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05.12.2025

 

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Good morning. It's Monday, May 12, and we're covering a break in hostilities for India and Pakistan, a study about chimpanzees with rhythm, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.

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Need To Know
 

India-Pakistan Ceasefire

India and Pakistan agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire Saturday. Despite violations yesterday, the ceasefire remains in effect as of this writing, alleviating some of the worst hostilities between the two countries in roughly 50 years.

 

The ceasefire ended four days of air fighting in which India is believed to have lost at least two of its most advanced fighter jets, Pakistan lost control of its airspace, and dozens of people were killed in gunfire and airstrikes. The exact toll could not be immediately determined; India and Pakistan have disputed each other's accounts. The air battle, which began May 7, is believed to have been among the largest dogfights since World War II.

 

The violence stems from an April 22 attack in which at least four gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir. India blames Pakistan for harboring terrorists. See a history of India and Pakistan's longstanding dispute over Kashmir here.

 

Chimps Got the Rhythm

A new study revealed chimpanzees drum with rhythm when they bang on tree trunks and share similarities with humans in their ability to hold a beat. The discovery, in one of the closest relatives to modern humans, sheds light on the evolutionary building blocks of music.

 

The behavior is believed to be a form of long-distance communication (read study) and suggests the chimps employ different sequences depending on the social situation. Researchers who analyzed 11 communities of chimps across six populations and two subspecies found groups from separate regions of Africa produced different rhythms for the same context, suggesting the mammals independently developed their own methods of communication.

 

The study also hints at a longstanding anthropological question—despite being a common human experience, how and why humans produce music remains unclear. 

 

The study comes on the heels of a separate observation of an individual Californian seal—named Ronan—that can keep time via rhythmic beats. 

 

Eurovision's 69th Contest

Eurovision Song Contest begins tomorrow in Basel, Switzerland—the first time the country is hosting since 1989, one year after Celine Dion's win for the country. The competition is the world's largest annual televised music event, reaching an audience of roughly 160 million people. Thirty-seven acts are slated to perform, with several from beyond the European Union, such as Australia, Israel, and Ukraine. See all acts here.

 

The format includes two semifinals followed by the grand final. Twenty-six finalists, selected through a combination of a public voting and expert picks, include 10 winners from each semifinal, the previous year’s winner, and five prequalified countries known as the "Big Five": France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. The winner will be selected Saturday. See how voting works here.

 

This year, as with last year, there have been protests over Israel's participation amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Israel has warned tourists not to wear Israeli or Jewish symbols in public places amid concern over potential attacks.

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In The Know
 

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> "Mr. Bates vs the Post Office" and "Mr. Loverman" are top winners at 2025 BAFTAs, or British Academy Television Awards (More

> Pro wrestling legend Terry "Sabu" Brunk dies at age 60 (More) | Johnny Rodriguez, pioneering Mexican American country artist, dies at age 73 (More)

Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy continues today after delays in jury selection (More

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Science & Technology

> Archaeologists uncover trapped family who died in Pompeii during the first-century eruption of Mount Vesuvius (More) | The history of Pompeii (More)

> Soviet-era spacecraft, Kosmos 482, falls back to Earth after five decades in space, splashes down in the Indian Ocean (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Engineers develop AI-powered headphones capable of translating multiple speakers in different languages at once, recreating conversations while retaining qualities of speakers' voices (More

 

Business & Markets

> US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq +0.0%) as investors wait for news of US-China tariff negotiations (More)

> OpenAI is reportedly working to renegotiate terms of its partnership with Microsoft, potentially paving the way for OpenAI to launch an initial public offering (More)

> Saudi Arabia's Aramco reports $26B in first-quarter net profit, beating estimates but down 4.6% from last year (More)

 

Politics & World Affairs

> US Treasury Secretary touts progress after two days of negotiations with China to end tit-for-tat tariffs; details of talks to be announced this morning (More) | Hamas says it will release last living American hostage in Gaza within the next 48 hours as group pursues ceasefire, resumption of aid (More)

> President Donald Trump says he will sign an executive order today ordering the Department of Health and Human Services to tie what Medicare pays for drugs to the lowest price paid in other countries (More) | The Trump administration is reportedly set to accept luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar known as the 'palace in the sky' (More)

> Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka (D) arrested for federal trespassing outside an immigration detention facility Friday while visiting with Democratic lawmakers amid a protest (More) | US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to reduce flights to Newark Liberty International Airport amid power outages, staffing shortages (More)

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Etcetera
 

Doctor gives science-backed advice for aging.

 

Time appears to slow when exercising.

 

Study finds 44% of Americans trust all or most neighbors.

 

How millennials, boomers, and Gen Xers travel.

 

Elizabeth Holmes' partner launches medical test startup.

 

New AI company creates Lego structures from text prompts.

 

Liam and Olivia top list of 2024 baby names in the US.

 

See still life series of frozen flowers.

 

Clickbait: A professional cuddler.

 

Historybook: Modern nursing innovator Florence Nightingale born (1820); Actress Katharine Hepburn born (1907); Charles Lindbergh’s son found dead two months after being kidnapped (1932); Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk born (1968); Ex-President Jimmy Carter visits Cuba, the first American president to visit since 1959 revolution (2002).

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- Katharine Hepburn

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