No Tech for Apartheid
Aaj ki taaza khabar includes Google workers’ protest against Israel, former Maldives Minister apologises for a meme & a flurry of cancer-related news. Our fave bit: the total solar eclipse!
ICYMI: We hope you received the latest edition of our special election newsletter on Sunday. This week, Samriddhi Sakunia reports on the burgeoning industry of deepfake content—that will be on full display in the coming elections. We also laid out the link between two recent reports to look at an important link between a nation's slide toward autocracy and growing support for authoritarian leaders among its people. It’s not as simple as you think. Also in ‘24 Questions: a weekly roundup of taaza election khabar. It is entirely free to read—in its entirety. You can read it here.
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Scam factory: The new face of trafficking
The TLDR: The internet has birthed a new form of human trafficking. Its victims are ambitious, educated and lured by the prospect of a well-paying job in distant shores. They instead find themselves trapped in vast ‘factories’ in Southeast Asia—beaten, tortured and forced to execute online scams that cheat people of their life savings.
Researched by: Rachel John, Aarthi Ramnath & Anannya Parekh
ICYMI: We have a new YouTube show!
In case you missed the Editor’s Note, we’ve launched our daily news wrap called ‘What the F*** Happened Here?’ The title sums up how all of us feel any time we watch or read the news. But we are here to make it easier to know what’s up—without noise, negativity or that existential feeling of despair. The latest edition from last evening is below. Follow us on YouTube to get your daily dose.
War on Gaza: The latest update
Google workers revolt: They want the company to dump a $1.2 billion contract with Israel called Project Nimbus—jointly held with Amazon. It provides AI and cloud computing services:
Nimbus reportedly involves Google establishing a secure instance of Google Cloud on Israeli soil, which would allow the Israeli government to perform large-scale data analysis, AI training, database hosting, and other forms of powerful computing using Google’s technology, with little oversight by the company. Google documents… suggest that the Google services on offer to Israel via its Cloud have capabilities such as AI-enabled facial detection, automated image categorization, and object tracking.
Google insists that none of this is used by the military—but no one is buying that line. To be clear, this isn’t exactly a mass uprising. ‘No Tech for Apartheid’ only has about 40 official members—though they claim there are hundreds more sympathetic to their cause. Time Magazine has the exclusive.
Germany vs Nicaragua at ICJ: Nicaragua has taken Germany to the International Court of Justice for providing military aid to Israel: “By sending military equipment and now defunding UNRWA [UN agency for Palestinian refugees] … Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide.” Point to note: South Africa has already accused Israel of war crimes in the same court. That said, ICJ is a UN body. Its rulings take ages to deliver—and while they’re binding there is no enforcement mechanism in place. Think of this as PR pressure on Israel—that embarasses its allies. (Al Jazeera)
Sticking with the UN: The Palestinian Authority—which administers the occupied West Bank—has applied to become a full member of the United Nations. As of now, it is a “non-member observer state”—same as the Holy See (the Vatican). A committee in the Security Council will vet the application. If they greenlight it, then the request is submitted to the wider Council. Approval requires nine ‘ayes’—and zero vetoes from the permanent members. Israel, of course, strongly disapproves—claiming, "The UN has been sabotaging peace in the Middle East for years. But today marks the beginning of the point of no return." (The Hindu)
A key ruling on climate change
In a case involving the endangered Great Indian Bustard, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling on climate change. It recognised a citizen’s right to be protected from its worst effects—as part of their constitutional rights to equality and life. And here’s why: The right to health (which is a part of the right to life) is affected by air pollution, rising temperatures, droughts etc. And if climate change leads to acute food and water shortages, it will have unequal effects on the rich and the poor.
Why this matters: It establishes the government’s responsibility to protect all citizens from climate change—and accountability for actions that undermine the environment. Of course, no one knows what that means in practice. (The Hindu)
India vs China: Kaun banega economic super-giant?
