Deleted Covid samples raises questions
A US researcher has recovered deleted files from Google Cloud that reveal 13 partial genetic sequences for some of the earliest cases of Covid in Wuhan. These were deleted from a US National Institutes of Health database on the request of the Wuhan researcher who submitted them. And they show that these cases differ genetically from the strain that finally triggered the pandemic. But the new information does little to settle the debate over the lab leak hypothesis (explained here). CNN has more on the discovery. LiveScience offers a detailed look at the genetic samples.
In other pandemic-related news:
- US health authorities say more than 1,200 young people developed a rare form of heart inflammation after they received the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccine.
- Four more past cases of Covid have been uncovered among foreign arrivals for the Tokyo Olympics.
- According to a new survey, 67% of Indians say there is limited mask compliance in their area—and only 32% say there is proper use of masks at the vaccination centre.
- Surprising no one, the pandemic has accelerated the online sales of drugs—making it easier to score a hit around the world. Also this: “Overall, MDMA, LSD and cocaine were used less due to the closing of social and recreational venues; increased stress, boredom, more free time and changes in financial resources triggered an increase in the use of cannabis, as well as in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs.”
- The Odisha government is planning to use drones to deliver vaccines to remote areas.
- A good related read: BBC News looks at whether India can prevent a third wave.
Kashmir meeting produces few results
It was largely an exercise in domestic diplomacy. The first such meeting with the state’s leadership—described as “a freewheeling three-and-a-half-hour interaction”—did not result in any concrete outcomes. In his speech, Modi-ji apparently declared: “Dilli ki doori kam honi chahiye aur Dil ki doori bhi” (the distance from Delhi and the distance between hearts should both be removed). And he indicated this is just the first of many such meetings. That said, the optics definitely mattered, as a senior leader of the five-party Gupkar alliance told The Telegraph:
“The Prime Minister’s picture with the leaders explains it all. They had been pushed to the political margins, jailed, but today they were in the same row with the Prime Minister.”
The Hindu has more on the Kashmiri leaders’ takeaways. Indian Express offers an in depth analysis of the road ahead. See the telling photo-op below:
Twitter India boss catches a break
The Managing Director has been summoned by the UP police to Ghaziabad in connection with a video of an assault on a elderly Muslim man (explained here). Manish Maheshwari—who lives in Bangalore—moved the Karnataka High Court, and has been granted temporary protection against arrest. And he does not have to travel to Ghaziabad either. Maheshwari claimed in court that the police initially named him as a witness, but is now one of the accused. (NDTV)
Tech pioneer John McAfee found dead
The creator of McAfee antivirus software was found dead in his jail cell near Barcelona in an apparent suicide. This happened hours after a Spanish court approved his extradition to the United States—where he faces charges of tax evasion that carry a prison sentence of up to 30 years. After he sold his highly successful company, McAfee led a highly eccentric life, and often had run-ins with the law—including being questioned in a murder in Belize. At the time, the Belize PM said of McAfee: “I don’t want to be unkind to the gentleman, but I believe he is extremely paranoid, even bonkers.” For an excellent read on McAfee’s bizarre life, read this 2012 Wired profile.
Mass graves of children in Canada
For the second time within a month, hundreds of unmarked graves have been found near a former Catholic residential school for Indigenous children. Last month, the remains of 215 children—some as young as three years old—were found buried on the site of a similar school in British Columbia. The first discovery triggered a number of excavations—which in turn led to the second. Until the 1990s, 150,000 Native American, Metis and Inuit children were forcibly sent to 139 residential schools across Canada—isolated from their families, their language and their culture so as to assimilate them into Canadian society. A recent inquiry commission concluded that at least 4,000 had died in these places—calling it an act of “cultural genocide.” (Al Jazeera)
Three tech things
One: Say hello to the JioPhone. Reliance and Google unveiled an “ultra-affordable” 4G smartphone “built for India.” The phone will be rolled out in September, but the price is still unknown. Reminder: Last year, Google inked a deal to buy a $4.5 billion stake in Jio Platforms Ltd. (NDTV)
Two: Microsoft Windows 11 is here—and “this isn't just the same old operating system with a fresh coat of paint.” Ars Technica has all the details on the new look, revamped Start menu and news feed.
Three: Indian digital rights group Internet Freedom Foundation has accused Clubhouse of collecting ‘excessive data’ and undermining the right to privacy:
“The app collects name, address, contact details, phone numbers, IP address, device name, OS, the people a user interacts with, and time, frequency and duration of use. Besides, as people link other platforms to Clubhouse, it access information shared on those platforms. Based on authorisation, it also collects phone numbers in the contact list, even for individuals who are not a part of the platform.”
And it shares the information with third parties and the government—and has no policy that prevents it from making money off it. (The Hindu)
A gay man on a pound note
World War II code-breaker Alan Turing—referred to as the “father of computer science and artificial intelligence”—is the first gay man to be featured on British currency. Why this is especially sweet: First hailed as a war hero, he eventually died in disgrace after being prosecuted for indecency over his relationship with another man. NBC News has more on Turing. See the £50 bank note below:
In our gratitude jar…
We are deeply grateful to founding members Deepa Venkatraman, Pratyusha R, Jayshree Menon, Hitesh Shah, Akanksha Pundir, Anand Viswanathan, Saurabh Chakravarty, Annu Matthew, Gargi Sengupta and Neha Daswani. Thank you for early and greatly needed support.
