Researched and collated by: Vagda Galhotra & Elisha Benny

Yasin Malik gets a life term

The Kashmiri separatist has been sentenced to life imprisonment on a variety of terror-related charges—which he pleaded guilty to earlier. Malik was the leader of the terrorist organisation Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), but he gave up violence in 1994—and became a Gandhian. While the court rejected the government’s demand for the death penalty, it also did not buy Malik’s argument that he has not engaged in any violence for over 28 years. Indian Express has more on the ruling. The Telegraph has more on why Malik’s conviction is a setback for moderate voices in the Valley.

Boris Johnson: The ‘party animal’ report

A formal investigation into the party culture at 10 Downing Street has released its report—and it’s highly damning. What it reveals: At the height of the pandemic restrictions—when citizens were not allowed to meet their loved ones—Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff were holding drunken parties. These often went on until 4 am—and involved at least one instance of vomiting 🙄. The report also includes nine incriminating photographs, including the one below. No, Johnson has no intention of resigning—though he takes “full responsibility” for all that boozing. (The Guardian)

Kapil Sibal quits Congress

The veteran leader—and one of the most familiar faces of the grand old party—has left Congress. He has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Rajya Sabha—with the support of the Samajwadi Party. But he has not, however, joined SP… for now. Sibal’s departure isn’t exactly surprising since he was the only Congress honcho to openly call on the Gandhis to step aside. This comes on the heels of another prominent exit—of Gujarat leader Hardik Patel—who quit ahead of the state elections. The Telegraph has more details—including an interview with Sibal. Indian Express explains why Sibal’s move is a big blow to Congress rebels challenging the Gandhis.

A very big crypto fund

Andreessen Horowitz has raised a $4.5 billion crypto fund—the largest to date. It will dedicate $3 billion to venture investments and $1.5 billion to seed investments. This makes the venture capital firm the biggest bettor on cryptocurrency—with a total of $7.6 billion in total investments. (Bloomberg News)

Ransomware attack on Spicejet

A cyberattack on the airline’s systems left hundreds of passengers stranded in airports across the country. The company moved to a new server and restored service, but revealed little else. We know some data servers were breached—but there is no information whether Spicejet paid the attackers to recover control. (The Telegraph)

Mangos shrivel in heatwave

Scorching temperatures in the north have devastated crops of India’s most beloved fruit. This has been especially devastating for small farmers. The optimal temperature for the fertilisation of mango trees is around 25ºC. Here’s how bad it is:

“In Uttar Pradesh, the northern mango-growing powerhouse, a government agriculture official estimated that mango production in the state would fall by close to 20% this year. The Mango Growers Association said the yield in the northern mango-growing belt would fall by closer to 70%.”

Meanwhile, in the south, unseasonal rain has been just as rough on mango crops. Example: “In Andhra Pradesh, the heavy rain delayed the mango plants’ flowering by a month. By the time the fruits emerged, it was too hot, and many dropped from the branches prematurely.” (New York Times via The Telegraph)

A big decline in traditional media

A key government survey—conducted between 2019 and 2021—shows a huge decline in the number of Indians consuming print and broadcast media. In this period, 32% of men and 41% of women said they did not read papers, watch TV or listen to the radio—at least once a week. Men show the steepest fall in reading print, while more women have turned away from television. The Print has more data.

Three things to see

One: Author Margaret Atwood unveiled an “unburnable” edition of her most famous novel, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. According to its publisher, Penguin Random House:

“Across the United States and around the world, books are being challenged, banned and even burned. So we created a special edition of a book that’s been challenged and banned for decades. Printed and bound using fireproof materials, this edition… was made to be completely un-burnable. It is designed to protect this vital story and stand as a powerful symbol against censorship.”

Watch Atwood in the excellent promo video below. (The Guardian)

Two: Kim Kardashian’s got a new gig—as Beyond Meat’s “chief taste consultant”—which seems to be just a new term for brand ambassador. Watch her new job announcement below: (People)

Three: Comedian Vir Das unveiled a new line of craft beer called ‘FAAAAKIT!’. The reasoning for its amusing name:

“I've had it with the ultra macho, super hipster, sports watching, snobbish culture of beer. You drink beer to relax and be happy... why can't beers be... happy? Some days you just wanna say #FAAAAKIT! And get happy.”

Watch him pitch the beer below. (Mint)