India is the fifth largest economy in the world with a GDP of $3.5 trillion. In comparison, the Chinese economy is worth $17.8 trillion—and it will likely take India a lifetime to catch up. However, according to a Bloomberg analysis, India could dethrone China in this critical parameter:
In Bloomberg Economics’s base case scenario, India’s economy will accelerate to 9% by the end of the decade, while China slows to 3.5%. That puts India on course to overtake China as the world’s biggest growth driver by 2028. Even in the most pessimistic scenario — in line with the IMF’s projections for the next five years in which growth stays below 6.5% — India overtakes China’s contribution in 2037.
Right now, India is at #3—contributing 9.5% of global growth—compared to China’s 18.5%. As always, it’s all about the demographic dividend: a large population of young people to replace retiring generations.
But, but, but: Many Indians are simply not working or looking for a job. The number of people of working age in the labour market is only 55.4%. OTOH, it is 76% for China. This is also because Indian women are stuck at home. But also this—a skill gap that we rarely acknowledge:
India has a lot of extremes. It has the brightest minds, and then the greatest institutes in India that compete with the Ivy League universities, but then on average human capital levels are just not quite comparable to most other countries in the region, let alone higher or more developed countries.
Bloomberg News (paywall) has more of this exclusive analysis.
Why is Maldives so mean?
Former Maldives minister Mariyam Shiuna had to apologise for misusing the Ashok Chakra in one of her tweets. Shiuna created a meme mocking her party’s rival Maldivian Democratic Party. Basically, she swapped out the circle in their logo for the Ashok Chakra—presumably to call them out as India’s chamchas.
Great Twitter outrage ensued and she has delivered the usual non-apology. Shiuna belongs to the ruling party Progressive Party of Maldives—which ran on an anti-India platform. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has been cuddling up to China these days—kicking out all Indian military personnel. But New Delhi has stayed calm and amenable… for now. See the silly meme below. (Indian Express)
Found: A splainer easter egg!
Editor’s note: Every once in a while, we drop something funny, whimsical or beautiful in an unexpected part of the edition. Our last easter egg was a few lovely lines from Wislawa Szymborska’s ‘Love at First Sight’—a wonderful meditation on romantic love.
Today, we offer this striking self portrait by Korean-American painter Sasha Gordon that challenges body ideals with impish humour. ‘Trimmings’ shows Gordon using gardening shears to trim a hedge version of herself: “She makes herself into a monument without asking for permission.” New York Times has more on the modern nude, if you’re interested.
A flurry of cancer-related news
One, an Apollo report: Apollo Hospitals released its annual Health of Nation Report—which has some dismal data. One in three Indians is at risk for diabetes, two in three are at risk for hypertension, and one in 10 suffers from depression. Then there’s cancer. The number of cases was 1.39 million in 2020—but is expected to jump to 1.57 million by 2025. That’s a 13% increase.
More worrying: is the fact that the median age for cancer diagnosis in India is lower than other countries. For example, the median age for breast cancer is 52 in India—but 63 in the US and Europe. And yet only 1.9% of Indian women are screened for breast cancer—compared to 82% in the US. (Business Standard)
Two, a new Lancet study: found that prostate cancer in India will double to about 71,000 new cases per year by 2040. This is part of a global trend—cases are projected to double from 1.4 million per year in 2020 to 2.9 million per year by 2040 worldwide. Lower and middle income countries will see the biggest increases. (Indian Express)
Three, a link to biological age: A US study found that our biological age may be linked to the risk of cancer. As you know, we all have the age that measures the number of years we’ve spent on earth. Then there is biological age—which measures just how “old” our body is right now—given our lifestyle and genes.
