Cover Story | Zombie, Meow Meow, Chitta: The Dose Destroying India’s Youth
With drugs flowing into the country from the eastern and western epicentres, there is an urgent need to seal our borders and cut ties with the global narcotics economy
THE LEAD
Nepal Floods LIVE: Nepal, China Face Fresh Flood Threats As 290 Indians Remain ‘Uncontactable’, Death Toll Hits 469
Nepal Floods LIVE: Threat continues as Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has been warned of high risk after receiving blockage information at a new barrier lake from China.
InDepth | Kashmir's Drug Trap: Inside the Network Fuelling the Valley's Addiction Crisis
Police crack down on traffickers and hospitals fill up with young Kashmiris battling addiction as the Valley confronts a dire public-health crisis
From Glacier To Floodwave: Why Nepal's Flash Flood Was So Destructive
Nepal's devastating flash flood appears to have followed an ice-and-rock avalanche that blocked the Lhende River, before the resulting surge swept downstream through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems
PCB Vs Sky Sports At Lord’s: Why Did Board Threaten Player Protest Over Atherton’s Interview With Imran Khan’s Sons?
The PCB reportedly objected to Sky Sports airing Michael Atherton’s interview with Imran Khan’s sons, who spoke about their father’s health and prison conditions. Atherton and 20 former captains have also called for proper medical care for Imran
52 Km, 5,630 Metres, Half The Oxygen: What Makes The Kailash Yatra So Gruelling
The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash involves a 52-km high-altitude circuit across rugged terrain, with the route's highest point reaching 5,630 metres.
Nepal Floods: Why Were So Many Indian Tourists And Pilgrims In The Rasuwa Region?
The Rasuwa-Rasuwagadhi corridor is a key gateway from Nepal to Tibet and an important route for Indians travelling to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.
Meta’s $18 Billion Settlement Explained: How Instagram Use Will Change For Teens
The lawsuit focused on allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed to maximise engagement among children and teenagers, potentially contributing to excessive or addictive use
Why Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s 9/11 Trial Has Taken So Long
More than two decades after the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three co-defendants are scheduled to face trial at Guantanamo Bay in June 2028 after years of litigation over CIA detention, evidence, classified material and the military commission system.
NEWS
National
Penguin Random House India will not publish Belonging: a Journey of Love after Sonia Gandhi rejected proposed editorial changes and deletions; HarperCollins is reportedly in talks for the India rights.
National
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to attend the SCO Summit and hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
International
Nepal's NDRRMA warns of a high flood risk from a new 2-million-cubic-metre barrier lake near the Tibet border, just days after a deadly glacial collapse.
International
The executive order directs US agencies to use the new name as Trump’s tariff dispute with Canada continues.
International
Tehran says Washington must take practical steps before the key waterway can fully reopen, as Qatar, Oman and Pakistan step up mediation efforts.
National
Cross-border smuggling, rising unemployment and rural distress are fuelling Punjab’s drug crisis
National
The pilgrims were returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and had reportedly stopped at an immigration centre in Gyirong near the Tibet-Nepal border when the flooding hit
MAGAZINE
Drugs Without Borders - 14 September 2026 Issue
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SubscribeMore than five crore Indians use cannabis and opioids—roughly the population of Spain. Drugs are no longer confined to the margins of society. They are moving from affluent neighbourhoods to small towns and villages, feeding a rapidly expanding illicit market that is becoming more organised, more sophisticated and harder for law enforcement to contain. India’s geography makes the crisis even more dangerous. Wedged between the Golden Crescent in the west and the Golden Triangle in the east, the country sits between two of the world’s major narcotics hubs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Independence Day speech underlined the urgency of the challenge.The stakes could hardly be higher. Nearly one crore young Indians are estimated to be addicted to synthetic drugs, at a time when 27 per cent of the country’s population is aged 15-29. Every addiction carries a cost, not just to families, but to productivity, healthcare, the criminal-justice system and national security. India’s drug problem is a crisis capable of eating into the country’s demographic dividend and undermining its economic ambitions. In this issue of Outlook, we travelled to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana to understand how deep the crisis runs, and to tell the stories of people whose lives have been shattered by drugs.
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Whose Idea of India? - 31 August 2026 Issue
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SubscribeIs India an ancient civilisation or a modern nation-state? Does it share a collective history, or has a collective identity been imposed upon a country of many histories, faiths and cultures? Does India need a Uniform Civil Code, or is its pursuit an ideological project? These are not merely arguments about India’s past. They are choices about its future. India has been shaped by competing ideas—civilisation and constitutionalism, faith and secularism, individual liberty and collective identity, revolution and reform. At every turn, different choices have offered different destinations. In this Independence Day Special, Outlook brings together India’s leading thinkers, politicians, economists and bureaucrats to confront the fundamental questions before the republic: What is India? Who defines it? And what should it become? Many ideas made India. Many paths lie ahead. The choice belongs to its people.
