Framed Work
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Sanity Break #1
‘Jallikattu’—India’s official entry for best international feature at the Oscars—is out of the running. It is not on the shortlist of 15 flicks that will make it to the final five. But Karishma Dev Dube's ‘’—a short film about the broken friendship between two schoolgirls—is still for best live action short film. Watch the trailer and you’ll know why.
Headlines that matter
INDIA AND CHINA TO STEP BACK After multiple rounds of talks, the two countries finally arrived at an agreement to begin “synchronised and organised disengagement” starting February 10. Both sides will retreat to their pre-April positions around Lake Pangong in Ladakh. There is still no agreement on other points on the border that are equally strategic—like the Depsang plains (locations explained ). () TRUMP IMPEACHMENT IS UNDERWAY And it’s not going well for the former president. The trial in the Senate kicked off with a debate over whether it is constitutional to impeach Trump now that he’s out of office—and his lawyers performed so disastrously that they became . Now, the House managers—who act as the prosecution—are currently laying out the case against him. Trump could also be in trouble in Georgia where the state prosecutors a criminal investigation into his alleged effort to overthrow the election results. The good news for Trump: Only six Republicans Democrats in clearing the way for the trial—a sure sign that there won’t be the required two-third majority to convict him. In other US-related news: President Biden has announced sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar—which recently seized power from leader Aung San Suu Kyi. These include sanctions on the military leaders and their families, and blocking access to the roughly $1 billion the government holds in the US. An expert says: That’s serious targeting… Those sanctions brought Iran to the table” [eventually leading to the 2015 nuclear deal] So maybe it’ll work?” () TAPOVAN TUNNEL RESCUE FLOUNDERS First, the rescue effort was stalled for most of the day due to a flow-back by a “sludge” of rocks, slush and water. According to the rescue team: > “Debris and water are flowing back while we are cleaning the tunnel. We need to be careful because the water and debris might > flow back with enormous force when we try to move forward.” As a result, they were not able to move past the first 100 metres of the 180-metre tunnel. But the bigger blow: now officials have informed the rescue teams that they are digging in . So instead of moving forward into the tunnel, they will be drilling down—after a dangerous delay of three days. Another unhappy update: The Indore court the bail application of Sadaqat Khan—who was arrested along with Munawar Faruqui. Point to remember: Khan was a member of the audience, and not a performer or an organiser. And yet here we are, and here is as he is taken back to jail: THE GREAT PANDEMIC: A QUICK UPDATE * The assumption that children rarely get seriously ill may be a myth. out of India shows that there were more than 2000 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome—where multiple organs such as the heart, lungs and brain are affected. * Convinced that the Oxford vaccine offers “minimal protection” against the South Africa variant, the country is planning to its doses for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—despite to the contrary. * Millions of people in Japan will not receive the Pfizer vaccine due to a shortage of —which are required to extract the final sixth dose from the vial. That bit of medicine will just have to be thrown away. * A —which, to be fair, only looked at older adults—found that the loss of smell can decrease sexual motivation and emotional satisfaction with sex. Why this matters more now: One of the main symptoms of ‘long Covid’ is anosmia, i.e. losing your sense of taste and smell. * ’ investigation into Covid testing in Bihar shows that most of the data is faked. * Researchers at IIT Bombay have discovered why the virus survives longer on plastic or steel—compared to porous surfaces like cloth and paper. FOSSIL FUEL IS A KILLER A Harvard study found it accounts for nine million deaths each year—which is “significantly higher” than previous estimates. Top of the list: China and India—which accounts for just under 2.5 million, i.e. 30.7% of the total. Within India, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of fatalities, followed by Bihar and Bengal. () In more heartening news: Putting on a little weight when you grow older may be a good thing. shows that “people who begin adulthood with a body mass index (BMI) in the ‘normal’ range and eventually reach a BMI in the ‘overweight’ range actually live the longest. The mortality rate for people who fit this description is even lower than those who maintained a normal BMI throughout their lives.” JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IS TAKING HEAT Fans of Britney Spears his Instagram demanding an apology. The reason: A newly released documentary ‘Framing Britney Spears’ which shows how she was vilified as a slut after their breakup—while Timberlake thrived, playing