The great pandemic: A quick update
- We added 211,275 new cases and 3,841 deaths on Wednesday. Our official total as of today is 27.3 million cases and 315,263 deaths.
- But according to a New York Times analysis, those numbers are a gross underestimate. It has laid out three possible and more accurate estimates. The ‘conservative scenario’: 404.2 million infections and 600,000 deaths. The ‘more likely scenario’: 539 million infections and 1.6 million deaths. The ‘worse scenario’: 700.7 million infections and 4.2 million deaths. Since NYT is paywalled, you can read the story over at The Telegraph.
- The Uttarakhand division of the Indian Medical Association is suing Baba Ramdev for Rs 10 billion (1000 crore) in damages—for dismissing allopathic medicine as a “stupid science” that has killed lakhs of patients.
- A study of 69 healthcare workers at a leading Delhi hospital shows that 48% of them tested positive for the double mutant variant—despite being vaccinated. All of them had received the Covishield vaccine. Reminder: UK data shows that AstraZeneca offers only 59% protection against the Indian variant. The good news: “There were only two hospital admissions for minor symptoms, but no ICU admissions and deaths.”
- Over the past three days, almost 24% of the Rohingya held at Jammu and Kashmir’s detention centre have tested positive for the virus. The Wire has that story.
- Want to do some good? Offset Projects is raising funds for Covid relief by selling the lovely work of 50 artists. Check out their Insta handle for more information.
- Hunger is becoming a serious issue in Delhi. The government announced plans to distribute food supplies to those without a ration card—and the Supreme Court has directed the same. But there has been zero action. Right-to-food groups warn: “Distress among the working poor and marginalised communities is alarmingly high as Delhi is now in the sixth week of the lockdown… It is forcing people to rely on private charities and neighbours for food and in many places people are being forced to beg for food.”
- Not that we need proof, but here’s a clip of people chasing after a food van in Delhi:
Indian government vs WhatsApp
While other social media platforms are keeping mostly mum, WhatsApp is taking the government to court. The company is challenging one of the new IT rules that requires it to turn over information about the “first originator” (original sender) of a message—when asked by the government. The company argues that the rule violates Indians’ constitutional right to privacy, and says:
“Requiring messaging apps to 'trace' chats is the equivalent of asking us to keep a fingerprint of every single message sent on WhatsApp, which would break end-to-end encryption and fundamentally undermines people's right to privacy.”
The government’s response:
“Any operations being run in India are subject to the law of the land. WhatsApp‘s refusal to comply with the guidelines is a clear act of defiance of a measure whose intent can certainly not be doubted.”
It also argues that the right to privacy in India is subject to “reasonable restrictions”—and ‘first originator’ tracing falls into that category as it will only be required in cases of rape, child sex abuse or national security. The government has also asked social media companies to report whether they are in compliance with the new rules: “Please confirm and share your response ASAP and preferably today itself." The Telegraph rounds up analysts’ view of the WhatsApp row.
In other social media news: Twitter is rolling out its ‘Tip Jar’ feature in India—which allows you to ‘tip’ your favourite handles. MediaNama has more details. BBC News looks at privacy concerns triggered by the new tool.
Belarus hijacking: The latest update
Belarus forced a Ryanair flight to land, and arrested dissident journalist Roman Protosevich and his partner Sofia Sapega (explained here)—which created a huge outcry and triggered sanctions from the EU. Here’s where we are now:
- The Belarus president Lukashenko has now accused Western countries of waging a “hybrid modern war” against his nation, and called their response a “planned provocation.” So yeah, he isn’t backing down.
- Protosevich’s parents are pleading for his release, with his mother saying: “I’m asking, I’m begging, I’m calling on the whole international community to save him...He’s only one journalist, he’s only one child but please, please ... I am begging for help. Please save him. They’re going to kill him in there.”
