Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath & Aakriti Anand
Say hello to headlines in five
Have you checked out our excellent daily news wrap, ‘What the F*** Happened Here?’. It tells you what happened during the day—in around 5 minutes. As always, we are here to make it easier to know what’s up—without noise, negativity, or that existential feeling of despair. The Monday pm edition is below. Follow us on YouTube to get your daily dose.
War on Gaza: Israel attacks Rafah
After months of being warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, Tel Aviv went ahead and launched an assault on the remaining refuge of Gazans. There are more than one million people crowded into this tiny town—having been driven out of the rest of the strip. What’s even more heartbreaking for residents is that the bombing started soon after Hamas announced it had accepted a ceasefire deal:
There were celebrations in the streets in the evening after Hamas announced it had accepted a ceasefire, but then disappointment and bewilderment when Israel gave a tepid response and began bombing.
No one knows what Israel plans to do—but early indications are worrying. According to Axios:
Israel Defense Forces plan to control the Palestinian side of the crossing and monitor all aid coming into Gaza, a source with direct knowledge told Axios. The source said Israel believes taking over the Rafah crossing will eliminate Hamas' main ability to show it is still ruling Gaza.
Reminder: Rafah is the primary entry point for all humanitarian aid into Gaza. There were earlier reports that Israel was urging people in Rafah to evacuate to “an expanded humanitarian area”—which UNICEF has declared as just “rubble.” BBC News and Al Jazeera have more.
An astounding terror allegation against AAP
The context: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been in prison since March 21 on corruption charges related to a liquor scam case—as are other top AAP leaders. See this Big Story for more details.
What happened now: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena called on the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate CM Arvind Kejriwal—alleging the Aam Aadmi Party took funds from a Sikh extremist group.
It echoes a complaint filed on April 1 by the head of the World Hindu Federation India—which claims Kejriwal took $16 million from a pro-Khalistan extremist group called the Sikhs for Justice. It was a quid pro quo for the release of one of its leaders—Davinder Bhullar:
Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar is a convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case. Bhullar was convicted in connection with the killing of nine people and injuring 31 others in a blast outside the Youth Congress headquarters in Delhi. He was arrested after deportation from Germany. In Tihar jail since 1995, Bhullar was awarded death penalty by a designated Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court in August 2001 but his capital punishment was commuted to life sentence in 2014.
According to the LG, the deal was cut in New York in 2014.
Reminder: The liquor excise case was initiated by the LG, as well. So this does not bode well for Kejriwal.
An intriguing connection: This new allegation connects Kejriwal to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun—who is the head of Sikhs for Justice. Soon after Kejriwal’s arrest, Pannun claimed that AAP received $16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022. The LG letter cites the video as evidence, as well.
But Pannun was the target of an alleged assassination plot orchestrated by an Indian intelligence official named Vikram Yadav (See: Big Story on that drama). Yadav allegedly hired a weapons trafficker named Nikhil Gupta to get it done. Wheels within wheels… (Indian Express)
FYI: That case is underway in New York. But Gupta is awaiting extradition in the Czech Republic—which may not happen any time soon. According to Indian Express, the Constitutional Court has halted proceedings based on Gupta’s complaint.
Devastating floods in Brazil
At least 78 people have died and more than 105 people are missing in south Brazil. More than 115,000 people have been displaced—and 800,000 people are without water. This is the worst flooding since 1941—and the water levels are the highest since record-keeping began almost 150 years ago. Predictably, the villain is El Niño. The clip below gives you a sense of the devastation. (The Guardian)
Qantas pays the price for ghost flights
The Australian airline has agreed to pay $79 million for selling thousands of tickets to ‘ghost flights’. These flights had already been cancelled. And yet, Qantas advertised and sold tickets for more than 8,000 such flights between May 2021 and July 2022.
Qantas had known that the flights would never take off, and that tickets remained available for an average of over two weeks after the flights were canceled — in some cases, for as long as 47 days.
The airline will now pay $13.2 million (A$20 million) to more than 86,000 customers plus a fine of $66.1 million (A$100 million), subject to court approval. (New York Times, paywall, BBC News)
In other unhappy aviation news: Air India has reduced its free cabin baggage allowance by five kilos. It has gone from 20 kg to 15 kg for its cheapest fares. The airline now offers three tiers: Comfort, Comfort Plus, and Flex—each with different benefits and restrictions. In the old Maharaja era, every passenger was allowed a luxurious 25 kg in carry-on baggage. Foreign travellers, beware. Air India says the free baggage allowance on international flights will vary from one market to another. (Mint)
Three marine studies of note
One: A new study shows the Santa Barbara Channel—just off the coast of Southern California—is 30X louder compared to sixty years ago. This is a disaster for marine animals—especially the endangered northeastern Pacific blue whale:
“Sound is everything to marine organisms,” [lead author Vanessa] ZoBell said — particularly because about 90% of the ocean is pitch black during the day, and 100% at night… It’s like having a conversation in your kitchen [versus] having a conversation on the side of a freeway with a bunch of semi-trucks.”
