the state in recovering the stolen artifacts.  Le vol commis au Louvre est une atteinte à un patrimoine que nous chérissons car il est notre Histoire. Nous retrouverons les œuvres et les auteurs seront traduits en justice. Tout est mis en œuvre, partout, pour y arriver, sous la conduite du parquet de Paris.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 19, 2025 “We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, ...

In a major security breach at one of the world’s most closely guarded cultural institutions, masked thieves reportedly broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris early Sunday morning, making off with nine valuable items of jewellery from the museum’s famed Apollo Gallery -- home to the remnants of France’s historic crown jewels. Value of the stolen jewels has not yet been assessed. Image Source: BPI News French Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed the robbery on social media, stating that there were “no injuries to report” and that an official investigation was now underway.  Dati said she was on site “alongside the museum teams and the police” as security forces sealed off the area. Le vol commis au Louvre est une atteinte à un patrimoine que nous chérissons car il est notre Histoire. Nous retrouverons les œuvres et les auteurs seront traduits en justice. Tout est mis en œuvre, partout, pour y arriver, sous la conduite du parquet de Paris.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) Octo...

✍️ Written by Saket Suman In Bihar’s never-ending political circus, the 2025 Assembly elections have descended into a theatre of implosion, betrayal, and tactical demolition. What was initially thought of as a contest over vision, governance, and employment has degenerated into a free-for-all -- dominated by muscle power, money, and managed failures. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Pic via the former. Let’s not sugarcoat it. The BJP has outsmarted, out-organised, and outmanoeuvred every other party in this election. But its biggest victory is not at the polling booths. It is in the boardrooms of Bihar’s collapsing political alliances -- especially the JDU. With surgical precision, BJP has allowed Nitish Kumar’s party to rot from within, offering just enough rope for it to hang itself. From baffling ticket distributions to social media optics that never translated on the ground, the JDU looks more like a party planning for defeat than one contesting for power. ...

Pakistan and the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan have agreed to a fresh immediate ceasefire, Qatar’s foreign ministry announced early Sunday, October 19, 2025. The breakthrough came during high-stakes talks in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, following over a week of deadly confrontations along the porous and disputed 1,600-mile border shared by the two nations. Image Source: Rafiullah Nizkad The agreement comes amid a surge in violence that had persisted despite previous temporary truces. According to the terms laid out in a statement from Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid, both sides have committed to halting hostilities, refraining from targeting each other’s forces, civilians, and critical infrastructure. Crucially, Kabul has pledged not to allow Afghan territory to be used as a base for groups launching attacks against Pakistan -- a longstanding point of contention between the two neighbours. Fighting had erupted on October 10, when Afghanistan accused Pakistan of ca...

Millions of Americans took to the streets across all 50 states in one of the largest protest mobilizations in recent U.S. history, under the banner of the “No Kings” movement. With over 2,700 demonstrations recorded nationwide, organizers said the turnout surpassed seven million participants--an escalation from June’s initial wave of protests that drew around five million.  Image Source: Alex Cole Saturday’s action was largely peaceful, but undeniably potent, as it unfolded against a backdrop of mounting national tension: a protracted government shutdown, sweeping immigration raids, and growing alarm over the erosion of democratic norms. The demonstrations, spread from urban centers like New York City and Chicago to small-town squares in rural America, were a defiant stand against what many view as President Donald Trump’s consolidation of unchecked executive power.  Protesters--diverse in background and motive--voiced concern over perceived threats to the country’s founding ...

✍️ Written by Saket Suman Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday addressed a press conference in New Delhi where both male and female journalists were present. This is a marked departure from the earlier controversy that erupted over the exclusion of women reporters from a similar event. Speaking at the presser, Muttaqi addressed the backlash over the earlier incident, saying the exclusion of women was not deliberate but rather a result of logistical constraints.  Women journalists at Taliban Presser. Image Via: Dr Pooja Tripathi “Regarding the press conference, it was due to the short notice. The participation list was prepared with specific journalists, and it was neither a technical issue nor any deliberate exclusion. It was not intended,” he said. The clarification came after significant condemnation from opposition leaders, press freedom bodies, and civil society.  The Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) had issued strong statem...