3 Things

First, we speak to The Indian Express’ Aditi Raja about Gujarat’s decision to allot valuable public land to former cricketer and MP Yusuf Pathan, why part of the plot is being offered as a gift, and the questions this raises about government discretion and public purpose.Next, we speak to The Indian Express’ Udit Misra about the economic pressures driving protests in France, including rising living costs, unemployment and strained public services, and the lessons the crisis may hold for India. (14:20)And in the end, we look at the Legislative Council elections across Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, where the BJP-led alliance made significant gains while the Congress failed to register a victory. (28:45)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

First, we speak with The Indian Express' Himanshu Harsh who led an investigation into the Bihar drug crisis for the newspaper. He talks about the current situation in the state, its relation to the prohibition of alcohol and the government's response.  Next, we speak with The Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha about the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage created in 2022 to help developing countries deal with disasters. He shares how the fund works, Nepal's emergency request for financial assistance post the recent flash floods, and why it took so long to establish this fund. (18:08)Lastly, we talk about an incident from Kolkata, where three people were forced to strip at gunpoint, and paraded naked. (30:23)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced by Shashank Bhargava, Ichha Sharma, and Niharika NandaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

In this special episode of 3 Things, The Indian Express Group’s Executive Director Anant Goenka speaks with foreign-policy expert C. Raja Mohan and political theorist Pratap Bhanu Mehta about the Iran war, US-China competition, political upheaval across South Asia and the forces reshaping the global order and India’s place within it.Produced by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh PawarWatch the episode here:https://youtu.be/00hFaC00Dj0?si=rTgU89ij8ybZAxoC