Did UAE broker India-Pakistan truce?
On February 25, India and Pakistan signed an unexpected ceasefire agreement along their shared border—especially Kashmir. Making it all the more exceptional: this was the first such treaty signed since 2003. Now, a Bloomberg News (via Al Jazeera) exclusive suggests that the United Arab Emirates may have played peacemaker:
“Yet behind closed doors, the India-Pakistan cease-fire marked a milestone in secret talks brokered by the UAE that began months earlier, according to officials aware of the situation who asked not to be identified. The cease-fire, one said, is only the beginning of a larger roadmap to forge a lasting peace between the neighbors.”
Also this: “The next step in the process involves both sides reinstating envoys in New Delhi and Islamabad, who were pulled in 2019 after Pakistan protested India’s move to revoke seven decades of autonomy for the disputed Muslim-majority State of Jammu and Kashmir. Then comes the hard part: Talks on resuming trade and a lasting resolution on Kashmir, the subject of three wars since India and Pakistan became independent from Britain in 1947."
The Hindu notes that there have been previous reports in the Indian media of a “back-channel, allegedly led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and interlocutors in Pakistan including Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.”
Another sign of a thaw: Pakistan and India are getting ready to hold the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission—which focuses on cross-border water-sharing agreements. It too had been suspended for the past 2.5 years.
Sign of a coming chill: Canada, US, UK and the European Union have imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and one security agency over human rights abuses against the Uighurs. In retaliation, Beijing in turn has imposed travel bans on 10 EU individuals and four entities. (Irish Times)
The hidden problem with microplastics
We all worry about plastic pollution—especially of the microscopic kind that extends even to the remotest stretches of the world. But a new study offers a new reason to worry. It found that microplastics are a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other pathogens. How this happens: Once tiny plastic particles—the kind found in cosmetics, toothpaste and clothing microfibers—wash down household drains and enter wastewater treatment plants, they form a slimy layer of buildup, or biofilm. This in turn allows microorganisms and antibiotic waste to attach to them and thrive. The result: “certain strains of bacteria elevated antibiotic resistance by up to 30 times while living on microplastic biofilms that can form inside activated sludge units at municipal wastewater treatment plants.” Phys.org has this important story.
In other unhappy news: A third tigress has died in Maharashtra in eight days—and the eleventh since January 1. Nope, this isn’t a case of poachers running wild since the body parts were intact—and electrocution has been ruled out. The tragic deaths will remain a mystery until the post-mortem offers more clues. In any case, whatever the specific cause of death, the fatality rate especially of young cubs is in itself a huge cause for worry. (Times of India)
In other animal-related news: Scientists have just discovered that a lot of marine animals swim in circles. This includes whale sharks, turtles and penguins. Nope, there is no specific reason for it. The data was gathered from across the world—from the Cape Verde Islands to Okinawa, Japan—and while the animals were foraging, swimming home, and returning after nesting. The bottomline: Scientists have no clue why the hell they do it… as yet. (Popular Mechanics)
In animal-related horrors: First came a ‘plague’ of mice thanks to the long rainless months. Now the rains have finally arrived in Australia—but with a vengeance. The flooding has brought with it new horrors. For starters: flooding. This in turn has led to… lots and lots of drowned mice. And last but not least: a new plague of insects—as “swarms of spiders flee into homes—and up legs” to escape the floods. We leave it to The Guardian to lay out the full horror. Or just check out the video below:
Related good read: The New York Times via the Telegraph looks at how climate change has triggered a cycle of extreme weather patterns in Australia.
The great pandemic: A quick update
- Nope, the pandemic isn’t over. That’s the news from Mumbai where doctors are seeing rapid lung deterioration among young people—who started out as either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. For instance, doctors treated a 40-year-old with mild symptoms who then required ventilator support within just four days.
- Are you ‘quaradreaming’—as in having more nightmares? You can thank your WFH lifestyle that allows you to go to sleep later—and get up later yet. The result: You have more stress and time for REM sleep. The result: more nightmares.
- Are you convinced that the Oxford vaccine is absolutely safe? No? Well, here’s more data: the long-awaited US trial shows that the shot is both safe and highly effective. In a trial involving 32,000 volunteers, the vaccine was 79% effective against symptomatic Covid—and showed no signs of causing blood clots. BBC News has more.
