Testing Times
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Sanity Break #1
Photographer Sophie Gamand took these insanely adorable photos of pit bulls—all up for adoption—to help people connect with this misunderstood breed. There’s an entire gallery of similar delights over at .
Headlines that matter
THE INDIAN PANDEMIC: A QUICK UPDATE * First, the numbers. Total number of cases: 1,115,191. Total number of deaths: 28,084 Total number of recoveries: 724,578 . Points to note: We added 600,000 cases in July—which than the combined total of all previous months. Another key data point: the number of deaths is on in places like Karnataka. * The government is the reality of ‘community transmission’—Kerala . * The Health Ministry has warned against the use of with filters. It has also issued guidelines for —and extended until December 31. * Australian cricket authorities announced that the Indian team will have to undergo a mandatory when they arrive on tour later this year. * The has been (unsurprisingly) cancelled. THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC: A QUICK UPDATE * has banned visitors from the US. Still welcome: folks from the UK, EU and Canada. * OTOH, will pay you $3,000 if you visit the country and get Covid. * is laying off 6% of its workforce around the world. * A —which includes researchers from the Indian Institute of Science—shows that cough and sneeze droplets travel farther in humid and cold weather. * A Swedish firm claims that can neutralize 98.3% of any virus load within 20 minutes. * The world’s filthy rich are already making plans to move to Covid-free parts of the world—and are and resident visas to do it. RAHUL BAJAJ HAS LEFT THE BUILDING He is stepping down as the chairman of Bajaj Finance after over 30 years. He will be replaced by his son. The company’s stock dropped 6%. () A BIZARRE HOSTAGE CRISIS IN UKRAINE A gunman seized a bus and took its passengers hostage—and an hours-long siege ensued. It finally ended—without any loss of life—after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to him, and acceded to his single demand: Air a clip recommending Joaquin Phoenix’s movie ‘Earthlings’. has the story. SERENA WILLIAMS' KID IS A FOOTBALL OWNER Los Angeles has a new women’s football team—and its glittering includes two-year-old Alexis Olympia Ohanian, who is named alongside her parents. Other celeb names include Natalie Portman, Mia Hamm and Jessica Chastain. Also investing in a good deal: Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh who have set up a plant-based meat company . The vegan couple gave up meat a couple of years ago and now want the rest of the world to “imagine meat” as well. EVERYONE’S MAD AT ‘INDIAN MATCHMAKING’ reports on the reasons why. Yeah, we don’t have much more to say about a series that has already generated way too much talk.
Sanity Break #2
British fashion and celebrity photographer Vincent Dolman celebrates the unselfconscious love between heterosexual Indian men. See the rest over at .
Smart & Curious
A LIST OF CURIOUS FACTS * A shows that the rich are wildly overconfident—and often without justification. Worse, they are consistently rewarded for that overconfidence—which is mistaken for intelligence and competence. * Fact: This is the longest period in modern history during which the world map has remained unchanged—a state called “cartographical stasis.” explains. * A of one million people revealed a startling fact: Having too much iron in the blood may be linked to an increased risk of dying. And it may be why having an iron-rich meat diet is bad for your health. * The of hot dogs a human can consume in 10 minutes: 83. * Did you know that the mosque recently destroyed by lightning in Delhi is called ‘Randi ki Masjid’—named after a courtesan who married a British Resident? has the story. Bonus: of the courtesan whose memory it preserves. FOUR GOOD POP CULTURE READS * Two good reads in Huffington Post: fabulous ode to Sushmita Sen. on the perils of writing romance novels in the time of a pandemic. * takes excellent aim at our love affair with a romanticised notion of English-ness—best epitomised by Downton Abbey—that has zero connection to the nastier reality of Britain. * examines K-Pop’s appropriation of Indian culture. For example: the use of the Gayatri mantra in South Korean vid at the 2:30 mark.
Feel Good Place
A SHORT LIST OF USEFUL REMINDERS : Life is full of hurdles—but there is a cat way and a dog way to navigate them. : In life, nothing ever goes to plan—not even when you have serious skillz. : Life is filled with magic—and excellent opportunities for a very good belly laugh!
Reading Habit
READING HABIT THIS WEEK IN LITERATURE curates their favourite literary long reads and a podcast to keep you engaged and entertained throughout the week. Find out why a classic like isn’t considered to be hip anymore, the history behind Rapunzel’s story, and the everlasting power of Hafez’s poetry. * Want to know how Iceland has managed to survive countless crises? Books, of course. this riveting piece to know more. * how Hafez’s poetry has, over the centuries, managed to connect Iranians from all walks of life. * the phenomenal history behind the fairy tale of Rapunzel and its connections to the court of Louis XIV of France. * What happens when a cult classic like doesn’t age with time? Find out . * to author Manimugdha Sharma as he talks about the importance of Akbar in present-day India and how the latter has been misunderstood by the film industry. BOOKS RELEASING THIS WEEK * : Emma Donoghue’s talented mind brings us yet another moving story on the complexities of life—one where a nurse and her companions strive to save mothers and their babies from the Spanish flu in 1918 Dublin. (July 23, 2020) * : Did you know female nightingales choose their mates based on their singing voices, or that a giraffe’s life hangs in the balance every time it bends its long neck? Read Janaki Lenin’s book to uncover these and other bizarre realities of nature. (July 27, 2020) * : Shortlisted for the Palestine Book Award, Susan Abulhawa’s stunning work of fiction describes the plight of the Palestinians through the eyes of Nahr as she recounts the story of her life. (July 28, 2020) * : Are people inherently governed by self-interest, or are they good? Rutger Bregman uses studies and research to put forth an argument in favour of the latter and shows us how kindness can change the world. (July 28, 2020) * : Sonia Shah's latest book breaks down existing misconceptions on the topic of migration, and is a refreshing reminder that migration is the solution and not the problem. (July 28, 2020) If these books weren’t enough, the week ahead also has us excited about reading , and . Brought to you by A LIST OF CURIOUS FACTS * A shows that the rich are wildly overconfident—and often without justification. Worse, they are consistently rewarded for that overconfidence—which is mistaken for intelligence and competence. * Fact: This is the longest period in modern history during which the world map has remained unchanged—a state called “cartographical stasis.” explains. * A of one million people revealed a startling fact: Having too much iron in the blood may be linked to an increased risk of dying. And it may be why having an iron-rich meat diet is bad for your health. * The of hot dogs a human can consume in 10 minutes: 83. * Did you know that the mosque recently destroyed by lightning in Delhi is called ‘Randi ki Masjid’—named after a courtesan who married a British Resident? has the story. Bonus: of the courtesan whose memory it preserves. FOUR GOOD POP CULTURE READS * Two good reads in Huffington Post: fabulous ode to Sushmita Sen. on the perils of writing romance novels in the time of a pandemic. * takes excellent aim at our love affair with a romanticised notion of English-ness—best epitomised by Downton Abbey—that has zero connection to the nastier reality of Britain. * examines K-Pop’s appropriation of Indian culture. For example: the use of the Gayatri mantra in South Korean vid at the 2:30 mark. A SHORT LIST OF USEFUL REMINDERS : Life is full of hurdles—but there is a cat way and a dog way to navigate them. : In life, nothing ever goes to plan—not even when you have serious skillz. : Life is filled with magic—and excellent opportunities for a very good belly laugh!
