- Conan O’Brien will host the 99th Academy Awards, marking his third consecutive year helming Hollywood’s biggest night, according to Rolling Stone.
- New Zealand’s government has put a partial sell-off of state-owned Kiwibank back on the table, instructing the bank to explore options including partial privatisation.
- Costa Rica received legislative approval for TIBI, an electric train system that will connect San José with Cartago, Heredia, and Alajuela — a major infrastructure milestone.
- India saw an arrest in Nashik connected to suspected fraud in the NEET-UG medical entrance examination for 2026.
This week’s headlines underscore a recurring theme: the institutions designed to protect people — public health systems, courts, parliaments, budgets — are under stress everywhere. Whether it is a virus at sea, a senator running from justice, or billions in tariff refunds piling up, the gap between what systems promise and what they deliver remains the central story of our time.