- Meanwhile, Belarus authorities released a video of Sapega where she confesses to editing a Telegram channel that doxes (releases personal information of) Belarusian police officers and other security agents. This is after a similar Protosevich video was broadcast soon after his arrest. Watch the videos below:
Amazon’s big $8.45 billion buy
That’s the price the company paid for MGM Holdings and its catalogue of more than 17,000 TV shows and 4,000 films—including the James Bond franchise. Deadline has the details. Quartz looks at whether the Amazon buyout will make or break an iconic studio. Vox explains why this purchase has nothing to do with taking on Netflix.
In less happy Amazon news: The government of Washington DC has filed an antitrust suit against the company—alleging it “unlawfully maintains its monopoly power by preventing independent sellers from offering products at lower prices on other platforms.” (Verge)
In important lawsuit-related news: A Dutch court issued a first-ever ruling that ordered an oil company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030—to meet the targets set by the Paris Climate Agreements. The case against Royal Dutch Shell was filed by 17,000 Dutch citizens along with environmentalists who alleged the company violated their human right to a stable climate. (Axios)
The arrest of Mehul Choksi
The infamous jeweller—on the run after scamming Punjab National Bank of Rs 140 billion (14,000 crore)—has been arrested in the Caribbean island of Dominica. He fled there from Antigua where he’d taken up citizenship to avoid extradition to India. But the Antiguan government was planning to revoke his citizenship and turn him over to Indian authorities. So Choksi was planning to escape to Cuba. He was first declared missing, when Antigua requested an Interpol notice for his arrest. He will be returned to them shortly. (NDTV)
Bad research trumps the good kind
A ‘replication crisis’ is when other scientists cannot replicate the results of a study. And many of the published research papers suffer from this problem. But here’s the funny thing: These studies are cited 100 times as often as those which can actually be replicated. The reason:
“The academic system incentivises journals and researchers to publish exciting findings, and citations are taken into account for promotion and tenure. But history suggests that the more dramatic the results, the more likely they are to be wrong.”
Why this matters: Replication rates are as low as 39% in psychology journals, 61% in economics journals, and 62% in social science studies published in Nature and Science, two of the most prestigious journals in the world. (The Guardian)
John Cena’s apology to China
Wrestling champ and ‘Fast & Furious 9’ star made a big, big mistake. He told a reporter on Taiwanese TV that “Taiwan is the first country that can watch” the newly released film. Uh-oh! That’s a cardinal sin in China, which claims Taiwan as its own. And Taiwan may be the first, but China is the biggest market for any Hollywood film. Cue abject apology video—delivered in Mandarin, no less—where Cena says:
“I made a mistake. Now I have to say one thing which is very, very, very important: I love and respect China and Chinese people… I’m very sorry for my mistakes. Sorry. Sorry. I’m really sorry. You have to understand that I love and respect China and Chinese people.”
Quick question: How many ‘sorrys’ can you possibly cram into a minute? See the clip below. New York Times has the story.
A marvelously expensive sandwich
Next time you visit the Avengers campus at Disneyland, California, get ready to shell out $100 for a family-sized ‘Pym-ini’—“one of the most expensive sandwiches in the world.” The ingredients: “salami, rosemary ham, provolone and sundried tomato spread on a focaccia, along with a marinara dipping sauce, potato bites and an arugula salad.” See a slice of this pricey bite below (Marketwatch)
Three delightful things
One: Lil Nas X had a wardrobe malfunction while performing on Saturday Night Live. Basically, his pants ripped while he attempted a pole dance routine. So he showed up for his next public appearance—on The Tonight Show—wearing a skirt. He later tweeted: “Stop asking me why i’m wearing a skirt, i will never trust pants again!” Point to note though: He seems to have carefully kept his legs crossed all the way through lol! But hey, he’s looking good…
Two: For the first time in a millenia, Tasmanian devils have given birth in Australia. Seven joeys were born in a wildlife sanctuary—which is immensely good news given that 90% of the population has been wiped out by a contagious facial cancer disease. Only 25,000 remain in the wild. (Gizmodo)
Three: Just two bees opening a Fanta bottle. Enjoy!