The Prisoner
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Sanity Break #1
These are the winners of the Travel Photographer of the Year awards—for a year when travel has been a pipedream for most of us. Our favourite is this one taken in Hanoi, Vietnam, by Paul Sansome. You can browse a shorter collection over at —or check out all the beauties at the TPOTY . (Mobile viewing is not recommended)
Headlines that matter
A NEW THEORY ABOUT UTTARAKHAND In the immediate aftermath of the flood, scientists speculated that it may have been caused by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The problem: There aren’t any glacial lakes in that location. But suggest that the real culprit may be a landslide— something called a Landslide Lake Outburst Flood (LLOF): > “A landslide or snow avalanche can create obstructions in the normal path of a flowing river or stream, which results in the > formation of a temporary pool, or a dam-like situation. When this obstruction finally gives way to the force of accumulating > water, it creates a situation similar to a lake burst. In the case of an avalanche, snow adds to the volume of water.” But most experts agree that the exact cause will until a team on the ground takes a closer look. The rescue at Tapovan: The official is 26, and 187 are still missing. And there is a to rescue 34 trapped in a 1900-metre long tunnel at the Tapovan hydroelectric project—which was one of the under-construction dams swept away by the waters. Rescue teams are still optimistic even though it's been more than 24 hours: > “Unless the victims drowned in the slush in the first few hundred metres, there is every chance they are still alive deep inside > the tunnel. Since it’s a long tunnel, there is likelihood of enough oxygen being trapped there. Once we find even a small way > through the slush, we will infuse oxygen into the tunnel through pipes.” But the families are losing hope with each passing hour. has more. This September investigation looks at a 90-km highway-building project called the Char Dham Pariyojana—which threatens the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayas. A NEW LIST FOR TWITTER First, the company blocked and then unblocked 100 accounts—which in turn spurred the government to threaten “legal consequences” (). * Now, the government has sent of 1,200 accounts to Twitter, asking the company to suspend or block them in India. * The notice claims these accounts “were flagged by security agencies as accounts of Khalistan sympathisers or backed by Pakistan.” * We have no clue who’s on the list, but government sources say they include “automated bots used for sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative contents on farmers protests.” We presume they don’t mean Rihanna. * Twitter meanwhile has to the government: “Safety of our employees is a top priority. We continue to be engaged with the government from a position of respect and have reached out to the minister for a formal dialogue.” But the spokesperson also emphasized the “open and free exchange of information has a positive global impact, and that the tweets must continue to flow.” In other Twitter-related news: The Maharashtra government is taking the Twitter tamasha to the next level. It has into the coordinated Bollywood celeb tweets in support of the farm laws (ICYMI, details are ). The pressing questions the police will investigate: > “Are these tweets posted under some pressure? Were they forced to do the same? Our intelligence agencies will look into it. How > are the tweets of Akshay Kumar and Saina Nehwal the same? This will be looked into." Also brawling over farmers: Mia Khalifa who Priyanka Chopra for staying mum on the farmer protests—after a back in December. But we were more bemused by of Khalifa chowing down a delicious-looking meal, accompanied by : > “Thank you @rupikaur_ for this beautifully harvested feast, and thank you @theJagmeetSingh for the Gulab [jamun]!!! I’m always > worried I’ll get too full for dessert, so I eat it during a meal. You know what they say, one Gulab [jamun] a day keeps the > fascism away! #FarmersProtests.” Better mute or a little tone deaf? 