Researched by: Rachel John, Aarthi Ramnath, Aakriti Anand & Anannya Parekh
War on Gaza: The latest update
Aid package for Israel: The US House of Representatives finally passed a giant $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Taiwan—and Israel. It throws a much-needed lifeline for Kyiv—which is running out of weapons—and reassures Tel Aviv and Taipei of US support. But it offers zero help to starving, besieged Gazans (what? It’s true). (New York Times)
Meanwhile, in Gaza: Israel is putting US military aid to use in Rafah—the last remaining refuge for Palestinians on the strip. Air strikes killed 22 people—including 18 children:
The first Israeli strike in Rafah killed a man, his wife and their 3-year-old child, according to the nearby Kuwaiti Hospital, which received the bodies. The woman was pregnant and the doctors saved the baby, the hospital said. The second strike killed 17 children and two women from an extended family.
Please note: Washington has very, very sternly told Prime Minister Netanyahu that he must not attack Rafah. Too bad he is hell-bent on doing so—and with US arms, no less. (Associated Press)
Adding to the irony: The United States is considering imposing sanctions on Israeli battalions accused of human rights violations during operations in the occupied West Bank:
Soldiers from the unit were accused in the death of a 78-year-old US citizen, Omar Assad, who died of a heart attack in 2022 after being detained, bound, gagged and then abandoned by members of the unit. It was one of a number of high-profile incidents that have included claims of torture and mistreatment.
Bibi calls it a “height of absurdity and a moral low.” (The Guardian)
Shoot that flotilla: A flotilla of ships is getting ready to sail from Turkey to Gaza. It plans to breach Israel’s naval blockade—and get aid into the strip. It is carrying more than 5,000 tonnes of aid—food packages, water, ambulances, and medical supplies, including anaesthesia. The real question is whether Ankara will allow it—and run the risk of annoying Tel Aviv—and hence Washington. Washington Post has more.
Election 2024: The latest update
- Eleven polling stations in Manipur will hold a do-over after reports of damage to voting machines due to violence. Despite the ugliness—and the terrible ethnic violence in the state—voter turnout was over 72%.
- The INDIA alliance held a massive rally in Ranchi—though Rahul Gandhi couldn’t make it as he was unwell.
- There was much talk of murder plots. Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita accused the BJP of trying to kill her diabetic husband by denying him insulin.
- Mamata Banerjee called out a BJP leader’s “threat to trigger a chocolate bomb explosion”—don’t ask. We just offer this as one more reason to treasure our democracy.
- Meanwhile, our Prime Minister launched a hate bomb explosion—claiming that the Congress plans to redistribute wealth “among those who have a large number of children… and among the intruders. Is it acceptable to you?” See it here.
In the midst of this foolishness, seven members of the Shompen tribe in the Great Nicobar Islands cast their vote for the very first time. The tribe is classified as a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) and has 98 eligible voters. The islands have a single Lok Sabha seat from the Union Territory. We have mixed feelings about the staged selfies below—feels like sarkari PR. (Deccan Herald)
Meanwhile in Maldives: President Muizzu has secured a ‘supermajority’ in the parliamentary polls. His party won 67 out of 93 seats—leaving him firmly in power. This isn’t good news for New Delhi—given Muizzu’s close relationship with Beijing and less-than-friendly attitude toward India. Economic Times has more on the implications for India. (Indian Express)
An Olympics doping scandal
The context: TMZ or trimetazidine is prescription drug for heart ailments, but also enhances stamina and athletic performance. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned the use of TMZ before the Tokyo Olympics—held in 2021.
What happened now: An investigation by the New York Times revealed that 23 swimmers from China had tested positive for TMZ just months before the event—but were allowed to compete in the games by WADA.
Chinese officials reported the positive drug test to WADA—but claimed that “the swimmers had ingested the banned substance unwittingly and in tiny amounts, and that no action against them was warranted.” WADA took Beijing at its word—citing “a lack of any credible evidence” to the contrary. More notably, the matter was never disclosed in public—suggesting a possible cover up.
Why this matters: Three of these athletes went on to win gold medals. US swimming officials, coaches, and athletes are furious—claiming they have been cheated. Also read: WADA’s detailed response. (New York Times, paywall, Reuters)
Speaking of China: Apple says the Chinese government forced it to remove Threads and WhatsApp from its app store. One possible reason:
A person briefed on the situation said the Chinese government had found content on WhatsApp and Threads about China’s president, Xi Jinping, that was inflammatory and violated the country’s cybersecurity laws. The specifics of what was in the content was unclear, the person said.
But Apple denied the move has anything to do with Xi. The company instead cited “national security concerns”—without offering any details. (New York Times)
A ban on Indian masalas
Singapore and Hong Kong have recalled MDH and Everest masalas from the shelves—due to contamination. According to regulators, they contain ethylene oxide—which is a known carcinogen. It is used as a pesticide—which is the likely cause for contamination. The targeted products are MDH's curry powder, mixed masala powder, and sambhar masala—plus Everest's Fish Curry Masala. Reminder: Last year, the US asked Everest to recall its Garam Masala and Sambhar Masala after they tested positive for salmonella. (Economic Times)
Discovered: A diet to treat IBS
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or I.B.S. is a common digestive problem that affects 5-10% of the global population. It is uncomfortable—causing bloating, diarrhea, and more—poorly understood—and difficult to treat. A new study suggests that a “low-FODMAP diet” is far more effective than medicine in relieving the symptoms. Around 76% on the diet reported significant improvement—compared to only 58% for those on meds. A low carb diet offered relief to 71% of the participants.
