Violence in Syria: 1,300 dead in 72 hours

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Violence in Syria: 1,300 dead in 72 hours

The context: Syria has been ruled by an interim government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa after his extremist group—Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—toppled the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. At the time, Western media coverage framed al-Sharaa as a not-so-bad extremist—despite his past ties to Al Qaeda, ISIS etc. The focus was on the fall of Assad—a great supporter of Iran and Hezbollah. More on Assad’s fall and al-Sharaa in this Big Story.

How it started: Assad loyalists first attacked and killed 16 security personnel in the town of Al Haffa—in Latakia province. The violence soon spread to neighbouring Tartus. You can see their location below:

Why it spread: The attacks took place in a region that is home to Alawites—the Arab ethnic-religious sect that Assad belonged to. Although Alawites don’t necessarily support Assad, the community was targeted for ‘collective punishment’. When the dust settled, over 1,300 people had been killed over a 3-day period. Most of them were civilians shot—often at close range—by security forces. Also this:

Videos showed the bodies of dozens of people in civilian clothes piled up in the town of al-Mukhtariya, where more than 40 people were killed at one time, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. Other videos showed fighters wearing security uniforms executing people point blank, ordering men to bark like dogs and beating captives.

Point to note: Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government had promised Alawites that they would be safe under its rule and that there would be no revenge killings. Authorities are also trying to pin the blame elsewhere—on “individual actions” and a “massive influx” of unnamed “fighters” on the coast.

What’s next: Sharaa’s government has promised an independent investigation—and punishment for anyone who harmed civilians. He also said the violence was part of “expected challenges” and called for national unity. The interim authority will be replaced this week with a new government—which has the difficult task of ensuring all religious and ethnic groups are represented. Its announcement may well spark a new round of violence.

Reading list: The Guardian and Mint have the best overviews. BBC News liveblog has the latest.

Justin Trudeau’s heir has been anointed

The context: Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau resigned in January in response to sinking approval ratings and an internal revolt. The final blow—Deputy PM Freeland’s exit in December. His Liberal Party seemed doomed, trailing the Conservatives by as much as 24 points. Then Trump happened—along with his tariffs and talk of making Canada “the 51st state.”

What happened now: Liberal Party members held a poll to select Trudeau’s successor—to represent them in the upcoming national election. Their choice: Mark Carney—a banker with deep experience in financial markets—who has never been elected to office.

Carney is best known for steering the Bank of Canada through the 2008 global financial crisis and the Bank of England through Brexit. In other words, the perfect man for a trade war. FYI: He beat the former Finance Minister and personal pal Chrystia Freeland by a landslide—winning a stunning 85.9% of the votes.

Quote to note: Soon after his ascension, Carney came out fighting:

America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form.. We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves.. “So Americans should make no mistake, in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.

Numbers to note: Trump has single-handedly changed the fortunes of Carney and his party. The Conservative Party candidate Pierre Poilievre had maintained a steady 20-point lead for months—which has now vanished:

The latest polling suggests that most respondents would choose Mr. Carney over Mr. Poilievre if he led the Liberal Party into the elections. Polling also shows that Canadians would prefer Mr. Carney to negotiate with Mr. Trump over Mr. Poilievre.

The key reason for Poilievre’s altered fortunes: “voters see him as too close ideologically to Mr. Trump.” Associated Press via The Hindu has more on Carney. BBC News is best on the state of the election race. (New York TImes)

India wins the 2025 Champions Trophy!

Balle balle! India beat New Zealand by four wickets on Sunday in Dubai to clinch the Champions Trophy. Captain Rohit Sharma now has two ICC titles under his belt in less than a year—having won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last June. He was also the player of the match—leading India’s run chase with 76 runs off 83 balls—featuring seven fours and three sixes, including this cracking hit off Nathan Smith’s bowling:

The key performer with the ball was Kuldeep Yadav—who ensured that the Kiwis could not capitalise on their strong start with the bat. Below is his masterful dismissal of sprightly desi opener Rachin Ravindra—New Zealand’s batting never really recovered as India’s spin quartet made scoring difficult:

By the time Ravindra Jadeja hit the winning boundary, victory seemed inevitable as India had an over to spare:

Reminder: Our last Champions Trophy victory came in 2013 against England in their own backyard—ofc, Virat Kohli was a key part of both title-winning squads. On Sunday, the team paid homage to his celebratory dance from 12 years ago:

The bigger picture: India are now the most successful team in Champions Trophy history, having won it thrice. But this victory left a sour aftertaste—with allegations of unfair advantage. Thanks to the Dubai clause, we played all our matches in one venue—while the other teams had to fly back and forth from Pakistan to play us. Our guardian angel (and ICC chair) Jay Shah presenting the trophy to Rohit is the icing on the financial dominance cake.

Reading list: The Hindu and The Telegraph have the reporting on India’s win. ESPNCricinfo has the analysis on India’s spin dominance.

The heartbreaking circumstances of Gene Hackman’s death

The context: On February 26, the 95-year-old Hollywood legend was found dead in his New Mexico home. Also found dead: His 63-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their German Shepherds. The police immediately ruled out foul play but were mystified as to what had happened.

