Afghan women are increasingly turning to entrepreneurship

The Taliban’s draconian restrictions over the past five years have led to Afghan women facing an unprecedented rollback of rights and freedoms. As universities and many formal workplaces become inaccessible, growing numbers of women are turning to small-scale entrepreneurship as one of the few remaining avenues to earn a livelihood and retain a measure of … Read more

Kerala tables State budget, Operation Tiger, U.S and Iran sign peace agreement and more: The week in 5 charts

(1) Ammonia leaks from factory, kills at least eight Ammonia gas leaked from a seafood processing plant in Tiruvallur district on Sunday last week (June 21, 2026), killing at least eight people and over 60 being admitted for treatment. According to a bulletin, 77 individuals were affected by the leak. Routine industrial operations exposed workers … Read more

Kerala Budget 2026: Despite white paper warning, no plan to cut committed expenditure

After releasing the “Kerala’s Fiscal Health — A Status Report” (white paper), which raised serious concerns over the State’s rising debt burden while strongly criticising the previous Left government for alleged fiscal mismanagement, the new United Democratic Front (UDF) government on Thursday presented its maiden budget. The budget estimates the debt-to-GSDP ratio to come down … Read more

How lopsided was the SpaceX IPO that raised $85.7 billion?

Technopreneur Elon Musk’s affinity for superlatives is well-known, particularly when it comes to selling his business ideas. It was therefore not a coincidence that his company SpaceX’s stock market debut on June 12, 2026 was laden with superlatives. Mr. Musk, who already holds the record for being the planet’s richest person, became the first trillionaire … Read more

India’s childbirth divide is about more than public vs. private: what lies behind the NFHS 6 numbers

According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2024, 95.4% of all live births in India now take place in a medical institution, whereas in 2019, the figure was 82.8%. The National Health Mission, Janani Suraksha Yojana, and other public health programmes and incentives have evidently delivered results. In India, deliveries take place in … Read more