Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Anannya Parekh & Aakriti Anand
Wanted: A fabulous editor for Advisory
Our weekend edition—the Advisory—is all about helping our community get the best advice on what to watch, where to travel, what to buy etc. All of it served with wonderful essays on art, music, food, history and more. We are looking for someone who really gets what makes the Advisory special—and can take it to the next level. Requirements of the job include:
- At least five years experience in lifestyle/culture content.
- A well-informed taste in books, travel, movies and more—and the network to commission content across a range of categories.
- Impeccable writing and editing skills is a must.
- Ability to work closely with our partners—and forge new relationships with institutions and brands.
- Willingness to explore lifestyle & culture in new and innovative ways.
- A knowledge of and love for splainer is a huge plus—since we’re not the usual news product.
Please note this isn’t a job for someone who is looking to edit the standard lifestyle section of a newspaper or site. Our aim is to break new ground—and build something truly valuable for our subscribers.
As for the rest: There is a six-month probation period and the pay will be industry standard. We are an equal opportunity employer and work remotely. Please send your resumes and cover letter—telling us why you want this job—to talktous@splainer.in. We will reach out to you if you’re shortlisted.
Shocker in the Gauri Lankesh murder case
The context: In 2017, journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore. Eighteen people—linked to extremist Hindutva groups—were arrested. The case finally went to trial in 2022. This Big Story looks at details of the trial.
What happened next: One of the accused—Mohan Nayak—was granted bail in December 2023, on grounds of undue delay in the trial. Around the same time, a key witness in the murder case “turned hostile” and said he was coerced into giving a confession.
What happened now: On July 16, Karnataka High Court has now granted bail to three others—Amit Digvekar, KT Naveen Kumar, and HL Suresh—on similar grounds. Kumar is allegedly the man seen in the CCTV footage around Lankesh’s house before the murder. In other words, this is outrageous. (The News Minute)
Karnataka’s controversial locals-only quota
The state cabinet has okayed a draft bill that requires companies to reserve 50% of management positions—and 70% of non-management positions—for ‘locals’. The proposal sparked immediate outrage—especially among IT companies that call the city home. After all the leading trade associations warned firms may relocate—the government backed down—saying the bill has been “temporarily withheld.” In other words, it's as dead as the proverbial dodo. (The Hindu)
Meanwhile, in Thailand: The government is doing its bit for locals—offering a cash handout of 10,000 baht (about $275) to its 50 million citizens. The amount will be deposited in a Digital Wallet. The aim is to encourage low-income Thais to to spend more on local businesses—to boost the economy:
The government says that this scheme will cause an “economic tornado”... the stimulus and subsequent consumption are expected to boost gross domestic product growth by 1.2 to 1.6 percentage points.
Economists are not impressed. The main reason: the government has no clear way to finance this ambitious plan—and has flip-flopped on how it plans to do so. (Associated Press)
The Emmy nominees are out!
The big headline: ‘The Bear’ landed a record-breaking 23 nominations—highest for a comedy series. It surpassed 30 Rock’s 22 nominations in 2009. FYI: ‘The Bear’ landed 10 wins in 2023—making it the most Emmys won by a series in its first season. But the series that received the highest overall number of nominations this year: ‘Shogun’ with 25. Variety has loads more details.
Surprise move on work visas
The government has been hostile to any kind of Chinese presence in the country—ever since relations went south over Ladakh. But we remain dependent on China for machinery—and the engineers and techies required to install them. New Delhi is therefore scrambling to fast-track visas—which currently take five months to process. But the big picture remains the same: New Delhi issued just 2,000 visas to Chinese nationals in 2024—down from 200,000 in 2019. That freeze is mostly hurting Indian businesses—cutting production by $15 billion in FY2024. (Bloomberg News via Business Standard)
The great heist of YouTube subtitles
A Proof News investigation shows that Anthropic, Nvidia, Apple, Salesforce and others trained their AI tools on subtitles of YouTube videos—from more than 48,000 channels. Of course, there was no consent or compensation. The list of the channels that were robbed is egregious:
The dataset, called YouTube Subtitles, contains video transcripts from educational and online learning channels like Khan Academy, MIT, and Harvard. The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the BBC also had their videos used to train AI, as did The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Our own Dhruv Rathee has not been spared. The dataset includes plain text subtitles, along with their translations into different languages.
