November 19, 2025 – India Headlines

Story gist: US President Donald Trump defended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump stated that ‘things happen’ during comments on the matter.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like NDTV frame the story with a critical tone, emphasizing ‘murder’ to highlight accountability concerns and Trump’s perceived leniency. Center outlets like BBC use neutral language such as ‘killing’ and ‘defends,’ focusing on factual reporting without strong judgment. Right-leaning perspectives are absent, potentially indicating omission or a lack of coverage that might downplay criticism of Trump’s foreign policy decisions.

Story gist: Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a top Kremlin aide that he looks forward to hosting Putin.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like NDTV emphasize PM Modi’s positive remarks on hosting Putin, framing the interaction as warm and forward-looking in India-Russia ties. Center-leaning sources such as The Hindu use neutral, straightforward headlines centered on Jaishankar’s meeting without added context. Right-leaning outlets provide no coverage, omitting any perspective that might highlight geopolitical implications or criticisms of engaging Russia.

Story gist: The founder of Al Falah University was arrested by India’s Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. The university’s Faridabad campus is linked to a terror case involving a Delhi car blast accused.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like NDTV frame the story around the money laundering arrest, emphasizing the university founder’s detention without mentioning terror connections. Center outlets like The Times of India highlight the Enforcement Directorate’s role and explicitly link the arrest to a Delhi car blast and the campus’s terror ties. Right-leaning coverage is absent, leaving out potential emphasis on national security implications.

Story gist: Police recovered a phone dumped in a river belonging to the Red Fort bomber, containing a martyrdom video shot in April. The bomber visited a home in Pulwama a week before the blast and gave the phone to his brother.

Bias summary: Left-leaning NDTV emphasizes the bomber’s visit to Pulwama and phone handover to his brother, highlighting potential militant ties in Kashmir. Center outlet ThePrint neutrally reports the phone recovery and video timing without added context. Right-leaning coverage is absent, leaving out potential emphasis on security lapses or national security framing.

Story gist: Madvi Hidma, a Maoist commander linked to several deadly attacks in India, was slain by security forces. Police in Andhra Pradesh arrested 51 Maoists in a related operation.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The Hindu emphasize security forces’ success in arresting 51 Maoists in Andhra Pradesh, highlighting operational achievements with a focus on law enforcement gains. Center outlets like Hindustan Times provide a neutral biographical profile of the slain commander Madvi Hidma, detailing his role in attacks without strong praise or criticism. Right-leaning perspectives are absent, missing potential emphasis on decisive anti-terrorism victories or national security triumphs.