Saudis’ play for T20 supremacy

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

The world according to Trump: Hamara kya hoga?

This is the last of a three-part series that lays plain the ideology behind Donald Trump’s seeming madness. In part one of this series, we looked at why he is tearing apart America’s closest friendships—and the global order. In part two, we explained the logic of Trumpworld—a playground for the three big bullies who treat other nations as collateral. Today, in part three, we look at the role assigned to India in this Darwinian playground. Nope, we ain’t a big boy, so where does that leave us?

Saudis’ play for T20 supremacy

The context: T20 has dominated global cricket ever since it was introduced in the early 2000s—and the IPL has long been the emperor of its realm. It has been so successful, we now have IPL knockoffs around the world—including the UAE, West Indies, the United States and South Africa. By happy coincidence (not), most of the clubs in these leagues are also controlled by IPL franchise owners.

Point to remember: Indian players on national teams are banned from playing in any of these chota leagues. So the BCCI couldn’t care less about the crowded and chaotic cricket calendar—where franchise cricket clashes with international series and tournaments.

What happened now: Saudi Arabia has thrown its hat into the T20 ring—which ought to set off alarm bells for Jay Shah. The new league will be funded by its fabulous $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund—which will invest $500 million to get it off the ground.

A grand slam format: It is a twist on the tennis’ grand slam model: eight city-based teams compete in four week-long tournaments, followed by a grand finale at the end of the year. And like the grand slam, this “traveling league” will be hosted in different cities across the world:

The teams would be new franchises, based in cricket-playing nations– including one in Australia – and new markets, and there would be men’s and women’s competitions. The final could be staged in Saudi Arabia.

Yup, that’s a lot of cricket—even if the new format is shorter and more streamlined than a typical franchise league (4-8 weeks).

But, but, but: The chance to earn pots of money over a shorter period of time also makes it an easy sell for players—who are often paid late or not paid at all by existing franchise owners.

Still TBD: We don’t know if the same crew of IPL team owners will end up owning most of these eight teams.

The most notable fact: The Saudis are partnering with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (not BCCI)—and the league is specifically aimed at loosening the BCCI’s iron-fisted control of cricket paisa:

While players would be well compensated, the global league has been drawn up aspirationally as a way to establish an alternative revenue source beyond cricket’s established funding model. Under that system, member nations receive income from broadcasters and ICC distributions, but it is weighted heavily in favour of the game’s superpower India and to a lesser extent Australia and England, leaving small countries struggling for financial viability.

What to watch for: The league still needs to be approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is currently headed by Shah Jr—great patriot and lover of Indian cricket. He will have to weigh other factors—including the threat to the IPL, disgruntled Indian players denied Saudi moolah etc etc.

But, but, but: Unlike other nations, the Saudis have some hefty bargaining chips— including IPL and ICC sponsorships by ‘Visit Saudi’ and Aramco. Also: the Saudis own the streaming platform DAZN—an alternative to the ICC’s broadcasting deal with JioStar. Get ready to pass the popcorn.

Reading list: Australian outlets Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have the reporting on Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans, but are paywalled—Mint and Business Standard have free curations. For a broader history lesson on cricket governance, rebel leagues and analysis on Saudi investment, check out Good Areas’ explainer.

Nightmare in a North Macedonia nightclub

Quick reminder: North Macedonia is located in the Balkan peninsula, sharing borders with Greece, Albania, Kosovo and Serbia. It used to be part of Yugoslavia back in the Cold War days.

What happened: In the early hours of Sunday, a catastrophic fire erupted at the Pulse nightclub in the town of Kočani— approximately 100 kilometers east of the capital, Skopje. The toll: 59 dead and at least 155 injured. See the location below:

Sequence of events: The fire broke out during a concert by the popular hip-hop duo, DNK—in a packed club. There were approximately 500 people in the building—more than twice the permitted legal capacity—most of them aged between 14 and 24. The trigger: on-stage pyrotechnics:

Videos posted on social media networks and shot before the fire started show the use of “stage fountains” – a type of indoor fireworks used during performances. As they were set off, “the sparks caught the ceiling, which was made of easily flammable material, after which the fire rapidly spread across the whole discotheque, creating thick smoke.”

A stampede ensued as everyone scrambled toward the sole functional exit. Now add smoke inhalation and the partial collapse of the roof.

