Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar
The bestest Secret Santa shopping guide
ICYMI, our holiday shopping guide in this week’s Advisory offered a sneak peek of Souk—the next, most amazing thing from splainer. Souk will do the exact same thing as we have done for news... except for shopping. We're cutting out the noise and hype to make it effortless for you to discover lovely, useful, quality products and brands.
The shopping guide—split up into lists of ‘under Rs 500’ and ‘under Rs 1,000’—is a taste of the fresh, hatke recommendations the Souk team plans to offer. Of this list of 30 items, members of the splainer team are picking our must-buy favourites. Lakshmi is going first with two cool artsy things: An Insta-inspired wall frame (priced Rs 999) and a book of 21 gorgeous prints (priced Rs 980)—each detachable and ready to frame. You can pick your faves over here. Let us know what you liked or what we missed over at talktous@splainer.in
Breaking: A ‘global’ war in Syria
The context: Between 2013 and 2014, ISIS conquered large parts of Syrian territory—including the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. The ousted president Bashar-al Assad staged a surprise comeback in 2017—with the military help of Russia. ISIS was relegated to small pockets in the east. But rebel groups backed by Ankara continued to control the regions bordering Turkey. Russia and Turkey brokered a ceasefire between the Syrian military and the rebels in 2020.
What happened next: The rebels scored an out-of-the-blue victory—taking control of Aleppo. But this is not your grandma’s Islamic State. This group is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—which broke from Al Qaeda in 2016. Also in the mix: Turkey-backed militias—who are targeting Kurds in the north.
What happened now: President Assad has launched a furious counter-offensive—with an array of international allies. Russia and Iran have pledged unconditional support—and sent warplanes. Neither have committed ground troops to help his cause. But Iran-backed militias are flooding in to help make up the Syrian numbers. This is, of course, embarrassing for Baghdad—technically an ally of the US—which has called Assad “a brutal dictator with blood on his hands, the blood of innocent civilians.” Middle East geopolitics—always a mess.
Meanwhile, rebels continue to gain new ground. This map from military intelligence source Janes shows their current position:
The Guardian has more on what’s happening on the ground.
An astonishing punishment for Akali Dal
The Akal Takht—the highest religious body of Sikhs—has “ordered” the removal of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of Shiromani Akali Dal—as “punishment” for “sins” against the community. Wait, there is more:
As part of the punishment, Sukhbir Badal and core committee members of the Akali Dal, including cabinet ministers from 2015, were ordered to clean toilets, serve in the langar (community kitchen), perform Nitnem (daily Sikh prayers), and recite Sukhmani Sahib. Placards were also placed around their necks as part of the sentence.
What’s the crime? The powerful Badal family maintained close ties to the disgraced Gurmeet Ram Rahim—cult leader of Dera Sacha Sauda. He was excommunicated in 2007—but pardoned by the Akal Takht due to their intervention. Reminder: Ram Rahim has been convicted of murder and rape.
What’s next: With its leaders declared ‘tankhaiyas’ (sinners), reins of the Akali Dal have been turned over to a six-member committee led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami. It will launch a fresh membership drive—and pick a new leader. The Print has lots more on the Akal Takht diktat. (Indian Express)
A case of climate-induced mass poisoning
A newly published study has revealed the cause for the deaths of over 350 elephants in Botswana in 2020—described at the time as a “conservation disaster”:
Elephants of all ages were seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying. Carcasses were first spotted in north-eastern Botswana in May and June 2020, with many theories circulating about the cause of death, including cyanide poisoning or an unknown disease. The incident was the largest documented elephant die-off where the cause was unknown.
What we know now: Researchers have traced the deaths to contaminated watering holes. A severe drought in 2019 followed by heavy rains in 2020 created perfect conditions for the spread of toxic blooms of blue-green algae or cyanobacteria. These infected watering holes across the delta. The elephants drank the contaminated water and died within hours.
Why this matters: This is an example of ‘climate-induced poisoning’—where extreme weather triggers mass die-offs. As conditions become hotter and drier in Southern Africa, toxic algae will spread wider and more often: “It is very sad that so many elephants died but also this hints at this global trend of sudden, climate-induced disease… there is compelling evidence that this could happen again to any animal.” (Down to Earth).
Meta’s $10 billion underwater cable play
The context: In our instantly connected world, data travels at nearly the speed of light across cables that criss-cross ocean beds between continents. Their total length: 1.4 million kilometres. These networks are built by public-private consortiums—of tech companies and state-owned telecom companies. Over recent years, they have become territory for geopolitical—and corporate—rivalry. This Big Story explains the politics of subsea cables in detail.
What happened now: Meta plans to invest $10 billion in building subsea cables that will stretch for 40,000 kilometres around the world:
The cable, when completed, would give Meta a dedicated pipe for data traffic around the world. The planned route of the cable, say sources, currently sees it spanning from the East Coast of the U.S. to India via South Africa, and then to the West Coast of the U.S. from India via Australia — making a “W” shape around the globe.
What’s notable: these will be entirely owned by the company—no governments involved. It will allow Meta to control its own traffic, advertising and delivery of services. FYI: As the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Meta is the second-biggest driver of global internet usage. The details will only be unveiled in 2025, but Silicon Valley Indians are already daydreaming of an IT gold rush:
According to a theory of [subsea cable expert Sunil] Tagare’s, it is directly related to the cable terminating in India. He believes that Meta has an opportunity to build out data center capacity in the country specifically for training and working with AI models, and the subsea cable could play a role in that effort.
