Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar
A deadly IS-inspired rampage in New Orleans
An Army veteran drove a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating New Year’s Eve—killing 15 people. Shamsud-Din Jabbar was soon shot dead by police. The truck bore an Islamic State flag—and had posted social media videos before the attack declaring his loyalty to IS.
But, but, but: This does not seem to be the usual ‘lone gunman’ event—where a person inspired by an extremist ideology commits a horrific crime. The FBI said it is treating the attack as a terrorist act:
Investigators found multiple improvised explosives, including two pipe bombs that were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. The bulletin, relying on preliminary information gathered soon after the attack, also said surveillance footage showed three men and a woman placing one of the devices, but federal officials did not immediately confirm that detail and it wasn’t clear who they were or what connection they had to the attack, if any.
Associated Press via The Hindu has detailed coverage of the attack. Watch the chilling scene below:
China hacks the US government… again!
The US Treasury Department admitted it was hacked in a “major incident” last month. The villains: Chinese-backed hackers. This is after Washington blamed Beijing for hacking nine telecom companies on December 4. The hackers entered the system via a third party cybersecurity software called Beyond Trust. Officials insist they only accessed user workstations—but not confidential documents. But they were also notably coy about the details:
The department did not specify the nature of these files, or when and for how long the hack took place. They also did not specify the level of confidentiality of the computer systems or the seniority of the staff whose materials were accessed. The hackers may have been able to create accounts or change passwords.
A timely reminder: A 2024 report revealed that the biggest threat to government cybersecurity is the software used by employees—specifically Microsoft:
Microsoft Exchange Online email of 22 organizations and more than 500 individuals around the world, including the US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns — accessing some cloud-based email boxes for at least six weeks and downloading some 60,000 emails from the state department alone,
So BeyondTrust’s sins look pretty tame in comparison. Of course, China denies all allegations. (BBC News)
Gaza babies are freezing to death
In just the past week, dangerously low temperatures have claimed the lives of six babies. They are especially vulnerable to the cold—as their bodies lose heat rapidly and cannot generate enough heat to survive. This is how one parent described one such catastrophe:
I woke up in the morning and told my husband that the baby hadn't stirred for a while. He uncovered her face and found her blue, biting her tongue, with blood coming out of her mouth.
Nighttime temperatures in Gaza plummet to as low as 7°C this time of year—made worse by persistent rainfall. Also this:
As of September, more than 525,000 Palestinian women in Gaza have lost access to critical services, including prenatal and postnatal care, family planning and infection treatment, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Of these, over 17,000 pregnant women are facing starvation, with almost 11,000 already suffering from severe food shortages as man-made famine threatens the most vulnerable.
Reminder: At least 17,492 children have been killed since the Israeli invasion. Al Jazeera explains the effects of hypothermia. (BBC News)
Justin Baldoni sues the Times
The context: On December 22, New York Times published an explosive story on Blake Lively’s legal complaint against a number of people helming ‘It Ends With Us’. These included Justin Baldoni, his business partner, Jamey Heath, their studio, Wayfarer, and their PR consultants Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. She alleges that she was sexually harassed on the set—and punished with a smear campaign when she objected. The Hollywood Reporter’s follow up story has all the details.
What happened now: Baldoni is now suing the Times for its reporting on Lively’s allegations. He wants $250 million in damages. Baldoni claims the Times offered up a “self-serving narrative” by Lively—and “deliberately omitted portions of text exchanges and other information that contradicted the actress’s version of events.” In fact, his lawyers claim the allegedly libelous piece is part of her PR campaign to smear him.
The Times’ response: “We plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.” The problem for Baldoni: “The complaint, which claimed sexual harassment and retaliation, included excerpts from thousands of pages of text messages and emails obtained through a subpoena.” (New York Times)
In related news: Kate Beckinsale posted an emotional video detailing numerous instances of sexual harassment—in solidarity with Lively. (NPR)
California bans ‘addictive’ social media feeds
The context: Governments are cracking down on social media addiction among kids. Australia has already banned children under 16 from using social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The UK may follow suit.
