Shashi Tharoor’s son Ishaan laid off as Washington Post cuts nearly one-third of its newsroom
Washington DC: Ishaan Tharoor, senior international affairs columnist at The Washington Post and son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, is among more than 300 journalists laid off as the newspaper undertook one of the largest staff reductions in its history.
The layoffs, which affect nearly one-third of the Post’s newsroom, are part of a major restructuring effort amid financial pressure and shifting reader habits. The newspaper, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has shut down its sports desk, scaled back international coverage, closed several foreign bureaus, and discontinued its books section.
Confirming his exit on social media, Ishaan Tharoor described the moment as deeply painful. Sharing an image from the newsroom bearing the Post’s slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” he captioned it, “A bad day.” In a later post, he wrote that he had been laid off along with most of the international team and expressed heartbreak for colleagues who reported from across the world.
According to The New York Times, the layoffs impact over 300 journalists out of a total newsroom strength of around 800. Several prominent reporters confirmed their departures, including Ukraine correspondent Lizzie Johnson, who said she was laid off while reporting from a war zone, and New Delhi bureau chief Pranshu Verma, who called it a devastating moment for the newsroom.
Reflecting on his tenure, Tharoor noted that he launched the WorldView column in 2017 to help readers understand global affairs and the United States’ role in the world. He thanked the column’s readers and subscribers for their support over the years.
In a message to staff, Executive Editor Matt Murray said the decision was difficult but unavoidable, citing rapid technological changes, evolving audience behaviour, and the need for the paper to refocus its priorities. “We can’t be everything to everyone,” he wrote, according to the Associated Press.
Founded in 1877, The Washington Post was acquired by Jeff Bezos in 2013 for $250 million. The latest cuts come amid a broader crisis facing legacy news organisations worldwide as advertising revenues decline and digital subscriptions plateau.
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Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
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Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
