And the Nobel goes to…

The award for economics was split between three people: David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens. Card is being honoured for groundbreaking work on minimum wages, immigration and education—part of which showed that raising the minimum wage does not lead to fewer jobs. Angrist and Imbens were recognised for creating a framework that enables the use of “natural experiments”—which are economic studies based on the observation of real-world data. Why this matters: Such methodologies have helped make economics more applicable to everyday life. (Associated Press) 

India & China are not talking…

• On Sunday, top level commanders held their 13th meeting  to resolve the border dispute in Ladakh—and it ended in a mutual blame game. 
• Indian ministry officials said they had made “constructive suggestions… but the Chinese side was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals.” 
• The Chinese said: “The Indian side continued to insist on unreasonable and unrealistic demands, which made the negotiations more difficult.” 
• The big sticking point: Beijing’s refusal to rollback its incursion into Hot Springs on the Ladakh border. Indian Express explains why this particular region has long been a hotspot.
• Point to note: Army chief General M M Naravane recently flagged a massive Chinese build up along the border. 

Still trying to communicate: The US and the Taliban who held the first talks after the American exit from Afghanistan. The Americans described the talks as “candid and professional”—but insisted that they did not amount to recognising the Taliban government. The Taliban, OTOH, claim that the US has committed to providing humanitarian aid. (BBC News)

Saying ‘no’ to Afghanistan: Adani Ports, which announced that its terminals will not handle cargo from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan starting November 15. The reason for this ban: In September, 3,000 kilograms of heroin were seized from two containers at the Mundra port run by Adani—which has turned into a political talking point for opposition leaders. (NDTV)

Two strange spy stories

One: The UK is abuzz over reports that Russian spies stole the blueprint for the AstraZeneca vaccine and used it to create their own Sputnik V jab. While the story has gone everywhere, Gizmodo rightly notes that its source is a single piece in The Sun (?!)—which cites unnamed “security services.” Another contrarian point by Gizmodo:

“Russia didn’t steal any nuclear codes. They stole, allegedly, some information on how to make a vaccine to end a once-in-a-century pandemic. And anyone who thinks that’s a negative thing may want to reassess their priorities.”

Two: This spy story is definitely real. A US Navy nuclear engineer and his wife have been charged with selling secret information about nuclear submarines. The couple was caught in an undercover FBI operation—which involved the guilty engineer hiding a digital memory card containing documents about submarine nuclear reactors in half a peanut butter sandwich. Life is always stranger than Hollywood fiction. (Reuters)

Indian heatwaves are on the move

A new study shows that heatwaves in India are shifting in geography—moving to new locations around the country over the past two decades. Where it is especially significant: Tamil Nadu and Karnataka which have been affected by “a southward expansion and a spatial surge.” The Gangetic Bengal, OTOH, is witnessing a significant decrease in heatwaves. (Indian Express)

Yes, Superman is bisexual

Well, not Clark Kent but his son Jon—who has taken up his mantle (or is it cape?). Jon’s love interest: his friend Jay Nakamura—“a bespectacled, pink-haired reporter.” While we don’t have plot details, DC comics released this image of a tender kiss. (BBC News)

Speaking of overachieving youngsters: An eleven-year-old kid from Pune—Joshua Bejoy—is the author of the bestselling book on the Amazon Kindle Store in the Children's Crime and Thriller category. It’s title: ‘Murder at the Leaky Barrel’. (The Hindu) 

Sticking with the theme: 16-year-old Irish cricketer Amy Hunter has broken Mithali Raj’s record to become the youngest person to hit a century in a One Day International. And she did it on her birthday! (The Hindu)

Three things to see…

One: Bill Whitaker—a journalist for the TV news show ‘60 Minutes’—got the deepfake treatment. AI made him 30 years younger, took away his mustache—and was able to speak exactly like him. Yes, it’s very creepy, but maybe women news anchors won’t be pressured to undergo plastic surgery in the future? (Yahoo News)

Two: Tom Cruise—who has been the subject of many a deepfake vid—went to a baseball game, and managed to look very real (and kinda like a hottish dad). Hilariously, many people responded to the clip below, saying: “It looks like a deep fake.” (Vanity Fair)

Three: Each year, New Zealand holds a bird of the year competition—that is often the source of great controversy and fierce debate. In the past there have been accusations of vote-rigging. This year, calamity has struck early: the long-tailed bat, or pekapeka-tou-roa has been named as one of the contenders—as an attempt to raise awareness about their endangered status. Eeks, the travesty! (The Guardian)