A Power Surge
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Sanity Break #1
SANITY BREAK Beyonce is planning to drop a visual album titled ‘Black Is King’ on Disney+ on July 31—and it looks phenomenal! We recommend watching in full screen on your laptop.
Headlines that matter
HEADLINES THAT MATTER THE BIG TIKTOK QUESTION: IS IT A BAN? * The answer: yes, but of the . A special committee will now hear “clarifications” submitted by the 56 companies. But that process is likely to drag on and on. * Point to note: Apple and Google have only been told to remove of the 56 apps—some of which were still available on their stores yesterday. Also: TikTok et al plan to “approach” the government to make their case. * reports on the heartbreak among TikTok users. * : The government isn’t making up TikTok’s user data problems. It was recently caught stealing clipboard data. * Also in the government’s crosshairs: TVs, air conditioners etc. These may a special import license—and be restricted to certain countries. * China’s response: Beijing offered the usual angry pushback on the app ban. But it’s mostly preoccupied with more important matters: in giant letters all across Lake Pangong. In other ban-related news: The EU has opened its borders to 14 countries. Still on the travel ban list: the United States, China, Brazil and, of course, India. () Also being banned: Trump and his fans—but to varying degrees. The biggest Trump subreddit got the axe as did his Twitch channel. Snapchat’s taken Trump off its Discover section—which makes it harder for users to find his account. () TROUBLE BREWING FOR NEPAL PM As you may know, the Nepal Parliament recently approved a map that claims 335 sq km of Indian territory. Soon after, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli claimed that the Indian government is plotting to topple his government. This has triggered a huge crisis within his own party. At a closed meeting, senior party leaders—including three former prime ministers—told him to either prove his allegations or quit: “Not India, it is me who is demanding your resignation. You must furnish proof of such irresponsible remarks.” () THE DEATHS IN SATHANKULAM: AN UPDATE CCTV footage: obtained by The News Minute destroys the police’s claims that Jayaraj was arrested because he defied orders to shut his shop. See it below or read blow-by-blow account. A woman cop named Revathi: is to the torture. She is the only person from the Sathankulam station who is willing to testify to the events of that night. Not just these men: A dozen victims allege that they too have been tortured in the . And their injuries show that the methods used are almost the same: severe and prolonged beatings on the buttocks. One case involved two women cops. Also: Read our on the deaths of Jayaraj and Bennicks. COVID-19: THE BEST NEW INFORMATION OUT THERE Here’s a quick round up of the latest, most reliable gyaan: * reports on a new flu virus found in China. Scientists say the virus—which is carried by pigs—has “pandemic potential”. * has happier news: Most infected people do not spread the disease. As one expert explains: “You can think about throwing a match at kindling… You throw one match, it may not light the kindling. You throw another match, it may not light the kindling. But then one match hits in the right spot, and all of a sudden the fire goes up.” The not-so-happy news: We don’t know why one ‘match’ is more lethal than the others. * This explains why opening India’s red light districts will be catastrophic. Experts project it will lead to 400,000 infections and 12,000 Covid-19 deaths among sex workers. has the story. * Also check out: explainer on Covaxin—the ‘made in India’ vaccine that will soon begin human trials. * Forbes India’s offers an excellent FAQ on plasma therapy.
Sanity Break #2
SANITY BREAK Forget every other beauty tutorial you’ve ever endured on YouTube. This magnificently hilarious beats them all.
Smart & Curious
SMART & CURIOUS ALL ABOARD THE LONDON-CALCUTTA BUS! Did you know that there was a real bus service that connected those two cities? We found mention of it on Twitter and started to dig. And here’s what we found: It was kicked off in 1957 and was driven by Oswald Joseph Garrow-Fisher, nicknamed The Indiaman. Here is a delightful from the New York Times time machine on that trip. In 1968, the worthy task was taken up by a double-decker nicknamed Albert—which made 15 round trips until the service was canceled in 1976. On four occasions, Albert even made it as far as Sydney! See featuring the price and amenities on Albert. And the of the original single-decker is below: TRUE STORY OF A FEMALE SPY This features a delightfully candid interview with a real espionage agent—who explains why she hates the fictional kind she sees on screen. USING DEEPFAKES FOR GOOD! A soon-to-be-released HBO documentary ‘Welcome to Chechnya’ reveals the terrifying experience of being gay in Russia. The subject is powerful and revelatory. But it is also notable for one other reason: it uses deepfakes. The filmmakers took faces of volunteers and mapped them onto survivors to make them unrecognizable. You can see the deepkfakes in below. has the story.
