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Back to the drawing board. PHOTO: Saul Loeb / AFP
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- Trump walked away from a disingenuous offer in Hanoi
- Israel's Attorney-General levelled graft charges against Netanyahu
- Iran's famous Foreign Minister resigned – only to be reinstated
- Venezuela's aspiring putschist Juan Guaido won Brazil's support
- Global trade slowed in 2018; the trade war will slow it even further
- Tesla's Musk flouted SEC rules and again tweeted misleading info
- Scientists gave mice infrared vision; don't ask us why
- Kyrgios downed Nadal in a fiery and typically disrespectful clash
- Suárez's cheeky 'Panenka' sent Barcelona into the Copa del Rey final
- Cuarón maintained Mexico's stranglehold on the Best Director Oscar
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Pakistani soldiers inspect the wreckage of the Indian fighter. PHOTO: STR / AFP
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India and Pakistan are at each other's throats over Kashmir – again. This week a flurry of violence in the skies above the Himalayas reminded the world just how close South Asia's two nuclear-armed neighbours are to a potentially ruinous war.
Violence is a constant in Kashmir, the disputed territory split between Pakistan and India. For at least three decades now Islamabad has backed a popular insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir. The ensuing guerrilla fights, and brutal crackdowns by New Delhi's troops, have claimed a staggering 70,000 lives. Three wars have already been fought over Kashmir, with little resolution.
Suicide in Pulwama
On the 14th of February, a large convoy of Indian paramilitary buses snaked its way along the mountain spurs between Jammu and Srinigar. As it passed through the town of Lethpora, a 22-year-old named Adil Ahmad Dar rammed one of the buses with a car full of explosives, and killed 40 soldiers.
The terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attack. It was created in the 1990s by ISI, Pakistan's shadowy intelligence service, and has been largely tolerated by its government ever since. But Dar's story is also one of self-perpetuating conflict: according to his family Dar became radicalised three years ago, after being arbitrarily humiliated and beaten by Indian security forces as he was on his way home from school.
An aerial dogfight
India is no stranger to terrorist attacks (especially in Kashmir). But something was different about this one. Perhaps it was the sheer number of soldiers killed. Or maybe it's that this is an election year in India. Whatever the cause, tensions soared after the attack, and this week they exploded.
On Tuesday, the familiar sound of artillery fire echoed down along the Line of Control. Predictably, the only casualties from this barrage were three civilians in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Later that afternoon, a flight of Indian Mig-21 fighter-bombers crossed into Pakistani airspace. But what happened next remains a bit of a mystery. India claimed its pilots scored direct hits on a weapons cache and a madrassa that was being used as a training camp by Jaish-e-Mohammad. But credible reports suggest that the only munitions dropped had landed in open fields and a forest, killing no one, but injuring a farmer. Pakistan's counterclaim is that its intercepting F-16 fighters forced the Indian interlopers to drop their munitions early, and hit the afterburner to retreat to safety.
Given the propaganda on both sides, we don't expect the truth to emerge any time soon. But there is one incontrovertible fact: an Indian Mig was shot down in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, and its pilot was captured.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman parachuted before his plane crashed. Footage shared on social media showed a crowd of people beating him mercilessly until the arrival of some unlikely protectors, Pakistani soldiers. Politicians on both sides of the border frothed at the mouth (including some in India's ruling BJP party who shamelessly banged the drums of war for their own political benefit). And media outlets penned countless pieces fear-spruiking nuclear conflict. Meanwhile Abhinandan did exactly as his training had dictated. He gave his name and rank to his captors, and courteously declined to partake in any further interrogation. He was released on Friday as a gesture of goodwill from Pakistani President (and popular former cricket star) Imran Khan.
Khan's response was a level-headed one, and it rightly earned international praise. However, we must temper that praise with the reality that Khan leads a country whose intelligence apparatus continues to provide cover for terror groups, and not just in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Crisis averted? For now, perhaps, but the situation has merely reverted to its unhappy mean.
The failure of Partition
Like other long-running disputes around the world, the problem of Kashmir seems an intractable one. By the mid-1940s the sun had set on the British empire in India, and the colonial administrators were told to pack their trunks and voyage home. Lord Mountbatten – tasked with directing an orderly retreat – judged that the Hindu and Muslim populations could not coexist (despite the protestations of figures like Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi).
