No Means No!
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Driver’s License’ is the first true smash hit of 2021—debuting at #1 in the Billboard’s Hot 100 chart—which is unheard of for an unknown artist. And it broke Spotify’s global record for the in a single week—having been streamed 65,873,080 times. It debuted on January 8. Let us know what you think.
A FIRE AT THE SERUM INSTITUTE Five construction workers are dead after a large fire broke out at a building under construction at the campus of Serum Institute of India—which manufactures and distributes the Oxford vaccine. But its CEO reassured everyone in a : > “I would like to reassure all governments and the public that there would be no loss of Covishield production due to multiple > production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies.” has the most details on the fire. In other vaccine related news: * Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other netas above the age of 50 will in the second phase of the vaccination drive—likely around March/April. No news yet of which vaccine they will receive. * India the first export consignments of Serum’s Covishield vaccine to Brazil and Morocco. * Healthcare workers to take Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine. They are far more likely to take Covishield. * The US will not just rejoin the WHO, the global vaccine alliance that aims to deliver doses to low income countries. Hello, Joe Biden! * In Biden’s corner: Amazon which to “leverage its operations to help vaccinate 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of the president's administration.” * On a lighter related note: The Dutch are using all sorts of to break the night curfew imposed due to rising numbers. Since dog owners and delivery personnel are exempt, many are renting puppies and buying delivery uniforms to get out of the house. TRUMP ABANDONED BY FAR RIGHT? The Proud Boys—a misogynistic far right group—were once his biggest supporters, and a number of their members played a key role in the Washington siege. But now they are disillusioned by their once true master—and openly mock him for being unable to hold on to power despite that pesky little thing called elections: > “In dozens of conversations on social media sites like Gab and Telegram, members of the group have begun calling Mr. Trump a > ‘shill’ and ‘extraordinarily weak,’ according to messages reviewed by The New York Times. They have also urged supporters to > stop attending rallies and protests held for Mr. Trump or the Republican Party.” And that disdain is spreading. Another rightwing leader called Trump “very weak and flaccid.” Now that’s truly hitting below the belt. () In related news: Joe Biden skipped the grand inauguration party thanks to the pandemic. What we got instead was a featuring A-list artists hosted by—who else—Mr America himself, Tom Hanks. Also featured: Bruce Springsteen (watch ), Justin Timberlake () and Katy Perry—the last singing ‘’ under a grand display of fireworks. was, however, unimpressed, and dismissed it as “a dull yet competent plea for unity.” GROWING WOES OF ‘MIRZAPUR’ A farmer from Mirzapur has filed a petition claiming that the Amazon Prime series “has completely tarnished the historical and cultural image” of his district. Also this: > “According to the petition, the web series ‘has shown every resident of Mirzapur as goon, vagabond and adulterer in front of the > country’, so much so that its residents ‘feel shy and hesitant’ when people outside Mirzapur look at them with suspicion after > watching the series. It is full of ‘nudity, vulgarity… and abusive language,’ the petition said.” A bench headed by the Chief Justice Bobde has now issued a notice to the production company Amazon Prime Video, Excel Entertainment and the government—asking for their response. Meanwhile in Mumbai: Another team of UP police has for Mumbai—this time armed with an FIR filed by a Mirzapur journalist. Maybe they can have a mini reunion with their colleagues who are in town, chasing down the makers of ‘Tandav’. ‘White Tiger’ gets a reprieve: The Delhi High Court refused to stay the release of the Netflix series—which released last night. The petitioner in this case was a Hollywood producer who claims he bought the copyright for the Aravind Adiga novel in 2009. ( VLADIMIR PUTIN’S FABULOUS LIFE The ongoing no-holds-barred war between the Russian President and his greatest nemesis Alexei Navalny is the stuff of fiction. First, Russian secret agents tried to kill Navalny by lacing his underwear with a deadly nerve agent. Then, he staged a near miraculous recovery and returned to Russia—only to be thrown into prison. Now, sitting in jail, he’s released a damning investigative video (watch it ) that doesn’t pull any punches. According to Navalny, Putin has a “palace” that has 11 bedrooms, spread across 27 square miles (39 times the size of Monaco), is worth $1.4 billion—and financed by oil chiefs and billionaires. The castle has “its own port, its own security, a church, its own permit system, a no-fly zone, and even its own border checkpoint… It is a separate state within Russia.” The most controversial part: of this ‘home’: > "On the plan it is designated as a 'hookah room.' And all would be fine, but there is not a single window in that room, but for > some reason there is a stage, a dressing room, spotlights, and something very similar to a pole drawn on the plan. We thought > for a long time what it could be. Perhaps they make giant shawarmas there... Or it's a training ground for firefighters." 