Arvind's Newsletter

1.Olympics: PM Narendra Modi confirms India's bid for 2036 edition; cricket to be included in 2028 games
“India will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to organise the 2036 Olympics,” Modi said.

India is holding a session of the International Olympic Committee’s executive board this weekend, which has already resolved to include cricket – India’s most popular sport – at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

2.Adani’s new mega port in Kerala can lure world’s biggest ships to India, reports P R Sanjai of Bloomberg. Some excerpts:

“Located near the southernmost tip of the country, the Vizhinjam transshipment container port — the first of its kind in India that will be inaugurated on October 15 — will allow India to grab a bigger slice of the international maritime trade currently dominated by China (I think he means Colombo which is big transhipment hub and relies significantly on Indian cargo; Only thing about that is that is Adani also operates a container terminal at Colombo, so there could be conflict) .It will also bolster its aspirations to be an alternative manufacturing hub by reducing logistics costs for cargo coming to and from the country.”

“The proximity to the international shipping routes that accounts for 30 percent of global cargo traffic and a natural channel that goes up to 24 meters below the sea makes Vizhinjam an ideal hub for some of the world’s biggest ships to call in. Until now, the biggest container ships have been skipping India because its harbours weren’t deep enough to handle such vessels and docking at neighbouring ports such as Colombo, Dubai and Singapore. “

Transshipment refers to transferring cargo from an original ship to another, bigger mother ship at a port on the way to the cargo’s final destination.

3.The Israel-Hamas conflict is increasingly cementing global powers into two camps: The U.S. and its allies versus China and Russia. In particular, India — long a supporter of Palestinians, and which only established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992 — has strongly backed Israel. In part, this is due to domestic political shifts, but also suggests New Delhi is offering a “signal to the United States” about its willingness to support a critical U.S. ally,” two experts wrote in Foreign Policy. Beijing and Moscow, meanwhile, have been strong critics of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and both countries’ leaders are due to meet this week in China.

4.Facial recognition is infiltrating airports and theme parks.

Facial recognition software is speeding up check-in at airports, cruise ships and theme parks, but experts worry about risks to security and privacy, reports New York Times.

Facial recognition systems are already being expanded at some airports. At Miami International, for example, cameras at 12 gates serving international flights match passengers’ faces to the passport photographs they have on file with the airlines, letting passengers at those gates board without showing physical passports or boarding passes.

The technology is also speeding up the wait for some passengers at immigration. Members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program can now bypass lines at the kiosks at seven U.S. airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, by taking a selfie on arrival using its new phone app. The selfie is matched with the agency’s facial biometrics database.

Visitors to the theme parks on Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, can use a facial recognition system for entry and to buy food and souvenirs at attractions like Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld. Guests who sign up for the program submit a selfie using an app, which connects their photos with their tickets. Read on

5.We’re living in the era of LinkedIn.
While other social platforms falter, the professional network only grows stronger, reports Financial Times. Some excerpts:

“The Microsoft-owned professional networking platform, once a home purely to job hunting and networking, has become overrun with many of its 930 mn users sharing career-focused, often aspirational content, in the hope of building substantial followings.

Initially the realm of select business magnates such as Richard Branson, lesser-known marketers, tech entrepreneurs and even creatives such as US rapper Snoop Dogg are now trying to leverage the platform.

Their success at attracting large followings has caught the attention of some high-profile chief executives, who are also now attempting to build personal brands on the platform and boost the profile of their businesses.

A market has sprung up to help, with consultants, agencies, in-house advisers and PR specialists advising chief executives on how to harness LinkedIn.

Last year, for example, when a mass shooting took place at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, by an employee targeting their colleagues,the retailer’s chief executive Doug McMillon took to LinkedIn to offer support to those affected and reassure staff.

Another benefit to having a platform on LinkedIn is the ability to attract staff. According to a 2022 report by Brunswick, when applicants are researching a business they might join, they look first at the company website, then the CEO’s LinkedIn page.