Policy & Government

Major US ad agencies have settled an FTC probe into alleged coordinated boycotts of media platforms carrying political content. The resolution signals the FTC's willingness to apply antitrust scrutiny to collective ad-spending decisions, raising compliance pressure across the industry.

Former MAGA allies are publicly breaking with Donald Trump in increasing numbers, signaling potential fractures in the coalition that has anchored Republican politics since 2015. Internal dissent of this scale shifts the incentive structure for GOP lawmakers, donors, and primary candidates. The 2026 midterm cycle will

The Islamabad Bar Association scheduled a general body meeting for April 21 after 400 lawyers demanded urgent hearings on sentence suspension pleas for Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha. The pair were sentenced to 17 combined years under PECA in January, and their appeals have stalled after the IHC dissolv

The RBI has removed prior-approval requirements for most NBFCs opening new branches, cutting regulatory lead time on geographic expansion. Deposit-taking NBFCs retain conditional rules based on net owned funds and credit ratings, preserving oversight where public deposits are involved.

Sebi and India's Department of Telecommunications signed an MoU to exchange real-time fraud intelligence via the Digital Intelligence Platform. The tie-up connects telecom-level signals, suspicious SIM use, bulk messaging, caller spoofing, directly to capital market surveillance, closing a gap exploited by digital securi

President Trump reiterated he takes no presidential salary, citing $1.6 million paid to Biden and $3.2 million to Obama over their respective terms. The claim omits that forgoing the $400,000 annual salary does not reduce broader taxpayer-funded presidential expenses. The assertion is likely to feature in ongoing White

Senators Klobuchar, Warren, and four colleagues are pressing a federal court to scrutinize the DOJ's proposed antitrust settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster under the Tunney Act. The move could delay settlement approval and force a more rigorous review of whether the consent decree adequately addresses the comp

The European Commission is weighing interim measures against Meta, alleging WhatsApp blocked competing AI services in potential breach of the Digital Markets Act. Interim measures could force immediate behavioral changes on Meta before a full investigation concludes. DMA violations carry fines of up to 10 percent of gl

Pune's FDA cancelled licences of 102 chemists and suspended 286 others across five districts between April 2025 and March 2026 under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Eight drug manufacturing units were also cancelled, with violations spanning prescription dispensing, pharmacist absence, and ayurvedic product adultera

A researcher denied a visa before leading an undergraduate field trip abroad managed the expedition remotely, relying on colleague support and digital tools. The account, published in Nature, exposes how a single visa refusal can disrupt months of fieldwork planning and student supervision. The case points to an unmet

The INDIA bloc is opposing the Delimitation Bill, with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge clarifying the opposition does not object to the Women's Reservation Bill itself. The conflict centers on a clause linking women's reservation to delimitation, which critics say delays implementation indefinitely. No census or deli

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.