India vs Pakistan: Border battles heat up

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

India vs Pakistan: Border battles heat up

We start with the reminder that we are in the thick of the fog of war. Take all reporting from all sources with a pinch of salt—especially if they confirm your preexisting biases.

Pakistan strikes Jammu: According to New Delhi, Pakistan targeted military installations in Jammu, Udhampur and Pathankot with missiles and drones on Thursday night. But they were thwarted by our air defence—which intercepted at least eight missiles. According to The Guardian, residents in Jammu “reported missiles and drones over the city and the noise of explosions, amid a city-wide blackout.” According to The Telegraph, most of these were minor:

Although multiple projectiles were seen in the sky from different places in Jammu city, residents said there were no indications of a major attack. A former police officer in Jammu said the attack seemed to have the objective of causing panic rather than casualties.

There was greater panic across Kashmir when the government cut electricity to enforce a blackout.

As for the rest: There were also attempts made to penetrate the border in Rajasthan and Punjab. Explosions were heard in Jaisalmer and Bikaner—which also went dark. A blackout was also enforced across cities in Punjab. The Indian Army claims Pakistan tried to target the air base in Pathankot.

Point to note: Pakistan denies all of the above: “Pakistan’s army spokesman, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, accused New Delhi of whipping up ‘war hysteria’ with exaggerations about Pakistan attacks within India.”

A second Indian offensive: All of Thursday was marked by tit-for-tat attacks. A second set of Indian strikes—carried out by drones—targeted Pakistan’s air defence systems. The military says that the air defence system in Lahore is “reliably learnt to have been neutralised.” The Telegraph has a colourful account of the Indian effort.

What Pakistan said: Islamabad confirmed that India had launched a drone attack—and claims to have neutralised 29 drones. The Wire has a handy map of all the locations claimed to have been attacked by each side:

The battle over the planes: As you know, Pakistan claims to have brought down at least five Indian jets. Now Washington has confirmed its account (unofficially) to Reuters. What struck us—the US seems to be treating this dangerous situation as a useful war game:

A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two U.S. officials told Reuters, marking a major milestone for Beijing's advanced fighter jet. The performance of a leading Chinese fighter jet against a Western rival is being closely watched in Washington for insights into how Beijing might fare in any showdown over Taiwan or the wider Indo-Pacific.

Meanwhile, in Beijing: The Chinese are gloating over the performance of their equipment:

Hu Xijin, the ex-editor-in-chief of the nationalist tabloid Global Times, wrote on WeChat that if Pakistan’s successful strikes were true, it shows “China’s level of military manufacturing has completely surpassed that of Russia and France,” and that Taiwan should feel “even more scared.”

Point to note: Separately, a high-ranking French intelligence official told CNN that Pakistan downed an Indian Rafale fighter aircraft. India has still not directly addressed these claims.

The official count: of terrorists killed in Pakistan is 100.

Where are we now? The Indian government says Operation Sindoor is still underway—and it has restrained itself to matching Pakistan’s attacks: “It is not our intention to escalate this situation. However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that it will be met with a very very firm response.”

Pakistan is playing the victim card—not acknowledging its offensive and only focusing on Indian attacks: ““It appears India has, apparently, lost the plot and rather than going on a path of rationality is further escalating in a highly charged environment to satisfy the hubristic mindset of its government.”

Quote to note: A “top security official who has been closely associated with Operation Sindoor” told Indian Express: “If they (Pakistan) will go further, we will not stop…we will go till the very end.”

The risk of escalation: into all-out war is still unclear (and unlikely). New Delhi is intent on sending an unequivocal message—according to Rudra Chaudhuri, Director of Carnegie India:

This time, India was not only responding to the attacks in April 2025, but sending a clear kinetic message in response to terrorist attacks it has endured since 2001, when the Indian parliament was attacked, subsequently in 2008, 2016, and 2019. Indeed, a reel played at the government briefing this morning underlined this. It showed images of those targeted in India starting from 2001. Between the target sets and the communication around the same, the response early this morning was comprehensive. This was not about an eye for an eye. But an even clearer message than in 2016 and 2019, that India’s tolerance for terrorist attacks on Indian soil has been tested to its limit.