The country was partitioned, and the date of the partition was brought forward a year by Mountbatten. It led to unmitigated disaster. Lines were drawn to separate Muslims from Hindus: 14 million people were displaced, and somewhere between 200,000 and 2 million people died in the resulting sectarian violence.
The Kingdom of Kashmir and Jammu, made up of fertile valleys and the rugged white peaks of the Himalayas, is emblematic of Britain's failed policy. At the time the region's population was 77% Muslim and 20% Hindu (with small Sikh and Buddhist pockets). But it was ruled over by Hindu Maharajas. After the Partition it was widely assumed (in Pakistan) that the religious make-up of Kashmir meant that it would join the Dominion of Pakistan. It did not.
As Mountbatten tried and failed to resolve the issue, Muslim Kashmiris agitated in favour of joining Pakistan, and were met with vicious reprisals from Maharaja Hari Singh's forces. In retaliation Pashtun fighters swarmed across the border to support their fellow Muslims. But the guerrilla campaign backfired – in late October Hari Singh signed the 'Instrument of Accession' with New Delhi. Indian troops flooded the region, and the two newly formed nations fought the first of many wars.
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A hypocrite, paedophile and prince of the church. PHOTO: William West / AFP
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Pell felled by historic child sexual abuse
The Australian cardinal George Pell was found guilty on five counts of child sexual abuse this week, making him the highest-ranking Roman Catholic clergyman to be convicted. The court found that Pell had orally raped two 13-year-old choirboys in St Patrick's Cathedral in 1997 – just after being elevated to Archbishop of Melbourne. Pell's first trial ended with a hung jury last September. The second, with a guilt verdict in December. But the story couldn't be told (at least not in Australia) until now because Pell was also awaiting a third trial (for molesting boys at a swimming pool). The judge feared that coverage of the second trial would bias potential jurors for the third. This week the prosecution dropped its case for the third trial and so, with the gag lifted, it can be revealed that history has been made. Pell is now remanded in custody awaiting his sentencing hearing, and pending appeal.
Cardinal Pell has been a uniquely polarising figure in Australia. He is a fiercely conservative doctrinaire who made his name lambasting people for failing to live up to church teachings on homosexuality, abortion, addiction and celibacy. As Australia grew into a liberal country, Pell's worldview ossified. This earned him friends in high places both in Australia (where he is still defended by Prime Ministers of the religious right) and in the Vatican (where he was rewarded again and again for his dogmatism). To his detractors, he spent a career minimising the problem of child sex abuse within the clergy and running interference for known paedophiles. And his parsimonious approach to victims of the clergy's abuse earned not only plaudits within the frescoed walls of the Roman Curia, but also the role of treasurer for the Vatican.
In Pell's hometown of Ballarat – a hotbed of Catholic child-rape where a network of paedophile priests passed children amongst themselves – he is an object of pure loathing. And plaques bearing his name are disappearing from view. Who knows whether divine justice awaits this prince of the church, but its clear that the slow wheel of earthly justice has crushed his reputation.
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The man himself. PHOTO: Nati Harnik / AP
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Snail mail worth opening
Everyone who's anyone reads Warren Buffett's annual letter – if you don't, you should. This week the famed investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway once again issued a missive to his company's shareholders. It is well-written (unlike many financiers Buffett has little trouble communicating with a lay audience) and contains the thoughts and guiding principles of a man who has built an investment empire with over $700b in assets and a personal net worth of $82b. Berkshire Hathaway has increased its book value by an average of 19% (not a typo) every year since 1995. Early growth was built on strategic stakes in Kraft Heinz (27%), American Express (17%), Wells Fargo (10%), The Coca-Cola Company (9%), Bank of America (7%) and Apple (5%). But recently Berkshire moved towards outright ownership of GEICO, Duracell, BNSF Railway and more.
So what were Buffett's thoughts on 2018? Well, despite having lost a mammoth $25b in the December quarter Buffett remains optimistic. He told his shareholders to not miss the forest for the trees, and shrugged off widespread criticism of his stake in the bleeding Kraft Heinz. Buffett said his portfolio was far-too well-diversified for this bite to matter in the long run. In fact, his biggest concern seemed to be whether he would find another big enough (and profitable enough) deal to move the dial. It's a real and growing problem for his shareholders.
