Researched by: Rachel John & Anannya Parekh
Splainer is hiring!
We are hiring for an important editorial position—Assistant News Editor—to join the brilliantly talented splainer team. The job includes daily editorial responsibilities but unlike the average newsroom gig, this is a lot more than the standard writing/editing job. If you‘re looking for a boiler-plate newsroom desk job, we are likely not the right fit for you.
What we’re looking for: Our team includes former lawyers, social justice activists, new college grads—and yes, journalists. Below is a must-have checklist:
- Impeccable writing, editing and researching skills.
- 0-1 years of experience.
- A passion to learn how to build something new and unique—and get a front seat view of how a media startup works.
- Familiarity with Canva.
A knowledge of and love for splainer is a huge plus—since we’re not the usual news product. Above all, we’re looking for a person who shows initiative, commitment and, above all, curiosity.
Please note there is a six-month probation period. We pay industry-standard salaries and offer ESOP incentives after a year. We are location-agnostic and an equal opportunity employer. And we pride ourselves on a warm, friendly work culture. Please send your resumes and cover letter—telling us why you want this job—to talktous@splainer.in.
Israel-Palestine War: A quick roundup
For more context on the Israel-Palestine war, check out our Big Stories on: The motive for the Hamas attack; the effect of civilian casualties on Gaza’s post-war fate; and the deal for a four-day truce. Below is a quick roundup of the latest developments:
- 18,205 people have died in Gaza so far and 49,645 have been injured. The revised death toll in Israel is 1,147.
- Palestinians are starving as the battle intensifies in South Gaza. Residents have been pushed next to the Egypt border—in what many see as an attempt to push them out.
- With winter fast approaching, the situation in Gaza is expected to get far worse.
- According to family members and human rights activists, the IDF has detained a number of civilians during the two months of war—without sharing any information on their whereabouts.
- Egypt and Mauritania have invoked a special resolution calling for an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly today. But a GA resolution is non-binding and unlikely to rein in Israel.
- The US is trying to get other countries to support an effort to prevent attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the region. No one seems interested other than Israel.
Something to see: New footage shows the IDF seemingly burning aid and relief supplies:
An Indian disinfo organisation—with RAW links!
The context: The Disinfo Lab claims to use research to fight disinformation—specifically about India. It positions itself as a “neutral organisation on a par with well-known Western disinformation research groups.” However, its reports have mostly targeted prominent government critics—claiming they have unsavoury connections to Khalistanis, Pakistan intelligence and/or the left-leaning billionaire philanthropist George Soros.
What happened now: According to a Washington Post investigation, Disinfo Lab is actually run by a RAW intelligence officer Lt. Col. Dibya Satpathy:
Much of the Disinfo Lab’s work reflected the thinking of its founder, Satpathy, who was described by journalists, a government official and a person close to the military as a deeply patriotic officer who is fascinated by geopolitical intrigue and concerned by threats he sees India facing… the operation emerged from a world view in which India is besieged by “information warfare” from foreign countries that stoke religious divisions and grievances within India.
Washington Post (splainer gift link) has lots more on Satpathy—his murky organisation—and those who seemingly support him.
COP28 summit is in crisis
As we mentioned yesterday, countries like Saudi Arabia have been playing the strongman—blocking any language that suggests phasing out fossil fuels entirely. And it was removed from the latest draft—which now reads: nations should "reduce consumption and production of fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” The move has sparked an angry backlash. The EU called the new version “unacceptable”—and threatened to walk away. Even the US says the language has to be “strengthened.” But the COP28 prez Sultan al-Jaber called it a "huge step forward.” Did we mention that he heads Abu Dhabi’s biggest oil company Adnoc? We have lots more on the summit’s UAE problem in this Big Story. (BBC News)
In very much related news: Scientists confirmed that 2023 is the warmest year on record for our planet. In fact, each month since June has set a new high: "2023 has now had six record-breaking months and two record-breaking seasons.” (ABC Australia)
Madhya Pradesh gets a new CM
Poor Shivraj Singh Chouhan! Despite his best campaigning efforts, the former CM has been shoved off the stage. The prize instead went to a relatively unknown Mohan Yadav:
In what could rub salt in his wound, Chouhan was made to propose the name of Yadav, the Ujjain South MLA, as his replacement at the meeting of the newly elected MLAs in Bhopal and later hail his choice.
Yikes! Unlike Chouhan, Yadav has deep roots in the RSS—and he fits the Modi-Shah bill: low-profile leader with the right caste background (OBC)—who can be relied on to never overshadow the main man. The Telegraph and Indian Express have lots more.
Protestant church in foreign exchange trouble
The context: In 2022, over 12,000 NGOs had their foreign exchange licence revoked. These included prominent charities such as Oxfam India, educational institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and organisations such as the Indian Medical Association and the Tuberculosis Association Of India. This was the fallout of a massive clampdown on foreign funding for nonprofits. The government says they’re a potential national security threat—critics see it as a campaign to weaken any institution that fosters dissent or champions rights. This Big Story has lots more.
