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another line of products you can live without have entered the villa
What’s gooooood, family?
Just like that, it’s time for another Tuesday newsletter.
This week’s edition kicks off with a bit of culture (how the internet has changed how we speak and the Malala vs. Greta Thunberg stan debate) before delving into stories about social change (a new documentary featuring IDF soldiers and protests over pollution in Dehli). As usual, we’ve included a bit of world news (Australia’s free electricity initiative and Trump’s COP30 snub), before finishing off with a a couple developments in both style and wellness sectors.
You won’t want to miss out!
💬 culture corner
If we’re being truthful, people are saying ‘honestly’ all the time – npr
Honestly, I say ‘honestly’ all the time. Apparently, so does everyone else. Over the last 25 years, the word’s usage has risen exponentially (just check the graph below). Language experts say the word’s popularity has grown in tandem with the rise of mainstream internet use – starting around 1999. In digital spaces, where authenticity is valued and mistrust of people’s credibility is at an all time high, words like ‘honestly,’ ‘not gonna lie,’ and ‘to be honest,’ are becoming crucial elements of our online speech. They translate into our everyday conversations, too. Such words can soften a phrase like ‘Honestly, I do think you were in the wrong in that situation,’ by conveying a person’s emotions along with their critique. Dropping a little ‘tbh’ at the end of a sentence can convey an air of annoyance or surrender during a conversation. These words may sound like annoying filler if overused, but frankly, they are extremely important in helping us build trust and connection in a world where fake news and AI-generated content is rife.
Why is there a Gen Z activism stan war going on? – thred
Women getting pitted against each other? You don’t say. While this behaviour is (rather disappointingly) nothing new, this time, internet users aren’t arguing about who is the princess of pop or who holds the ‘queen of rap’ title. The comparison war is being thrust upon two of the world’s most famous activists – Malala and Greta Thunberg. Malala has essentially been criticised for being a clout chaser due to her pop-culturey media appearances, examples being Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show and producing a film with the help of Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, Greta is known for attending protests outside government buildings, organising nationwide school strikes to force politicians into climate action, and boarding a flotilla to break the siege on Gaza which landed her in an Israeli prison. According to the internet’s activist stan accounts, one is a ‘radical’, the other is a ‘sellout’. As our very own Jamie Watts puts it, ‘When it comes to civic action, there is obviously no competition or leaderboard, but stans will still find ways to manufacture a fictional contest for their own means.’
📣 social change
Israeli soldiers speak out on killing of Palestinian civilians – guardian
In a new TV documentary, Israeli soldiers have described a free-for-all in Gaza and a breakdown in norms and legal constraints, with civilians killed at the whim of individual officers. The soldiers confirmed the IDF’s routine use of Palestinians as human shields, contradicting official denials, and gave details of troops opening fire unprovoked on civilians trying to reach aid from the militarised distribution points set up by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). On camera, a soldier named Eli recounted: ‘If they’re walking too fast, they’re suspicious. If they’re walking too slow, they’re suspicious. They’re plotting something. If three men are walking and one of them lags behind, it’s a two-to-one infantry formation – it’s a military formation,’ stressing how any individual could be deemed ‘fair game’ for snipers, tanks, or drones. Analysis conducted by the Guardian in August found that – according to official IDF intelligence data – 83% of those killed in Gaza were civilians, a historic high for modern conflicts. More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed by IDF forces since the war started. More continue to be killed despite a ceasefire that began a month ago. A UN commission concluded in September that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.
