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Journalism of Courage
Good morning,
We begin today on a sombre note. In an overnight development, Charlie Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump and a conservative commentator, was shot dead at a college event in Utah. A graphic video of the shooting has been circulating on social media, as authorities hunt for the perpetrators. Kirk, who co-founded the youth activist group Turning Point USA, drew huge crowds on college campuses, where he would debate students on political issues such as abortion and gun rights. These interactions often went viral on the Internet, inviting much debate. He is credited as somewhat of a kingmaker, as he rallied huge youth support for the Republican Party, including J D Vance, in the run-up to the elections. As one of the leading conservative voices, Kirk has openly criticised Covid-19 protective measures such as lockdowns, the critical race theory, and immigration. Kirk’s death, which President Trump termed a “heinous assassination”, is the latest act of political violence that has spread across the US.
On that note, let’s get to today’s edition. 👇
After days of violent protests rocked neighbouring Nepal, the country’s Army has taken on the Herculean task of restoring peace and normalcy. The ‘Gen Z’ protests against corruption, social injustice and unemployment triggered the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government, leaving Nepal without political leadership.
The next head: Several names of potential contenders to lead the country out of this turbulence were floated before the protesters settled on Sushila Karki, former Chief Justice of Nepal, to step in as the interim Chief Executive. Karki is learnt to have been reluctant to take up the offer, but agreed after a formal request from Gen Z groups and talks with Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel. Notably, Karki was Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice. She chose to retire in June 2017, when the Nepali Congress registered an impeachment notice against her in the Parliament Secretariat.
Look back: What prompted the Gen Z uprising? While unrest had been simmering for some time, the final straw was the government’s ban on social media, which was later revoked. My colleague Anil Sasi details how, in a country with declining economic prospects and a general lack of opportunities, the youth actively used social media to criticise the leadership and mobilise. It was also a way to keep in touch with the growing diaspora that sent remittances back home. These remittances made up a large part of Nepal’s economy.
Meanwhile, those who crossed borders before the violence struck find themselves trapped. Many have been turned back from the Nepal border check post, unable to return to their home on both sides. Some were touring or visiting family, attending classes, and some, like truckers, were just attending to business.
TharoorThink: In our newest weekly column, MP Shashi Tharoor writes about the “return of Chindia”. “China’s overtures reflect a recognition that Asia’s two largest economies must find common cause in a multipolar world. Yet, we must temper optimism with realism.” Read on.
It’s a stretch: Besides the grand revamp of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the BJP has taken on another large development project in Varanasi: The widening of the Dalmandi road, one of the busiest commercial hubs in the city, which houses about 500 shops. The plan to expand the road to more than four times its original width, however, has been met with disappointment. Adding fuel to the fire are the Municipal Corporation’s plans to deduct pending property tax dues from the compensation being provided to building owners for demolition works.
Roll call: The Election Commission has asked states and Union Territories to focus on matching their current electoral rolls with those prepared during the last revision, as it plans to replicate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise pan-India. It noted that in Bihar, over three-fourths of Bihar’s 7.89 crore existing electors were traced to the 2003 rolls.
Fallout? On Tuesday, Israeli jets struck a target in Qatar’s Doha, in a move that Israel said was meant to hit a Hamas delegation. The delegation, of which five members were killed, besides a member of Qatar’s internal security, was in Doha to discuss a ceasefire proposal from the US. The attack has prompted Qatar, which has so far served a mediating role, to assert its “right to respond”. Researcher Bashir Ali Abbas explains Israel’s calculations and the Qatari view of the attack.
An Asia Cup special: Kuldeep Yadav did not have his day in the entire Test series in England, but his return to international cricket turned into a blockbuster at last night’s match in Dubai. The hapless UAE team may not be the strongest rival, but when viewed in isolation, Kuldeep’s performance was nothing short of artistry. Sandip G, our man on the ground, writes on why this was Kuldeep’s night.
The light from your mobile screen, or the glow of the Sun, carries one of nature’s deepest secrets. At exactly 299,792 kilometres per second, the speed of light in a vacuum is the fastest anything can travel in the universe. As such, it is perhaps the only constant in nature that underpins space, time and causality itself. I leave you with Shravan Hanasoge’s latest ‘Thinking Matter’ column, where he delves deeper into the cosmic constant that shapes our reality.
🎧 Before you go, do tune in to the latest ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. Today’s lineup: The India-EU FTA talks, the challenges of teaching in Maoist-affected Bastar, and a scam targeting Tirupati devotees.
That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
