Crossing the Line

Sanity Break #1

SANITY BREAK The photo editing app Agora people around the world to submit their best aerial photograph. Here’s a breathtaking compilation of the winners.

Headlines that matter

HEADLINES THAT MATTER THE GREAT PANDEMIC: A GLOBAL UPDATE is no longer Covid-free. The virus has returned thanks to two women who recently came home from the UK, and now have tested positive. : Data models predict that the death toll will be 201,129 by October 1. The reason: complete social distancing fail! A leading epidemiologist says of Americans: “They’re either just over it, or they’ve come to believe it’s a phony pandemic because their own personal grandmother hasn’t been affected yet… People just think this is a nothingburger. So they think the risk is exaggerated.” : is taking a series of extreme “wartime” measures to crack down on the latest outbreak in Beijing—which now has 106 cases. But some this is overkill: “The government should learn to balance [public health with] preparing for economic and social recovery… I’m a little bit puzzled by this overreaction.” : Manchester United star Marcus Rashford scored big over Boris Johnson. The government had refused to shell out $150 million for free school meals over the summer holidays—until Rashford publicly and repeatedly shamed its leaders on social media. Boris did a full U-turn. THE TORTURE OF INDIAN EMBASSY STAFF According to fresh , the two embassy staff members arrested by Pakistani police “were repeatedly beaten with rods and wooden sticks and made to drink filthy water.” ICYMI: we explained this diplomatic row in our . CLIMATE FORECAST: A HOTTER, WETTER INDIA The first ever Indian study on the impact of climate change on the subcontinent. And it predicts temperatures will rise by 2.7°C by 2040 and 4.4°C by the end of the century. And summer heat waves will be three to four times higher, as well. Plus: increased intense rainfall over smaller areas such as cities, and more extreme weather events like cyclones. So nothing we didn’t already know. () SIRI CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE POLICE Just yell "Hey Siri, I'm getting pulled over," and your iPhone will automatically . > “[T]he shortcut—which a user must first install themselves—will pause any music that you're playing, turn down the brightness of > your phone, turn on the "Do Not Disturb" mode to block any incoming calls, open up your front-facing camera and start a video > recording.” And as an added precautionary measure, it sends a message to a predesignated contact, giving them your current location—and flagging the fact that you’re being pulled over by the cops. THE LATEST COVID GYAAN IS HERE Steroids can save you: A shows that low doses of dexamethasone reduced death rates by nearly 30-plus%. The result is being described as a "major breakthrough"—and doctors say it should immediately become part of standard Covid treatment. Bat snot offers clues: Scientists are ‘goblet cells’ in bats that produce mucus for possible protection against the virus. The reason: “Because of the acute respiratory symptoms and the curious loss of the sense of smell in some human patients with Covid-19 there is a hint that cells in the nasal passage are afflicted first.” And if we understand how bats’ noses block the disease, then so can we. HCQ is out again: First came the Lancet study raising red flags about the use of hydroxychloroquine. Then the study was discredited. Then WHO un-suspended its suspended trials of the anti-malarial drug. Now, the US Food and Drug Authority has the emergency use of HCQ, saying the drug’s unproven benefits “do not outweigh the known and potential risks.”

Sanity Break #2

SANITY BREAK These reimagine Disney princesses as black urban princesses “with their own dash of style, culture and swag.”

Smart & Curious

SMART & CURIOUS A LIST OF INTRIGUING THINGS are the best form of public transportation—if you live in the ocean, that is. Did you know that they can carry more than 100,000 tiny animals on their shells. As one marine expert put it: “There literally is a [whole] world on there.” , anyone? Residents of Taipei can now head to the airport, go through immigration and security, board a plane… and go back home. All this for the lucky 90 people picked by the city’s Songshan airport to experience what is usually the worst part of a vacation. pretentious than airpods? Why, designer ‘pouchlettes’ to store them, of course! Coming soon to a Delhi aunty near you: these Louis Vuitton eyesores. on a grid. But why can’t our brain see all of them at once? The answer is pretty cool. is a social media contest for readers who vie to create a cover photo shoot worthy of editor Edward Enniful’s approval. These are two of his picks. The rest are on his . A LIST OF GOOD READS * reveals how the Delhi police is using something called FIR 59 to imprison activists and students indefinitely. This is an eye-opening and essential read. * explains how loneliness due to lockdowns and social distancing is changing our brains and our bodies. * Tulasi Srinivas in offers a lively overview of the Indian goddesses of contagion.

Weekend advisory

LIFE ADVISORY SO YOU THINK THAT GENERIC TABLET IS WORKING… We were feeling pretty smug about paying peanuts for the generic equivalent of a fancy US tablet… until we read this illuminating by public health activist Dinesh Thakur. TLDR: “One of the biggest issues with our drug supply in India is that there is a high probability that what we purchase at the chemist shop/local pharmacy has never been proven to be therapeutically effective.” But we suggest you read the entire thing. SO YOU’RE PLANNING TO WATCH ARTEMIS FOWL THE MOVIE… Please don’t—more so if you are a big fan of the books. This piece explains all the ways in which the screen version veers wildly away from its literary origins. SO YOU LOVE DOGS AND YOU LOVE DATING… Now, we don’t know how many Indians are on Dig—but if you are the kind of person who lives a ‘dog-forward lifestyle’, this is the dating app for you. The Dig sales pitch: “If you’re lucky enough to own a pup, you know that things never work out with someone if they’re not as into your dog as you are. Dig is a dating app built to connect dog people based on what’s most important to us." Check out the story on or .