What happened now: We finally know the cause of death, and it is even sadder than what we had imagined. Betsy Arakawa died on February 11—after contracting the rare hantavirus—which is transmitted by mice. Gene Hackman was alive for a week before he died of cardiac failure. Hackman suffered from advanced Alzheimer’s—which is likely why he could not call for help. As for the dog, he had been put in a crate after a surgery—and probably starved to death. Not all horror stories involve a crime. (New York Times)

what caught our eye

business & tech

Bridgestone and Michelin are rolling out puncture-proof tyres—tech that could give self-driving cars a smoother ride.
Wealthy Chinese investors are secretly pouring millions into Musk’s private ventures—xAI, Neuralink, and SpaceX—that keep their identities hidden.
Musk's DOGE is slashing federal jobs at historic levels—at the US General Services Administration, employees now get GSAi, an AI assistant in a government-approved suit.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s bid for a Trump pardon backfired—he's been thrown into solitary after his Tucker Carlson interview violated prison rules.

sports & entertainment

The FIA is considering banning swearing on F1 team radio, but research suggests cursing helps drivers stay focused, regulate emotions, and tolerate pain under extreme racing conditions.
King Charles III is set to release his own playlist called ‘The King’s Music Room’ on Apple Music. It features everything from 1930s crooners to Afrobeats stars to pop stars Kylie Minogue, Raye and more.
Not that we were itching for more from the royals, Meghan Markle’s Netflix show ’WIth Love, Meghan’ has been renewed for season 2.
Sony nuked 75,000 AI-generated deepfakes of its artists—now it's warning the UK that loosening copyright rules will make the problem worse.

health & environment

India just had its hottest February since 1901, with an early, brutal summer on the way—climate change is turning up the heat, and La Niña might not save us anymore in the future.
CPCB now says Maha Kumbh water is fit for bathing—despite its own data showing faecal coliform levels far above permissible limits on multiple days.
A new home for India’s rising tiger population—Madhav Tiger Reserve is the 58th Tiger Reserve in the country.
Contrary to popular belief, a new study has found that bigger animals face higher risk of developing cancers than smaller species.
Scientists found that our pupils constantly change size while we’re asleep—indicating different levels of brain activation. Gizmodo has more on why this matters.
People with type A blood are more likely to have a stroke before 60.
The Conversation breaks down the difference between wholemeal and wholegrain bread. Spoiler alert: Not a whole lot.
Wanna know the ‘Real Super Female’? A female bladderwrack seaweed plant in the Baltic Sea which propagated 310 miles (500 kilometers) through cloning.

meanwhile, in the world

Israel is sending a delegation to Qatar on Monday to push ceasefire talks, as Hamas signals progress in negotiations with Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
France, Germany, Italy, and the UK back the Arab-led plan to rebuild Gaza, calling it a "realistic path" to easing the enclave’s crisis.
Trump yanks $400 million from Columbia University, accusing it of failing to protect Jewish students amid campus antisemitism claims.
China slapped up to 100% tariffs on Canadian pork, canola, and peas—its latest move in the US-China trade war, warning Canada and Mexico not to play middleman for American pressure.
Africa saw a record 21 internet shutdowns in 2024, as governments increasingly used digital blackouts to suppress protests and control information.
One in 15 US adults has witnessed a mass shooting, and younger generations are facing it more than ever, a new study finds.
Israeli scientists say MDMA may have helped Nova festivalgoers cope with trauma after the October 7 Hamas attack, offering unexpected insight into the drug’s psychological effects.

meanwhile, in India

Women protesters blocked NH-2 in Manipur’s Kangpokpi after violent clashes over the Kuki-Zo community’s opposition to a free movement plan.
India rolls out new passport rules: Birth proof requirements updated, and a colour-coded system introduced to classify passport holders.
Telangana tunnel rescue enters day 16—teams deploy Singareni miners and a Rat miner as slush slows efforts to trace two still missing. One body found overnight.

Four things to see

One: Activists from Palestine Action spray-painted “Gaza is not for sale” across the green and buildings of Trump’s golf resort in Scotland. Sadly, no one is likely to do the same to his resort in Mar-A-Lago. (BBC News)

Also defaced: the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, California—which was sprayed with anti-Modi graffiti. The attack was linked to an upcoming “Khalistani referendum” in Los Angeles. (The Independent)

Two: Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stranded on the ISS for nine months (explained here). For some reason, Donald Trump decided to weigh in at great length on their predicament—saying, for example: “They have been left up there. I hope they like each other, maybe they'll love each other.” If that wasn’t enough, he praised (we think) WIlliams’ “wild hair.” Reminder: All long hair is “wild” in zero G. Watch his colourful bhashan below. (Mint)

Three: On Friday, fashion designers Shivan & Narresh held a fashion show in Gulmarg to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their label. Unfortunately, some Kashmiris—mainly mullahs and CM Omar Abdullah—declared the show “obscene.” How dare women wear non-traditional clothes in the month of Ramadan? Abdullah has asked local authorities to submit a report within the next 24 hours and to take “appropriate action.” Reminder: This guy was Mr Liberal when he was out of a job and tweeting all the time. (Indian Express)

Four: Watch the creepy trailer for ‘Naisha’—India’s first AI film featuring AI actors. Directed by Vivek Anchalia—best known for ‘Tikdam’, the plot revolves around the relationship between Naisha—notice the ‘AI’ in her name—a wannabe actor and Zain, a stand-up comedian and rapper. The film is set to release in May. PS: There’s not much reporting on the film, we found it on Taran Adarsh’s post on X.