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The context: As we noted yesterday, the US Justice Department has accused Gautam Adani of paying Indian government officials $250 million in bribes to land solar-energy supply contracts. Of this total, $228 million was promised “to a single unnamed official” in Andhra Pradesh. The 54-page indictment specifically names Adani, his nephew Sagar, and six other executives. And it claims that Adani personally met with these officials. FYI: These contracts were expected to result in $2 billion in profits.
There’s been lots of follow-up reporting since. Here’s what we know now:
In its complaint, the US market regulator added that during in-person meetings between Adani group and Azure Power executives in Ahmedabad, the bribes to be paid to Andhra Pradesh government officials were set at Rs 25 lakh for 1 megawatt of power to be bought from SECI. “7,000 megawatts multiplied by 25 lakh, which equals 17.5 billion rupees, or 1,750 crore (a multiple of ten billion rupees)—i.e., more than $200 million," said SEC.
The Adani response: Of course, the Adani Group has called the allegations “baseless”—saying it wanted to “assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.”
The immediate damage: Denials did little to stem the financial fallout from the indictment. The Adani Group’s stocks collectively lost about20%of their value—that’s more than $30 billion. The company also cancelled plans for a $600 million fund raise in US bonds.
“The company will defend itself, and the law will take its course,” said Sambit Patra, a spokesman for Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P. Mr. Gandhi’s allegations, he said, were designed to “bring down the Indian market” and harm “25 million small investors.”
Oh, those pesky antinationals in the DOJ!
Washington’s response: The administration has taken the diplomatic line—claiming the “strong foundation” of the India-US relationship will endure—despite pesky bribery charges. But the case is every bit as embarrassing for the Biden White House—which helped whitewash Adani after the Hindenburg debacle:
Mr. Adani himself also ventured back into public view, posing with Eric Garcetti, the U.S. ambassador to India, who visited an enormous Adani solar project this summer. Afterward, Mr. Garcetti declared himself “inspired.”
A global fallout: The US indictment has triggered ripple effects around the world. Kenyan President William Ruto held a televised address to the nation—announcing his decision to cancel a multimillion-dollar airport expansion and power transmission deals with Adani.
Moving on to Colombo: Sri Lanka has not done anything about its Adani power project, its new left-leaning government won a historic victory—on a platform pledging to root out corruption. The project is already a hot potato:
Adani Green Energy is investing $442 million in a wind power project in Mannar and Pooneryn in northern Sri Lanka… The main political opposition accused the conglomerate of “backdoor entry”, in the absence of an open call for tenders. The same year, a top Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) official told a Parliamentary panel that the project was given to the Adani Group after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “pressured” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Meanwhile, in Dhaka: The government and the Adani Group have long been wrangling over a 1,600-megawatt power deal—which piped electricity from its Godda power plant to Bangladesh. It was a shady deal cut by Sheikh Hasina—whose repressive, corrupt regime was recently toppled. The interim government will now be under pressure to cut the cord.
The bigger picture: As with everything else in the US, the fate of this case depends on Donald Trump—whom Gautam-bhai has already tried to woo:
The day after Mr. Trump’s election this month, Mr. Adani posted congratulations on social media, praising the president-elect as “the embodiment of relentless determination and the courage to stay true to his beliefs.” Last week, he pledged to invest $10 billion in American projects.
Reading list: The Hindu has a detailed breakdown of the bribery charges. New York Times (login required) offers a broader view of the fallout.
A Cold War brews in space
The context: Launched in 1998, the International Space Station is the result of collaboration between five nations—Japan, Europe, Canada, Russia, and the US. But the station itself is divided into two zones a la post-war Berlin—the Russian side that belongs to Roscosmos, and the US side built by the other four. Each is separately funded and managed. Originally planned as a 15-year mission, the space station will finally be junked in 2030.