Turns out, people who age faster according to that measure are far more likely to get cancer. They have twice the risk of early-onset lung cancer. A 60% higher risk of getting gastrointestinal tumours and more than 80% higher risk of uterine cancer. It’s all a bit ironic. We spend so much energy on anti-ageing treatments for the outside—while our insides shrivel into old crones. (CNN)
Get ready for expensive flights
As we predicted yesterday, Vistara’s plan to cut 1,000 flights in April has ended in grief for all passengers. Fares have already jumped by 25% on routes between Delhi and other cities, such as Goa, Kochi and Srinagar. Don’t expect the situation to improve any time soon. Vistara is just one factor pushing ticket prices upwards—as industry experts point out:
Over 70 aircraft of IndiGo are grounded due to engine-related issues and supply chain problems and over 50 Go First planes are idling at airports as the airline filed for insolvency in May last year. There are visible capacity constraints and the airlines seem helpless at this stage. On the other hand, demand growth is not letting up, leading to a skewed demand-supply scenario.
But hey, Air India is making Bengaluru its international hub in South India—water shortages be damned! (Indian Express)
AI comes to Spotify
Spotify is upping its AI game. It has launched a beta version of a tool that allows users to create a playlist based on textual prompts. Sadly this will only be available to folks in the UK and Australia for now. Don’t worry, soon enough, you will be able to create playlists for really important moments in your life. Like ‘songs for a food coma’ or tracks to ‘save this Tinder date’ or—if you insist on being really boring—“music to read to on a cold, rainy day.” Watch a demo video of the feature here. (TechCrunch)
Paris is getting hook-up ready!
In 2020, Tokya had placed a ban on athletes hooking up at the Olympic village because of the evil coronavirus. That’s where the athletes stay during the event and—left to their own devices—have lots of sex with each other. But social distancing made that a big no-no!
Happily, we have conquered the corona and athletes are now free to get down and dirty. Paris has lifted the ban for the Olympics this summer. Even better news: The village will be stocked with 300,000 condoms to promote safe sex. But it will not be drunken sex because the Olympics village is as dry as a gaon in Gujarat. (CBS News)
Four things to see
One: A rare total solar eclipse crossed the North American continent yesterday. The images are, of course, stunning—see an excellent gallery by CNN. NASA shared this view from planet Earth. And this one from space.
Content warning: The clip below depicts gruesome violence that is difficult to watch.
Two: Social media is buzzing over this clip that shows a man being beaten with an iron rod in broad daylight. Now, that’s not exactly shocking in our great country—where good citizens rarely interfere when something bad is going down. They just whip out their mobile phones instead. In this case, the only-in-Bengaluru bit is this: The victim is a manager who was whacked around by goons hired by colleagues. Apparently, he was leaning on two members of the staff to work “faster.” It’s official: Bangalore is losing the plot. (Economic Times)
Three: We finally have a teaser trailer for the much-anticipated sequel to the Telugu blockbuster ‘Pushpa’—and it looks intriguing. It has Allu Arjun in a pattu saree—with fab jewellery to match—beating up the bad guys. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. ‘Pushpa: The Rule’ hits theatres on August 15. Watch the teaser here. (Hindustan Times)
Four: The Qutub Minar marked the 30th anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide—the 100-day massacre that claimed the lives of 8,00,000 people in 1994. It was illuminated in the colours of the Rwandan flag. Nice! (The Hindu)
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 "PageTurners" 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.
A list of puzzling questions
Editor’s note: Every week, we feature three questions from our quiz master Shantanu Sharma—who is a researcher-writer and has a side hustle as a professional quiz guru. He’d love to hear from you—so send your feedback/suggestions or just say ‘hi’ over at sharmashantanu312@gmail.com or @shantorasbox on Twitter.
How this works: Every correct answer is worth 10 points. If a question has multiple parts, each is worth 5 points. You have until Friday 12 pm to send in your answers to talktous@splainer.in or via DMs on Insta or Twitter. The correct answers will be published every Tuesday—as will the monthly leaderboard. The grand prize for the winner at the end of the month: a quarterly subscription for anyone of your choice—including the option of adding three months to your sub. That’s Rs 899 in value—so it’s pretty darn good:) Rule to note: this is all about who sends in the correct answers first.
