The ‘toolkit’ conspiracy: The latest developments
The police claim that “call detail records and other technical surveillance” show that one of the accused Shantanu Muluk was at the Tikri farmer protest site on January 26. They allege he came to Delhi to take videos and photos of the protest site to include in the toolkit. Also, the police made its clearest case about the toolkit:
“The January 26 violence was a conspiracy. Police showed intelligence and restraint…violence was averted. The conspiracy was to spread rumours, fake news and instigate riots. When the toolkit was discovered, the police registered a case and are conducting the investigation.”
They also said that one of the edits made to the toolkit was the deletion of Pieter Friedrich’s name—pointing to the link they want to establish between the activists and the US rights activist who is close to Khalistani supporters (See our explainer). Indian Express has more details.
Point to note: The police—which already forced Google to turn over details about the Google doc—plans to approach WhatsApp and Zoom as well for information.
Meanwhile Muluk: has obtained transitory bail in a Mumbai court. This means he will be able to first present his case in front of a Delhi court before his arrest. It has not ruled on a similar petition filed by Nikita Jacob.
Also getting involved: The Delhi Commission for Women which sent a notice to the Delhi police asking for a copy of the FIR filed against Disha Ravi—and for a response to possible violations of due process during her arrest.
Speaking up for Ravi: At least 100 students in Bangalore held a protest rally in support of her. And as you can see from the photo below, they’re not in the mood to back down:
The political drama in Puducherry
The Congress party has lost its majority overnight after the resignation of two of its MLAs over two days—opening the door for the BJP-AIADMK alliance to seize power. Notably, Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has suddenly been sacked at the very same time—without explanation. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has been put temporarily in charge.
China finally rolls back out
The Indian army released videos of the Chinese troops withdrawing from Lake Pangong in Ladakh. They are shown dismantling tents and bunkers and moving equipment and soldiers in long convoys. (The Hindu)
In related military news: A must-read Frontline investigation shows that security agencies received multiple intelligence warnings about a potential extremist attack before Pulawama:
“Frontline’s investigations revealed that barely 24 hours before the deadly strike took place, an intelligence input dated February 13, 2019, was shared with, among others, the Director General of Police, Jammu & Kashmir, and the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir; it warned them of an IED attack by the JeM ‘along the routes of security forces’. Frontline is in possession of as many as six intelligence inputs, shared prior to the February 13 input, which identified Pulwama/Awantipora as a high-risk zone, indicating that it could be the field of execution of the ‘Qisas’ strike.”
A desperate SOS from a Dubai princess
Princess Latifa—the daughter of UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—was last seen in March 2018 on a yacht off the coast of Goa. She had fled Dubai with the help of friends. She was stopped by the Indian Coast Guard and Emirati security forces—and was sent home, where she disappeared from sight. Her friends have now released secret video messages. They confirm that she is being held against her will:
"I'm a hostage. This villa has been converted into a jail. All the windows are barred shut, I can't open any window ... I've been by myself, solitary confinement. No access to medical help, no trial, no charge, nothing."
BBC News has the story with more background, and some of the newly aired clips.
The great pandemic: A quick update
- Health authorities confirmed that India now has four cases of the South Africa variant, and one case of the Brazilian one. All four recently returned from African countries. As we explained before, this variant is more infectious, but not necessarily more deadly. But South Africa recently halted the rollout of the Oxford vaccine, claiming that it provides “minimal protection” against this mutation. And that’s the big worry if it spreads in India.
- Not helping the cause: our increasing complacency: 105 residents of an apartment complex in Bangalore tested positive. As many as 96 people are above the age of 50, and 68 of these people have underlying health conditions. Mercifully, none of them appear to be severe cases.
- A South Korean intelligence agency confirmed that North Korean hackers tried to hack into Pfizer’s systems to steal information on its vaccine.
- The Russian Sputnik vaccine is likely to receive emergency use authorization in India by April. The vaccine is in the "advanced stage" of phase three trials in the country—which will be completed next month.
- The government plans to increase the number of vaccination sites by 5X in order to meet its target of immunising 300 million by August. A good related read: IndiaSpend looks at how our vaccination rollout has fared after a month.
Amazon ups its India ante
Unfazed by the government’s love affair with Reliance—and bitter legal jhagda with the Future Group—Amazon announced plans to manufacture Fire TV sticks in Chennai. Amazon India honchos declared:
“Amazon is committed to partner with the Indian government to advance the vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We have pledged to invest $1 billion to digitise 10 million small and medium businesses, help Indian businesses sell worldwide thereby enabling $10 billion in cumulative exports, and create an additional one million jobs by 2025.”
Amazon’s new strategy: When faced with a big stick, offer a juicy carrot. (The Telegraph)
The world’s first flying car is here!
US authorities have okayed a “roadable aircraft” that can travel at 100 miles per hour and fly up to 10,000 feet. It has a 27-foot wingspan that folds up neatly so it can fit in a single-car garage. However, right now, it is only approved for flight and not for driving on the street And it looks like this:
A bizarre hot wax problem
Men on TikTok are posting clips of hot wax treatments—where they smother their face, mouth and neck and partly, their ears and nose to remove every bit of hair. Not surprisingly, doctors think this hot trend is a dreadful idea—not least because of the high risk of suffocation. (BBC News)
Dine With Data: All About Codi
Editor's Note: Here is DWD’s weekly installment of one cool, innovative or just plain quirky startup from around the world.
Company: CODI 🗂
About: Founded in 2018, Codi first launched as a consumer-facing platform for workers seeking a more convenient alternative to coworking giants like WeWork, whose offices are typically concentrated in major cities. Now, CODI turns apartments and houses into temporary, affordable coworking spaces during the day. 🏡
Food for thought: “Today more than 50% of people in the US work from home, 99% do not live within 3 miles of a co-working or office space, and many do not have the appropriate conditions at home to be productive and balanced.” - Founder CEO Christelle Rohaut, now a Forbes 30 under 30 awardee, said this while explaining the need for this service.
DWD Take: COVID 19 has catapulted the acceptance of remote working and we have peaked at this shift, that was due 5-6 years from now. More companies are now moving to work-from-home or hybrid work models, and more people seek out neighborhood workspaces they can walk or bike to. CODI seems to be a classic example of 'right time, right place, luck!'📈
Link: https://www.codi.com/
About DWD: Dine With Data sends you a short summary on one new startup every day, delivered straight to your Whatsapp Inbox!