It is not clear how far Pakistan will go to reject that message with strikes of its own.

But, but, but: Other experts worry that the tit-for-tat is pushing Islamabad into a corner—especially the attack on its air defence systems:

“Targeting air defense systems involves particular risks, because you make your adversary feel like they could be blinded, or their command-and-control systems could be left defenseless or degraded,” said Joshua White, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who formerly directed South Asia policy in the White House’s National Security Council. “That induces leaders to act even more quickly as crises escalate,” he added, “changing the tempo and character of a conflict.”

The New York Times offers a more pessimistic view of the risk of escalation.

Say hello to Pope Leo XIV

Robert Francis Prevost is the first-ever American pope—though the 69-year-old spent most of his time serving as a missionary in Peru. Of course, the big Q is about his politics—as he succeeds the most progressive pope in modern history. Here’s what he shares with Francis:

A member of the Order of St. Augustine, he resembles Francis in his commitment to the poor and migrants, and to meeting people where they are. He told the Vatican’s official news website last year that “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”

It will be interesting to see how he deals with American Catholics who are increasingly rightwing.

But, but, but: No one knows his views of the LGBT community today—but his past remarks are not promising:

Although he has not said much recently, in a 2012 address to bishops, he lamented that Western news media and popular culture fostered “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel.” He cited the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.”

His first remarks as pope are a bit vague—but offer some hope:

We must try together to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and dialogue, always open, like this square, to receive with open arms everyone who needs our charity, our presence.

AFP via The Hindu reports on the joyous response from Catholics. New York Times has lots more on his politics. The Guardian has more on the ‘moderate’ and ‘good humoured’ Prevost.

India’s staggering Covid death count

The context: India’s Covid deaths have long been a subject of controversy—marred by multiple allegations that the official figures were suspiciously low. The WHO estimated 4.7 million deaths between Jan 2020 and Dec 2021—nearly 10 times the government’s count. A Lancet study pegged the toll at eight times higher. But the government dismissed these figures as flawed or biased. Turns out its own data is no less damning.

What happened now: This week, the government released its Sample Registration System (SRS) data for 2021. There were nearly 2.1 million ‘excess’ deaths in India that year. Between 2018 and 2020, India recorded about 8.1 million deaths annually. In 2021, the number jumped to 10.2 million. That is a 2.1 million difference:

"Excess deaths" is the difference between the number of deaths in an unusual period (such as 2020 and 2021) and the number of deaths in a normal year. This can give a sense of the direct and indirect toll of a pandemic like covid-19.

The new data suggests 6.4X more people died that year—compared to the official Health Ministry count of 333,333 Covid deaths in 2021.

Point to note: Not all of these “excess deaths” are directly due to Covid—but the pandemic overwhelmed hospitals, delayed treatment for other illnesses, and caused widespread chaos. The new numbers reflect those casualties as well.

The worst undercounts: Gujarat tops the list—with excess deaths 35X higher than the official count. Madhya Pradesh is at 20X—followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal (14X each).

Wait, why did it take so long? That’s the million-dollar question. The SRS report for 2020 came out on schedule—two years later, as usual. But the 2021 report has been delayed by a full three years. (Mint, paywall)

Trump tariffs’ biggest winner: Elon Musk

The context: In April, when Donald Trump waved around his now infamous chart of tariffs—the country of Lesotho became a punch line in jokes about his spurious math. According to the White House’s calculation, the tiny, impoverished country deserved a 50% tariff—which was later reduced to 10%. The reason: It wasn’t buying American goods—that it neither needed or could afford.