😂😂😂 and have the story. See photos either in the or get the entire scoop on ADANI TARGETS INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is a well-known and well-respected journalist, albeit one who wears his liberal credentials on his sleeve. He is best known for his well-researched exposes of Indian big business—which is why the Adanis are not fond of him. * Thakurta ran afoul of the Adani Group in 2017—when he co-wrote a long investigative story in the Economic and Political Weekly. * It explained how then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi tweaked the special economic zone rules reaped Rs 500 crore in profit for the company. * Another alleged that Adani evaded Rs 1000 crore in taxes. As a result, the company filed a defamation suit—which resulted in EPW taking down the story, and Thakurta’s resignation. It was then republished in The Wire. * Now, after all these years—and for no pressing reasoning—a Gujarat court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant in this case. * Here’s the weird thing: Adanis have dropped charges against everyone involved except Thakurta. has more details. * Editors Guild of India (EGI) issued saying: “The issue of a non-bailable warrant by a lower court against Mr Thakurta is another example of how intolerant the business houses have become to any criticism. Routinely they have targeted independent and intrepid journalists by using the very instruments that provide media the necessary protection.” NEW RULES FOR SATS The college entrance exam for an undergraduate degree in the US is planning some big changes. What’s out: subject tests in biology, physics etc. The last of these will be held for international students in May and June. Also nixed: The optional essay section because "there are other ways for students to demonstrate their mastery of essay writing.” The overall result: The exam will be 50 minutes shorter. () THE BIZARRE PLAN TO STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE The Lucknow police plans to set up ‘smart’ CCTV cameras that will use artificial intelligence to click pictures of women in distress on the basis of facial expressions and alert the nearest police station.” Yup, you read that right. Apparently, the city has identified 200 hotspots where the “movement of girls is maximum.” Please be assured: “Before she takes out the phone and dials 100 or UP 112 for help, an alert will reach the police.” Hmm, why are we not reassured? () MONARCH BUTTERFLY IS GOING EXTINCT The stunning and one of the best known butterflies may soon become extinct. Scientists say they have recorded less than 2,000 butterflies wintering along the California coast—which is a huge decline from recent years. The count in the 1980s was in the millions. Also: the number is down from 29,000 just last year! The reason: > “Scientists say the butterflies are at critically low levels in western states because of destruction to their milkweed habitat > along their migratory route as housing expands into their territory and use of pesticides and herbicides increases.” has more. TWO SEX-RELATED REVEALS One: The latest research on human sperm shows that it sometimes —instead of making forward progress toward the egg. And this may be the cause of infertility in some cases: > “[F]laws in the cytoskeleton of the sperm cell may impact the movement of the sperm’s tail. In order for the sperm to move in > the direction of the egg, its tail must follow a specific rhythm. When the sperm is unable to do that, it will basically just > move in a circle, like rowing a boat with only one oar.” Two: Ever wondered how dinosaurs had sex? No? Well, we’re going to tell you anyway. First, you need to know that nature has come up with two possible structural solutions for sex in animals. Most mammals have separate holes for separate bodily functions, but other animals—including birds and reptiles—have just one, and it's known as the cloaca. Thanks to amazingly well-preserved fossil found in China, we now know that dinosaurs were built more like reptiles, but not exactly: > "It is very unique. Most cloacas form a kind of slit. Sometimes it's a vertical split, sometimes it's a smiley face, sometimes > it's a sour face. This thing has a V-shaped structure with a pair of nice flaring lips and there's not a living group of animals > that have morphology like that.” Also: This dinosaur most likely had a penis. has far more information than you need, including gyaan on ‘cloacal kissing’. NEW FITNESS RULES FOR CRICKET The cricket board has devised to determine whether a player is fit enough to play. They will have to run 2 kilometres under a specified time—8.15 minutes for fast bowlers, and 8.30 minutes for the rest. This is apart from the so-called ‘yo yo test’ which sounds like its been designed to torture hamsters in a lab: > “In the yo-yo test, two cones are placed 20 metres apart, and the athlete has to run between them when the beep goes off. The > beeps become more frequent after one minute, and if the athlete fails to reach the line within that time, he is expected to > catch up within two more beeps. The test is stopped if the player fails to catch up before the beeps run out.” The athlete in insanely good form: Newport County goalkeeper Tom King. The fourth tier player has set a new world record, kicking the longest goal ever. The ball travelled 96.01 metres (315 feet)! See below. has the story.
