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We are delighted to announce that our iOS app is here—joining its Android cousin which is already making many of our subscribers happy. Please note we only send one notification per day when the edition drops. And we do not use or sell your personal information in any way—and only monitor broad traffic/audience stats. So be sure to download it here.
We strongly urge you to use the app to read your daily splainer, and here’s why:
- It gets rid of all the pesky issues on the web browser—including repeated requests to log in.
- Since the sections are separated, there isn’t one long unbroken scroll. The app is far easier to navigate—just use the forward button and our trusty dog Khabri.
- Each section can be shared separately on Twitter, Instagram or WhatsApp.
- You don’t have to go back into your email inbox or WhatsApp to find the link to an edition. It’s just easier to read us whenever you want during the day.
- This is especially true if you use the handy bookmarks feature at the end of each section. You can save everything you want to read later.
Please note: We have an app feedback thread on our Slack community for subscribers—which is a big help to us. Be sure to join and offer your comments there.
Farm laws have been repealed
The government has taken everyone by surprise and announced the repeal of the farm laws—a demand it has steadfastly resisted for over a year. The Prime Minister doled out the surprise gift for farmers in an address to the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti—and in the run up to the Punjab state elections, of course. In our democracy, none is mightier than the vote. Watch the key moment below:
Also a welcome and surprising move: The Kashmir administration’s decision to launch an inquiry into the recent killings in Hyderpora—where four people were killed during an anti-terrorist operation. The police claim that two of them were terrorists—and two were “overground workers” offering them support. Their families however claimed they were killed in a “staged encounter.” The bodies of the two civilians have also been exhumed and will be turned over to the families—a first in Kashmir since the beginning of the pandemic. (Indian Express)
A big U-turn in Malcolm X’s assassination
Manhattan prosecutors are planning to exonerate two men who were convicted of killing the Black leader in 1965. Soon after he was shot in New York City, the police arrested three members of the African American Muslim group called Nation of Islam—of which Malcolm X was a leader until he broke with its ideology. Two of them will now go free after 20 years in prison—but not the third since he confessed. The review of the evidence was sparked by a powerful Netflix documentary ‘Who Killed Malcolm X?’. New York Times and Reuters have more details.
Apple opens the door to DIY
The company will now sell you parts so you can fix your own devices at home—and not have to take them to the nearest Apple store. You’ll be able to replace the iPhone’s display, battery, and camera using parts from Apple at first—and only in the US for now. This is the first acknowledgement of the growing ‘right to repair’ movement—which is pushing back at tech companies that pressure consumers to replace their devices rather than fix them. OTOH, the program is only meant for “individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices.” (The Verge)
Also rolling out new stuff: Instagram, which has released two new features. ‘Rage shake’ will allow users to report problems they’re experiencing:
“Maybe Stories didn’t load, maybe the audio wasn’t working, maybe you just couldn’t upload a photo and it was just getting really getting you, really just pissing you off? Well now, you can literally shake the phone and a little option will come up that allows you to report a problem.”
‘Carousel Deletion’ lets you delete one photo in the carousel instead of the whole post. Gizmodo has more details.
Two studies of note
One: A new UNICEF study shows that young people (between 15-24) are more optimistic than their older peers (40-plus):
“Born into a more digital, interconnected and diverse reality, young people see a world that is largely a better place for children than the one their parents grew up in – a safer and more abundant world that offers children better education, opportunities and hope for the future.”
Most interestingly: “39% identified most with being part of the world, rather than their own nation or region, compared with 22% of the 40-plus group.” (The Guardian)
Two: New research found that drinking coffee and tea lowers the risk of stroke and dementia. Those who consumed either three cups of coffee a day or three to five cups of tea a day—or a combination of 4-6 cups of tea/coffee—were least likely to develop these diseases. So feel free to raise a cup or many! (Gizmodo)
Is that a ninth planet?
A newly published paper makes a case for the possibility of a ninth planet in our solar system. Based on observations made by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) back in 1983, it says the planet would be somewhere between three to five times the mass of the Earth—and would be orbiting the Sun 225 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Other astronomers remain skeptical. (Futurism)
Speaking of new frontiers: Jessica Watkins is poised to become the first Black woman on the International Space Station crew. (NBC News)
Two key Hollywood stories
One: There’s a new twist on the tragedy that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of ‘Rust’—where actor Alec Baldwin shot a prop gun that killed her. In a new lawsuit, a script supervisor claims that the scene never required a gun to be fired: "Alec Baldwin intentionally, without just cause or excuse, cocked and fired the loaded gun." There had been no rehearsal of the shooting and the crew had not begun filming at the time Baldwin fired the gun. (Buzzfeed News)
Two: Miramax is suing director Quentin Tarantino to stop him from selling NFTs based on his screenplay for ‘Pulp Fiction’. He was planning to auction seven scenes that never made the final cut, but the studio insists he had “granted and assigned nearly all of his rights” to Miramax in 1993. And the lawyers are getting ready for an ugly fight. In case you are confused about NFTs, check out our handy explainer here. (New York Times)
Tam-Brahms desperately seeking brides
Apparently, around 40,000 Tamil Brahmin bachelors—in the 30-40 age group—can’t find a good woman to marry them. The Thamizhnadu Brahmin Association has sprung into action and launched a drive to source brides in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar—but from the “same community,” of course 🙄. More amusingly, the president said “a person who can read, write and speak in Hindi would be appointed at the association’s headquarters here to perform the coordination role.” (Indian Express)
Three things to see
One: It’s called the assassin spider—not a name that evokes delight. But scientists were relieved to find two such spiders in Australia. The reason: Most experts were convinced it went extinct—and were frantically searching for signs of life—thanks to the terrible wildfires in 2019 and 2020. Of course, all the other spiders it likes to assassinate (i.e. eat) are likely less thrilled. Hardly surprising given what it looks like. (Washington Post)
Two: Speaking of startling discoveries, new research confirms the existence of what may be the world’s longest dinosaur Supersaurus—which was between 128 and 137 feet and lived 154 to 142 million years ago. That’s about as long as three school buses. (USA Today)
Three: The English National Opera (ENO) and six TikTok stars have teamed up to create a five-act opera—set to the music of Georges Bizet's ‘Carmen’—to promote the second season of ‘Tiger King’. You can watch the five-minute long “TikTopera” below. (Sky News)
