Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Anannya Parekh & Aakriti Anand
Looming trouble on a big India-Iran deal
New Delhi sealed a 10-year contract to operate the Chabahar port—a well-located deep water port suitable for large cargo ships. And it is critical for a planned global supply line that will run from India—through Iran and Russia—to Europe. It also offers India access to Afghanistan—since the land route is blocked by Pakistan.
The problem: Washington says it carries a risk of US sanctions. India had received a special exemption—but it may not apply to New Delhi’s plan to invest $120 million—and offer $250 million in credit. The Hindu has lots more on why this will be a tricky diplomatic tightrope for India.
An astonishing record in global warming
According to a new study, the summer of 2023 was the hottest in the Northern Hemisphere—in 2,000 years, since around 1850:
The study goes back before the advent of thermometers and weather stations, to the year A.D. 1, using evidence from tree rings… The average temperature from June through August 2023 was 2.20 degrees Celsius warmer than the average summer temperature between the years 1 and 1890, according to the researchers’ tree ring data.
The reasons include climate change, El Niño and an undersea volcanic eruption. New York Times has more on the study’s methodology and its findings.
War on Gaza: the latest update
Here’s a quick roundup of the key headlines:
- Israeli military is unhappy with the lack of a postwar plan for Gaza—which is undermining their ability to hold territory.
- There was controversy over the death toll—after a UN agency reduced the number of women and children killed.
That toll now includes an Indian staff member working for the UN—who was killed in Rafah. BBC News has more on the IDF strike.
Google’s Gemini is excellent at ‘fetch’
A new feature of the AI chatbot throws a lifeline to anyone drowning in a sea of photos on their phone:
The new Gemini feature, Ask Photos, allows users to task their AI assistant with finding photos. Prompts might include “Show me the best photo from each national park I’ve visited,” or “What themes have we had for Lena’s birthday parties?” In response, the chatbot will chat back with relevant photos, “saving you from all that scrolling.”
Ask Photos sounds both cool and a bit creepy—since it can also retrieve your licence plate number just by scanning your pics: “It knows the cars that appear often, it triangulates which one is yours, and just tells you the license plate number.” Eeks! (Quartz)
Say hello to a ‘flirty’ Covid strain
The new coronavirus variant called KP.2 is nicknamed FLiRT — for all sorts of nerdy reasons explained here. It has been linked to rising cases of Covid in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Korea. It has also been circulating in India since November 2023. Basically, this one is way more infectious than the other strains—but there is no indication that it causes more severe disease. It accounts for 29% of genetic sequences of Covid that we’ve reported—which is the highest in the world. That said, there are only 250 reported cases in India. (Indian Express)
Unprecedented protests in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir
Since the summer of 2023, the region has witnessed spiralling prices of wheat flour, electricity and other basic goods. Its leaders have been demanding subsidies—which have been repeatedly promised but never arrived. The protests have now turned violent. On Tuesday, four people died and 100 were injured in clashes with the police. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has now offered subsidies of $82 million—but it will likely do little to stem the rage.
Why this matters: The scale of these protests in the region is unprecedented—and has nothing to do with usual Kashmiri politics.
“I have never seen such a large-scale uprising in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This protest is unique because it unites people from all walks of life in demanding basic necessities.”
Al Jazeera has lots more details.
Dismal rankings of Indian universities
Seven of India’s top 10 institutions slipped in global rankings put out by the Center for World University Rankings (CUWR). This included IIT-Bombay—which fell from 554 to 568, IIT-Madras (570 to 582), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (580 to 606), IIT-Delhi (607 to 616), and Delhi University (621 to 622). In all, 33 Indian universities lost ground. The reason:
[CUWR President] Nadim Mahassen said, “It is clear that India’s standing in education is under increasing pressure following the rise of higher education systems from around the world." He added, "While India’s global share in scientific research grew by 24% in the last five years, this has not translated to comparable success in higher education." Nadim Mahassen underscored the importance of additional government investment in education and research.
But, but, but: 32 other universities also improved their ranks—including Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad—which was the top-ranked Indian institute at 410. As for the rest: Harvard University made #1 for the 13th consecutive year—followed by MIT, Stanford, and Cambridge. Interesting point to note: 95% of Chinese universities improved their performance this year. (Mint)
Melinda Gates has left the building
She is officially stepping down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—which she co-founded with hubby Bill Gates.The organisation will now be called the Gates Foundation—and Bill Gates will be its sole chair.
The reason for her exit: Gates has “new ideas” when it comes to philanthropy, and wants to focus on “improving the lives of women and families in the US and around the world.” She will have plenty of money to do so. Gates heads out the door with $12.5 billion in her charity kitty. For more on Bill & Melinda’s messy divorce check out this Big Story. (Wall Street Journal, paywall, CNN)
The great Indian inflight heist
This was not a single daring crime a la Ocean’s 11. Rajesh Kapoor stole millions in cash and jewellery over 200 flights and 110 days in 2023. He would book his ticket under the name of his dead brother—and then strike in the midst of boarding: “He exploited the chaotic boarding process and sifted through the overhead baggage bins, stealing valuables from unlocked bags as passengers settled into their seats.” FYI: He’s been at it since 2005—when he graduated from similar heists on trains. (Hindustan Times)
‘Dune’ calling for Tabu
Max announced a prequel TV series—starring our very own Tabu in a recurring role! The series follows events that take place 10,000 years before the movies. Tabu will play Sister Francesca—one of the founders of the legendary Bene Gesserit sect:
“Strong, intelligent, and alluring, Sister Francesca leaves a lasting impression in her wake. Once a great love of the Emperor, her return to the palace strains the balance of power in the capital.”
A reminder: Tabu is no stranger to Hollywood roles and has starred in acclaimed international productions like ‘The Namesake’, ‘Life of Pi’, and ‘A Suitable Boy’. Variety has the exclusive report.
Three things to see
One: The Prime Minister protested his innocence—rejecting claims that he targets Muslims—saying things like “the day I do Hindu-Muslim, I will be unworthy of public life” and “it is my resolve” that “I will not do Hindu-Muslim” etc etc. This came on the heels of campaign speeches that described Muslims as “those who have more children, to infiltrators”—and accused Congress of planning to “redistribute” Hindus’ wealth to them.
Modi’s version of that speech: “I have neither said Hindu or Muslim. I have said you should have as many children as you can support. Don’t create a situation where the government has to (support).” You can see clips from the CNN-News18 interview below. (Indian Express)
A related clip: Watch comedian Shyam Rangeela do his best to file candidate papers in Varanasi—to run against Modi. (Mint)
Two: The vids of heavy rain out of Mumbai are something else. It is creating even more havoc—as it coincided with a dust storm originating in the Arabian Peninsula. (Hindustan Times)
Three: Aussie cricketer Usman Khawaja stars in a new ad for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup by Prime Video. It lampoons iconic American horror movies—like ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Ring’. It’s spooky, brilliant and also mystifying. Of course, every global tournament is a horror show these days for Indian fans. FYI: Amazon has inked a four-year deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for exclusive live broadcast rights for all matches in Australia. (Daily Telegraph)