As a long-term value investor he also shared some choice words about leveraging debt:
"At rare and unpredictable intervals…credit vanishes and debt becomes financially fatal. A Russian-roulette equation—usually win, occasionally die—may make financial sense for someone who gets a piece of a company’s upside but does not share in its downside. But that strategy would be madness for Berkshire."
One of Buffett's stories this year was about the strong 'tail winds' of the U.S. economy. He said that at the tender age of 11 he had used all his savings ($114.75) to buy three Cities Services shares. He noted that if that money had gone into an S&P 500 index fund it would have grown to more than $600,000 by 2019. He used the anecdote to attack naysayers and illustrate how America continues to grow wealthier.
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This is the first set discovered while in utero. PHOTO: Teresa Crawford / AP
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Almost identical
Twins usually come in two flavours: identical or fraternal. Monozygotic, or identical twins (think 'Parent Trap'), are the result of a single sperm fertilising an egg, only for the bundled mass of cells to split in two, creating two tiny humans with identical genetic material. Whereas the more common dizygotic, or fraternal twins (like the Olsens), come about from separate sperm fertilising a pair of eggs. That's about it. Except for – bear with us – sesquizygotic twins, or semi-identical twins. An oxymoron, you ask? No, just chance doing its thing. Semi-identical twins, like the pair in this story, are born from a single cell that is fertilised by two sperm (one carrying a Y chromosome, the other an X). It's a biological mix-up, or miracle, that resulted in the birth of a brother and a sister with almost identical genetic material. They comprise just the second known case of sesquizygotic birth.
Flowers aren't the trick
While we're on the subject of babies and genes: a Yale University study of married couples has discovered the secret to a happy marriage: a genetic variant called GG that affects Oxytocin (the 'social bonding' hormone'). Couples that shared the GG variation were more likely to be relaxed and feel secure in the relationships, they were also less likely to report "anxious attachment" to their spouse. So there you have it, if you want to celebrate your 50th wedding anniversary make sure you get your genes tested beforehand.
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This again. PHOTO: Reuters
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Idlib airstrikes intensify
While our attention was on Trump and Kim's poolside antics, the rest of the world kept turning, and in some cases burning. All the heat has been sucked out of the war in Syria and there is little glory to be won. What's left is the subjugation of Idlib. This week Syrian regime aircraft began stepping up the tempo of bombings over Idlib ahead of the long-awaited 'mopping-up' operation. We're well into the final act of this tragedy.
So long and thanks for all the fish
That's what we'll be saying to our offspring when we're in our autumn years. Soaring ocean temperatures – a direct result of anthropogenic climate change – have killed off at least 5% of our oceans' entire fish stocks. 5%. Globally. As our oceans slowly turn into giant stockpots for all but the hardiest species we will lose out on a major food source for our species, and severely endanger marine ecological systems.
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Quote of the week
"Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot."
– Michael Cohen's 'tell-all' testimony on Capitol Hill this week was mostly rehashed accusations. In fact, the most memorable quote from the testimony was the tweet quoted above. It was sent the night before,by Florida congressman Matt Gaetz in what was obviously a rather artless attempt to influence Cohen's testimony. Gaetz, a Trump supporter, denied he was trying to intimidate the witness.
Headline of the week
Council spends £7,000 on video saying it has no money
– The Independent
Featured long-reads from inkl publishers:
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This week an NPR investigation laid bare the shameful truth at the heart of America's healthcare machine. It highlights a study in the American Journal of Medicine that found that between 2000 and 2012, 42% of the people diagnosed with cancer drained their life's assets within two years. Americans spend more per capita on healthcare than any other advanced country on earth and receive some of the worst outcomes.
To describe the American healthcare system as Byzantine is a nasty smear on the Byzantine Empire which managed to last for one thousand years (and given its current course can we be confident that America will last that long?). But before we get to 3019 we need to get through the 2020 election: a strong healthcare position is an absolute must for any sensible challenger.
Tom Wharton
@trwinwriting
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