Jan 8: Monday is the day when coffee needs coffee before dealing with us

If Maldives were an app, Indians would have uninstalled it and rated it 1 star

It so happened that Modi visited Lakshadweep last Thursday, he shared some pics while trying enjoying snorkeling, walking, reading on the beach. The usual stuff he does while working 18+ hours. Many saw it as a move to promote tourism on the island, and why not. However, that set off a huge controversy.

Some prominent Maldivian social media users, including politicians, responded with vitriolic remarks laced with racism, xenophobia, and insults directed at both Modi and India. (Modi hadn't mentioned Maldives at all in his post).

Now, when India gives Maldives so much traffic, why should we tolerate this hate? Many have canceled their flights, EaseMyTrip has suspended all flight bookings to Maldives, and celebs have started promoting Indian islands (Ranveer Singh put Maldives pic to promote Lakshadweep, BTW). And, those 3 ministers have been suspended with immediate effect by the Maldives government. Welcome 2024?

Pour some sugar on me

Sugar prices are going bananas (pun intended!), hitting their highest point since 2011. The global sugar market is experiencing a period of significant price volatility due to a bunch of factors, primarily driven by climate-related challenges.

India, the world's second-largest exporter, grappled with an extreme dry spell that has impacted sugarcane yields. Similarly, Thailand, another key exporter, has faced severe drought conditions. Less sugar means everyone is scrambling for what's left, driving up the price like crazy.

Sugar and treats went up 8.9% last year in the US, and they're expected to jump another 5.6% this year. For instance, Mondelēz, the parent company of Cadbury and Oreo, has warned of price increases for its products.

What else is making news?

• Sheikh Hasina, the PM of Bangladesh, has secured her fifth consecutive term in office despite a contentious election marked by a significant boycott from the opposition party and a notably low voter turnout of 40%.
• The Supreme Court of India has canceled the early release of the 11 men convicted of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and murdering her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The convicts, who were serving life sentences, were released by the Gujarat government in 2022. The SC today said the Gujarat govt passed the order "without application of mind".
• Donald Trump recently suggested that the Civil War could have been prevented through "negotiation." He implied that the conflict to end slavery in the US was unnecessary and criticized Abraham Lincoln for not doing more to prevent the violence. Separately, Joe Biden was not told for days that his defense secretary had been hospitalized. God bless America?

Quick update on Golden Globes

The acting and directing in Oppenheimer brought home Golden Globes for Cillian Murphy (Best actor), Robert Downey Jr. (Best supporting actor), and Christopher Nolan (Best director), making it the night's biggest film winner. For television, Succession's final season swept the most awards, and Barbie's massive box office haul earned it the inaugural box office achievement prize.

Do you know: The Golden Globe Awards began in 1944 but didn't have a host until 1958, when Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. stormed the stage with their whiskey glasses and cigarettes and took over unofficial hosting duties!

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