As for FODMAP: In case you’re wondering what it is:
FODMAPs are certain types of carbohydrates — called fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, as the acronym suggests — that often can’t be fully digested or absorbed in the small intestine and are instead fermented by microbes in the colon. This can cause gastrointestinal distress.
Now, there are many, many foods that contain FODMAPs—from dairy products like milk, yogurt, and ice cream, to apples, onions, pastas, lentils, and even low-calorie sweeteners. So a low FODMAP diet is very restrictive—and strongly discouraged for anyone with an eating disorder. For more on the FODMAP diet, check out Healthline. (New York Times)
In other health-related news: You’ll never be too old to buy health insurance in India. A new government notification has removed the age cap—allowing anyone aged 65 and over to buy a new policy. Other welcome changes: “Now, all pre-existing conditions should be covered after 36 months, regardless of whether the policyholder disclosed them initially or not.” Companies cannot deny insurance to people who have serious health conditions like renal failure or AIDS. (Mint)
Alarming news about ocean spray
The context: Forever chemicals or Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used to coat non-stick or stain-resistant material. These compounds are linked to several health issues such as cancer, kidney disease, birth defects etc.
What happened now: According to a new study, ocean waves crashing on shores emit more PFAS into the air than factories and plants.
The study measured levels of PFAS released from the bubbles that burst when waves crash, spraying aerosols into the air. It found sea spray levels were hundreds of thousands times higher than levels in the water…“There is evidence that the ocean can be an important source [of PFAS air emissions],” [lead author Ian] Cousins said. “It is definitely impacting the coastline.”
But we don’t know how exposure to ocean spray impacts a person’s health. The Guardian has more on the study.
A ‘holy grail’ discovery about evolution
The context: Charles Darwin famously used a family tree to visualise evolution. This concept assumes that new species ”branch” out from a common ancestor—a single species. OTOH, when two different species mate—combine their genomes—the resultant hybrid species is sterile. Example: When donkeys and horses mate to produce mules.
What happened now: A new study has upended this assumption entirely. Scientists have discovered a hybrid species of butterflies—Heliconius elevatus—spawned by the melding of two parental species: 1% of Heliconius melpomene and 99% of Heliconius pardalinus. The hybrid was born 180,000 years ago—and today, all three co-exist in the Amazon.
Why this matters: It changes how scientists view the creation of hybrid species—which were considered a bad thing as they blocked evolution—and the creation of new species. (since hybrids were assumed to be sterile). The Heliconius butterflies “show that hybridization is not only occurring, but has driven the evolution of a new species in itself.”
You can check out the study here. National Geographic, paywall, and Popular Science have lots more nerdy details. You can see the chart of the Heliconius genus butterflies evolution below:
And here’s a close up of Heliconius elevatus—which is quite the looker!
In other animal-related news: Thirty nine researchers signed “The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness” on Friday, which says there is “strong scientific support” and a “realistic possibility” of consciousness for all animals. These include animals ranging from birds and mammals to reptiles, amphibians and fish—and even crustaceans and insects. Why this matters: Sentience is at the core of the argument for more humane animal welfare laws.
FYI: In the last five years alone, research has proved that octopi feel pain, bees play for fun, and zebrafish get curious about new objects introduced in their tanks. The most recent discovery has been that of cleaner wrasse fish, which passed the mirror test. (NBC News)
Two things to see
One: Images of overcrowded trains continue to go viral on X—especially during the holiday season. The latest is this clip from the 2nd AC sleeper coach of the Kashi Express—that runs between Mumbai and Gorakhpur. For more context: Read our Big Story on why Indian trains are becoming slow, pricey and unsafe.
Two: This photograph of a Palestinian woman holding the body of her five-year-old niece in Gaza won the prestigious World Press Photo of the Year Award. It was captured by Palestinian journalist Mohammed Salem for Reuters. You can see other images that made the shortlist over at Al Jazeera.
Takshashila: Unpacking Urban Governance
Editor’s note: We are delighted to unveil our partnership with Takshashila Institution. It is one of India’s foremost think-tanks on public policy. They also run valuable courses that teach students how to tackle complex policy challenges—bringing together academic experts and policy practitioners from across the world. We will be showcasing their courses and community in splainer. Please note: This is not paid content.
Over to Takshashila… Does the state of affairs in urban India worry you? Do you wish to make Indian cities work better? How can India’s urban governance challenges be addressed?
Join the 6-week online certificate course—Unpacking Urban Governance, to understand the systems, practices, and challenges of urban governance in India and explore pathways to improving our cities.
Spread over 18 hours of live and interactive classes involving lectures and mediated conversations with expert urban practitioners, the course is a great fit for urban policymakers, professionals, journalists, researchers, activists, public-spirited citizens and interested students.
The course instructor, Mathew Idiculla, is a legal consultant, urban policy expert, and visiting faculty at Azim Premji University. He has over 12 years of research and practice experience in urban governance, led the drafting of municipal laws for reforming governance in Bangalore, and frequently writes on various law and policy issues in scholarly and popular publications.
The early bird deadline is April 27 2024, and the course begins on May 18, 2024. The final date for applications is May 11 2024. The course will be conducted on Saturdays on OpenTakshashila to a select cohort of participants.
For course information, click here. To fill out the application form, click here.
