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Politics

Governance crises, public-service failures and regulatory fallout. We follow the evidence, consequences and response. The podium is not the whole story.

A smartphone displaying the UPI payment interface next to a stack of Indian rupee banknotes, symbolizing new transaction fees.

Supreme Court declines stay on UPI fee above ₹2,000

💳 India's free-UPI era is about to hit a ₹2,000 velvet rope. The Supreme Court declined to stay the 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on UPI person-to-merchant transactions above ₹2,000, effective October 15 — telling the Centre, RBI, and NPCI to respond within four weeks.

United States Senate chamber in session with empty seats and vote tally boards on the wall

Senate kills oversight report on Americans killed in West Bank, 47-51

The U.S. Senate voted 47-51 on Sept. 29 to reject a State Department reporting requirement on the killed Americans in the occupied West Bank — nine U.S. citizens since Jan. 2022, plus the treatment of ~13,000 detained Palestinian children since 2000. The "no" vote wasn&

Line of Madrid apartment buildings with documents and a gavel in the foreground.

Spain suspends vulnerable-tenant evictions until 2030 — landlords and funds scramble

Spain just made housing policy law by decree—and it's far-reaching. Real Decreto-Ley 26/2026 publishes today. Key moves: • Evictions of vulnerable tenants suspended to Dec 31, 2030 • "Vulture funds" blocked from buying homes below 70% of appraisal until 2028 • Landlords: 50% IRPF deduction,

Gavel and legal documents on a desk in a Nigerian federal courtroom, with a fuel import licence visible.

Court: NMDPRA Breached PIA by Arbitrary Fuel Import Licensing

⚖️ Nigerian court rules NMDPRA's on-again, off-again fuel import licensing behind AA Rano, Matrix Energy, and AYM Shafa amounts to "direct non-compliance" with the Petroleum Industry Act. Justice Ekwo held the regulator can't withhold licences as a discretionary favor—approval must follow

Mexican flag and Morena political party emblem beside a ballot box during the 2027 gubernatorial race

Morena's 2027 Gubernatorial Picks Ignite PT Revolt

Morena just named coordinators for 17 gubernatorial races across 7 states in one marathon day—without publishing the surveys that were supposed to legitimize them. Party president Ariadna Montiel promised those numbers since September 22. Still waiting. Junior partner PT is calling it maltreatment. Its own math: a fractured coalition

Romanian Parliament chamber during an investiture vote with lawmakers seated in a semicircular hall.

Romania rejects 2nd cabinet as president weighs dissolving Parliament

Romania just rejected a second cabinet in a row. Siegfried Mureșan's coalition pulled in 182 votes — a full 51 short of the 233 needed to form a government. Now President Nicușor Dan holds the constitutional key under Article 89: two failed proposals plus 60 days passed clears the

A peeling green product label on a plastic bottle, with regulatory fine print visible beneath the surface.

EU's greenwash crackdown makes certification mandatory

Half of all EU green claims are vague or unsubstantiated — and as of Sunday, they're also illegal. 🏷️ Directive (EU) 2024/825 just landed: generic "eco" and "climate neutral" labels now require recognized certification or public authority backing. No more offset-only claims. Fines up