What happened now: The latest in the government’s crosshairs is the Church of North India (CNI)—which represents six different Protestant churches. They claim that CNI has violated foreign exchange rules—but no public explanation has been offered as of now. But the Enforcement Directorate raided CNI in May—accusing it of money laundering. Why this matters: CNI runs a number of fellowships—and St Stephen’s College. The government has been targeting a number of Christian organisations recently—including the YWCA. (Economic Times)
Say goodbye to JNU protests
India’s most famously—or infamously—leftwing campus has long been a hotbed of dissent. But those days may soon be a distant memory. The university has banned all protests on campus—and it means business:
Putting up wall posters and staging dharnas within 100 metres of the academic buildings at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) can lead to a fine of up to Rs 20,000 or expulsion… All forms of coercion such as gheraos, sit-ins or any variation of the same which disrupt the normal academic and administrative functioning of the university or any act inciting violence will be punished as well, it added.
There’s also vague language banning “any act to incite intolerance towards a religion, caste, or community or an activity which is deemed ‘anti-national’.” (The Telegraph)
A steep fall in startup funding
New data shows that startup funding in India has slumped to a five-year low in 2023—it totalled a paltry $7 billion compared to the 2022 tally of $25 billion—a nearly 73% decline. It confirms what everyone already knows—the gravy-train days are over:
Companies must adapt to leaner models, optimising cloud resources for cost-effectiveness. The move from unchecked growth to operational cash flows aligns with a cloud-centric strategy, emphasising scalable solutions that mitigate financial strains.
Mint has more numbers.
A narrow Indian corridor of extreme rain
According to a recent study, extreme rainfall events during the monsoon occur within a geographical “corridor.” It extends from West Bengal and Odisha—all the way to Gujarat and Rajasthan. No, it has nothing to do with climate change. This pattern has remained unchanged from 1901 to 2019:
We can use a popcorn and kettle analogy here to understand this better. Central India is the kettle that warms up from the pre-monsoon into the monsoon. The monsoon rainfall systems are like kernels of corn popping randomly across the kettle. But it turns out that the kernels are popping in a synchronous dance, in an indication that large groups of popcorn are jumping up at the same time.
Why this matters: It allows for better forecasting and planning for extreme events. The Hindu explainer has lots of details—but is paywalled.
Coke India is getting boozy
Coca-Cola is debuting Lemon-Dou—a ready-to-drink Japanese cocktail that has lime and shochu—a distilled liquor similar to brandy and vodka. The price: Rs 230—though we’re guessing you won’t get much liquor at that price point. The reasoning offered by its execs:
In beverages beyond soft drinks, there's a dynamic that is very interesting, which is an age of entering categories and retaining consumption of that category. Different beverages, depending on who is drinking, who is making the decision to drink, and who is making the decision to buy, have different dynamics.
That’s just a creepy way of not stating the obvious: We wanna be the “gateway drink” for kids graduating to their first taste of liquor. Reminder: Coca-Cola also partnering with Absolut for a similar drink—a mix of vodka and Sprite. But it will only be distributed in select European countries for now. (Economic Times)
Australia has new visa rules
The government plans to tighten visa requirements for students and low-skilled workers—which will cut the number of migrants by 50% over the next two years. Tougher measures include higher English-language requirements and more scrutiny of those who extend their stays via second visas. OTOH:
The visa pathways for migrants with "specialist" or "essential" skills — like highly-skilled tech workers or care workers — have also been improved to offer better prospects of permanent residency.
Australia’s immigration is climbing to record levels—much like that of the UK. And they’re all taking the same approach: waving the stick at less-affluent migrants and the carrot at the skilled workers they need. (BBC News)
Three things to see
One: Ok, dino fossils! We haven’t had a good one in a while—and this one is special:
[Its] a young Gorgosaurus skeleton, fortunately preserved with its two last meals still in its stomach cavity. Each feast included a pair of hind legs severed from small, birdlike dinosaurs… “The juvenile tyrannosaur just ripped the legs off and swallowed them whole, that’s what it looks like,” says paleontologist Darla Zelenitsky.
Eeeek or sweeeet? We’re leaning towards ‘Eek’ given our childhood trauma caused by ‘Jurassic Park’. (Smithsonian Magazine)
Two: Say hello to ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’—from the makers of all your fave ‘young love’ fantasies like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. Once again, we have three (gorgeous) best friends in their mid-20s navigating life—as they try to find themselves. The cast includes Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav. It will drop on Netflix on December 26. (Indian Express)
Three: Ok, this just looks like a tamatar to you. It is, in fact, a red robin tomato—the first ever to be grown and harvested in space. Specifically: on the International Space Station. So it was a bit of a disaster when it went MIA in March—and could not be found for months. Many meanly suspected its farmer daddy—aka American astronaut Frank Rubio—of simply eating his produce.
The happy news: It has been found—and Rubio has been exonerated. But NASA won’t show us the sad, sad, decayed remains of Mr Space-Age Tomato—who presumably is no longer salad-ready. What? Didn’t enjoy the story? It’s the journey not the destination, friend:) (CBS News)