What happened now: As the station aged, the level of wear and tear became worrying—especially on the Russian side. In 2019, a tunnel in a docking port used by incoming spacecraft began leaking air. But the problem has become even worse this year. The leakage has increased from 2.4 pounds per day in February to 3.7 in April. All of which has NASA warning of the “possibility of a catastrophic failure.” But Moscow doesn’t agree—resulting in a bizarre and dangerous stalemate:
The Russians believe that continued operations are safe, but they can't prove to our satisfaction that they are. And the US believes that it's not safe, but we can't prove that to the Russian satisfaction…This is an engineering problem, and good engineers should be able to agree on it.
Point to note: Relations between US and Russian space agencies have been nosediving since the invasion of Ukraine—but the astronauts on the ISS have so far managed to leave politics back on Earth. Ars Technica and CNN have the best reporting on the air leakage controversy. Ad Astra Space gets into the past, present, and future of US-Russia space relations.
Speaking of space: A new study found that astronauts aboard the ISS took longer to complete tasks that involve processing speed and working memory—suggesting that space travel slows down your cognitive skills. (Gizmodo)
An arrest warrant for Bibi
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is a wanted man—along with former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. All three have been charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court—which has now issued arrest warrants for them. In the case of the Israelis:
There are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Gallant and Netanyahu “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity”, it said.
OTOH, Israel claims Deif is dead—killed by an air strike in July.
Does this matter? Israel does not recognise the jurisdiction of the Court—neither do leading countries like the US, China, Russia, or India. So no one is arresting Bibi in a hurry. But, but, but:
The court has 124 signatories, all of which are formally obliged to carry out the arrest warrants if Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Gallant or any other person wanted by the court steps on their soil, even if by accident, as, for example, because of an aircraft malfunction requiring an unscheduled landing.
At the very least, it will cramp Netanyahu’s travel plans—as in the case of President Putin—who also faces an arrest warrant for actions in the Ukraine war. Also this: “It is the first time leaders of a modern Western democracy stand accused of war crimes by a global judicial body.” (New York Times, login required, Al Jazeera)
Is Hollywood scared of Donald Trump?
In the run-up to the US presidential election, almost everyone in Hollywood was all in on Kamala Harris. But the political tide may have turned—and tinsel town may be running scared of a wrathful Agent Orange. Or so claims Sebastian Stan—who played the Donald in Ali Abbasi’s movie ‘The Apprentice’—a deeply unflattering portrayal of Trump during his real estate mogul days.
What Stan says: During the Q&A portion of a film screening, Stan claimed he’s become kryptonite in the industry. Not a single person would agree to pair up with him for Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’—where two actors are filmed talking to each other about their award-worthy performances. For example, Brie Larson & Andrew Scott. Below is Stan’s version of events—which, btw, was confirmed by Variety editor Ramin Setoodeh.
Why this is notable: Hollywood liberals—especially A-listers—have rarely been shy about their politics. But the prospect of a Trump unleashed—and with nothing to lose—may be sparking unprecedented jitters. Reminder: Rachel Zegler apologised for making anti-Trump remarks—when angry Trumpers demanded she be fired from Disney’s ‘Snow White’. (IndieWire, The Guardian)
Friends that stick—to your gut!
According to a new study, people in the same social network also have similar bacteria in their digestive system:
The highest amount of microbial sharing occurred among spouses and people living in the same households, but the researchers also observed elevated rates of sharing among other connections—including friends, or even second-degree social connections (such as friends of friends).
People who live together share up to 13.9% of microbial strains, while those who spend free time together share about 10%. One possible reason: prolonged contact with the other person—such as sharing meals, handshakes, hugs, or kisses etc. In fact, the study found that “microbiome sharing was the strongest predictor of people’s social relationships”—more than other traits like wealth, religion, or education. Nature and Medical Expresshave more on the findings.
In other health-related news: Spending way too much time sitting at your desk will increase your risk of heart disease—even if you work out at the gym. The unhealthy amount seems to be 10.6 hours—according to the latest research. (CNN)
What caught our eye
business & tech
A new study suggests that X’s algorithm started boosting conservative content around mid-July 2024—when Elon Musk endorsed Trump.
