Researched & collated by: Vagda Galhotra & Nivedita Bobal

An amazing AMA with Kalki Koechlin & Sabiha Sumar 

Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sabiha Sumar and actor Kalki Koechlin came together to make ‘Azmaish: A Journey Through the Subcontinent’. The thought-provoking film captures their journey across Pakistan and India as they look for answers for a big question: How did religious fundamentalism bring Pakistan and India to the same dangerous threshold? 

The event: Our next AMA—in partnership with the video-hosting platform Eventscape—offers a great opportunity to speak with both Koechlin and Sumar about the film, its provocative themes—and their past work. FYI: Sumar is also highly regarded for her previous film ‘Dinner with the President’—which centred on a fascinating conversation with then leader Pervez Musharaff. 

Date/Time: 7:30 pm on Monday, March 7. Be sure to sign up for your slot here.

Watch the movie: As a big bonus, you can also watch ‘Azmaish’ over at Eventscape—get a 20% discount on the Rs 99 rental by typing in SPLAINER. Check out the trailer below:

A historic plastic waste treaty

The United Nations approved a landmark agreement to create the world's first ever global plastic pollution treaty. It is being described as the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris climate accord—and will be finalised by 2024. While the details still have to be hammered out, it is expected to impose significant restrictions on plastic production, use and design. Point to note:

“The Indian text proposed voluntary action, which remained a separate document throughout the negotiations, with a majority of countries favouring binding commitments. The term voluntary was retained as an option upon insistence by India.”

Reuters and Indian Express have more details.

Aryan Khan is not guilty

Shah Rukh Khan’s son was accused of being part of an international network of drug suppliers by the Narcotics Control Bureau (explained here). The special investigative team appointed by the agency has now concluded that there is zero evidence to back the allegations levelled by the Mumbai unit headed by the infamous Sameer Wankhede:

“Aryan Khan was never in possession of drugs hence there was no need to take his phone and check his chats; the chats do not suggest Khan was part of any international syndicate; the raid was not video-recorded as mandated by the NCB manual; and the drugs recovered from multiple accused arrested in the case shown as single recovery.”

As Hindustan Times notes, the final report has not yet been filed, but the preliminary conclusions raise more questions about the investigators than the case. 

Suez Canal gets more pricey

Egypt has hiked the transit fees for ships passing through the canal by up to 10%. About 10% of global trade—including 7% of the world’s oil—flows through the Suez Canal—and traffic has increased by 10% last year. The added revenue will be used for “development and enhancement of the transit service”—and presumably widening and deepening the canal so another Ever Given (explained here) doesn’t get stuck in the middle again. (Associated Press)

Three important health findings

Menopause: A new study reveals that women are 35% more likely to develop dementia if they undergo an early menopause—between the ages of 40 and 44 compared to average age of 50 or 51 years old. It is also linked to a 30% increased risk of presenile dementia—where the disease strikes before a person is 65. One likely reason for this link: “We know that the lack of estrogen over the long term enhances oxidative stress, which may increase brain ageing and lead to cognitive impairment.” CNN has more details. 

Ageing & adolescence: New findings suggest that kids between the ages of 11 and 15 who are obese, smoke or have a psychological disorder—like anxiety, depression or ADHD—age much faster than their peers. And they are biologically older by the time they hit midlife—ageing three months faster each year: “They also walked 11.2 centimeters per second slower, had an older brain age by two-and-a-half years and had an older facial age by nearly four years than those who did not.” The study tracked 910 people from the age of 3 until 45. (Fox News)

Life expectancy in India: A study found that Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims in India have lower life expectancy than higher caste Hindus. On average, the gap is four years for Adivasis, three years for Dalits and around a year for Muslims. Only half this gap can be attributed to socio-economic status—which suggests that simply addressing economic inequality isn’t enough to bridge it. (The Telegraph)

A personal loss for Satya Nadella

The Microsoft CEO lost his son Zain who passed away at the age of 26. He was born with cerebral palsy—which is caused by abnormal development of the brain and affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance. The family has not made any public comment, but here’s what Nadella said of his son’s impact on his life:

“After Zain, things started to change for me. It has had a profound impact on how I think, lead and relate to people… Anu has deeply taught me something, through all of what's happened with Zain—how to forgive myself. None of us is perfect. Once you come to that deeper realization, you don't judge as quickly, you listen better and you can amplify people's strengths.”

People has more on Zain and the Nadella family. 

The colonial practice of palaeontology 

A team of researchers have found that prehistoric fossils are being steadily funnelled out of poorer countries—and end up either in museums in the West or in private collections. Example: 88% of fossils unearthed in the Araripe Basin in northeast Brazil are now housed abroad. Another sign of inequality: foreign teams rarely collaborate with local researchers—who are shut out of published work that emerges from these excavations. The result is a form of “scientific colonialism”—where lower income countries are used as sources of data or specimens for higher income nations. 

The best quote from one of the co-authors:

“I think we [palaeontologists] are often seen as cute characters that wear Indiana Jones outfits, and could surely do no harm. But actually, Indiana Jones is a really good example: one of his catchphrases was ‘this belongs in a museum’—but what he means is his museum, not a museum in the country he’s collecting the thing from."

The Guardian has more details.

A list of endangered monuments

Every two years, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) releases a list of the 25 most endangered heritage sites from around the world. And each list contains a number of new entries. This year, it includes Tiretta Bazaar—an old Chinese neighbourhood—in Kolkata, the tomb of Jahangir in Lahore, Hurst Castle in South England and mosques and cemeteries in Koagannu, Maldives. WMF has contributed more than $110 million toward conservation at over 300 sites. FYI, a YouTube search for Tiretta Bazaar only throws up hundreds of videos of folks shovelling Chinese food into their mouths (which may explain its endangered heritage status 🙄). But we did find this useful blog post on the churches in the area plus this Hindu Business Line feature on the area. Also see a lovely image of a shrine below. (CNN)

Dua Lipa is getting sued

A reggae band from Florida claims that her song ‘Levitating’ is a ripoff of theirs—a 2017 track titled ‘Live Your Life’. The song has already had its share of controversies. Back in October 2020, Dua Lipa released a remix with DaBaby—who was later removed from the track due to his homophobic comments. You can listen to ‘Live Your Life’ over at SoundCloud and decide for yourself. (Complex)

Two things to see 

One: A Muslim fruit seller in Telangana was harassed because he put up a sign that wished everyone 'Happy Maha Shivratri'. Apparently, some Hindutva goons were offended by the sight of human beings honouring each other’s religious traditions. Listen to this articulate young man stand up for himself and his value system (wait for it). If you don’t understand Hindi, Siasat has translated a number of his quotes. (Free Press Journal)

Two: NASA’s Mars rovers have sent back plenty of beautiful images. The latest is this “flower”—which is a 1 cm-large mineral structure likely formed many years ago as a result of precipitating water. (NASA)