headlines that matter
Pandemic update: India edition
- A new study warns that cases in Delhi and Mumbai may peak between July and September—when the number of daily cases could range from around 8,000-24,000 in Mumbai and 12,000-35,000 in Delhi.
- Speaking of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has a sore throat and fever—and is in self-isolation until he is tested for Covid today.
- Malls opened across the nation, but many of their shops remained shuttered. The reason: retailers and restaurants are demanding drastic cuts to their rents, and revised payment agreements.
- Also reluctant to reopen despite government permission: places of worship. The reason: “With the risk of community transmission looming on the horizon, the fear exists that even a minor blip in the management of crowds could prove to be suicidal.”
Good news about asymptomatic
The World Health Organisation says that people who do not display symptoms are unlikely to spread the disease:
“We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing. They’re following asymptomatic cases. They’re following contacts. And they’re not finding secondary transmission onward. It’s very rare."
But there are also far fewer truly asymptomatic cases than previously thought. And many who seem symptom-free develop them later—but are no less infectious. (Axios)
Who will get the vaccines?
Serum Institute of India has agreed to make and distribute a billion doses of a vaccine being developed by Oxford University researchers. SIL will be the primary distributor for middle- and low-income countries. In related news: The British laboratory, at Imperial College London, is planning to develop and sell a potential vaccine without profits or licensing fees—doing an end run around drug companies.
Anti-racism protest vids and images
Indians and anti-colonialists around the world said ‘Amen’ to this treatment of Churchill:
This moment of human kindness in the midst of rage, conflict and chaos...
A retired US Marine in full uniform kneeled for hours in the sun—with the words ‘I can’t breathe’ taped over his mouth. Story is here.
Wild allegations about Benazir Bhutto
All of Pakistan is currently riveted by an American woman named Cynthia Ritchie. She claims that the deceased PM ordered her guards to “rape” women who had affairs with her husband, Asif Zardari. Ritchie is “a blogger, a filmmaker, and ‘a social media enthusiast” who has lived in Pakistan for a decade. (Indian Express)
An oil drilling disaster in the Arctic
- On May 29, 21,000 tonnes of diesel fuel spilled from a reservoir above the Arctic circle in Russia. The spill triggered a state of emergency and is an “unprecedented” environmental catastrophe.
- The culprit is likely global warming that is thawing the perma-frost—soil that has been frozen for thousands of years. When the ground underneath it melted, the reservoir collapsed.
- But melting perma-frost is also unlocking viruses trapped deep within, raising the prospect of fresh pandemics.
- OTOH, it offers greater and easier access to oil reserves deep within the Arctic.
Prince Andrew vs US prosecutors
- The Prince has been lying low ever since his close association with pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein became public. The Guardian has an explainer if you need it.
- He managed to stay out of the headlines until earlier this week. US prosecutors investigating Epstein filed an official request with the UK's Home Office. Their demand: they should be allowed to question Andrew under oath.
- Now the Prince has hit back with a public statement from his lawyers. They claim that he met with US Justice Department officials three times, and offered to be a witness.
- The money quote from his sources: “We believe in playing a straight bat.” What could be more appropriate than a cricket metaphor in the midst of a nasty child sex abuse scandal.
- Sadly all this very-English outrage had little effect on the Americans. The lead US attorney now says he is lying: “[The Duke] has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview, and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally—through the very same counsel who issued today's release—that he would not come in for such an interview.”
Elmer Fudd’s got no guns
Warner Bros has commissioned a reboot of the Looney Tunes cartoons—but updated for a 2020 sensibility. Yes, Elmer will still be hunting wabbits, but without a gun. Even cranky old Yosemite Sam has been stripped of his firearms. But don’t worry, they make up for it with every other kind of violence. See: this short released by the studio earlier.
Dhruv Rathee, is that you?
This clip of his hot take on ‘Black Lives Matter’ went viral yesterday—sparking shock and disappointment among his supporters. Here’s his response.