Māori speak up against marginalisation by the New Zealand government, Bradley Cooper is salty about Maestro poor showing at the awards circuit, Netanyahu rejects any possibility of a Palestinian state and the Dems are understandably pissed, and the dating for human activity in the southwest Guizhou region of China has been pushed back to 55,000 years ago thanks to new discoveries at the Chuan Dong site (thanks
!). Also, hot off the press – DeSantis exits the 2024 presidential race, leaving us with … exactly what now? A Trump-Biden repeat, which apparently still cannot believe is happening. C’mon, guys.To Return
A medium-long read on Sinicising Islam in China, an interesting topic considering that China is home to both ethnic Han Muslims called Hui, and non-Han ethnicities who profess Islam (such as Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Tatars, etc.), chock full of references for primary-sources reading. The line between ethnicity and religion is a lot more blurred in some countries, it would seem.
Filled with the Spirit
One of the more intriguing articles I came across this past week is about how LVMH turned Glenmorangie from a niche whisky into a global brand – intriguing because I’ve been drinking it since I was old enough to legally do so, and I’ve never considered it more niche than say Macallan and Glenlivet, beloved of karaoke-sters in this part of the world. As with publishing, what conglomerates or private equity brings to the table for independent maker-creators is the power of branding and global distribution networks. The question is whether any of the original spirit (pun intended) will continue post-acquisition / infusion.
Walk On By
The unwritten rule of nature that mothers do not endanger their young is violated when they do exactly that. There’s almost always a cracking story behind why women walk away / leave / disappear, and this one about the Vance sisters is no different. It’s less about what possesses women to do such things than how circumstances drive them to it. Buckle up, it’s a long read and a wild ride.
Modi’s Roll
His party BJP has leveraged on mobile digital technologies in their favour, creating the Saral app that gathers voter and voting data down to booths, and there seems to be no stopping this inexorable use of technology to organise supporters and win elections. This is against the backdrop of the upcoming general election in April or May, and already controversy is brewing with the opening of the $217 million Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya, on the site of the destroyed Babri Masjid. Tensions are being stoked in the world’s most populous nation, leading to what will no doubt be fever pitch levels over the next few months. Worth keeping an eye on indeed.
Enjoyed the several very different topics and I am always interested in learning more about your part of the world.