OpenAI “accidentally” deleted evidence in a copyright lawsuit filed by leading news outlets—who accuse the company of illegally scraping their content.
sports & entertainment
In heartbreaking news for lit fans, Cormac McCarthy, famed author of ‘The Road’ and ‘Suttree’, had a secret relationship with a 16-year-old when he was 42 and married.
Hanumankind will become only the second Indian to perform at Coachella—he will be joining headliners Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Green Day, and Post Malone in 2025.
as for the rest
Well-known Iranian activist Kianoosh Sanjari died by suicide in protest—after years of imprisonment and abuse.
Over a hundred writers have condemned the JCB Prize for Literature—which is sponsored by a bulldozer company that is used to destroy homes in India and Palestine.
A new report forecasts a $84 trillion transfer of wealth to millennials by 2045.
In the midst of bribery allegations, there are rising fears of Adani’s land-buying spree in Odisha—likely for new mines.
Khan Market ranks at #22 in the list of most expensive retail streets in the world—with annual rents of Rs 19,330 per square foot.
NYU surgeons performed the world's first fully robotic double-lung transplant.
Wall Street Journal (splainer gift link) has a noteworthy (read: bad) piece by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy detailing their plans for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Eight things to see
One: The BJP released hilariously doctored voice notes after its leader was caught distributing cash for votes. The audio supposedly shows Opposition leaders Supriya Sule, Nanaji Patole, and IPS officer Amitabh Gupta planning to empty their bitcoin wallets to fund the campaign. (NDTV)
Two: The tallest woman in the world met the shortest woman for a cup of tea. This is Rumeysa Gelgi, who is 7 feet 1 inch tall—hanging with 2 feet 1 inch Jyoti Amge. You can see them with Guinness Book of Records chief Craig Glenday below. (Independent UK)
Three: The famous blue irises in Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings were originally purple—a secret uncovered by researchers in a new study. This is what we see today:
Four: Sticking with art—it is Friday, after all—check outthe Rene Magritte painting— ‘The Empire of Light’—that sold for $121.2 million this week—putting him in the same league as Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Warhol, and Pablo Picasso. (New York Times)
Five: Also: Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous banana sold for a whopping $6.2 million. Reminder: The perishable piece—duct-taped to the wall—has been eaten in the past by hungry admirers—twice! (Artnet)
Six: Behold this one-of-a-kind bronze statue—based on a Leonardo da Vinci creation, no less! Called ‘Horse and Rider’, the 500-year-old wax model of the statue was made to honour da Vinci’s patron, Charles d’Amboise. But it did not become a full blown statue until now. The eye-watering price tag: $100 million. (Quartz)
Seven: We now have a Google Maps for the body—called the Human Cells Atlas—which maps 37 trillion cells. The results are way prettier than any geographical kind. BBC News has more on the project.
Eight: We leave you with the star-studded trailer of the upcoming Apple TV+ comedy, ‘The Studio’. It stars Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, Catherine O’Hara, Bryan Cranston, and even Martin Scorsese. The first two episodes drop on March 26, 2025, on Apple TV+. (Variety)
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Four: Sticking with art—it is Friday, after all—check out the Rene Magritte painting— ‘The Empire of Light’—that sold for $121.2 million this week—putting him in the same league as Leonardo da Vinci, Andy Warhol, and Pablo Picasso. (
Six: Behold this one-of-a-kind bronze statue—based on a Leonardo da Vinci creation, no less! Called ‘Horse and Rider’, the 500-year-old wax model of the statue was made to honour da Vinci’s patron, Charles d’Amboise. But it did not become a full blown statue until now. The eye-watering price tag: $100 million. (
Seven: We now have a Google Maps for the body—called the Human Cells Atlas—which maps 37 trillion cells. The results are way prettier than any geographical kind. 
Eight: We leave you with the star-studded trailer of the upcoming Apple TV+ comedy, ‘
