Pitched battles within the Taliban

According to BBC News, a huge brawl broke out between two factions of the Taliban at the presidential palace. The point of contention: who did the most to secure victory over the US, and how power was divided up in the new cabinet. As we explained yesterday, the Afghan government is split between the Kandahar faction which negotiated a withdrawal settlement in Doha—and the militant Haqqani wing which seized control of the country. Hence, there have been rumours of Deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar’s death—which the Taliban stoutly refutes. But no one knows where Baradar is—and why he hasn’t appeared in public. Point to note: The Taliban covered up their top leader Mullah Omar’s death for two years, and kept issuing statements in his name. (BBC News)

In other Afghan news: Members of the junior girls football team and their families have safely crossed the border to Pakistan. They were supposed to fly out to Qatar but were left stranded by the Kabul airport attack—and have been in hiding to evade the Taliban. They will remain in tight security while they seek asylum in other countries. (Reuters)

Also related: The Network of Women in Media in India has started a fundraiser to support Afghan women journalists—in partnership with the Associated Press. You can now buy lovely photos to support the cause. 

Haiti assassination: The latest update

President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by a gang of armed intruders at his private residence on July 7. The investigation into his death has now taken an unexpected turn—after the country’s chief prosecutor pointed the finger at the current Prime Minister Ariel Henry. He says that phone records showed Henry had twice communicated with a man believed to be the mastermind on the night of the crime. The PM has now sacked the prosecutor, dismissing his allegations as “diversionary tactics.” Al Jazeera has more details about a mystery that grows murkier by the day.

Crime is down, riots are up

The latest government crime data shows that Covid-related restrictions in 2020 pushed down the rate of usual crimes like robbery by 200,000. But last year also witnessed a huge spike in community-based violence. Communal riots jumped by 96% in 2020, while caste riots increased by 50%, agrarian riots by 38% and riots during ‘andolan/morcha’ by 33%. Of course, most of the “communal riots” cases are related to the anti-Muslim violence in Delhi. 

Point to note: The 2020 data shows that cases of violence against women dipped by 8.3%. The National Commission for Women is sceptical about the numbers:

“In our meeting with all DGPs also we found that the police had fewer cases registered but NCW received more complaints compared to the previous year which was not impacted by lockdowns. Women perhaps are unable to reach the police station and seek help due to the lockdown.”

Good news for clean fuel

The government will offer Rs 260 billion ($3.5 billion) in incentives to manufacturers of electric and hydrogen fuel-powered vehicles. This comes at a time when car sales are stagnating in India—and big global players like Ford and Harley Davidson are headed out the door. OTOH, this is good news for the electric car industry now that Tesla is getting ready to enter India. (Reuters)

Insta knows it’s toxic for teens

Wall Street Journal is doing an ongoing series of investigative stories based on a trove of internal documents—which mostly reveal that its own top executives know that their policies are skewed, and bad for society. The latest scoop uncovers a company presentation that concludes:

“Thirty-two percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse… Comparisons on Instagram can change how young women view and describe themselves.”

These are part of the conclusions reached by three years of internal research on the effects of Instagram on its users. Executives also concluded that the pressure to have the perfect image, feel attractive and have enough money also started on the platform. And this ‘social comparison’ problem is specific to Instagram—not a characteristic of social media in general. TikTok “is grounded in performance, while users on Snapchat… are sheltered by jokey filters that ‘keep the focus on the face.’ In contrast, Instagram focuses heavily on the body and lifestyle.” (Wall Street Journal)

Indian link to US egg prices

Americans may have to shell out more money for organic eggs because of a trade spat with India. The US relies on India to supply over 40% of its organic soy meal—which is used to feed chickens. But authorities are now investigating allegations that India is unfairly dumping and subsidizing the product. If found true, then it is likely to send the price of soy meal soaring—and many suppliers are already hoarding the stuff in panic. Also expected: A knock-on effect on the prices of organic meat and dairy. (Bloomberg News via NDTV)

Speaking of ‘Indo-American’ things: BuzzFeed News reports on the “dysfunctional and volatile workplace” of the best known Indian American member of Congress, Pramila Jayapal—who is one of the most liberal voices in US politics:

“In interviews with BuzzFeed News, they [staffers] described Jayapal as a boss who berated staff in front of others, demanded grueling hours, and maintained an office culture marked by constantly changing expectations and little tolerance for error, to the extent that some staffers sought therapy and questioned their careers in public service. Since taking office, Jayapal has had one of the highest staff turnover rates in the House, due in large part, former employees said, to the unrealistic standards she sets. ‘It's not sustainable to be able to stay for too long,’ one said."  

Four animal things

One: A team of researchers have now discovered why some Indian tigers have thick dark stripes that make them look “black.” The reason: A mutation in a gene called Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep for short)—and it’s the same gene that is responsible for the blotches and stripe patterns in tabby cats and cheetahs. This trait is present in more than half of the tigers living in the Similipal reserve in Odisha—and likely indicates inbreeding. See an example below (Gizmodo)

Two: Scientists have discovered a new type of boa in the Dominican Republic. One of the smallest of its species in the world, it has been dubbed the Hispaniolan Vine Boa (Chilabothrus ampelophis)—and has wide eyes, a unique zig-zagging scale pattern, and a square snout. And it looks like… well, a snake. (Smithsonian)

Three: This is a sad story. Fourteen hundred dolphins were killed in a single day in Faroe islands—which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. The massacre was part of a traditional hunt practised for hundreds of years, but the scale of the killing has shocked many locals and even drawn criticism from groups involved in the practice. BBC News has wrenching details—which are not for the faint-hearted.

Four: Quick mental palate cleanser. Locals were delighted to encounter—and film—an incredibly rare ‘megapod’ of 100 humpback whales off the coast of Sydney. They were feeding on a tightly packed school of fish. CNN has more details. Watch the splish-splashy video below: