Who wants to buy TikTok?
- ByteDance is readying to sell its stake in the US operations thanks to President Trump—who has repeatedly threatened to ban the app. ByteDance was hoping to retain a minority stake, but even that appears to be out of question now. Trump has given the company 45 days to complete the sale.
- TikTok’s most likely buyer: Microsoft, which officially confirmed that it is hoping to seal a deal to buy out Bytedance in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand by September 15.
- The other company that will also be off the hook if this deal goes through: Facebook, which is under pressure for being a social media monopoly (see our explainer here).
- Looking to buy TikTok India: Mukesh Ambani and Sanjiv Goenka—but these are still unconfirmed reports.
- An unexpected defender of TikTok: Free speech organisations such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
- Profiting from TikTok’s misery: Triller, which has a star-studded lineup of investors including Eminem and Snoop Dogg.
- Missed our excellent explainer on WTF is going with TikTok? Read it here.
Also under the gun: Chinese language programs in India. The government is taking a “closer look”—which is making university officials very anxious.
China’s not backing down
There are now reports that China has moved 1,000 soldiers near Uttarakhand’s Lipulekh Pass—and ramped up presence at the border in "parts of North Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh." And it is dragging its feet in Ladakh—where disengagement talks have stalled.
In better China-related news: One of Apple’s manufacturers is planning to shift its operations to India—which will create 55,000 jobs. The plan is not just to serve India but also export iPhones worth $5 billion.
Those creepy Chinese seeds: First, Americans reported receiving mysterious packets of seeds. Now they’re being delivered to people around the world—including New Zealand, Canada, Europe and the UK. The packets—which are marked with Chinese characters—are likely an e-commerce scam. But authorities are just not sure: “We don’t have enough information to know if this is a hoax, a prank, an internet scam or an act of agricultural bioterrorism.”
The Indian pandemic
- First the good news: Almost 90% of over 1.35 lakh cases in Delhi have recovered. The transmission rate is dipping not just in Delhi (.66), but also Mumbai (.81) and Chennai (.86). A transmission rate of 1 means that one person is passing on the disease to just one other person on average. Any number below 1 is therefore excellent news.
- In other good news: The government has halved quarantine stays for international arrivals—who only have to stay seven days in institutional quarantine and another seven in self-isolation at home. They can also skip the hotel stay if they show a negative Covid test taken 96 or fewer hours prior to takeoff.
- BBC News reports on schools in Doodpathri, Kashmir which have started hilltop classes to teach children who don’t have internet connectivity or phones at home. The photos are lovely but also… sad.
- Times of India reports on the good people of Mumbai who are taking care of pets of Covid patients—many of whom use the service to try and abandon them instead.
- A must read: This New York Times profile of Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute CEO—who is making a huge bet on the Oxford vaccine.
The global pandemic: A quick update
The virus is surging back in Australia, Philippines and even China—where the government has shut down the border province of Xinjiang. That’s where Beijing has imprisoned hundreds of thousands of Uighurs in internment camps.
- SinoPharm is one of the six companies that are in the final stages of testing a vaccine. But its subsidiary is already offering to vaccinate employees of state-owned companies—claiming that it is safe and ready to use. Quartz has more details.
- In a rare bit of good news: Social distancing has stemmed the spread of other infectious diseases like flu, mumps and measles. The numbers have plummeted worldwide. Point to note: in some places, the lower numbers may be due to people avoiding seeking medical care during a pandemic. Ars Technica has the story.
- Kuwait has opened its borders and resumed commercial flights. But 31 countries—including India—are still on the ban list.
- Must watch: This alarming video diary of a doctor in one of Pakistan’s busiest hospitals.
Did ‘Shakuntala Devi’ lie about its heroine?
The big point of controversy is not the film’s feminism or its uneven filmmaking, but its treatment of the math genius’ husband. Back in 1977, Shakuntala Devi wrote a groundbreaking book called ‘The World of Homosexuals’—which spoke on the subject with honesty and compassion. A huge achievement for that time! At a book event, when asked why she wrote the book, she revealed that her husband was gay. This is how the movie treats that moment:
The moderator expresses sympathy but Devi stops her immediately. “No, you should not be sorry. It is his choice and I support him.” The daughter, Anupama, gets so uncomfortable that she leaves the venue. Devi runs behind her. “How can you lie through your teeth?” she asks her mother. Devi says, “I want to change people’s attitudes towards homosexuality. Personal stories affect people the most. If you want to sell something, you need to weave a story around it.”
But even decades later, Shakuntala Devi was very clear about her motivation:
“It created havoc in my life, in my child’s life, and then I needed to look into it, study it more thoroughly. And then I realized that if this is accepted by society, so many victims would not be there suffering the way they are suffering now. That’s what prompted me to write that book.”
So why did the movie cast such a serious slur on its own heroine? Answer: It was written in collaboration with Shakuntala’s daughter Anupama Banerji who insists her mother lied. Question: Is this ethical? Also: Does it matter if it's true, especially to the queer community? Hindustan Times offers a thoughtful take on these questions.
Ellen DeGeneres now has a #MeToo problem
Last week, Buzzfeed broke two stories on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’. The first called out routine racism and bullying at the workplace. The second was more explosive, focusing on two Executive Producers: one, Kevin Leman—who allegedly groped and sexually assaulted male employees; two, Ed Glavin who had “a reputation for being handsy with women.” Also: a number of guests on her show claim that Ellen herself is “mean.” Now, there are rumours that James Corden will replace her as host.
Netflix and speed up!
A new Netflix feature on Android allows users to speed up (1.25x and 1.5x) or slow down (0.5x and 0.75x) their viewing. Lovely, you can now binge-watch at break-neck speed. (Mashable)
New on WhatsApp: Facebook’s videocon tool, Messenger Rooms, is now available on the web version of the messaging platform—and will soon come to phones as well. Mint explains how to use it.
Two IPLs at the same time
A media advisory confirmed that IPL will be held in UAE over 53 days in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Being held alongside: An IPL tournament for women from November 1-10. Scroll has the details. The Telegraph has more on the men’s IPL, including timelines and prep for bio-bubbles.