🌎 Crown Jewel

Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after days of conflict

It is the deadliest clash between the two countries in years. Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to an “immediate ceasefire” following more than a week of violent border clashes, according to a statement by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry.

An intractable conflict

The fighting first erupted earlier this month, with each country claiming they were responding to attacks from the other. For nearly two weeks, the two sides exchanged military attacks that killed dozens and injured hundreds.

• The dispute stemmed from ongoing attacks in Pakistan by a terrorist group based in Afghanistan, called the TTP (see overview), which skyrocketed after the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan in 2021.

• Pakistan accused the Taliban government of sheltering the TTP and supporting them finanically.

Days after a TTP attack killed 11 Pakistani soldiers, Pakistan carried out air-and ground strikes in central Kabul and eastern Afghanistan. In response, the Taliban government responded with cross-border raids that killed at least 23 Pakistani soldiers (see timeline of attacks here).

The two nations continued to trade blows in the days after, threatening to turn the conflict into an all out war, with one Pakistani airstrike allegedly killing several cricket players, a claim the nation denies.

What happens now?

Analysts say the ceasefire offers a breif moment of peace, but warn that without lasting solutions to terrorist sanctuaries, regional governance, and international diplomacy, the truce may be fragile.

It’s impact goes beyond just the battlefield:

• Trade and movement along key border roads have been halted, leaving civilians and merchandise stranded.

• The alleged deaths of the cricket athletes has prompted outrage and international attention, leading Afghanistan to pull out of a cricket series.

What to watch next: Aprehention of terrorist groups, continuation of trade, border disputes, and regional players getting involved (such as India, Turkey, and Qatar) will be key things to keep an eye on in the coming days if a truce is expected to hold.

Uber is paying its drivers to do “digital tasks”

Does Candy Crush count as a task? Uber is launching a new “digital tasks” program in the US that will pay drivers for doing short, non-driving gigs that help the company train its AI models.

Side quest city

While Candy Crush might not make the cut, your next Uber driver might be doing little side quests within the Uber app to earn some bonus pay (depending on the complexity) alongside their regular fares.

For US-based drivers that opt in to the program, these tasks will include:

• Recording voice clips in various languages or accents.

• Uploading photos or documents in different languages.

• Capturing menus in specific languages.

The Verge reports that uploading a single menu can fetch as much as $1. Uber says drivers will see the pay up front, and earnings from these tasks go into their app balance within 24 hours.

What will these tasks do for Uber?

Well, some drivers believe they’re being used to train their replacements. The new program is being launched in collaboration with Uber’s AI Solutions Group, which recently acquired a startup that helps enable driverless technology in vehicles.

Despite how that sounds, Uber insists there’s no hidden agenda:

• A spokesperson for the ride-hailing company said that data from driver tasks won’t be used to help build autonomous vehicles.

Although… Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi admitted that self-driving and other automation efforts pose long-term risks to its human driving jobs, and could eventually pose a “big, societal question” in the next decade.

Theives steal “priceless” jewels worth millions from the Lourve

Not to mention, they did it in broad daylight. On Sunday, a team of robbers broke into the famous Lourve Museum in Paris, stealing multiple pieces from its royal collection, including some owned by Emporor Napoleon.

The heist of the century

Robbing one of the world’s most renowned cultural institutions typically isn’t an easy feat… unless you’re one of these lucky theives. So how did they do it?

According to officals, three or four suspects approached a building under renovation around 9 am, using a truck lift to reach a high window. They then used an angle grinder to break into the first floor. Once inside:

• The theives threatened gaurds, who evacuated, and quickly cut through several display cases in the museum’s Apollo gallery, which is home to the French Crown Jewels.

• With the loot in hand, the suspects swiftly exited the building and left on motorbikes that were ready outside.

In total, the raid lasted just four minutes. Some of the stolen jewelry was recovered nearby, including the crown of Napoleon III’s wife (albiet broken), but most of the haul remains missing. As of writing, the museum is closed to visitors while authorities continue their investigation.

How much did they steal?

Authorities said eight items were stolen, including diadems (jewled headbands), necklaces, earrings, and brooches, all of which date back to the 19th century and were once owned by members of France’s royal and imperial families.