The fallout: Officials have detained at least 20 people "including members of the band, the son of the club owner, and government officials." Early inspections have uncovered multiple safety violations—including faulty fire extinguishing systems and defective lighting. The club was operating with a faked licence—which points to corruption in high places:

The building that housed Club Pulse was registered as an industrial facility — not a hospitality venue — but had still received a hospitality permit from the economy ministry, the public prosecutor, Ljupco Kocevski, said on Sunday. Prosecutors are seeking to arrest a former economy minister, Kreshnik Bekteshi.

The bigger picture: Nightclubs are far more hazardous to health than we realise. Over 2,800 people have been killed in 24 nightclub fires since the 1940s—all roads lead to pyrotechnics, overcrowding, blocked exits and criminal mismanagement of crowds. The Conversation has more on the dangers of nightclub fires. Associated Press and BBC News have the reporting on the Kočani disaster. For more on criminal crowd mismanagement, check out our Big Story from 2022 on a deadly stampede at a football match in Indonesia.

One farmer vs big oil: a landmark climate fight

Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya is suing German energy giant RWE—arguing that its emissions have accelerated glacial melt in the Andes, putting his home at risk of flooding. Reminder: Peru, home to 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, is especially vulnerable to climate change.

Why RWE?: The company is Europe’s second-largest operator of gas-fired power plants—and does not operate in Peru. Lliuya’s case rests on the idea that climate change isn’t a local issue and that RWE’s greenhouse gas emissions on a distant continent have direct consequences for him and his community. In fact, the lawsuit accuses RWE of contributing 0.47% of all human-generated carbon emissions since it began operations.

Point to note: The lawsuit was filed in Germany—with the help of a non-profit—primarily to establish a landmark precedent. Lliuya is only asking for 0.47% of the cost of building a dyke to protect him and his hometown from catastrophic flooding—which comes to roughly $18,000.

The RWE defence: The company’s response is basically: ‘Why’re you picking on me?’:

It argues climate change is a global issue caused by many contributors. If found liable, they argue, then even ordinary motorists could potentially be sued for their vehicles' carbon footprint. The climate crisis should be resolved by government policy, the company says, not in court.

Why this matters: It is a rare attempt to hold a corporation legally responsible for climate-related damages—one that has actually made it to trial. It could become a precedent for any of the other 50 similar claims around the world:

While this is just one case focused on this one place in Peru, the wider implications are huge. The costs and damages from climate change could run to tens of trillions of dollars a year, and if fossil fuel companies at large are found to be responsible for those and need to pay those costs, it would completely change the finances and outlook for the entire fossil fuel industry.”

Associated Press has more details whereas NPR offers a more condensed version of the case.

what caught our eye

business & tech

The Verge has the new iPhone 17 leak from Sonny Dickson which shows the newer models will be less chunky than its predecessors.
Trump’s tequila tariffs may be off for now, but the damage is done—stockpiles are up, expansions are on hold, and producers say the uncertainty alone has cost them.
This time, an expected consequence of Trump’s tariff war: a slow down of global growth and rising inflation.
Another consequence: The US-EU tariff spats are putting $9.5 trillion in annual trade at risk—the most intertwined economic relationship on the planet, per the American Chamber of Commerce.
But is Trump inducing such volatility intentionally? Al Jazeera provides us details why some MAGA supporters claim Trump wants to tank the US stock market—they’re pushing an unproven theory tied to the national debt.
India is bundling loss-making airports with profitable ones in a bid to offload them, putting 11 up for grabs to lure investors.
Indian companies hoping an unbearably hot summer will boost demand and Indian economy. Ghoulish much?
Quartz has a good read on Nvidia’s practice of naming its AI chips after trailblazing scientists — with its latest, Vera Rubin, set to debut next week.
Forever 21 is closing all US stores after filing for bankruptcy—guess it’s not forever after all.
Swiggy’s Instamart is now zipping through 100 cities, sending its stock up 2% as quick-delivery demand surges, with analysts eyeing more gains.

sports & entertainment

Queen of pop Lady Gaga’s newest album ‘Mayhem’ debuts at #1 in the United States this week.
Apple TV+ doc 'Before The End: Searching For Jim Morrison' claims rock icon Jim Morrison faked his death and is now living as a maintenance man named Frank in Syracuse.
No more free IPL streaming in India as Reliance-Disney's newly merged JioHotstar streaming platform reveals new subscription plans.
Pakistan hosted their first global cricket tournament in 29 years—only to suffer defeat and financial losses of over Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) after having spent Rs 869 million (Rs 8.69 billion).
Orry is up to no good. He was recently arrested by the J&K police for eating non-veg food and consuming alcohol at the Hotel Katra Marriott Resort and Spa despite there being a ban.