🤔 MIXED NEWS ABOUT THE OXFORD VACCINE The vaccine works better with some variants than others. According to new research, it is about at preventing an infection from the UK variant, as opposed to an efficacy rate of 84% against older versions. OTOH, South Africa its rollout of the vaccine. The reason: early (and shaky) data shows that it may offer “minimal protection against its variant. In related news: shows that delaying the second dose of the Oxford vaccine to 12 weeks actually makes the second jab more effective. Speaking of the UK variant: It may very soon become the dominant version —which is worrying since it is more infectious and possibly more lethal (see our explainer ). TESLA BETS BIG ON CRYPTO Tesla announced that it has bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin—pushing its value to an all-time high, surging past $44,000 for the very first time. The company also said it will start accepting payments in bitcoin in exchange for its products “subject to applicable laws and initially on a limited basis.” The announcement added nearly $100 billion to the combined market value of bitcoin and Tesla. Wall Street Journal (via ) is not impressed: > “The investment is more than symbolic for the company, being equivalent to Tesla’s research-and-development tab for 2020. And > while uniting two of the most popular investment themes under one roof is undoubtedly a winner today, the decision introduces > even more risk to owning what is already one of the most speculative stocks of the current bull market.” TAMIL DEBUT FILM WINS BIG! ‘Pebbles’ (Koozhangal) won the Hivos Tiger Award 2021 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). The directorial debut of Vinothraj PS is Indian film to win the honour in the film festival's history—after Malayalam movie ‘S Durga’ won the top honour in 2017. Explaining its decision, the jury : > “In the midst of many admirable and ambitious works, the jury was blown away by a seemingly simple and humble film we fell in > love with instantly… Creating a maximum impact with a minimum in means, the filmmaker reaches his goal with the same conviction > and determination as his main characters. The result is a lesson in pure cinema, captivating us with its beauty and humor, in > spite of its grim subject.” The ‘grim subject’ is the journey of a wife-beating alcoholic with his son as he sets out to bring back her back in the midst of a drought. has more details. has more on the other winners. Watch the below: SMART CONTACT LENSES ARE HERE! The cutting-edge design features an ultra-thin mesh sensor that measures light, temperature and glucose levels in your tears—which is critical for patients who have diabetes or heart disease or suffered a stroke. The next-gen version could have power modules and antennas, allowing the lens to transmit wireless data. FYI, from what we can gather, it does nothing for your myopia. (paywall) or . TWO FUN THINGS One: Serena Williams' awesome AusOpen outfit—a , which paid tribute to track legend Florence Griffith Joyner. explains why Flo-Jo holds great significance for Williams. Two: This koala that caused a when it tried to cross a freeway in Australia—when a driver suddenly stopped to rescue it (no doubt, because the wildfires have already killed far too many). Soon, everyone was running around trying to catch the bear. The result: This of the koala in a car. Yup, that’s the only reason we included this item:
Sanity Break #2
We recently discovered that Disney is excellent at stealing its own content, and has mastered the art of creative copy/paste. Our fave example: Winnie the Pooh and Jungle Book. At 15 minutes, is a tad long, but still an eye-opening and entertaining watch.
Smart & Curious
A LIST OF INTRIGUING THINGS One: These odd bits of jewelry are called ‘Tutti Frutti’ style jewels—and includes a diamond wreath of carved rubies, emeralds and sapphires. They are among the many family heirlooms that belong to Patricia Edwina Victoria Mountbatten—the daughter of Lord and Lady Mountbatten. And they’re going up for auction soon. has the story. has lots more images. Two: Sticking with super-weird bling, Rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s new accessory is a $24 million implanted into his forehead. explains why no one else should be foolish enough to try this at home. Also: no prizes for guessing for this ‘gangsta’ move. Three: Ever stayed up at night dearly wishing that someone would map out the entire Kapoor khandaan—so you could see in one glance just how appallingly incestuous Bollywood royalty is? Yes? Well, you’re in luck thanks to Beth Watkins. Check it out . (h/t founding member Basreena Basheer) Four: We totally loved created by Anmol Maini and Sukhnidh Kaur. Just head over and pick a year, and it will send you to a randomly generated iconic pop song. It’s an excellent way to walk down memory lane. (h/t subscriber Sowmya Swaminathan)
Feel Good Place
The hottest thing in match predictions: the puppy prognosticators! Getaway car. Marilyn Monroe…she was a hoot! Yes, we’re feeling a little owlish today:)
