South Africa is up in flames
The country’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of ex-president Jacob Zuma for refusing to appear in front of an inquiry into allegations of corruption. He turned himself over to authorities, and now his supporters in his home province are rioting on the streets:
“More than 200 shopping malls had been looted by Monday afternoon… Several shopping centres in Soweto - South Africa's largest township which was once home to Nelson Mandela - have been completely ransacked, with ATMs broken into, restaurants, stores selling alcohol and clothing shops all left in tatters.”
But that anger has also fueled rage at the current government headed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The trigger: Low income levels and unemployment—standing at a record high of 32.6% and even higher at 46.3% among young people. The latest death toll is 72—among them was a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the chest with a rubber bullet. A total of 1,300 people have been arrested. See the violence below:
Jovenel Moïse’s assassination: The latest update
This murder of the Haitian president—killed by a squad of hired assassins last week—gets murkier and murkier. The police recently announced that they have arrested one of the “masterminds”: Dr. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a 63-year-old doctor and pastor who divided his time between Florida and Haiti. Except he is an unlikely candidate to lead a bloody coup:
“It is not just that Dr. Sanon... was not a very prominent figure. It was also hard to see how he could have footed the bill for the assault, given his personal financial travails. In 2013, he filed in Florida for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.”
Also: He seems to be a little kooky, and went around insisting that he was “sent on a mission of God to replace Moïse.” To review the story so far: some broke nutjob just went ahead and killed a head of state in his own home?! If you have no clue what this is about, check out our big story on the assassination. Also read: This CNN exclusive on the wild chase to arrest the assassins. (New York TImes)
A big pandemic benefit concert
Get ready for a 24-hour livestream show with the biggest stars—including Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, BTS, Coldplay, Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish. Performances will take place around the world, from Central Park in New York to London, Sydney and Seoul. And the proceeds will go toward a billion doses of Covid vaccine, $6 billion in famine relief and $400 million for education programmes. The event will be aired by BBC, YouTube, Hulu among others. (The Guardian)
In less happy music-related news: Gyms in Seoul have been told to limit treadmill speed to 6 km/hour—and not to play music that has a tempo above 120 beats per minute. The reason: “[T]he restrictions will prevent people from breathing too fast or splashing sweat on each other.” What this means: BTS is okay, but Blackpink fans are in trouble. (BBC News)
Cornel West has resigned
One of the most prominent Black intellectuals in the United States has resigned his position at Harvard University’s Divinity School—decrying an “intellectual and spiritual bankruptcy of deep depths.” West is angry at his low salary and the university’s initial refusal to grant him tenure. Washington Post has more details. Read the resignation letter in its entirety here.
A Twitter brawl over a BJP banner
Editor Shishira Rudrappa tweeted out a picture of a huge banner advertising the saffron party’s good work in Uttar Pradesh—except it was looming large in Bangalore:
Oddly, a senior UP IAS officer took great offence, calling it “fake news”—and tagged the UP Cyber Police and the state Director General of Police. And the Cyber Police immediately responded, vowing to take “appropriate legal action.” Rudrappa doubled down and posted a video of the banner—just to make his point. And then—even more oddly—the banner was taken down, a moment captured by Rudrappa’s team, as well. We share this only-on-Twitter story to show how alarmingly easy it has become to call the UP cops on anyone who offends anywhere in the country. (Free Press Journal)
Moon is getting ready to ‘wobble’
Over the next decade, our beautiful satellite’s orbit will develop a ‘wobble’—which is part of the natural cycle. The Moon’s orbit creates periods of higher and lower tides according to a roughly 18.6-year rhythm. But here’s the problem: It will cause something called high-tide flooding:
“High-tide floods, also called ‘nuisance floods,’ occur in coastal areas when tides reach about 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the daily average high tide and begin to flood onto streets or seep through storm drains. True to their nickname, these floods are more of a nuisance than an outright calamity, inundating streets and homes, forcing businesses to close and causing cesspools to overflow — but the longer they last, the more damage they can do.”
And the effects will be enhanced because sea levels are already rising due to climate change. None of this will be catastrophic but coastal neighbourhoods that start to flood 10-15 times a month will feel a significant impact on everyday lives. (Live Science)
Looking for your ‘hamdam’?
The Iranian government has unveiled a dating app called Hamdam—Farsi for ‘companion’—that allows users to find a life-mate. The aim: to help its youth forge a “lasting and informed marriage.” Sounds sweet except for a couple of things. Iran’s cyberspace police chief immediately declared that all dating apps other than Hamdam are illegal. Next: the app’s website claims it uses “artificial intelligence” to find matches “only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage and a single spouse.” Also: users have to go through a “psychology test” before browsing. And if all goes well, service consultants will “accompany” the couple for four years after marriage. Looking at you, Bumble! (Al Jazeera)
Say hello to Naomi Barbie!
The world’s kitschiest doll maker released a new line of dolls modeled on Naomi Osaka for $29.99—and it sold out ASAP. The doll is wearing the same outfit as the tennis ace did at the Australian Open in 2020. Osaka tweeted, “I hope every child is reminded that they can be and do anything.” (CNN)
Also getting feminist: Lufthansa Airline staff will no longer greet “ladies and gentlemen” on board its planes—but opt for gender-neutral alternatives like “guests” or duck the gender issue entirely by sticking to a simple “good morning/good evening.” This is part of a larger trend in Germany toward more inclusive language. Example: The decision to no longer use the word “Schwarzfahren” (black riding) to describe travelling without a ticket. (France24)
Also being renamed: Gypsy moths. The Entomological Society of America announced it will no longer use the term derogatory to Romani people—and is looking for a new one. Next in line for a new name: gypsy ant. It may sound a bit excessive, but here’s why it matters to many: “Roma are dehumanized in so many ways: being associated with insects, being associated with animals...And that is really how structural anti-Roma racism is justified.” (Smithsonian)
Also getting a makeover: Coke Zero Sugar. Coca Cola has changed its recipe to make it taste more like the ‘regular’ variety—and the look of its can/bottle. But folks are grumpy, declaring: "The new recipe is shocking. I won't be buying another can until you fix your mistake and bring back the old flavour." Well, as the silly ad for it goes, you will just have to try it first:
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The company announced a seed raise of an undisclosed amount from Antler India today.
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About DWD: Dine With Data🍴 sends you a short summary of one new startup every day, delivered straight to your WhatsApp inbox!