health & environment

A Stanford Medicine study—with the help of AI and tests on mice and pigs—has found a potential Ozempic rival that doesn’t cause nausea.
Ars Technica has a feature on how Nigeria is pioneering the development of small, off-grid solar panel installations.
South African female cheetah, Gamini, and her four cubs will be released into Kuno National Park—making the total number of cheetahs released into the wild 17.
Typically monkeys are treated like a menace in Sri Lanka—but not these white langurs which have won local tourists hearts.
A new study has found that a compound, Carnosic acid, found in herbs like rosemary and sage could help fight Alzheimer's Disease.
Atlantic (splainer gift link) has an excerpt from John Green’s latest book on the world's deadliest infectious disease titled ‘Everything Is Tuberculosis’. (h/t subscriber Udaya Nath)
Zeynep Tufekci in New York Times (splainer gift link) writes about how we were misled about what caused the Covid pandemic and that two out of the last four or five pandemics were caused by our own scientific mishaps.

meanwhile, in the world

Updates on the Yemen conflict: Neither the US nor the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are backing down. The death toll: 53—including five women and two children—and 100 people injured.
The Philippine Senate is launching a probe into ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and handover to the ICC, where he faces trial for crimes against humanity over his deadly war on drugs.
With the threat of sovereignty looming over Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney is looking across the Atlantic for support—namely from France and the UK.
Trump says Russia-Ukraine peace talks are already hashing out who gets what, as he prepares to call Putin on Tuesday to push for a quick end to the war.
The Met is sifting through its own collection to track down stolen art—returning pieces before anyone even asks. Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) has the story.
Landmines and unexploded bombs have killed over 200 people in Syria—including women and children—as 1.2 million displaced civilians return home, with experts warning that no area is truly safe.
Sticking with Syria, Germany is pledging €300 million in aid, bypassing the country’s transitional government to fund food, healthcare, and emergency shelters ahead of an EU donor conference.
BBC News has the scoop on Bangladesh’s growing closeness with its once enemy Pakistan—which has been brewing since Sheikh Hasina was ousted last year.
Also in BBC News: an interesting read on how custard powder isn’t just for dessert—it can also be a potent explosive under the right conditions.
Japan fends for itself with plans to deploy long-range missiles on Kyushu next year, capable of hitting North Korea and China, as Trump’s shaky stance on security pacts stokes regional fears.
Harvard will be completely free for students from families earning under $100,000 starting in 2025—covering tuition, housing, food, and travel.
A Giorgia Meloni diss: A new report names Italy as one of five “dismantlers”—along with Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovakia—that are deepening the “democratic recession” in Europe.

meanwhile, in India

Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok ruffled feathers in India after ranking Rahul Gandhi above Modi on honesty and calling out Brahmins for caste discrimination—sparking jokes about a CBI raid.
Get ready for electricity outages in the summer—India’s top grid operator has warned May and June as “high-risk months” citing anticipated power shortages.

Two things to see

One: Say hello to the winners of the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards. While the big prize—Open Photographer of the Year—will be announced on April 16, the category winners have been unveiled. Our faves include this riveting image of polar bears feasting on a whale carcass—which aced the wildlife category:

This gorgeous portrait was shot in a studio by Jonell Francisco—and then transformed into a modern, Renaissance-style collage:

Believe it or not, this winner in the Architecture category is New York’s Times Square taken from above by Chinese photographer Xuecheng Liu—appropriately titled ‘Centre of the Cosmos’:

Then this is whimsical and colour–box view of an apartment building in the Architecture category—taken by Thibault Drutel.

In the Travel category, this photo of two llamas looking away, in the backdrop of the Rainbow Mountain in the Peruvian Andes by Kunal Gupta made us giggle:

For more, check out the World Photography Organisation website. Popular Science has a roundup of all the wildlife entries while The Guardian has the winner from each category.

Two: Just in time for F1 season, here's the trailer for ‘F1’ starring Brad Pitt as a has-been racer who pairs up with the rising star Damson Idris—to become the best in the world. Yeah, well, the plot isn’t going to win any awards for originality. But since it is helmed by the director of ‘Top Gun Maverick’ and produced by Lewis Hamilton, we have high hopes for this one! The movie is slated to release in the US on June 27. (Deadline)