Russian crackdown gets ugly
The arrest of Alexei Navalny—who has now been sentenced to two years in jail—has sparked unprecedented protests across Russia. And the crackdown has been exceptionally brutal—with the police beating even unarmed protesters who don’t offer resistance. Mass arrests are becoming the norm—so much so that detention facilities are running out of room. Some human rights activists report the use of sexual abuse and humiliation:
“We have a very strange practice starting. After detention, in police departments, police officers force the girls to either fully undress and do sit-downs naked, or force them to show their underwear, pull up their T-shirts, blouses, pull down their trousers.”
Associated Press offers a good overview of the crackdown. Open Democracy looks at what’s next for the protests.
In other news of dictatorships: In a strange move, Myanmar’s military—which ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup on Monday—filed its first charges against her. Her crime: illegally importing walkie-talkie radios. There is no mention of the claims of rampant election fraud the military invoked to seize power. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are expressing their anger using a tactic familiar to all of us: clanging thaalis in the balconies. Watch that here. (NPR)
Lockdowns made Earth… warmer??
New research shows that the shutdown in normal human activity for an extended period actually raised the temperature of the planet by 0.2-0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.1-0.3 degrees Celsius):
"There was a big decline in emissions from the most polluting industries, and that had immediate, short-term effects on temperatures. Pollution cools the planet, so it makes sense that pollution reductions would warm the planet.”
The reason: airborne particles, or aerosols block incoming sunlight—so when emissions dropped, the temperatures went up, especially in heavily industrialized nations, such as the US and Russia. (SciTech Daily)
In related environmental news: Australian bushfires are spreading… again! Residents have fled to evacuation centres—in the middle of a strict 4-day pandemic lockdown—to escape wildfires raging on the outskirts of Perth. The blaze is spread across 100 km, and has burnt through 9,000 hectares, destroying 71 homes. Point to note: The devastating bushfires last year occurred on the eastern side of the continent. This summer, Western Australia is burning up and is at the greatest risk. (BBC)
The great pandemic: a quick update
- First the good news: According to a new study, the Oxford vaccine can cut transmission of the virus by 67%. What this means: The vaccine doesn’t just protect a person from developing Covid symptoms, but it also blocks the spread.
- Less impressed with the Oxford vaccine: France followed Germany’s cue, and will not administer the vaccine to people over the age of 65 because there is no evidence it is effective with the elderly. Belgium agrees. AstraZeneca continues to insist it has data to the contrary.
- Not so great news: The UK variant has acquired a key mutation similar to that of the South African version—which may make vaccines less effective. The virus appears to be evolving along a certain pathway in different regions, and that may be a good thing. An expert says: “This gives us a sign that it has certain favored routes—and we can work to block those off with a vaccine.”
- Meanwhile, South Africa is converting shipping containers into makeshift morgues as it struggles to bury the dead.
- A group of doctors and social workers have launched a virtual memorial for Indians who have lost their life to the disease. It allows family members and friends of the victims to pay their tributes. Check it out here. BBC News has the story.
Has the Gamestop bubble popped?
Fave Reddit shares crashed to below $90 from a high of $483 last week—as have others like AMC which fell 40% and Blackberry which is down 28%. But the stock market drama (explained here) is unlikely to end any time soon with big name entrepreneurs egging the Redditors on. First it was Elon Musk, now it’s Mark Cuban, who said: "I think now that they've recognized their power and now that they've learned some lessons, we're going to get more of it, not less of it." Cnet has more on the wild stock gyrations ahead.
Government plans eight new cities
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry plans to spend Rs 80 billion (Rs 8,000 crore) to “incubate” eight new cities over the next five years. The reason: “most of the existing cities are now saturated, and inadequate to cater to the growing urban population.” There is no information yet as to where these cities will be located. (The Print)
Kamala’s closet is under scrutiny
Women in politics have always been under great scrutiny for their fashion choices. But this time the pressure is coming not from fashion gurus, but woke liberals. The newly elected Veep is facing flack from Insta influencers for wearing Dolce & Gabbana (which has been in trouble for being racially tone deaf):
“They could and should be better, especially after the triumphs of last week. The timing of this so soon after her inaugural choices championed lesser-known American designers of colour is awful no matter how you look at it.. I don’t think it’s a good idea for Kamala to wear so many new expensive items during her first week in office.”
More things change…
John Travolta’s mini ‘Grease’ revival
The big brands roll out their cool new ads every year at US football’s big event, the Super Bowl. The one generating the most buzz in 2021: John Travolta recreating this famous dance scene with his daughter Ella—with Martha Stewart looking on. Our fave moment: when ‘Office’ alum Leslie David Baker yells: “Hey, Travoltas, don't be Tik-ity Tok-king on my grass!”
Also a lot of fun: Michael B Jordan in this new ad titled ‘Alexa’s Body’ for Amazon.
Amazon upgrades its US HQ
The company unveiled the design for its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia—and it’s an eye-popping campus. The 2.8 million square feet of offices—spread across three mid rise towers—includes a “spiraling mountain building” dubbed ‘the Helix’ “where employees can escape and experience the indoor gardens or outdoor terraces.” Btw, you can actually climb that sucker. (Fastcompany)
