Researched by: Rachel John, Aarthi Ramnath & Anannya Parekh
Splainer is hiring: A key role in the newsroom
We are hiring for the key position of a News Editor to join our brilliantly talented editorial team. This is a ‘teaching’ newsroom—where learning new things is a big part of the job. We also pride ourselves on a warm, friendly work culture. But, but, but: This is not an average newsroom gig with a boiler-plate desk job. What we’re looking for:
- Someone with 1.5 to 2 years of experience in a newsroom or related field. This is not an entry level position.
- Excellent research skills are a must—especially the ability to break down complex jargon into accessible language.
- Someone who is interested in—and has some knowledge of—hard news issues in politics, economy and law. This job isn’t for someone who prefers culture/lifestyle topics.
- A person who enjoys juggling a couple of different roles. Example: working closely with the production team that creates our awesome videos. Or managing relationships with content partners.
- Willingness to work in a startup environment where we all do a bit of everything—and are eager to take initiative and responsibility.
- A knowledge of and love for splainer is a huge plus—since we’re not the usual news product.
Please note there is a six-month probation period and the pay will be industry standard. We are an equal opportunity employer and work remotely. But we prefer someone based out of Bangalore–to lend a hand with video shoots and events. 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.
War on Gaza: Finally, a ceasefire resolution!
After multiple failed attempts, the UN Security Council finally passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire—though only until the end of Ramadan. It does not make the ceasefire conditional on the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The reason for success: The United States abstained—and did not exercise its veto—after blocking three such resolutions over recent months.
What this means: Although Security Council resolutions have the force of international law, the UN has no means to enforce them. Example: Israel has ignored its demand to stop expanding settlements in the West Bank. But the resolution—and the US refusal to protect Tel Aviv—is a measure of Israel’s isolation. All other 14 nations on the council voted in favour.
The immediate fallout: Prime Minister Netanyahu is furious at Washington—and has canceled a delegation to the US. It is unclear if Israel will heed the demand. The IDF attacked two more hospitals after its bloody siege of Al Shifa—where it claims to have captured 480 militants. Reuters has that story. (The Guardian)
Boeing chief steps down
The context: The company has been dogged by a series of safety scandals. They date all the way back to the grounding of its 737 Max planes—after two consecutive catastrophic crashes. But Boeing finally seemed to be staging a comeback—when a panel was blown off in the middle of an Alaska Airlines flight (explained in this Big Story). Ever since, there’s been news of failed aviation audits and more recently, a missing external panel.
What happened now: CEO Dave Calhoun announced plans to step down at the end of 2024. It is part of a massive management shake-up—whose casualties include most of the top execs including chairman Larry Kellner. Boeing’s next challenge:
Analysts have said that the company may look to bring on a top executive from outside the company but the number of people with the experience to lead an engineering and manufacturing company with more than 170,000 employees is extremely limited.
OTOH, Boeing’s stock rose by 1%—which is the first encouraging sign it’s had in months. (New York Times)
A sweeping EU investigation of Big Tech
The context: The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) ushered in dramatic changes in antitrust rules that regulate six big tech companies—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance. These companies are designated as “gatekeepers” to the internet. They must, therefore, make their services interoperable—which means making it easy to use any browser or app of your choice. The deadline to comply with the rules was March 7.
What happened now: The EU has launched a full-blown investigation into Google, Apple and Meta platforms—to check if they’re complying with both the spirit and letter of the law:
We have been in discussions with gatekeepers for months to help them adapt, and we can already see changes happening on the market. But we are not convinced that the solutions by Alphabet, Apple and Meta respect their obligations for a fairer and more open digital space for European citizens and businesses.
The investigators will first look at app store rules, Google search results and the monopoly of the Safari browser. If they are found to be non-compliant, the companies will have to pay up to 10% of their global revenue in fines—which can rise to 20% in case of repeated breaches. Reuters has more on the global campaign to rein in Big Tech. (Bloomberg News, paywall, The Guardian)
Also bad news for the big three: According to new research, almost half of the world’s top AI researchers are from China, compared to just about 18% from the US. This is because China has invested heavily in AI education:
China has nurtured so much A.I. talent partly because it invested heavily in A.I. education. Since 2018, the country has added more than 2,000 undergraduate A.I. programs, with more than 300 at its most elite universities.
While the US has pioneered breakthroughs in AI, most of that research work has been done by China-educated researchers. In fact, 38% of AI researchers in the US are Chinese.
What this means: American primacy on AI relies on Chinese talent—which is hardly good news for the Biden White House itching to ban TikTok as a national security hazard. (New York Times, paywall)
Rising tide of discontent in Ladakh
The context: Before 2019, the Buddhist-majority Ladakh was one of three administrative units of Jammu & Kashmir. It had four representatives in the state assembly and two in the legislative council. When Article 370 was revoked, the state was split into two Union Territories: J&K and Ladakh. Ladakhis celebrated the move, thinking it would bring them greater autonomy and attention.