TechCrunch has the exclusive report. And we highly recommend checking out the Big Story—on how the global internet works—and why it’s so fragile.
Killer whales are honing killer skills
Orcas are the Elon Musks of the marine world—always making trouble. See: tipping over boats off the coast of Iberia just for fun. The latest news is that they have figured out how to hunt and feast on the organs of whale sharks—the largest fish in the world. It reads like a horror flick script:
When hunting, all pod members work together, hitting the whale shark to turn it upside down. In that position the sharks enter a state of tonic immobility and can no longer move voluntarily or escape by going deeper. By keeping it under control, the orcas then have greater ease and speed in approaching the pelvic area of the shark and are able to extract organs of nutritional importance for them.
Yes, there is also (not-so-gory) video footage of the orcas moving in for the kill:
The bigger point to note: Whale sharks are docile, sweet creatures and their numbers are declining worldwide. One reason: Orcas preying on young whale sharks. See? Humans aren’t the only a***ole species on the planet. (Washington Post, paywalled, CNN)
Jaguar’s great leap into the pink
The context: The prestige automaker sparked a global drama when it announced plans to “completely reset” its image. The reason: It’s become a fully electric brand—with a spanking new logo. The promo vid had no iconic big cat—and no car!!
What happened now: Images of its new concept car have been ‘leaked’ online. The real shocker is the colour: eye-popping Barbie pink. This is the side view:
And here’s the front grill—with the new cat-less logo:
Yes, Pink Panther jokes have been made. And yes, this is a desperate cry for attention—from younger buyers—rather than white middle-aged Brits. (Telegraph UK, paywall, The Guardian)
what caught our eye
business & tech
- The US has launched its third crackdown in three years on China’s semiconductor industry, curbing exports to 140 companies.
- A new study has found that most LinkedIn posts are written using generative AI—and are an improvement on the usual human drivel.
- It’s scale season for Swiggy’s 10-minute food delivery service, which is now available in 400 cities across India.
sports & entertainment
- Just a year after the success of his breakthrough film ‘12th Fail’, actor Vikrant Massey has retired at the age of 37! Can he ever top ‘Sabarmati Express’? We think not.
- That farewell tour was for real—Elton John says he has now lost his eyesight due to an infection, putting to rest any lingering rumours over a return.
- Say hello to Mubi’s new book publishing arm, Mubi Editions, which will release its first title next year.
- We now have a new F-1 team—Cadillac—that will join the grid from 2026 onwards. ArsTechnica has a must-read on the backroom dealmaking, including an unlikely connection with an AI startup.
as for the rest
- In a highly controversial 180, President Biden gave his son Hunter an unconditional and sweeping pardon for any or all crimes committed since 2014—and made Dems very, very angry again.
- Amid yet another round of ceasefire talks, Hamas has claimed that 33 hostages have been killed by Israeli bombing in Gaza since the start of the war.
- An update on the Burger King vs Burger King copyright battle—the Pune joint will sadly have to change its name.
- Farmers are back on the streets of Delhi, demanding higher land compensation and residential plots promised under a 2011 court order.
- From 2026, CBSE will offer Science and Social Science at standard and advanced levels for Classes 9 and 10.
- The Guardian has a must-read on ‘Beatriz v El Salvador’, the abortion case that could set a precedent across Latin America.
- Oxford’s word of the year is… ‘brain rot’! Need we say more?
- Walking for 160 minutes per day at 4.83 km per hour could add 11 years to your life expectancy.
- The Conversation has an interesting read about the long-winded research process to find the driving factor behind long Covid in patients.
- Scientific American has a must-read on the very real dangers of hypochondria—intense health anxiety—and how to treat it.
- Associated Press via The Hindu has a must-read on a group of New Zealand scientists and Māori experts—who are studying the extremely rare carcass of a spade-toothed whale.
Four things to see
One: Uber Boat has come to India—as a shikara taxi service on Srinagar's Dal Lake. The rides—available from 10 am to 5 pm—are booked at government-fixed rates, with all earnings passed directly to shikara operators. FYI: Uber Boat services are already available on the Thames and other European rivers. But surely none look as cool! (Engadget)
Two: Scientists have rolled out the world's thinnest pasta—measuring just 372 nanometres (billionths of a metre) across—200x times thinner than human hair! Obviously, you can’t cook or eat this pasta. It will be used for medical purposes—in bandages to help wounds heal. The Independent has lots more on how it was made.
Three: We are thoroughly impressed with this sleek and dialogue-less trailer for the upcoming Tamil movie ‘Vidaamuyarchi’—starring Ajith, Trisha, and Arjun Sarja. The movie is billed as a road thriller and is slated for release on January 10, 2025. Hollywood Reporter India has more plot details.
Four: The trailer for season 2 of the musical drama ‘Bandish Bandits’ just dropped. Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry reprise their roles but sadly there is no Naseeruddin Shah—as his character has passed away. The new season premieres on Prime Video on December 13. Head over to Hindustan Times for more plot details.
feel good place
One: There’s the good, the bad And the ugly. This, however, is the best.
Two: Applied physics: Beluga whale edition.
Three: This will definitely get you through the week.