In The Magazine
Parliament on Street - 17 August 2026 Issue
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SubscribeThe resilience of Indian democracy lies less in the certainty of its institutions than in the persistence of its citizens. Across decades, governments with formidable parliamentary strength have learnt that political authority cannot rest on electoral arithmetic alone. It must be sustained by a continuing conversation with the people. The protests over the NEET ( National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) paper leak, culminating in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, mark the latest chapter in that larger democratic story. This issue of Outlook examines how a movement led largely by young Indians reaffirmed an old principle of the Republic: that power derives its legitimacy not only from the vote, but also from accountability.
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SPORTS
Dumindu Abeywickrama Stepped Out Of Cricket's Shadow To Make Badminton Heard In Sri Lanka
By Minal Tomar
Dumindu Abeywickrama’s journey from tennis to badminton, triggered by a middle-ear infection, has taken him to No. 87 in the world. Largely supported by his parents, he recently secured his first sponsorship and continues to balance professional badminton with a psychology degree
The PCB reportedly objected to Sky Sports airing Michael Atherton’s interview with Imran Khan’s sons, who spoke about their father’s health and prison conditions. Atherton and 20 former captains have also called for proper medical care for Imran
R Praggnanandhaa erased a six-point deficit to beat Fabiano Caruana 15-13 and win the Grand Chess Tour Finals, becoming the first Indian champion and earning $200,000
Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha took a spectacular one-handed catch to dismiss Jordan Cox for 55 as England finished Day 1 of the second Test at Lord’s on 248/9. Cox had helped England recover from an early collapse before Agha’s stunning grab ended his resistance
The 2026–27 UEFA Champions League phase draw has delivered an extraordinary slate of fixtures under the 36-team single-league format, featuring grueling home-and-away matchups for Europe's elite clubs
BUSINESS
Why Is HDFC Bank Facing A US Lawsuit? The ₹45 Cr MSRDC Payment Row Explained
By Shristi Acharya
Why Is HDFC Bank Facing A US Lawsuit? The ₹45 Cr MSRDC Payment Row Explained
Double Standards: How Food Giants Have Different Recipes, Warning Labels Outside India
By Outlook Business Desk
MONEY
Unexplained Income Under New Tax Law: Why Voluntary Disclosure Can Make A Big Difference
By Outlook Money
Unexplained Income Under New Tax Law: Why Voluntary Disclosure Can Make A Big Difference
TRAVELLER
H1N1 Cases Are Rising Across India: What Travellers Need To Know
By Rooplekha Das
H1N1 Cases Are Rising Across India: What Travellers Need To Know
Sidecar Ke Kalakar: An Ode To Stories, Cocktails, And Bartenders
Sidecar Ke Kalakar: An Ode To Stories, Cocktails, And Bartenders
France’s First Traditional Hindu Temple To Open Near Paris This September
France’s First Traditional Hindu Temple To Open Near Paris This September
Kalaripayattu: The Ancient Martial Art Of Kerala Explained
Kalaripayattu: The Ancient Martial Art Of Kerala Explained
Onam 2026: The Many Threads Behind Kerala’s Kasavu
Onam 2026: The Many Threads Behind Kerala’s Kasavu
LUXE
Why Vintage Designer Bags Are Becoming More Valuable To A New Generation Of Luxury Buyers
By Sonali Mukherjee
From Sonam Kapoor's archive to record-breaking Birkin auctions, discover why younger luxury buyers are betting on vintage designer handbags as investments
Why Lymphatic Drainage Is The Latest Ritual In Luxury Wellness
By Sonali Mukherjee
Lymphatic drainage massage has moved from post-surgical recovery to luxury spas, promising reduced puffiness, a sculpted appearance and functional wellness
From Screen to Icon: The Most Famous Cars In American TV Series
By Aaron Jacob
Television has a long history of giving cars better careers than most people manage. These five machines did not merely appear on screen. They became characters, status symbols and, in some cases, more memorable than the people driving them
Kriti Sanon’s INR 82 Cr Fortune: The Luxury Lifestyle and Business Empire Behind the Star
By Sonali Mukherjee
Kriti Sanon's INR 82 crore fortune spans hit films, brand deals and a thriving business empire, from Hyphen skincare to a curated luxury car collection