Researched & collated by: Vagda Galhotra & Nivedita Bobal
The Russian invasion: The latest update
- Fighting continued across multiple fronts and Russia continued to pound the cities of Mariupol, Lviv etc. And President Zelenskyy said he is ready to talk about Ukraine embracing a “neutral” status.
- Speculation over what’s next for Moscow continues. The latest interpretation: “Russia has increasingly focused on grinding down Ukraine’s military in the east in the hope of forcing Kyiv into surrendering part of the country’s territory to possibly end the war.”
- A new video shows Ukrainian soldiers beating and shooting Russian prisoners. Five of the prisoners are tied up and lying on the ground. Three other captives are shot in their legs. All of which raises questions about violations of the Geneva Convention.
- Satellite images confirm tent cities set up by Russia outside Mariupol—where refugees are being diverted. The Kremlin claims these have been set up to offer humanitarian aid—while Mariupol officials say they are “filtration camps”—used to forcibly move them across the border.
- India is set to receive six million barrels of Russian oil in early April—a single consignment that will deliver half of what we received all year in 2021. And we’re buying it at a massive discount. China is expected to follow suit. Point to remember: For all the criticism from the West and US, Russia is still supplying about 30% of its gas to Europe through Ukraine.
Editor’s note: If you need more context, we highly recommend reading our Big Story on the historical roots of the conflict and this timely explainer on the effectiveness of economic sanctions, the return of the Cold War, what is driving Vladimir Putin, India’s “balancing act” and the looming oil crisis.
Thappad: The Hollywood edition
Will Smith’s slap was heard around the world—after he assaulted comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett on the Oscars stage. Rock said: “Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2”—referring to her shaved head. Why this was insensitive: Pinkett has been open about her hair loss due to alopecia—though it is not clear if Rock knew about it. Not many are impressed by Smith’s initial non-apology—made during his acceptance speech. But Smith did apologise again—this time on Insta and directly to Rock:
“My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
Also not helping Smith: he initially laughed at the joke, as this breakdown shows:
Point to note: Smith happily laughed along when Regina Hall made a crack about his “open marriage” earlier that evening:
The fallout: Rock has declined to press charges, and the Academy merely said it does not “condone violence of any form.” A very good read on the topic: Ryan Broderick on “pre viral exhaustion”—that sinking feeling when something happens and we already know what will happen on social media next… for days! Also read: The Atlantic on the bizarre normalisation of violence at the Oscars.
Also going viral: Reactions from A-list stars like Nicole Kidman:
And this clip of Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry counselling Smith during a commercial break. Washington apparently told Smith: “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the Devil comes for you.”
Missed in the chaos: The fact that Apple had a big night when ‘Coda’ took the best picture award. Axios has more on why this is likely more significant than anything Smith did.
El Salvador declares emergency
The government has clamped down in response to skyrocketing gang violence. There were 67 murders reported just on Saturday—all due to two main organized crime groups, Barrio 18 and MS-13. All constitutional rights have been suspended for 30 days—including the right to a state-sponsored defence. President Nayib Bukele, however, has been accused by the US of negotiating with the gangs—offering financial incentives in return for political support. (CNN)
The dangerous Covid-flu double whammy
A paper published in Lancet shows that patients who contract both Covid and the flu at the same time are at far greater risk. They are more than four times more likely to require ventilation support and 2.4 times more likely to die. Researchers recommend testing all Covid patients for the flu to be safe. (The Guardian)
In other pandemic news: China has imposed the most extensive lockdown in its biggest city, Shanghai—which has a population of 26 million. Why this matters: it is the main hub for finance and international business—and home to the world’s largest container-shipping port. Translation: expect serious supply chain disruptions. (CNBC)
Three stories of intolerance
One: A woman in a veil was denied entry into an Indian restaurant in Bahrain. It has shut down by authorities—and the management has profusely apologised:
“We have been serving our customers from all nationalities living in this beautiful Kingdom for over 35 years now. Ours is a place for everyone to come and enjoy with their families and feel at home. In this instance, a mistake has been made by a manager who has been suspended and this doesn’t represent who we are.”
Two: No apologies were extended, however, to Bharatnatyam dancer Mansiya VP who has been banned from performing at the Koodalmanikyam Temple in Thrissur, Kerala. The reason: She is not a Hindu but a Malayali Muslim. Authorities continue to insist that only Hindus can perform within the temple. Irony alert: Mansiya has also earned the wrath of clerics for performing a ‘Hindu’ classical dance. (Indian Express)
Three: The Taliban is an equal-opportunity offender. As per its latest rules, male government employees must have a beard and adhere to a strict dress code—a long, loose top and trousers, and a hat or turban—or risk being fired. They will not be allowed to enter their offices until they comply. Also: women will not be allowed to fly without a male escort. And public parks will be strictly segregated—even married couples and families cannot visit them together. (Reuters)
Good news about kidney stones
As we all know, kidney stones can be excruciatingly painful. Even without surgery, the smaller ones have to be passed through urine—which is no less agonising. Scientists have now found a new treatment—called burst wave lithotripsy (BWL)—which directs low frequency ultrasound waves to break up the stones. And unlike other such treatments, it is less painful and does not require anaesthesia. The bigger stones will still require an operation. (NewScientist)
Say hello to the Metaverse Fashion Week!
Decenterland hosted the first-of-its-kind event with 60 brands. Everyone was there— from high-end designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Dolce & Gabbana to high street brands like Forever 21—putting their best virtual foot forward. The upside of going meta: there was no exclusive invite list or front row seats for celebs. Mashable has more on why this is a big deal. Lifestyle Asia has key highlights from the four-day event—including a moisturiser cream inspired NFT from Estée Lauder (?!). The very cool D&G show is below:
In other news from the metaverse: Daler Mehndi became the first Indian to buy real estate on the Indian metaverse platform PartyNite—and he has named it—surprise!—‘Balle Balle Land’. The plan is to hold concerts, events, movie screenings and sell NFTs—all of which will be suitably ‘balle, balle’, no doubt. (Entrepreneur)
Speaking of tech: Instagram is working on a new feature that will allow you to send voice notes as replies to stories. But there is no rollout date as yet. (Mashable)
Two things to see
One: A lawyer and an artist have been arrested in Arunachal Pradesh for defacing a wall mural—called the ‘Wall of Harmony’—commissioned for the state’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The crime: They scrawled ‘No More Dams’—to protest the construction of dams that pose an environmental threat to the region. (Arunachal Times)
Two: If you need more evidence of how absurd the so-called lit fests have become, try and spot an actual author in this line up for the Dehradun event.
Good stuff to check out
On the latest episode of the splainer podcast ‘Press Decode’, the splainer team looks at politics at the movies—be it Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘Kashmir Files’ or Disney’s aversion to same-sex kisses. Be sure to head over to the IVM website, Spotify or Apple Podcasts to listen to it.
