April 8, 2023

Good morning. Every Saturday, we publish the results of polls from feature stories that were published the past week. We also give a brief overview of the topics that were discussed.

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🗳️ POLL RESULTS – Week 119

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🗓️ THE WEEK THAT WAS

Paid “blue check” mark on Twitter – Is Musk right in his approach?

Daily | 3 April 2023

Twitter is removing legacy badges and reserving the coveted blue check marks for paying users. If you’re an individual and want the blue check, there’s Twitter Blue. If you’re an organisation, there’s the “Verified Organisations” option. Elon Musk believes this is one way to ensure the platform is free of bots and misinformation. Others believe this to be a silly rule and will have the opposite consequences. Read more on this here.

Dior’s pre-fall show in Mumbai: A case of making history or hype?

Daily | 4 April 2023

On March 30, Dior staged its Pre-Fall 2023 fashion show at the historic Gateway of India monument in Mumbai. Dior’s artistic director of women’s collections, Maria Grazia Chiuri, pulled off this coup to show the luxury brand’s appreciation for Indian textile traditions. Much like the styles in a pre-fall collection, the event garnered a salmagundi of responses. While some hail it as an iconic moment in high fashion, others decry it as cultural essentialism. We discuss it here.

Is the UN’s move to allow deep-sea mining worth it?

Daily | 5 April 2023

Last week, after two weeks of negotiations and discussions, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) decided to start taking applications from companies that want to mine the ocean’s floor in July. The United Nations (UN) body will permit deep-sea mining to extract minerals like cobalt, copper, and nickel. While these minerals are necessary for companies and industries, environmentalists and others are concerned about the ecological impact. We unpack this here.

Is the Tamil Nadu government doing enough to combat police violence?

Daily | 6 April 2023

Last week, news broke out of Ambasamudram’s Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balveer Singh allegedly torturing a group of detainees. The MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu has since ordered a probe and suspended the officer. But a recent report invokes doubt over whether the state has done enough to tackle the problem of police excess. Find the debate here.

Donald Trump’s indictment – Does it set a bad precedent?

Daily | 7 April 2023

It’s the first time in United States history that a former President is facing criminal charges. While some celebrate Trump’s day in court, others are concerned whether the conviction will prove dangerous for democracy. Find more here.