Context: California has not carried out an execution since 2006, and its governors have kept executions on hold for years. Governors in US states can commute sentences, which is a separate power from courts deciding guilt.

Context: Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air, and the MMR vaccine, given in two doses, is the main protection. The US had declared it eliminated in 2000, so new outbreaks have stirred concern about falling vaccination rates.

Context: Anthropic is a US AI company behind the Claude chatbot, competing with firms such as OpenAI and Google to build stronger models. Using current AI to help design the next generation is part of a fast-moving race that is also raising debate.

This ties to the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, which offers a route to citizenship for such communities fleeing religious persecution in three neighbouring countries. The new visa rule shapes how people in this group can stay legally in India.

MPSC, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, runs recruitment exams for state government jobs, and Group C covers many clerical and junior posts. Age limits decide who can apply, so a change like this matters to young job seekers across the state.

Pongal is Tamil Nadu's harvest festival in January, when families often receive gifts such as dhotis and sarees through government schemes. Cooperative societies are village-level groups of weavers and sellers that supply these goods to the state.

MRP is the maximum retail price printed on a product, so a cut there does not automatically lower what a patient pays at a pharmacy. Cancer drugs are often expensive, and India's medicine prices are overseen by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority.

The Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022, and Oleshky is a city in Kherson region in southern Ukraine, where the truce was limited to six days. The White House meeting suggests the US is looking to turn that short pause into a longer-lasting deal.

Context: The NDA is a coalition of parties that governs Bihar together, and JD(U) is one of its main members. Council polls let parties test their strength and build influence in the legislature, so disputes after them can affect the wider alliance.

Context: The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the national body that sets standards for universities in India. Its equity rules aim to protect students from caste-based discrimination on campus, and they have drawn debate.

Arunachala is a sacred hill in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, and the lamp lighting of Karthigai Deepam draws large crowds of pilgrims each year. Heavy rain during the northeast monsoon often makes the steep climb risky, which is why such weather-based restrictions are sometimes imposed.

The FDA enforces food safety law across the state, and festive months bring a surge in sweets, dairy and packaged food that regulators often check. Such drives sit under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which sets national rules against adulteration.

Context: Israel's president has a largely ceremonial role, but he chooses which lawmaker gets the first chance to build a coalition after an election. Israel's parliament, the Knesset, has many parties, so coalitions usually need several partners.

Context: Manual scavenging, or cleaning sewers and septic tanks by hand, was banned under a 2013 law, yet workers still die after entering sewers without proper safety gear.

Context: Nigeria's presidential election is due in 2027, and Tinubu is seeking to stay in power. When courts rule on who leads a party, they can decide who is allowed on the ballot, which shapes the whole race.

Context: Closed airspace over the Middle East forces airlines onto longer detours, which adds fuel cost and travel time. Air India's long routes to North America often pass over this region, so reopening it changes fares and journey times.

Chengalpattu sits south of Chennai, on the main route toward Mahabalipuram and the coast. Long township projects like this usually take years of approvals and funding before the first buildings are finished.

Context: The mayor leads Los Angeles's city government, and Karen Bass has held the role since 2022. Raman is a Los Angeles City Council member, and democratic socialist is a left-leaning political label within the Democratic Party.

Context: US midterm elections choose members of the House of Representatives and many state seats, and candidates of Indian origin have become more visible in American politics.

Context: The Dow and S&P 500 are the main US stock indexes, and the Nasdaq is heavy in technology firms. Nvidia and AMD make the chips that power AI data centres, so the stock market now closely tracks AI spending plans.

Context: Gaza is a small coastal strip on the Mediterranean where the war that began in October 2023 has caused heavy loss of life. International law sets rules on war conduct, and accountability means checking whether those rules were followed.

An ETF is a fund that holds a basket of shares and trades like a single stock, and the S&P 500 tracks 500 large US companies. Broad index funds like this one are often recommended to everyday investors who prefer a simple, low-effort approach.

SanDisk makes flash memory used in phones, computers and data centres, so its share price tends to move with demand for those chips. Memory stocks often rise and fall together in sharp cycles, which is why one company's drop can spill across the sector.

Context: Jeffrey Epstein was a New York financier convicted of sex-related charges in 2008 and died in jail in 2019. JPMorgan paid a settlement in 2023 over its handling of his accounts, so the bank's past links are already a public issue.