State Massacre of Protesters is Underway in Iran Amid Internet Blackout

Center for Human Rights in Iran January 9, 2026—The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) expresses grave and urgent concern for the protesters in Iran, who are under deadly fire from Islamic Republic security forces amid a nationwide internet blackout. CHRI has received credible first-hand reports of hospitals packed with injured protesters in areas… Read More State Massacre of Protesters is Underway in Iran Amid Internet Blackout

Trump’s territorial ambition: new imperialism or a case of the emperor’s new clothes?

Julian Borger The attack on Venezuela and the seizure of its president was a shocking enough start to 2026, but it was only the next day, when the smoke had dispersed and Donald Trump was flying from Florida to Washington DC in triumph, that it became clear the world had entered a new era. The US president… Read More Trump’s territorial ambition: new imperialism or a case of the emperor’s new clothes?

Seeing Cuttack

Abinash Dash Choudhury Cuttack first came to me as a palimpsest of stories in which the personal, the historical, and the mythological mingled without clear distinction. From my father, I learnt that it was the city where my paternal grandfather spent his final days in penury, shuttling between his workplace in the Old Secretariat and… Read More Seeing Cuttack

Iran’s supreme leader sets stage for harsher crackdown as protest movement swells

Iran’s supreme leader has vowed that authorities will not back down in the face of a rapidly growing protest movement, setting the stage for an intensified violent crackdown as demonstrations and a nationwide internet shutdown continued on Friday. Protests have raged in cities and towns across the country in recent days, posing a threat to… Read More Iran’s supreme leader sets stage for harsher crackdown as protest movement swells

Muted on Venezuela, patronised by Trump, dependent on lobbyists: Modi’s global image takes a hit

The image Narendra Modi sought as a world leader who is principled and autonomous has been broken. Indian diplomats rely on lobbying firm not once, but routinely for access. Records show a pattern of dependency on the lobbying firm even for routine telephone calls and meetings — paying upfront for access — rather than through… Read More Muted on Venezuela, patronised by Trump, dependent on lobbyists: Modi’s global image takes a hit

Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’

The president has vowed to kill off ‘woke’ in his second term in office, and the venerable cultural institution a few blocks from the White House is in his sights By Charlotte Higgins On 30 May last year, Kim Sajet was working in her office in the grandly porticoed National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. The gallery… Read More Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian: ‘The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US’