The Balfour Declaration became public in the British press on 9 November 1917

the gist

On 9 November 1917, The Times published the Balfour Declaration, a letter dated 2 November from British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community. In it, the British government stated its support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small Jewish minority and an overwhelming Arab majority, mostly Muslim along with Christians. The letter added that nothing should prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities. Britain issued it during the First World War, seeking support from Jewish communities abroad, and took control of Palestine soon afterwards.

so what

The statement is a landmark in the history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Zionists see it as a milestone toward a Jewish homeland; Palestinians see it as a promise of their land made by a foreign power that did not consult them.

has this happened before?

During the First World War Britain made overlapping commitments in the region, including the Hussein–McMahon correspondence and the Sykes–Picot agreement, whose conflicting promises are still debated.

fun fact

The Declaration is a single sentence of 67 words in the original letter.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