Supreme Court’s industrial disputes verdict, FIFA official sacked and more: The week in 5 charts

(1) Supreme Court verdict scraps ‘industry’ precedent for future industrial dispute casesIn a milestone for labour law, a Nine-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court retained the provisions of a 1978 verdict defining the term ‘industry’ for pending industrial dispute cases, while keeping it contextual for prospective cases.The 1978 verdict, called the Triple Test, laid out three criteria to decide whether an activity fell under ‘industry’ when deciding on industrial dispute cases. This test, known for its expansiveness, has had a checkered history.Some Judges have said that its expansiveness ensured a variety of undertakings could make use of labour protections under the relevant laws, while others have said that it was too worker-oriented, leaving employers with the short end of the stick.Here is a timeline of past verdicts and how the term has been interpreted over the years.(2) U.S. threatens Iran with economic sanctionsU.S. President Donald Trump threatened “crushing economic measures” against Iran on Thursday (August 20, 2026), nearly six months after war broke out between the two countries.Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the threats, saying that such “failed policies” will stir more hostility among Iranians and “bring more failures”.India, which uses Dubai as a key re-export hub for its exports to Iran, now faces uncertainty after the United Arab Emirates suspended all trade activities with Iran. The decision came after a missile threat from Iran against the UAE, a close U.S. ally.India’s exports to Iran form 0.2% of its total exports, while Iranian imports form 0.04% of total imports. Here’s a look at the composition of this trade by product.(3) Stampede in Bihar turns deadlyAt least seven people were killed in a stampede in Bihar at the Ashok Dham temple in Lakhisarai district. Devotees had rushed to a temple to offer Ganga water, toppling a bamboo barricade in the surge. An electrical pole snapped at the site, triggering rumours of a power leakage. The rumours caused panic and subsequently, a stampede.The deceased, all women devotees, ranged between 35 to 65 years. An ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh was announced for their kin.Separately, another stampede-like situation in Madhya Pradesh resulted in minor injuries to 10 people.Stampedes during religious events and offerings have been a recurring tragedy. For instance, 30 people were killed after barricades collapsed at the Maha Kumbh in 2025. Here is a timeline of similar events.(4) FIFA official sacked after Infantino plan criticismFIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has been sacked by the governing body, less than three weeks after he strongly criticised its president Gianni Infantino’s aborted plan to sell stakes in competitions to private investors, BBC Sport has been told.In a statement, a FIFA spokesperson would only confirm that: “The working relationship between FIFA and Kevin Lamour as Chief Operating Officer has ended on 17 August 2026.“FIFA thanks Kevin for his two years of service and wishes him the best of luck for the future.”Last month, Lamour described the controversial Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) plans as “the project of one person”, and said “the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions”.Infantino is seeking reelection as FIFA president but remains under pressure after the heads of three continental confederations — for Europe, Asia and for North, Central America and the Caribbean — issued an open letter last week saying his World Cup plan was a “fundamental breach of trust” and described it as “deception.”(5) U.S. national debt now stands at $40 trillionThe U.S. national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), a staggering milestone as defence costs, social programmes like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending.The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting the defence spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out President Donald Trump’s almost-6-month-old Iran war to lowering the cost of gas and groceries.