What happened now: As of January 1, a new law went into effect in California—this time directed at the platform, not the user. It bans TikTok, Instagram et al from serving “addictive feeds” to minors. These refer to the infinite scrolls of content served up based on a user’s past behaviour—i.e what you shared, liked or viewed. This tactic has been the crack cocaine of social media platforms—designed to get users to waste hours on scrolling.
Point to note: NetChoice—a lobby group representing the big tech players like Google and Meta—tried to block the law in the courts. They argued that it violates free speech–but the federal judge didn’t buy it. Of course, there will be appeals and counter-appeals to come. (TechCrunch)
Move over Michelin, here comes Annapurna!
The government of India is now awarding Annapurna stars to the best overseas Indian restaurants. The reason: “These restaurants are officially India’s global ambassadors of food, and the Indian government is giving them a Goddess Annapurna-shaped-stamp of approval.” Officials also want to push back against the reputation of desi restaurants being “smelly” (?!). These joints presumably don’t have to work very hard for an Annapurna—compared to a Michelin. Especially since there are only 16 nominations for 2024 so far. But, hey, the award looks grand! (The Print)
what caught our eye
business & tech
- Can’t doomscroll on flight mode? No worries—Air India becomes the first to provide in-flight Wi-Fi services on select domestic routes.
- Adani is still reeling from its latest bribery scandal as it loses out on Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation’s tender, floated for procuring smart meters.
sports & entertainment
- Team India is struggling in the Test series down under, and head coach Gautam Gambhir has had enough—this Indian Express exclusive claims there’s plenty of dressing room drama ripe for trashy reality TV.
- World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen played his first match at the World Blitz Championship after initially quitting the chess tournament—due to a dispute over his jeans.
- Brangelina is officially over—the actors have reportedly reached a divorce settlement after eight years.
- More of Disney’s iconic works have become public domain starting this year—such as the short film ‘Skeleton Dance’, ‘Popeye’ and Tintin’s early cartoons.
- The latest in desi director drama—Hansal Mehta has accused ‘Lucky Bhaskar’ producer Naga Vamsi of ‘borrowing liberally’ from Mehta’s 2020 hit series ‘Scam 1992, and labelled Naga as ‘arrogant’.
as for the rest
- Saudi Arabia executed at least 338 people in 2024—a new record for the kingdom.
- Russia has stopped sending gas to the EU via Ukraine after a key deal expired, ending a decades-long arrangement.
- Elon Musk's Starlink will give Ukraine 'uninterrupted' cell service. Hmm, what does that say about Trump's future Russia policy?
- Globally, 2024 likely marked the first year with a temperature 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, while India recorded its warmest year on record.
- The mother of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji is now calling for an FBI probe into his death, disputing the city’s suicide ruling.
- Two Hindu bodies in Kerala are split over whether men should remove their shirts when entering a temple in the state.
- According to a new IIM study, smart cities like Chennai are safer for women.
- Currently available in 18 languages, the Indian Constitution will, by March 2025, be available in all 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule.
- Caffeine high—India's coffee exports have crossed $1 billion for the first time, driven by a surge in bean prices and increased demand from key markets.
Four things to see
One: At a special gathering honouring Shyam Benegal—organised by Shabana Azmi—a teary-eyed Naseeruddin Shah offered this tribute. Nope, we’re not crying. (Hindustan Times)
Two: Welcome to the new era of automated traffic—where a robotaxi hits a sidewalk delivery bot. Happily, no one was hurt—and there was no road rage involved. But here’s the Q: which company’s insurance has to pay up? (TechCrunch)
Three: Scientists have made VR googles for mice—unimaginatively called Mousegoggles. Though we can’t imagine these can be worn out at the Sunday brunch. New Atlas has more on why the science matters.
Four: Abu Dhabi set a Guinness World Record for 50 minutes of fireworks on New Year’s Eve—which also included an aerial display by 6,000 drones. (Indian Express)
feel good place
One: To kick off the new year: a wonderful rendition of ‘Abhi na jao chod kar’—sung by some of the biggest names in the music industry on Christmas Day. (context here)
Two: Meet the Moo Deng of 2025!
