Researched and collated by: Vagda Galhotra & Sara Varghese

The Russian invasion: The latest update

• President Putin has declared victory in Mariupol. Russia says it has gained control of most of the city—except for a giant steel factory where 1,000-plus civilians and troops are holding out. The Russian plan is to starve them out rather than storm the compound.
• President Biden has pledged another $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine—which includes much-needed heavy artillery, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and drones—all of which will be sent directly to the front lines.
• The World Bank is predicting a “huge” 37% jump in global food prices due to the war in Ukraine. 
• Chinese company UnionPay stepped in to rescue Russian banks when Mastercard and Visa suspended operations. But UnionPay is now planning to exit due to a fear of US sanctions. Also getting out: Tata Steel which has decided to end all its business in Russia.

Editor’s note: If you need more context, we highly recommend reading our Big Story on the historical roots of the conflict, effectiveness of economic sanctions, return of the Cold War, what is driving Vladimir Putin, India’s “balancing act” and the looming oil crisis.

Electricity cuts are coming

India will soon face a massive power crisis with electricity in short supply. States like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have already enforced blackouts—some as long as eight hours. The reason: a scarcity of coal—which accounts for 70% of the country’s electricity generation:

“Both demand-and supply-side factors are responsible. Electricity demand has shot up, due to the reopening and as the country heads towards the peak summer season, but supply has been disrupted due to the reduced availability of railway rakes to transport coal and lower coal imports.” 

Bloomberg News via NDTV has more details.

Is intermittent fasting all hype?

A year-long study looked at time-restricted diets—where you eat only within a window of six to eight hours—and found that they had virtually no effect on weight loss. They divided participants into two groups. One restricted their overall calorie intake while the other followed a low calorie diet between 8 am and 4 pm. The result:

“Both groups lost weight—an average of about 14 to 18 pounds [6.4 kg to 8.2 kg]—but there was no significant difference in the amounts of weight lost with either diet strategy. There also were no significant differences between the groups in measures of waist circumference, body fat and lean body mass. The scientists also found no differences in such risk factors as blood glucose levels, sensitivity to insulin, blood lipids or blood pressure.”

Why this matters: it contradicts the findings of previous such studies which were often smaller, of shorter duration and without control groups. Amusing point to note: The lead researcher was a devotee of intermittent fasting until he saw his own results: “I started eating breakfast. My family says I am a lot nicer.” (New York Times)

In other important health news: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning against common prenatal blood tests—which check for the presence of genetic abnormalities in foetuses like Down’s syndrome. It said these tests often throw up “false results”—and make “claims about their performance and use that are not based on sound science.” Why this matters: Initial screening tests are usually followed up with more intrusive (and potentially riskier) testing that requires extracting a sample of amniotic fluid or piece of tissue. Also: women may make incorrect decisions about their pregnancy based on these results. This FDA warning confirms the findings of an in-depth New York Times investigation published in January.

Sheryl Sandberg in trouble?

A Wall Street Journal scoop reveals that the Facebook Chief Operating Officer intervened to squash a tabloid story about her then boyfriend—Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. It involved a restraining order secured by Kotick’s ex-girlfriend—and Sandberg’s PR team was worried it “would reflect negatively on her reputation as an advocate for women.” She again tried to influence coverage in the Daily Mail when she broke up with Kotick in 2019. 

Why this matters: The Mail—like many news outlets—is greatly dependent on Facebook to reach its audience—and Sandeberg’s actions could be seen as using her professional position to deal with a personal problem. There is now an internal investigation to see if she broke any rules. (Wall Street Journal)

Also in trouble: Bill Murray. The directorial debut of actor and comedian Aziz Ansari—titled ‘Being Mortal’ and based on Atul Gawande’s book—has been suspended due to a complaint of “inappropriate behaviour” filed against his co-star Bill Murray. The matter is being investigated but there are no other details at this time. (Hollywood Reporter)

Already cancelled: CNN+. The news streaming platform was shut down less than a month after its launch. One big reason: lack of interest. It attracted fewer than 100,000 subscribers. The other reason: A change of ownership which shifted from AT&T to a newly created company created by the merger of Warner Bros and Discovery. The new bosses don’t think there’s much point to a streaming platform that can’t feature a live feed of the TV network—or its highest-profile news shows—due to contractual obligations with its cable/satellite providers. Wall Street Journal (paywall) and Associated Press have more details.

Study warns of insect apocalypse

A new study has for the first time identified a clear and alarming link between the climate crisis and high-intensity agriculture. It is based on 20-year data from 6,000 locations. The results show that “insect abundance” has dropped by nearly 50%, while the number of species has been slashed by 27% in places that rely on modern farming—including use of pesticides or fertilisers. And this may be just the tip of the iceberg. Why this matters: “Three quarters of our crops depend on insect pollinators…Crops will begin to fail. We won't have things like strawberries…We can't feed 7.5 billion people without insects.” (CNN)

Man U gets a new coach

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag has a new job as manager of Manchester United—which is placed at #6 and just lost 4-0 to Liverpool. No one expects Ten Hag to perform overnight miracles—and the path back to success will be steep. The Guardian and Sky News explain why. ESPN has details on the appointment.

A long list of things to see

One: UK PM Boris Johnson headed to Gujarat as part of his India visit—and posed with a spinning wheel at the Sabarmati Ashram. Of course, he also posed with a bulldozer at the local JCB plant. We believe the appropriate Brit word for this is ‘thick’. (NDTV) 

Two: Moving on to more pleasant British things… Mattel marked Queen Elizabeth’s 96th birthday by releasing a new Barbie—which also commemorates her  70 years on the throne. Some people are upset that the size zero doll doesn’t look “true to life.” Really? A Barbie? Shocking. (BBC News)

Three: Speaking of photographic mishaps, BoJo can console himself with this unfortunate photo shoot of New York Times’ newly appointed editor Joe Kahn—who struck this pose for a New York magazine profile. FYI: He’s supposed to be “relaxing with the paper.”

Four: This bright orange Ecuadoran tropical plant was named Gasteranthus extinctus by scientists in 2000—because they were sure it was already extinct. Now, researchers have found it thriving in the forest in all its orange glory. Why this is wonderful news: “Rediscovering this flower shows that it’s not too late to turn around even the worst biodiversity scenarios, and it shows there’s value in conserving even the smallest, most degraded areas.” (Forbes)

Five: NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance captured this spellbinding video of one of the Martian moons passing in front of the sun during an eclipse. (Ars Technica)