This is the teaser for Netflix’s first ever Telugu film ‘’—which is similar to ‘Lust Stories’ and features four female leads: Eesha Rebba, Lakshmi Manchu, Amala Paul, and Shruti Haasan. It drops on February 19.
SO YOU WANT TO WATCH SOMETHING... : The much awaited cinematic adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s Booker prize winner ‘’ is here! Much as Adiga’s novel, it’s a scorching takedown of privilege—and the” desperate aspirational cunning and survival-struggle” of those at the bottom—in a deeply hierarchical society like India. The hero is played by Adarsh Gourav, but the boldface names include Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao. It drops on Netflix today. You can read advance reviews by , and . : Anna Paquin is a star publicity rep whose main job is to keep her out-of-control celebrity clients out of trouble—even as she deals with a seriously messed up personal life. Reviews aren’t exactly glowing (, and ), but it could be a perfectly respectable turn-your-brain-off watch. You can check it out on Amazon Prime. : Ok so hardcore fans likely already know: this one ties up loose ends from the last season, and then fast forwards to seven years later. Also: Veronica ends up with neither Reggie nor Archie a "controlling and jealous husband who works on Wall Street. An Alpha dog, Chad is threatened by Veronica’s life in Riverdale, especially her friendship with Archie." has everything you need to know before you start to binge-watch! The first episode was out on Netflix on Thursday. Set in a talent agency in Paris, the French TV series offers a refreshing break from the same-old, same-old dysfunction of Hollywood-focused shenanigans. Four agents manage the biggest stars playing themselves—think Monica Belluci, Gerard Depardieu, Juliette Binoche—even as they flail at their often hilariously complicated professional and personal lives. It’s funny, self-deprecating, and human without ever veering into sentimental. The final season is already on Netflix, and features Sigourney Weaver, Jean Reno, José Garcia, and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Check out for an overall review! Available on Netflix. A LIST OF GOOD READS * tells you why your parents hate your music. Yes, there is a scientific reason for that. * We Indian women spend way too time straightening our lovely hair. has eight haircuts for curly hair from celebrity hair stylists so you can just say no to the flat iron! * A very fun read: Samantha Irby’s ‘’ about the horrors of making friends as an adult in . * Snigdha Poonam in pens a brilliant read on the true pandemic effect: the booming fake job economy in India: “One sector has withstood the onslaught: the fake-jobs economy, a vicious wheel of desperation in which each human spoke—from those who make the calls offering nonexistent work, to those whose identities are stolen, to those who are bilked of their savings—is a tale of hardship.” * Nate Hopper in answers everyone’s burning question: Why do you sound so weird on Zoom or Google Meet? * has a brilliant take on our obsession with Ben Affleck’s misery—which says more about us than his disastrous love life. * What is good luck? offers an intriguing answer that has less to do with the alignment of the planets than that of your mind. * explains how to identify a fake message from your bank. * Rohit Brijnath in offers a gorgeous ode to the pleasures of test cricket. * explains why hair transplants actually look very good thanks to new technology.
Say hello to Quý Báu (pronounced “Qwee-bow”) which means “precious” in Vietnamese. She is the first ever langur (of the Chinese not Indian kind) born at the Philadelphia Zoo. Dogs, kids, beach. Enuf said. This is the map of Andhra Pradesh. Enuf said. Mood.
A lively look back at our pehla election of 1951. We’ve come a long way.
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Scientists are trying to alter the evolutionary course of animals—so they can survive it.
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The BJP is expending astonishing amounts of energy on Tamil Nadu this election season—and it’s all about 2029.
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Early-onset cancer has been steadily rising but scientists have no clue why this is happening.
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