The fallout: Over the past couple of years, residents have increasingly felt disempowered. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil—formed to administer the region—have very limited powers. The UT is instead run directly by the Lieutenant Governor—appointed by Delhi.
What happened now: Sonam Wangchuk—ex BJP MLA and the inspiration behind ‘3 Idiots’—began a 21-day protest fast on March 6. His dharna has steadily gained local support—as thousands have flocked to his cause. More importantly, the demand for statehood has united the Muslim-dominated Kargil with Buddhist Leh. The real irony: Ladakh wants special status—along the lines of tribal states in the Northeast such as Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim. These are protected by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution:
The Schedule protects tribal populations and provides autonomy to the communities through autonomous development councils. The councils are empowered to legislate on issues of land, agriculture, forests, village administration, inheritance of property, public health, marriage and divorce, etc. This assumes significance considering nearly 80% of Ladakh’s total population of 2.74 lakh are tribals.
Why this matters: Ladakh is a border state—under siege from the Chinese who have been nibbling at its territory. Hindustan Times has more on the protest.
Sex trafficking raids on P Diddy’s homes
Homeland Security raided the Sean Diddy Combs’ properties in Los Angeles, Miami and New York—as part of a sex trafficking investigation. But the exact reason for the action remains unclear. He was recently accused of sex trafficking by an ex-girlfriend—who said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes over a number of years. That civil lawsuit was settled within days—but other similar allegations soon followed:
Another of Combs’ accusers alleges that Combs, along with two other men, raped her two decades ago, when she was 17. Producer Rodney Jones has also accused Combs of sexually assaulting him and forcing him to hire sex workers and perform sexual acts with them.
The Guardian has more details. You can see the footage of the raid below.
The IPL schedule is here!
The BCCI has released the full schedule of this year’s tournament. We now know that the final will be held in Chennai—as is the right of defending champions. The date: May 26—barely a week before the T20 World Cup which begins on June 2. But blue-eyed Ahmedabad will host the two other key matches—the Qualifier #1 and the Eliminator. Point to note: The IPL coincides with the Lok Sabha elections this year—which required some maneuvering to avoid a clash in dates. (ESPNcricinfo)
Stagnant wages for Indian workers
A new report shows formal employment—i.e jobs that come with benefits like health insurance—has remained stagnant over the past 10 years. The number of self-employed workers has increased—as have their wages. But when adjusted for inflation, the amount is “negligible.” Other dismal data points: Around 34% of households earn less than the proposed minimum wage of Rs. 375 a day. And this:
According to the report, between 2011-12 and 2022-23, women doing unpaid labour in their family business or farming rose from one in four to one in three due to lack of other remunerative employment and stagnant household earnings.
Reminder: According to 2022 data, the top 1% hold 22% of the national income—while the top 10% account for 57%. The share of the bottom 50% is a shameful 12.7%. (The Hindu)
Motherhood’s wacky link to biological ageing
As you know, we all have our chronological age—which maps how long we’ve been on this planet. Then there’s biological age—measured by genetic clocks that measure the age of the organs and cells in your body. According to a new study, becoming a mother has a surprising effect on a woman’s body. Biological ageing is faster during a pregnancy—but can reverse itself after delivery:
[S]cientists report that the stress of pregnancy can cause a person’s biological age to increase by up to 2 years—a trend that may reverse itself in the months that follow. In some cases, the authors write, those who breastfeed their children after giving birth may end up biologically “younger” than during early pregnancy.
Science has more details on this fascinating research.
A medieval court case in Indore
The context: A provision under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, allows either spouse to apply to the court for restitution of conjugal rights—when the other person withdraws from the relationship without “reasonable excuse.” What this means in practice—despite the gender-neutral language: A man has the right to compel a woman to have sex—which is otherwise known as rape.
What happened now: A restitution case filed by a husband in Indore has gained national attention. The wife wants a divorce—alleging the husband has cruelly harassed her for dowry—but the court is instead accusing her of bad faith:
However, the court said the woman had not submitted any police complaints or reports regarding her allegations. The court said that the woman had not been abandoned by her husband, but she had left him. “She has forsaken her husband,” the court order said. “She is not wearing the sindoor.”
Why this matters: It casts a much needed spotlight on an appalling clause in the Hindu Marriage Act—used to trap women in terrible marriages. Example:
[I]n a range of cases relating to women working away from home, husbands would file petitions for restitution to force their wives to leave their jobs and move back to the home of their husbands or in-laws. Courts often obliged the husbands citing “the sacrosanct nature of marriage” and “holy duties of [the] wife”
BehanBox has more on forced restitution. Our Decode analysis in our election edition looked at such clauses—that may be preserved in the so-called Uniform Civil Code. (Scroll)