Why this matters: Experts say that speech-to-text data is a “goldmine” because it also teaches AI to imitate how humans speak—which may make creators obsolete one day. (Wired, paywall, The Hindu)
Meanwhile, over at Tinder: It’s new AI-powered tool Photo Selector will help you pick the best pictures for your profile. This is expected to save users the grand total of 33 minutes that they spend on this important task. Now, all you have to do is click a selfie—and the AI will do its magic by using facial recognition software to curate more images with different angles and backgrounds. It has been rolled out in the US and will hit the international market soon. See an example of how it works below. (The Verge)
Yes, poop frequency matters!
According to a new study, there is a golden mean of pooping. Too much indicates faulty liver function. OTOH, not pooping enough, i.e. chronic constipation, is a sign of decreased kidney function. The golden mean, if you’re wondering: one or two dumps a day—although women and people with low BMI do the doo less frequently.
The bigger picture: Bowel movements are linked to gut health. The gut is lined with colonies of different microbes that eat and ferment nutrients in our poop. In other words: “If we don’t feed our microbes, they start eating us.” A diet with fruits, veggies, and fibres—minus alcohol and red meat—helps maintain a healthy pooping schedule. (NBC News)
Four things to see
One: Meet the goodest members of the Indian squad at the Paris Olympics: our 10-member K9 team. They will provide security for the Games—along with their 17 handlers. The team includes six Belgian Shepherds, three German Shepherds, and one Labrador Retriever. FYI: There are approximately 1,750 security personnel from 40 countries offering support—but our canine heroes were specifically requested by the French Embassy in Delhi. We’re loving the Eiffel Tower photo-op! (The Hindu)
Two: Speaking of photo-ops, Kim and Khloe went to the ISKCON mandir in Mumbai—with Jay Shetty for company. The sisters did the aarti and fed poor children—reflecting true Ambani spirit. (Hindustan Times)
Three: A carcass of a spade-toothed whale washed up on a New Zealand beach. The species is so rare—that it has never been spotted alive. Only six documented whales have ever been seen. Since whales are sacred to the Maōris, they will decide what happens to its remains. (BBC News)
Four: If you’re considering upping your footwear game, do consider this hawai chappal—retailing at a Saudi mall for 4,500 riyals or Rs 1,00,264. Hey, it must be that special shade of cerulean blue. (Indian Express)
Takshashila: A doorway to public policy
Editor’s note: We are delighted to unveil our partnership with Takshashila Institution. It is one of India’s foremost think-tanks on public policy. They also run valuable courses that teach students how to tackle complex policy challenges—bringing together academic experts and policy practitioners from across the world. We will be showcasing their courses and community in splainer. Please note: This is not paid content.
Over to Takshashila… The doors to knowledge and innovation in public policy are now wide open for everyone. Takshashila Institution, the pioneer in public policy education in India invites you to join OpenTakshashila, a free space for learning, exploring and engaging with the public policy community.
What’s happening on OpenTakshashila? Educate Yourself: Our "Open Course in Public Policy" is a free, self-paced online course designed to equip you with the fundamentals of public policy. It's your foundation for understanding, analysing, and influencing policy decisions.
Join the Conversation: Participate in "Open Mic" sessions where nuanced discussions on current policy issues thrive. It's your chance to voice your thoughts, listen to diverse opinions, and engage in debates that matter.
Dive into Books: Our "Books & Banter" book club invites you to share your latest reads, discover new insights, and discuss ideas that can transform society. It's a space where policy enthusiasts and book lovers unite.
Have Fun Learning: "OffBeat" offers a unique blend of events and fun games focused on public policy. This is where learning meets play, allowing you to grasp complex concepts through engaging and interactive activities.
Explore Open Takshashila—and sign up here.