According to France’s Ministry of Culture, some of the stolen items include:

• A tiara and brooch that once belonged to Empress Eugénie.

• An emerald necklace and matching earrings from Empress Marie Louise.

• A sapphire tiara, necklace, and single earring from a set owned by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.

• A jeweled “reliquary brooch.”

It’s all probably gone for good: Tobias Kormind, a jewlery expert, told PBS the jewels will likely never be found again, as the thieves will probably recut the stones to make them untraceable and easier to sell.

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The US passport has lost its luster

Almost a worse fall off than Prince Andrew losing his royal titles. The US passport has fallen out of the top 10 most powerful passports in the world, now raking 12th in a key ranking index.

What makes a passport powerful?

One simple way to measure passport power is travel openness, or how easliy you can visit countries around the world with just a passport and no visa (bonus points if customs smiles though).

The Henley Passport Index is one of the ranking systems that measures global mobility, and for the first time in its 20-year history, the US has fallen out of its top 10 list altogether:

• The US now sits at 12th place, tied with Malaysia, with visa-free access to 180 destinations.

• Multiple countries with the same score can share a rank, so there are actually 36 countries that outrank the US on the list.

In 2014, the United States was ranked first overall, but has gradually slid from the top spot.

Why the fall off? Analysts attribute America’s declining travel freedom to stricter US visa and immigration policies, reduced visa reciprocity (other nations phasing out visa-free access for Americans), and a widening “openness gap” between travel-friendly nations and more restrictive ones.

Meanwhile, Asian passports dominate: Singapore leads the pack with visa-free access to 193 countries, followed by South Korea and Japan with 190 and 189 nations, respectively. See the full rankings here.

Why does this matter?

For starters, the US dropping out of the top 10 shows Americans travel less freely than many of its peers in Asia and Europe. However, the rankings also indicate some level of soft power, international connectivity, and global positioning:

• The US passports increasingly dire ranking "signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics," according to Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners.

What does that mean? While you still might be able to visit most places with your passport, who gets easy access to countries accross the world is changing, and the United States is certainly on the tail end of the oncoming shift.

Hidden code in CIA headquarters sculpture finally found

Not everyday you get to see the final solution of a CIA puzzle (or not). Cryptographers say that the final solution to Kryptos, a sculpture installed at the CIA headquarters, has been uncovered after 35 years of mystery.

A cryptic venture

The infamous sculpture features four encrypted panels, three of which were previously solved within a decade by cyptographers, leaving the last panel unsolved for years (see here).

It’s creator, Jim Sanborn, recently decided to auction the fourth solution to cover medical expenses and support charities, when two journalists stumbled upon something interesting:

• A 97-character decrypted message on scrap paper accidentally filed deep within the Smithsonian’s public Archives of American Art.

After its discovery, Sanborn asked the archive to seal the document for another 50 years. It seems neither journalist plans to publish the solution, but both refused Sanborn’s payment offer to keep quiet and brushed off legal threats from the auction house.

A pricey answer: The solution was initially expected to fetch $300,000-$500,000 at auction before the decrypted message was found. Sanborn and the auction house argue that even if the words go public, the conceptual engine and methood behind Kryptos remains private.

Looking forward: Sanborn previously released clues to the fourth puzzle and has said a fifth message will be released once the original four are solved.

Catch up on this week’s weird news

 > The European Court of Justice ruled that pets can legally be treated as checked baggage, meaning airlines will pay less for a lost animal.

 > A North Korean soldier made a rare defecton into South Korea by crossing the heavily mined and gaurded land border that seperates the two countries, officials say.

 > Consumer Reports found that 23 popular protein powders and shakes contained dangerously high levels of lead. See the full list here.

 > Wikipedia reported an 8% decline in human pageviews year over year, mainly due to the rise of AI-assisted search tools that deliver quick summaries and reduce the need to visit the site directly.

 > MrBeast seems to be entering the finance space after new trademark filing shows plans for “MrBeast Financial,” offering mobile banking, crypto exchange, and credit-services under his creator brand.