What happened now: The Washington Post reveals that the joke was on the rest of us:

The satellite business [Starlink], owned by billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, had been seeking access to customers in Lesotho. But it was not until Trump unveiled the tariffs and called for negotiations over trade deals that leaders of the country of roughly 2 million people awarded Musk’s firm the nation’s first-ever satellite internet service license, slated to last for 10 years.

Also on the Starlink list: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mali and Cambodia. What’s even more dubious—Starlink has been given access to these countries way before any agreement has been inked. In India’s case, for instance, Starlink signed separate distribution deals with both Airtel and Jio in March. This week, Indian Express reported that the deals have been greenlit by the government. Quote to note: “It’s not likely to be an explicit element of the trade negotiations with the U.S., but the Indian side sees this as an important lubricant that facilitates a deal.”

Khule aam bullying: State Department cables reveal how the Trump tariffs were used as a stick to get countries in line—to sign deals with US companies.

The 49% tariff rate on goods from Cambodia “came as a shock” to Cambodian government officials… Leaders of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia — a nonprofit made up of U.S. and Cambodian companies, known as AmCham… urged “decisive action in offering concessions to the United States”.. which included “recommending that Cambodia offer duty-free access for U.S. imports (specifically mentioning Ford vehicles) and expeditiously approve Starlink’s market entry request.

Data point to note: Tapping even 1% of the Indian market is expected to generate nearly $1 billion in annual revenue.

The big picture: Washington has long used its economic clout to pressure countries into opening their markets to US companies. Joe Biden also shilled for Starlink. What is new: a) the blatant besharmi and b) the favours demanded are for a favoured set of crony capitalists. Washington Post has the exclusive but is paywalled—Gizmodo has a free-to-read roundup. For more on Starlink in India, check out Indian Express.

Climate change is messing with your gut

New research shows that global warming is damaging our gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria that help us digest food, fight illness, and absorb nutrients. The reason: When our body is exposed to very high temperatures, it experiences ‘heat stress’. That stress changes the balance of bacteria in our gut, raises oxygen levels (which harms good microbes), and increases stress hormones that affect digestion. All of which makes your gut more vulnerable to harmful bacteria:

These changes could alter health at the molecular level, including disruptions to important digestive and immune functions. One consequence, Litchman says, is a diminished ability of the body to absorb vital nutrients.

Why this matters to Indians: People living in less affluent countries already struggle with food insecurity and disease. Climate change piles on an added threat—that is only going to get worse with each passing year. (The Hindu, paywalled, Medical Xpress)

Amazon goes all in on Vulcan

Ok, this has nothing to do with Star Trek. But it tickles us no end that Amazon’s new AI robot is called Vulcan. It is super-special because it is the first to have a sense of touch—so it can actually ‘feel’ the products it stows in the warehouse:

Vulcan is not Amazon’s first robot capable of picking items up, but it is the first that’s dextrous and sensitive enough to maneuver goods inside the compact, fabric-covered compartments that the company uses for storage — which are themselves already moved around warehouses by a different fleet of robots.

Happily for Amazon workers, the robot is intended to work alongside them—not replace them. You can see it in action below. (The Verge)

what caught our eye

India vs Pakistan

Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar says 10 of his family members—including his sister, nephew, and five children—were killed in the Indian missile strike in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur.
X is blocking 8,000 accounts in India—following government orders—warning its local staff could face jail time if they don’t comply.
Delhi University’s proctor office has issued a circular asking its Kashmiri students to provide their Aadhaar number and details of their residence in Delhi, leading to allegations of privacy violations among students.
Hyderabad-based Karachi Bakery is facing protests by angry mobs over its name amid the India-Pakistan tensions—despite the brand being Indian.
Reliance has withdrawn its application to trademark ‘Operation Sindoor’, claiming that a junior employee had filed it ‘without authorisation’.
Twenty-four airports across north India have been shut down—Indian Express has the full list.
Even as shells rain down on Poonch, locals say it’s government apathy and media vilification—like branding a slain madrasa teacher a PoK terrorist—that cut as deeply.
BJP leaders in Vizag have surprisingly condemned the covering up of 'Karachi' on shop signs by some people—saying the party and RSS don’t support such actions.
India’s I&B Ministry has asked streaming platforms to pull all Pakistani content—web series, films, songs, and podcasts—effective immediately.

