Researched and collated by: Vagda Galhotra, Prafula Grace Busi, Elisha Benny & Sheya Kurian
Australia gets a new PM
Scott Morrison lost out to Anthony Albanese—who became only the fourth Labour Party leader to oust a Liberal prime minister since World War II. Albanese’s win is not outright—and he may need the independents and smaller parties to form the government. But the result marks the end of nearly a decade of conservative rule. Washington Post and The Telegraph have more on the results. BBC News explains why the outcome is “a great shock to the system.”
A long list of religion-related stories
One: A Mathura court agreed to hear a petition claiming that the Shahi Idgah mosque is built upon the birthplace of Krishna—and must be shifted. The same court now declared that the key 1991 law—the Places of Worship Act—does not apply to this case. The Act bars the conversion of any place of worship—and declares it will remain exactly the same as it was on August 15 1947. Here’s the court's logic:
“District judge Rajeev Bharti reasoned as the decree was drawn before the commencement of the Act of 1991 and since the same is the subject matter of challenge in the suit moved by the petitioner… the Act shall not be applicable on this dispute.”
The Hindu has more details. Also read our Big Story that explains this Act.
Two: A BJP worker, Dinesh Kushwaha has been arrested for beating a 65-year-old man to death. Bhawarlal Jain’s alleged crime: He was suspected of being Muslim—and since he was mentally challenged, he could not “clear” himself of the charge. We have no words. Kushwaha has been charged with murder—and the party has distanced itself from him. The attack was captured on video—which is likely the only reason there has been swift justice in this case. (Scroll)
Three: A Delhi University professor was arrested for a Facebook post mocking the claim that a Shiva lingam was found inside the Gyanvapi mosque. Thanks to a court-ordered gag order, no one knows exactly what he said—except that it involved a phallic-themed joke. He was, however, released on bail—and the judge said:
“India is a country of more than 130 crores (sic) people and any subject can have 130 crores different views and perceptions… The feeling of hurt felt by an individual cannot represent the entire group or community and any such complaint regarding the hurt feelings has to be seen in its context considering the entire spectrum of facts/ circumstances.”
Four: Speaking of Gyanvapi, there has been a split among the five women who filed the original petition—demanding the right to worship at the mosque. This appears to have something to do with the fact that four of them are local to Varanasi—while the fifth is from Delhi. And one side is calling the other ‘farzi’—i.e. a fraud. Scroll has more. ICYMI, be sure to read our Big Stories on the mosque—including its history and the laws at stake.
Five: Speaking of ancient monuments at risk, we recently did a Big Story on the Qutub Minar—and increasing pressure from the Culture Ministry over Ganesha idols present on its premises. The ministry has now instructed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct the excavation and iconography of all idols. This is after a former top ASI official claimed that the minar was constructed by Raja Vikramaditya and not by Qutb al-Din Aibak—to study the direction of the sun. India Today has more details.
Man City are champions… again!
It was a dramatic last day of the Premier League—as Liverpool and Manchester City jostled to win the big prize. In the end, Man City prevailed, staging a big comeback after being 2-0 down to Aston Villa. The final score: 3-2. Pep Guardiola's team are champions for the fourth time in five years. ESPN has details of the match. Yahoo Sports has more on what Pep had to say.
A shocking revelation about "independence debt"
A New York Times investigation has revealed how much money Haitians actually paid their colonisers—the French—in “independence debt.”
The context: The nation became independent in 1804—long before Britain or the US outlawed slavery. Twenty one years later, their former oppressors gave them an ultimatum—delivered by a squadron of French warships off Haiti’s coastline: Pay up or prepare to face another war:
“Even the first installment was about six times the government’s income that year… But that was the point, and part of the plan. The French king had given the baron a second mission: to ensure the former colony took out a loan from young French banks to make the payments. This became known as Haiti’s ‘double debt’—the ransom and the loan to pay it—a stunning load that boosted the fledgling Parisian international banking system and helped cement Haiti’s path into poverty and underdevelopment.”
The key finding: For the very first time, the Times sifted through thousands of archival documents to calculate just how much Haiti has paid over the years:
“We found that Haitians paid about $560 million in today’s dollars. But that doesn’t nearly capture the true loss. If that money had simply stayed in the Haitian economy and grown at the nation’s actual pace over the last two centuries—rather than being shipped off to France, without any goods or services being provided in return—it would have added a staggering $21 billion to Haiti over time, even accounting for its notorious corruption and waste.”
New York Times’ must-read deep dive links the poverty of former colonies like Haiti to the immense wealth of the Western banking system.
Elon Musk faces #MeToo allegations
A Business Insider scoop alleges that SpaceX paid $250,000 to settle a sexual harassment claim against its CEO in 2016. Here’s the summary:
“The attendant worked as a member of the cabin crew on a contract basis for SpaceX's corporate jet fleet. She accused Musk of exposing his erect penis to her, rubbing her leg without consent, and offering to buy her a horse in exchange for an erotic massage.”
Musk claims the story is “utterly untrue” and described Insider’s source as “a far left activist/actress in LA with a major political axe to grind.” This is after he declared himself Republican—and warned everyone: “Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold.” Now, it’s all about how you read cause and effect here. According to Insider, Musk started talking about leftwing conspiracies after he’d been asked by them for a comment on the story. Vanity Fair has that angle.
Good news for your petrol bill
ICYMI, the government has cut the taxes on petrol by Rs 8 per litre and on diesel by Rs 6 per litre. This in turn will make the two cheaper by Rs 9.5 and Rs 7 per litre, respectively. Also part of the dole out: A subsidy of Rs 200 on gas cylinders. Hmm, are there elections round the corner? Also read: Our Big Story on soaring inflation in India. (The Hindu)
A worrying iPhone problem
A new study has shown that the latest models of the iPhone can be hacked even when they are switched off. The reason: a new iOS 15 update includes a feature that allows you to be able to locate an iPhone even when it’s powered off. What this means: The chips inside—including Bluetooth—remain on and therefore are vulnerable to malware. To be clear: No such attack has been recorded and hackers would need to first jailbreak the iPhone to be able to access and exploit the Bluetooth chip. (Euro News)
Three things to see
One: A 90-second trailer for Shyam Benegal’s biopic on leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—titled ‘Mujib: The Making of a Nation’—was unveiled at the Cannes festival. And it immediately sparked a firestorm of criticism from Bangladeshis on social media. They are unhappy with the special effects, lack of historical accuracy, the choice of an Indian director and an “India-oriented storyline.” Ofc, this is just a trailer. (The Telegraph)
Two: The Archaeological Survey of India has uncovered a bath house or ‘hamam’ in Aurangabad. It is likely part of the Bibi ka Maqbara—built by Aurangzeb for his first wife as a replica of the Taj Mahal. It will be open to the public soon—which may or may not be good news given the mood of some folks in the country. (Times of India)
Three: On Saturday, the Afghan government ordered women TV anchors to cover their faces. So male employees at TOLO News covered their faces with masks in solidarity. (France24)
Good stuff to check out!
On the latest episode of the splainer podcast ‘Press Decode’, the splainer team looks at mental health issues—be it in the army where suicides are rising—or among parents suing their kids for not giving them a grandchild. Be sure to head over to the IVM website, Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to it.
