Quick notes: Hindenburg 2.0 | Oldest language...

• Hindenburg 2.0? George Soros-backed OCCRP said to be planning another 'expose'.. Concerted destabilization of Indian markets.



• RoP, meet Peacful Rise: China makes it harder for its Muslim citizens to go to Mecca, or anywhere else



• China's fertility rate drops to record low 1.09: Concerned about China's first population drop in six decades and its rapid ageing population, Beijing is urgently trying an array of measures to lift the birth rate including financial incentives and improved childcare facilities.



• What's the world's oldest language? “There are disputes among scholars about the precise date of ancient texts ascribed to Tamil and whether the language used is actually similar enough to modern Tamil to categorize them as the same language”.



• Padma Shri Meenakshi Amma: 78-year-old Kalaripayattu teacher




• Himachal Pradesh floods: More rain, less snow are turning Himalayas dangerous



• Point of no-return in the Himalayas: The collapse of a stretch of the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, which is a part of the controversial Char Dham Project, has again raised questions about the Rs 12,000-crore project. The highway collapse is considered to have resulted from the weakening of the foundation of the road by the torrential rains that have lashed Uttarakhand. Landslides happen almost every day in some part of the region, boulders slide down on vehicles, and roads and buildings suddenly cave in.



• Mindless growth: NGT vindicated in Shimla ruling. “We hereby prohibit new construction of any kind in any part of the Core and Green/Forest area.” Beyond this green zone, “construction will not be permitted beyond two storeys plus attic floor”. It is surprising that the State government has pressed ahead with a development plan that appears to disregard the NGT ruling.



• Back to the future for India's rice farmers: Red rice has attractive qualities. It is hardy and grows well without fertiliser and other chemicals. Research also shows it has nutritional benefits over white rice. But perhaps for farmers the biggest attraction is that it sells well.
  
  "Many of the current incentive systems like fertilizer subsidy, free power, canal irrigation, minimum support price and procurement, all work against the interest of farmers to shift towards more sustainable production".



• Huawei Builds Secret Fab Network to Avoid U.S. Sanctions: This network is not a perfect substitute for TSMC and its leading edge process technologies — but it will make it easier for Huawei to procure commodity chips for a variety of applications without any restrictions from the U.S.



• China owning EV battery space: Chinese battery supplier CATL announces a new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that the company claims will enable super-fast charging - 250 miles of range in 10 minutes



• Nvidia is worth $240 per share: Says Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern School of Business Professor of Finance and valuation guru.



• Bhagavan Das: God is not a big deal