the heart-broken, cheated-upon boyfriend. The pattern—of profiting from unfortunate events while women around him paid the price—repeated itself when he accidentally ripped off Janet Jackson’s top during the 2004 Super Bowl. Why any of this matters: Reevaluating pop culture moments reveals how much we’ve moved the needle on misogyny. Today, , and agree that Timberlake made his wildly solo career by throwing women under the bus. analyses why we see women of the 90s—be it Princess Diana, Britney or Monica Lewinsky—so differently. INDIANS ARE PAYING TO EMIGRATE The number of wealthy Indians who are using investments to get foreign residency has more than doubled during the pandemic. Nearly 5,000 millionaires—or 2% of the total number of high net worth individuals—left the country in 2020. And that’s way higher than the global average. Their favourite destination in Europe: Portugal, which requires a minimum real estate investment of $280,000. () PABLO ESCOBAR’S HIPPOS POSE SERIOUS THREAT The hippos illegally imported for Escobar’s private zoo have long gone feral—abandoned after his death due to costs and logistics. Now there are an estimated 65-80 of them roaming the Colombian countryside without any natural predators—the largest population outside Africa. A group of scientists warn that their numbers will rapidly grow, and they must be killed before they destroy native species, calling it “one of the greatest challenges of invasive species in the world.” But that is not likely given their huge popularity “You can’t even talk about [it] because the rejection is staggering … I am being called a murderer.” has more. Or you can watch a clip from this excellent below: In happier animal-related news: A mandarin duck in the wetlands in Assam for the in over a 100 years.
Sanity Break #2
Usually, a clip like this would go in the ‘Feel Good Place’ section. But this deserves a premium spot. What you’re watching is this: a judicial hearing in Texas where one of the lawyers is having a slight problem, as in he is stuck in a Zoom filter and can’t turn it off! has the story, but you don’t need it to enjoy this ROFL moment!
Feel Good Place
If you’re going to hit the slopes, this is the way to do it! Finally, the perfect sea shanty! Sheep surfing!
I recommend
I RECOMMEND EDITOR’S NOTE Sanjana Pai is the founder of an amazing subscription service called . Sanjana’s business is driven by one goal: helping women free the experience of menstruation from pain, shame and chemicals. We asked her to recommend the things that best embody her life mission. Growing up, two things that really stood out for me. One, how periods hold women back from being their best selves. Two, we hardly ever take time out for ourselves! It’s natural for us to prioritize our families and our careers. But ourselves? Maybe just during birthdays and anniversaries. I’ve always felt that self-love and acceptance is the first step to lead a content, happy and healthy life. Here are a few things that helped me love myself, treat myself and also give back to the community! ‘’: Ghazal Khanna is a confessional poet, writer, feminist, performance artist and educator. She advocates intersectional feminism through her poems and performances. Her work speaks of a life derailed by abuse, and is grounded in her lived experiences as a queer brown woman. This poem had me hooked from the first time I heard it. : We’re all familiar with the 2-second transition from “Yayy it’s finally here” to “Oh no, it’s here!” This fun song by Aayushi Jagad captures all our wildly oscillating swings of mood and attitude! It will make you smile, perk you up, and also make you say “Yass queen!”. ‘’: I was drawn to Isabelle Allende’s work because of magical realism, a genre that was once completely new to me. Set in the Spanish Civil War, it tells the story of Victor and Roser—brought together in marriage not by love but misfortune. says it offers the “solace of wisdom when we need it most, wrapped in a love story which reminds us, as abiding love always does, that grace takes many forms—yet its core is not faith, but truth.” : When the pandemic hit Mumbai about a year ago, many less privileged than us were completely cut off from their basic sanitary requirements! It took the officials about a month to categorize sanitary pads as essential items. During this time, we partnered with an NGO, Red Is The New Green, and helped over 1000 womxn—even those stuck in containment zones—gain access to a month’s supply of sanitary pads. You can still reach out to the NGO and contribute to this cause! : Ok, I am pitching my own company, but I genuinely believe in the value and support we offer womxn. Our subscription services range from basic period needs like eco-friendly sanitary pads, tampons and menstrual cups to pain and nausea remedies to snacks and sweets for your cravings. We’ve got you totally covered. And the best bit is that it all arrives at your doorstep well in time for your next period. Note: This is NOT sponsored content. We use this section to spotlight the recommendations of people we trust and admire. If you’re going to hit the slopes, this is the way to do it! Finally, the perfect sea shanty! Sheep surfing!