Protesters call for action as pollution suffocates New Delhi – al jazeera
Over the weekend protestors in New Dehli, India organised a rally to demand action over the lethal pollution that envelops the city each year. Crowds held up banners, chanted slogans, and disrupted traffic, resulting in police officers detaining some protestors and dispersing others. By Monday morning, the city’s air pollution index surpassed 350 – a figure classified as ‘very poor’ by India’s Central Pollution Control Board. Anything below 100 is considered good or satisfactory, while an figure of 400 and above is classified as ‘severe’. Around this time of year, the smoke created by farmers burning crop residue in nearby states blows into the capital and is trapped by the cooler temperatures. As it mixes with vehicle and industrial emissions, the resulting smog causes respiratory illnesses and has become a key factor in thousands of deaths each year. Efforts to prevent the annual envelopment (including restricting construction, a ban on diesel generators, limits of vehicle entry to the city, and cloud seeding to trigger artificial rain) have struggled to have a significant effect. Respiratory illnesses and has become a key factor in thousands of deaths each year, placing increasing pressure on government officials to find a solution.
⚡️ world news
Trump’s COP30 snub thrusts Europe into a role it’s not ready for – politico
President Donald Trump has decided not to attend COP30, the world’s largest annual climate summit, in Brazil. As a result, all eyes are on the EU to step up as a key event leader, given that its climate targets and policies rank among the most ambitious in the world. However, the 27-nation bloc is looking a little ill-equipped for the job. The EU is currently dealing with the emergence of a confident far right and industrial sectors currently campaigning to squash progression on climate action. European governments are also in the process of weakening green policies and in debate over the pace of decarbonisation. Not to mention, without the presence of the US, all eyes will turn to EU nations to meet the demands and pressures of climate finance from rich countries. A senior EU climate negotiator acknowledged that America is ‘no longer there to deflect attacks’ on the negotiation stance of rich countries, putting Europe in an especially ‘uncomfortable’ position when ‘being the bad cop isn’t a role that comes naturally to the EU.’
Australia is getting free electricity – will other countries follow? – new scientist
Each home in Australia will soon receive 3 hours of free electricity every day as part of a world-first initiative to fairly distribute the benefits of solar power. If successful, it could be a model for other countries to follow. At present, the Australian electricity grid boasts excess capacity during the day, but is strained at night when people return from work and begin to use many of their household appliances. To address this imbalance, the Australian government says its ‘Solar Sharer’ scheme will be rolled out from July 2026 in three states – New South Wales, South Australia and the south-east corner of Queensland – with the rest of the country joining in 2027. Households won’t need to have solar on their rooftops to qualify, though they will need a smart meter installed. The plan will help those who live in apartments or don’t have a suitable rooftop to benefit from their neighbours’ panels.
🫧 style + wellness
Augustinus Bader lost the plot with its new Dua Lipa line – allure
If you sighed at the launch of yet another celebrity beauty brand, at least this writer at Allure is showing some solidarity, because it was pretty difficult to find anyone anyone critical of Dua Lipa’s new skincare line aside from those in the comment section of Instagram. And look, I love me some Dua Lipa as much as the next gal… but.. do we really need another (celebrity) beauty brand? Despite teaming up with certified skincare guru Augustinus Bader on her formulas, a large portion of Gen Z has questioned the launch of DUA as ‘affordable’ when its three-product line is being sold at nearly $200. Setting aside the oversaturation of the skincare market for a moment (and the fact that another brand’s launch will only contribute further to the beauty industry’s massive waste problem), it’s unclear whether Gen Z will bite on this price point when so many excellent and affordable skincare products already exist. I’ll leave you with a comment I particularly enjoyed on the announcement post: ‘They all want money so desperately. People, wake up! Life is more than just money! Enjoy it, laugh, love!’
Shift in drinking habits wipes $830 billion off alcohol stocks – business of fashion
According to a report by Bloomberg, shares of the world’s top listed beer, wine, and spirits makers have dropped a combined $830 billion in a little more than four years as the industry gets to grips with monumental change in drinking habits. Greater health awareness, US tariffs, interest rates on consumer spending, and elevated commodity prices are all compounding the tricky challenge of adapting to a new kind of a drinker. Business of Fashion suggests that celebrities ‘going tee-total,’ the popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, and the emergence of alcohol alternatives like cannabis have also caused a serious dent in booze sales. The truth is: people are drinking less, if they drink at all. Back in August, a Gallup gauge of US alcohol consumption fell to the lowest since records began in 1939!