Feel Good Place

THE FEEL GOOD PLACE award goes to... is a very, very nice man. knows how to enjoy a good laugh! knows how to wield his, er, sword?!

Reading Habit

READING HABIT LITERATURE AND MENTAL HEALTH Mental health has, for the longest time, been a hush-hush topic in India. The stigma associated with it is so tremendous that people find it easier to brush it under the carpet than get the help necessary. However, over mental health issues amidst the lockdown, and the recent demise of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput have worked to restart the conversation around mental health in India. The first step is always greater awareness, and literature can play a huge role here. Reading about the experiences of others who are or have been dealing with mental health issues can go a long way in destigmatising the subject. If you’re wondering where to start, here are some books that we think can help. : Edited by Jhilmil Breckenridge & Namarita Kathait, this anthology of stories, poems and sketches by people diagnosed with mental illness is perfect for everyone—those who seek the courage to accept their own mental health issues as well as those who wish to understand them better to be able to support their loved ones. —The TCR team : The anxiety of starting a new year at school, dealing with the death of loved ones and the power of friendship all come together in this heart-warming novel. This moving and, at times, incredibly realistic book by Stephen Chbosky had a profound impact on me when I read it. It also helped me realise that high school students have their own set of unique problems and shouldn’t be neglected in any way. —Prasanna Sawant, TCR Writer : Having read multiple children’s books to my daughter, I’m always intrigued by those that step away from the usual “happy” narrative. As much as we’d like to believe that children don’t have to deal with anxiety, depression and the like until they get older, reality works differently. That’s why Tom Percival’s ‘Ruby’s Worry’ resonated with me. The book helps children understand that it’s okay to have “a worry” (read as depression), that ignoring it can only make it worse, and that talking about it is the best solution. —Nirbhay Kanoria, TCR Co-Founder Looking for more? Try the books on this , or this . BOOKS RELEASING THIS WEEK * : Christopher Booker’s revolutionary book helps us understand how herd mentality shapes cultures, and how it can affect us in today’s world. (June 18, 2020) * : A Muslim girl becomes the target of the government when she accuses them of mishandling a bomb blast. Megha Majumdar’s well-reviewed debut shows us the price paid by innocents, and how greed erodes integrity in the lust for power. (June 22, 2020) * : Taslima Nasreen’s highly awaited sequel to ‘Lajja’ tells the stories of those who have made India their home and about their lives that are marked by a violent history. (June 22, 2020) * : Tara Kaushal provides insight into one of the world’s worst crimes by interviewing rapists, rape survivors, and psychological experts in this meticulously researched book. (June 22, 2020) * : Benyamin’s novel is sure to be a treat for all literature lovers. Here, he takes us on a tour of the underbelly of the organ trading black market in a story that promises to be thrilling from start to finish. (June 22, 2020) This week’s selection was a tough one, and with so many amazing books up for release—it was incredibly difficult to pick just five. So, we chose them all. Along with the books mentioned above, we’re also looking forward to getting our hands on ‘’, ‘’ and ‘’. Brought to you by SMART & CURIOUS A LIST OF INTRIGUING THINGS are the best form of public transportation—if you live in the ocean, that is. Did you know that they can carry more than 100,000 tiny animals on their shells. As one marine expert put it: “There literally is a [whole] world on there.” , anyone? Residents of Taipei can now head to the airport, go through immigration and security, board a plane… and go back home. All this for the lucky 90 people picked by the city’s Songshan airport to experience what is usually the worst part of a vacation. pretentious than airpods? Why, designer ‘pouchlettes’ to store them, of course! Coming soon to a Delhi aunty near you: these Louis Vuitton eyesores. on a grid. But why can’t our brain see all of them at once? The answer is pretty cool. is a social media contest for readers who vie to create a cover photo shoot worthy of editor Edward Enniful’s approval. These are two of his picks. The rest are on his . A LIST OF GOOD READS * reveals how the Delhi police is using something called FIR 59 to imprison activists and students indefinitely. This is an eye-opening and essential read. * explains how loneliness due to lockdowns and social distancing is changing our brains and our bodies. * Tulasi Srinivas in offers a lively overview of the Indian goddesses of contagion. LIFE ADVISORY SO YOU THINK THAT GENERIC TABLET IS WORKING… We were feeling pretty smug about paying peanuts for the generic equivalent of a fancy US tablet… until we read this illuminating by public health activist Dinesh Thakur. TLDR: “One of the biggest issues with our drug supply in India is that there is a high probability that what we purchase at the chemist shop/local pharmacy has never been proven to be therapeutically effective.” But we suggest you read the entire thing. SO YOU’RE PLANNING TO WATCH ARTEMIS FOWL THE MOVIE… Please don’t—more so if you are a big fan of the books. This piece explains all the ways in which the screen version veers wildly away from its literary origins. SO YOU LOVE DOGS AND YOU LOVE DATING… Now, we don’t know how many Indians are on Dig—but if you are the kind of person who lives a ‘dog-forward lifestyle’, this is the dating app for you. The Dig sales pitch: “If you’re lucky enough to own a pup, you know that things never work out with someone if they’re not as into your dog as you are. Dig is a dating app built to connect dog people based on what’s most important to us." Check out the story on or . THE FEEL GOOD PLACE award goes to... is a very, very nice man. knows how to enjoy a good laugh! knows how to wield his, er, sword?!