• File under: Things that’d make for a compelling episode of Scandal. The full statement of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on the arrest of Devyani Khobragade — the Indian diplomat accused with paying her nanny well below living wage and making her work for more than 40 hours/week — has been released, and it’s worth a read. Learn about Khobragade’s background and penchant for hypocrisy here. [U.S. DOJ]
• Upon Khobragade’s arrest and strip-search, an Indian elected official said something super stupid, managing to say that India should be allowed to persecute the LGBT spouses of other U.S.-based diplomats. Because, like, if U.S. can penalize people for breaking equal pay laws, India should be able to penalize people for…being gay? IDK, y’all. Let’s all practice rolling our eyes in unison, ok? [The Times of India]
• Meet Neelam Johal, the first Indian person to be ever cast in a Burberry fashion campaign. [Elle]
Introducing the @Burberry S/S14 campaign with a fresh new cast of young British talent pic.twitter.com/N6RMsubHec
— Burberry (@Burberry) December 17, 2013
• The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found in favor of three Muslim ex-employees to the tune of almost $100,000. Said workers claimed they were constantly harassed by the restaurant owners. One of the ex-employees further said that upon reporting racism to restaurant management, he was summarily fired; the other two quit. [The Star]
• It’s the kind of stuff Lifetime TV movies of the week are made of: Nikki Haley is now a black belt in karate. [Gawker]
• All across India, huge hipstery music festivals are popping up. If you read the New York Times story closely, you’ll notice desi hipsters are different from American hipsters: They enjoy “swigs of rum” and us…well, we’ll have another can of PBR please, while we wait in line to use the bathroom. [NYT]
Rohin Guha is a contributing editor at The Aerogram. Follow him on Twitter @ohrohin. Find The Aerogram on Twitter @theaerogram.
Well below minimum wage, you mean. Saying well below living wage suggests it might above the minimum wage. Three bucks and change is not above minimum wage.