- Speaking of the Oxford vaccine, India has changed its recommendation for Covishield. It has finally recognised the message sent by overwhelming research and asked that the gap between two doses be increased from 4-6 weeks to 6-8 weeks. Research out of Europe suggests that the vaccine can be up to 90 % effective when given at an interval of 12 weeks.
- Some private hospitals have been informed that they will only receive Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin—and they’re worried that people will refuse to take the jab. The government is worried that the Covaxin vials will expire.
- As production ramps up, the US will have an oversupply of Covid doses within a month to 45 days and a quarter of unvaccinated adults are still hesitant to take the shot.
- A new survey of 31,092 people (full-time and self-employed workers) across 31 countries in Asia reveals the huge impact of the pandemic: 50% are considering a career shift and 47% are looking to change jobs—both of which are higher than the global average. The hardest hit: Gen Z workers who are feeling isolated, unexcited and struggling to stay innovative.
- Two good related reads: MIT Technology Review takes a serious look at researchers who are convinced that the coronavirus may be lab-engineered. NPR has a great read on an American family that was stranded thanks to false rumours about Tablighi Muslims being super-spreaders of Covid, and were separated from their kids for over a year. Here’s the weird thing: They still love this country.
National Awards are out!
Kangana Ranaut scored the best actress award for 'Manikarnika’ and 'Panga', while Manoj Bajpayee shared best actor honours for ‘Bhonsle’ with Dhanush (‘Asuran’). Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan won best director for Bahattar Hoorain. Best feature film: ‘Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham’—the Malayalam film starring Mohanlal. See the full list over at Times of India.
Speaking about your bacon input…
A new study shows that a single rasher of bacon per day can increase your risk of dementia by 44%. The reason: it is processed meat. And it’s the ‘processed’ bit not the amount of meat that matters:
“In the study, people who ate 25 gm a day of processed meat had a 44% greater chance of developing the condition, but those who consumed 50 gm a day of unprocessed meat were almost 20% less likely to develop dementia.”
Speaking of your pasta input: Food podcast host and pasta aficionado Dan Pashman has invented a brand new shape called cascatelli—which is Italian for "little waterfalls." And it’s engineered to hold on to every bit of that delicious sauce:
"That right-angle element is really key to what I think makes this shape different… There are very few pasta shapes that have right angles. It provides resistance to the bite at all angles. It creates kind of like an I-beam, and that makes for a very satisfying bite."
NPR has more. Also, it looks like this:
Speaking of your liquor input: The Delhi government has reduced the legal drinking age from 25 to 21. That said, Delhi is the only city that had this impossible-to-enforce rule for all kinds of booze. Now, it’s all about aiming for a 20% growth in excise revenue thanks to a grudging acceptance of reality. (Mint)
Some very strange UFO news
The former Director of National Intelligence under Donald Trump claims that we may have been visited by aliens—as confirmed by sightings by US navy and air force personnel:
“And when we talk about sightings, we are talking about objects that have seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain. Movements that are hard to replicate that we don’t have the technology for. Or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom.”
Why this may not be crazy Trump-lover talk: The comments come just weeks before the US government is set to declassify confidential and ‘detailed analysis of unidentified phenomena data’ in US airspace. Hmm. well, we’ll wait for the report. (The Guardian)
What you see is...
The Instagram edition: A 50-year-old Japanese male biker used photo editing apps like FaceApp to transform himself into a young, hot girl to gain popularity:
“Zonggu [said] he had wanted to increase his presence on social media and believed people would prefer to see a ‘younger beautiful woman’ rather than an old ‘uncle’. ‘No-one will read what a normal middle-aged man, taking care of his motorcycle and taking pictures outside, posts on his account,’ he said.”
Below is the real vs unreal moment of revelation. (BBC News)
The Shakespeare edition: A sculpture that stands above the immortal bard’s grave may be the most accurate version of what he looked like. Until now, the effigy was assumed to be a posthumous memorial of the man—not an accurate rendition. But now, researchers have established that it was created by a sculptor in the playwright’s lifetime, and likely commissioned by him. Also: The 20th-century critic John Dover Wilson characterised it as that of a “self-satisfied pork butcher.” We are hard-pressed to disagree. The Guardian has the rest of this excellent story.