The answers: to the previous week’s quiz are at the bottom.
One: If you want to take a photo of this star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you’ll have to pick a very different camera angle than the rest. Why is that? Who is the recipient of this star—someone who embodies both the gift of gab and the jab? Both parts carry 5 points.
Two: Connect the two elements below to arrive at a luminous Indian from the world of science.
(a) One of NASA’s four great satellite observatories
(b) A Google Doodle celebrating a discovery about the evolution of stars
Three: This avant-garde filmmaker embarked on a monumental adaptation of a sci-fi work during the mid-1970s. The production included an unusual line-up of celebrity cast and crew members. However, the price tag proved far too high for the studios, and his ambitious project remained unrealized. Name the herculean adaptation that a Canadian filmmaker recently succeeded in bringing to life?
About last week’s quiz…
Here are the answers to the third edition of the splainer quiz:
One: This currency note—which is no longer in circulation—from a European country depicts a creator and his designs. Identify the Indian connection with the designer. Also: Name the country that issued these notes. Both parts carry 5 points.
Answer: The designer is Le Corbusier—who was the architect of Chandigarh and the country that issued these notes is Switzerland.
This currency note is part of the eighth series of Swiss franc banknotes which entered circulation in the mid-90s. The obverse side depicts Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, the Swiss-French architect, designer, and urban planner, better known as Le Corbusier. On the reverse side is the ground plan and impressions of the Vidhan Sabha and Punjab and Haryana High Court buildings. These buildings are part of the Capitol Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stands as a shining testament to the brilliance of Corbusier, a visionary whose influence profoundly shaped modern Indian architecture.
Two: Think laterally and connect the following elements. Hint: Be as specific as possible.
a) A country in Eastern Europe
b) Never address this iconic character from a sitcom with this name.
c) An English monarch who occupied the throne not via marriage
Answer: Vodka Cocktails
The three elements are White Russian, Cosmo, and Bloody Mary.
The phrase White Russia is the literal translation of the word Belarus. The White Russian, a remarkably simple cocktail, blends vodka, Kahlúa, and cream effortlessly. The character of Kramer from Seinfeld remained nameless for five and a half seasons, and only in the middle of season six, was Cosmo revealed to be his first name. Toby Cecchini, a bartender from New York City, developed Cosmopolitan, also known as Cosmo, the vodka and cranberry juice cocktail in the late 1980s. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Queen Mary I’s infamous reputation as Bloody Mary is unjustified as she was no more bloodthirsty than her father, Henry VIII, or other monarchs of England. The classic Bloody Mary cocktail is said to have comprised seven essential ingredients: vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, celery salt, Tabasco, and lemon juice.
Three: The Norwegian hip-hop dance group Quick Style toured and performed in India last year. Besides live shows, they also did a lot of promotional shoots. One such video was shot inside a palace. In which city in central India is this palace located?
Answer: Rajwada, Indore
Situated in Indore, Rajwada is a stunning monument built in the 18th century by Malhar Rao Holkar. It served as the residence for the Holkar rulers and witnessed many royal ceremonies and cultural events. The palace’s seven floors adorned with detailed carvings, arches, and pillars, display the craftsmanship of its builders. Quick Style started as Quick Crew in 2006 by the founding members Suleman Malik, Bilal Malik, and Nasir Sirikhan who grew up in Oslo. In 2009, they won ‘The Norwegian Got Talent.’ They performed in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Indore as part of their India tour. Check out their wedding video here from 2022 that went viral.
And the winners are…
Here are the top five scorers for the first week of April. Congratulations!
Need an immediate pick-me-up? We have all you need to keep you sane.
One: How to pet a baby Highland cow.
Two: How to pet an otter—explained by an otter.
Three: Always wash your cutlery when you’re done.
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