Why this matters: Just listen to the difference below. (Los Angeles Times)
Two: WWF-India is working with the West Bengal government to figure out the noise level in the Hooghly river—which has a significant impact on the Gangetic dolphins. This sounds like a worthy project—except it is step one in a sweeping development plan:
Inland waterways have been accorded a central role in maritime development in India. The National Waterways Act 2016 has declared 111 rivers or river stretches, creeks and estuaries as National Waterways that will see a significant rise in traffic and cargo volume. The Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system, spanning 1,620km and covering Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal, is the longest. The Hooghly waterway is set for major development, said a senior official in the state transport department.
Reminder: The Gangetic dolphins (Platanista gangetica) are an endangered species—threatened by large-scale waste and fishing nets. (The Telegraph)
Three: Finally, a bit of happy news about marine sounds. Australian scientists found that distinctive sounds made by blue whales have significantly increased between 2006 to 2021. This means: “Either they’re either increasing in number or we’re increasing in our ability to find them, and both of those things are good news.” It is very good news since Antarctic blue whales are a critically endangered species. They nearly went extinct in the mid-20th century due to poaching. There were fewer than 2,000 alive in 1998. You can hear their calls here. (The Guardian)
This sports supplement makes you smarter
Creatine is usually taken by athletes to increase the amount of energy their muscles generate during exercise. A new study has found that high doses of creatine also helps boost cognitive function—especially among those who have had very little sleep:
They found that 3 hours after the dose of creatine, there were positive changes in brain metabolism, and cognitive performance improved. This beneficial effect peaked at 4 hours but lasted up to 9 hours. In particular, processing capacity and short-term memory were enhanced.
Why this matters: Creatine could become a go-to supplement for people in professions that are chronically sleep-deprived—like firefighters, and night-shift workers. (Medical News Today)
Met Gala madness
First Monday of May? It’s Met Gala time! The theme of the biggest fashion event of the year was ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’. More importantly, the dress code was ‘The Garden of Time’. It is inspired by JG Ballard's 1962 short story “in which the last bastion of rich, refined beauty—with its classical music, rare books and its lovely clothing—is overrun by a working-class mob.”
The New York Times claims the theme is “a fitting but ironic choice… at a time of widespread social anger toward elites.” BBC News is far more sceptical—and kinda cranky:
It's a jarring image in the context of an event that is a celebration of affluence, excess and rarefied beauty… perhaps acutely so, when set against the backdrop of global volatility and economic uncertainty, the divisions between safety and danger, wealth and poverty feeling ever starker. Under those circumstances, what on Earth are we to make of this theme based on a story that, regardless of where its loyalties lie, features the destruction of high culture by an undifferentiated mass of humanity? In its evocation of beauty on the brink of ruin, who does it disdain?
But, but, but: The costumes were gorgeous—and we always appreciate the array of excellent eye candy (see all the red carpet looks here).
One: Super-Goth Zendaya, in a John Galliano gown based on a 1999 Dior dress:
Two: Representing the desis: Alia Bhatt in a custom Sabyasachi look. Think tea party frock meets chiffon sari.
Three: From petals, to tuxedo core, to heels that also look like dress shoes—we love everything about Cynthia Erivo’s Thom Browne look:
Three things to see
One: Nokia has something special for the 1990s generation—the solidly built Nokia 3210. If leaked images are to be believed, the company will bring back this retro wonder this week. The price also feels nicely retro: $100. Now, the old phone didn’t have a camera or a headphone jack. Mercifully, this reboot is 21st century—compatible with camera, bluetooth, plus 4G connectivity. And ooh look, pretty, pretty colours. (Quartz)
Two: Here is the longest baguette in the world. French bakers made a 140.5 metre long loaf of bread in the suburbs of Paris. They beat the Italian record of 132.62 metres, set in the city of Como in 2019. The really sweet bit: part of the baguette was shared with the French public, and the rest was given to homeless people. You can marvel at the size of it in the video below. (BBC News)
Three: Madonna just held the biggest concert in her four-decade-long career. The best bit: It was entirely free—shocking in an era of overpriced music acts. An estimated 1.6 million fans rocked out on Rio’s Copacabana beach. As you can see, the OG queen of pop is still having a lot of fun! (Associated Press)
