Policy & Government

Prominent conservative Catholics have told the BBC they support Pope Francis over President Trump in their ongoing public dispute. The fracture matters because conservative Catholics form a key pillar of Trump's electoral base, particularly in competitive suburban and swing-state districts.

Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya publicly dismissed independent analysts' inflation data as wrong at an April 10 press briefing. The remarks raise concerns about analytical independence and data credibility in Southeast Asia's largest economy. No methodological counter-evidence was offered, leaving the d

The EU has developed an age verification app to restrict children's access to social media, advancing enforcement of digital safety rules across the bloc. The tool shifts compliance from self-reported age declarations to active technical gatekeeping, raising integration and data obligations for platforms. Adoption pace

MeitY is proposing to allow users and intermediaries to present arguments at Inter-Departmental Committee content-blocking hearings. The move follows draft IT Rules amendments that extend blocking authority over individual user posts on news and current affairs, expanding MIB's remit. A former MeitY official has raised

Senators Warren and Blumenthal launched a formal investigation into the NLRB after the agency dropped retaliation charges against SpaceX in February. The probe focuses on whether the dismissal of charges tied to alleged retaliatory firings reflected legal merit or outside influence. No findings have been released yet.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a petition challenging ECI's transfer of 63 IPS officers and 16 senior West Bengal officials, including the DGP and Chief Secretary, citing time constraints before the election. The refusal leaves the sweeping reshuffle intact and sets a precedent on judicial timing thresholds for pre

MediaNama will host a hybrid policy forum in Delhi on April 23, 2026, examining MeitY's proposed IT Rules amendments and their effect on platform safe harbour, content takedowns, and government oversight of online news. The sessions cover Rule 3(4) intermediary liability, the MHA's Sahyog takedown portal, and MIB's bid

EU Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis warned that Pakistan's GSP+ preferential trade access is not guaranteed and requires progress on blasphemy laws, enforced disappearances, minority rights, and PECA. The EU is Pakistan's largest export market, making tariff preferences directly critical to export revenues. The statement

SEBI will permit companies to adjust IPO fresh issue sizes by up to 50% without refiling a draft offer document, up from the current 20% threshold. The change reduces compliance friction for issuers needing to resize fundraises in volatile markets. A formal circular is expected to codify the revised limit.

Indian investigators have uncovered a counterfeit Keytruda network where hospital insiders refill used vials with non-therapeutic substances and sell them to cancer patients at below-market prices. At least one family received vials containing antifungal medication instead of the immunotherapy, priced at over ₹1.5 lakh

Sebi is permitting IPO issuers to adjust offer size by up to 50 percent without refiling, backed by a six-month exemption window. The relief reduces re-entry cost and timeline for companies stalled by market volatility, but requires lead managers to certify regulatory compliance and bars any change to the issue's main

President Trump has said he will fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell if Powell stays on beyond his mid-May term expiration. The threat directly challenges the Federal Reserve's institutional independence, a pillar assumption for Treasury, dollar, and global credit markets. Mid-May now marks a hard deadline for White House act

India's Centre is weighing amendments to base parliamentary delimitation on 2011 Census data, bypassing the need for a new Census to activate the Women's Reservation Act. The change would expand Parliament from 543 to 816 seats, reserving 273 for women. Formal Cabinet clearance and opposition response are the immediate

Senator Elizabeth Warren has publicly voiced concern over Nvidia's acquisition of Slurm, introducing congressional scrutiny to the deal. The objection raises deal risk for Nvidia at a time when antitrust attention on large technology transactions is already elevated.

Trump threatened to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell if he does not leave office voluntarily, intensifying a public confrontation over monetary policy. The standoff puts central bank independence at direct risk, a factor with significant implications for Treasury markets and the dollar. Powell has not signaled any intentio

Pakistan's State Bank has formally granted licensed virtual asset service providers access to banking accounts within the regulated financial system. The decision integrates compliant crypto businesses into formal finance, reducing reliance on informal channels while keeping unlicensed operators excluded. Implementatio

India's upcoming delimitation exercise forces a direct conflict between population-based democratic representation and federal equity among states. Southern states risk losing Lok Sabha seats despite stronger demographic and governance records, penalizing compliance with national family planning goals. The policy desig

TVK chief Vijay has called the Centre's Constitution Amendment Bill on delimitation biased and demanded its withdrawal via social media. The move taps into longstanding southern state concerns that redrawing constituency boundaries punishes states with lower population growth. The political pressure campaign's effectiv

The RBI is consulting commercial banks on measures to attract more stable deposits as household savings migrate to equities and mutual funds. Deposit growth lagging loan expansion has elevated credit-deposit ratios and increased funding costs across the banking system. The consultation's outcome could reshape deposit p

Continued failure of South Africa's provincial governments is compounding electoral pressure on traditional parties including the ANC and DA. As provinces falter on service delivery, voters are shifting toward protest formations rather than returning to established political brands. The 2026 local government elections