business & tech

Google has cut around 200 jobs across its global sales division and is prioritising AI development and data centres.
Say hello to Rove, a startup—founded by a 22-year-old—helping Gen Z earn airline miles without credit cards.
Apple is ‘actively looking at’ revamping Safari to focus more on AI-powered search engines, amid the legal fallout over Google’s monopoly.
Trump’s $TRUMP meme coin left over 7.6 lakh investors in the red—while just 58 wallets pocketed over $1 billion, and creators made $324 million in fees.
Bill Gates plans to give away $200 billion over the next 20 years—fast-tracking the spend-down of his fortune.
He’s also blaming Elon Musk for the preventable deaths of the world’s poorest children, citing cuts to US foreign aid.

sports & entertainment

The IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was called off after 10.1 overs for security reasons following a significant floodlight failure.
The fate of the rest of the tournament remains uncertain due to the cross-border tensions. The BCCI is waiting for government advice but claims to have a Plan B ready.
Meanwhile, the remainder of the Pakistan Super League will be played in the UAE following reports of an Indian drone falling near the Rawalpindi stadium.
Also affected by the tensions: the theatrical release of the Rajkummar Rao-Wamiqa Gabbi film ‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’. The new release date is May 16 on Amazon Prime Video.

health & environment

A new study claims that humans have seen less than 0.001% of the deep ocean.
The Conversation has a must-read on how Australia is set to be a nation of renewables following the Labour party’s win.

meanwhile, in the world

Ukrainian long-range drones are targeting Moscow while foreign leaders arrive in the Russian capital for the Red Square parade, marking the 80th anniversary of military victory over Nazi Germany.
Nearly half of sexual abuse cases happen at age 15 or younger, according to a new study by The Lancet.
The US has reportedly increased its spying on Greenland—Copenhagen isn’t very happy about it.
A new documentary has identified Israeli soldier Capt Alon Scagio as the sniper who murdered Palestinian-American broadcaster Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022.
Trump’s got a new trade deal with the UK, and he’s promising it’s just the first of many in the pipeline. Point to note: The UK itself doesn’t think it is a done deal.
The Economist (login required) has a good read on why Gen X—not millennials or Gen Z—might just be the real loser generation.

Four things to see

One: Columbia students held one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus—since the crackdown last summer. Once again, the university brought in cops to arrest them. The president said: “Violence and vandalism, hijacking a library—none of that has any place on our campus.” She was also eager to please a Trump White House that has canceled $400 million in federal funding over “antisemitism concerns”—and won’t give it back unless the university meets a long list of demands. Below is a video of them being arrested. (Wall Street Journal, paywall, BBC News)

Two: Donald Trump seems to think Mattel is a country—with a very badly behaved head of state who would rather do business with Canada. See it to believe it:)

Three: Grand Theft Auto 6 just pulled off the biggest heist of the internet—stealing the crown for the most-viewed trailer of all time. The second trailer for the game clocked a mind-blowing 475 million views in just 24 hours—smashing past Hollywood heavyweights like 'Deadpool & Wolverine' (365 million) and 'The Fantastic Four' (200 million). Also causing waves: the trailer’s featured track—The Pointer Sisters’ “Hot Together”—surged 182,000% on Spotify! The game drops May 26, 2026, and yes, Vice City is back, baby. (Variety)

Four: Filmmaker Ethan Coen reunites with Hollywood’s fave nepo kid Margaret Qualley for another dark comedy titled ‘Honey Don’t’. Qualley plays a private investigator named Honey O’Donahue looking into a series of bizarre deaths tied to a cult—with Chris Evans as their godman. Also in the movie: Aubrey Plaza and Charlie Day. The movie is slated to release on August 22. (Deadline)