Weekend advisory
LIFE ADVISORY SO YOU WANT TO RESTORE SANITY TO YOUR INBOX… The hot new email service called Hey may not be the answer. Early reviews indicate that it has a lot of cool features. But it doesn't work with your office email unless your company signs up, and costs mucho moolah. () SO YOU WANT TO DEVELOP A GOOD HABIT… Maybe you want to check out this handy list of apps that help keep you on track. Many of them have a fairly decent free version. We’re personally eyeing Productive. () SO YOU’RE FEELING TIRED ALL THE TIME… During lockdown. You’re not alone and there are sound medical reasons as to why we’re all exhausted just sitting at home. explains why and lays out very straight-forward medical advice on how to recharge your batteries. We particularly appreciate: the reminder to step outside for a little while every day.
Feel Good Place
THE FEEL GOOD PLACE did a video spoofing their Watergate investigation. This is not ‘All The President’s Men’. parody for every stressed out parent right now! blockbuster… sigh, will our dreams ever come true?
Reading Habit
READING HABIT THIS WEEK IN LITERATURE curates their favourite literary long reads, podcasts, comics, and more, to keep you engaged and entertained throughout the week. Read about Leo Tolstoy's experience with state-sponsored violence, Elif Shafak's thoughts on nationalism, and the most powerful word in the English language. * Did you know Penguin once smuggled in copies of ‘’ in a bid to fight censorship in Australia? Read the thrilling tale . * Sadly, state-sponsored violence is not a new thing. This very relevant reveals how an author like Leo Tolstoy was unable to escape the all-seeing eye of the government following his critique of them. Also read: our on living in a Kafkaesque world. * Tune in to this to hear Elif Shafak talk about nationalism, how it’s always been there, lying in wait, and why she is adamantly critical about it. * Question: What is the most powerful word in the English language? (Hint: you can find it in the given sentence.) . * Four days of fun await us at the multilingual Online Literature Festival this weekend, where authors like Paro Anand, Perusal Murugan and others about caste, gender, sexuality, religion, etc. BOOKS RELEASING THIS WEEK * : Samanta Schweblin’s book mirrors the world we live in, one that is lonelier despite being more connected than ever. What happens when you buy a cute plush doll that is controlled by another human and has access to all aspects of your life? We’ve read and loved this book. (July 5, 2020) * : In this critically acclaimed novel by Alka Joshi, we journey through the life of a henna artist, learn about her secrets and her sinister past that eventually catches up with her. (July 5, 2020) * : There’s a new rule in town. It forces everyone to take a test to determine their intelligence and pushes teachers to only concentrate on the truly gifted ones. We cannot wait to find out what happens next in this enthralling story by Christina Dalcher. (July 5, 2020) * : Ruth Vanita’s story of same-sex love between a poet and a courtesan is bound to be all sorts of dreamy and poetic, and is one of the books we’re most excited about. (July 6, 2020) * : Read the story of a boy who is forced to watch his family’s fortunes dwindle away in Perumal Murugan’s first novel that is now (finally) available as an English translation. (July 6, 2020) Brought to you by SMART & CURIOUS ALL ABOARD THE LONDON-CALCUTTA BUS! Did you know that there was a real bus service that connected those two cities? We found mention of it on Twitter and started to dig. And here’s what we found: It was kicked off in 1957 and was driven by Oswald Joseph Garrow-Fisher, nicknamed The Indiaman. Here is a delightful from the New York Times time machine on that trip. In 1968, the worthy task was taken up by a double-decker nicknamed Albert—which made 15 round trips until the service was canceled in 1976. On four occasions, Albert even made it as far as Sydney! See featuring the price and amenities on Albert. And the of the original single-decker is below: TRUE STORY OF A FEMALE SPY This features a delightfully candid interview with a real espionage agent—who explains why she hates the fictional kind she sees on screen. USING DEEPFAKES FOR GOOD! A soon-to-be-released HBO documentary ‘Welcome to Chechnya’ reveals the terrifying experience of being gay in Russia. The subject is powerful and revelatory. But it is also notable for one other reason: it uses deepfakes. The filmmakers took faces of volunteers and mapped them onto survivors to make them unrecognizable. You can see the deepkfakes in below. has the story. LIFE ADVISORY SO YOU WANT TO RESTORE SANITY TO YOUR INBOX… The hot new email service called Hey may not be the answer. Early reviews indicate that it has a lot of cool features. But it doesn't work with your office email unless your company signs up, and costs mucho moolah. () SO YOU WANT TO DEVELOP A GOOD HABIT… Maybe you want to check out this handy list of apps that help keep you on track. Many of them have a fairly decent free version. We’re personally eyeing Productive. () SO YOU’RE FEELING TIRED ALL THE TIME… During lockdown. You’re not alone and there are sound medical reasons as to why we’re all exhausted just sitting at home. explains why and lays out very straight-forward medical advice on how to recharge your batteries. We particularly appreciate: the reminder to step outside for a little while every day. THE FEEL GOOD PLACE did a video spoofing their Watergate investigation. This is not ‘All The President’s Men’. parody for every stressed out parent right now! blockbuster… sigh, will our dreams ever come true?
