About: the world this week, 5 May 2024 to 11 May 2024: Crossing into Rafah; Russia’s forever President; All-in-one India; Heat of the World; Brazil’s Floods; Eurovision; and the Met Gala 2024.

Everywhere

Crossing into Rafah

Israel has, for weeks, said that it would enter the city of Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip to flush-out the last remains -hopefully-of the Terrorist Hamas and rescue the 130 hostages still being held. Over a million displaced Palestinians are holed-up in the city, which also ‘conveniently serves’ as a ‘natural’ human shield for Hamas.

This week Israel moved-in. This is a cliffhanger in the seven-month-old war as Israeli forces struck Rafah from the air and the ground and ordered residents to leave parts of the city. And Israel quickly secured control of the Rafah Crossing after its forces eliminated 20 terrorists in a raid, intercepted a car bomb headed towards troops, and conducted airstrikes on 100 targets.

Meanwhile, Hamas after rejecting many past proposals by Israel, seemed in a hurry to accept the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators. But Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with its dash into Rafah, while planning to continue negotiations on a deal.

United States (US) President Joe Biden threatened to stop supply of arms to Israel if it goes ahead with its Rafah ground invasion plan, which is a back-stabbing, back-track by the strongest ally of Israel. The American University wokeism has reached the very top-the White House. God Bless America!

Who benefits? The terrorist Hamas, of course. Emboldens them.

“If we must, we shall fight with our fingernails,” said Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, “But we have much more than our fingernails.” Earlier the US had delayed a shipment of arms to Israel and there is a simmering and escalting friction between the closest of allies.

In Gaza, Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad kept at their act: firing anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli tanks amassed on the eastern outskirts of the city for the ground invasion.

Russia’s Forever President

This week, Vladimir Putin took oath for a record fifth presidential term as President of Russia. The unique Putin swag was unmissable, as two huge gold-plated doors opened and he almost ‘cat-walked’ alone towards the oath-taking podium, greeting people lined up on both sides of red-carpet barricade with a cheshire-cat smile. There is no stopping this man?

All-In-One India

India’s marathon General Elections has run three phases and there are four more to go, 13th May, 20th May, 25th May, and 1st June. The results will be declared on 4th June. Every week releases a ‘new gas’, in addition to the Green House Gases and other climate changers, that turn on the heat.

Last week a sex-scandal fired the headlines. This week, racist comments raced to the top. The Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, sitting in faraway United States while describing India’s diversity said, “people in the East look like the Chinese, people in the West look like the Arabs, people in the North look like, maybe, White, and people in the South look like Africans”. He added, “ It does not matter. All of us are bothers and sisters”.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to seize the opportunity, calling the comments racist and divisive. In cricket parlance, it was full-toss bowled at the BJP and they smacked it out of the ground.

Sam Pitroda resigned amid the huge political row that erupted over his controversial remarks. A statement said he decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, of his own accord. And the Congress President has accepted his decision- as if he was waiting outside his door. Sam Pitroda has been a habitual, incorrigible offender having a history of making controversial comments. He was once advisor to the late Rajiv Gandhi and in recent times has been mentoring the dynasty’s scion, Rahul Gandhi, who himself has been equally liberal with the tongue.

Meanwhile, on a lighter vein, the BJP was disappointed…losing a ‘star overseas Arab campaigner’. Now it has to look at other White, Chinese, and African campaigners. Of course, they still have a ‘White’ Rahul Gandhi doing a great job for them!

Heat of the World

The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending a 11-month streak in which every month set a new temperature record. Including April, the world’s average temperature was also the highest on record for a 12-month period at 1.61 degrees Celsius, above the average in the years 1850-1900 pre-industrial period.

The rising temperatures are brought about by the infamous ‘climate change’ for which Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main cause. GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. They absorb the heat radiating from the Earth’s surface and re-release it all directions including back to the Earth’s surface. The chief culprits in the ‘Earth warming business’ are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride. Add water vapour too.

In recent months, the natural El-Nino phenomenon, which warms the surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, has also raised temperatures.

Brazil’s Floods

Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul is being inundated like never before – its worst flooding in 80 years. Heavy rains and floods resulting in killing of over 100 people, injuring over 750 and displacing over 16 400 rendering them homeless. At least 134 people are still missing. Rains are expected to persist over the weekend.

Intense rain is expected to pummel Brazil, between the east and center-north of Rio Grande do Sul, with some areas expecting 100 mm.This, as the South American nation grapples with the deadly fallout of last week’s extreme weather, which submerged whole neighbourhoods.

The catastrophic floods have been accompanied by social upheaval, with least 45 people arrested for looting and other crimes amid the chaos. Six of those arrested are suspected of committing sexual abuse in shelters for people whose homes were impacted by the floods.

The latest storms have also flooded parts of neighbouring Uruguay, leaving some 1,340 people displaced and thousands more without electricity.

The Sun and Rain dancing in full glory!

Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest often known simply as Eurovision or as ESC, is an international song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed live and transmitted to national broadcasters via the Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries’ songs to determine a winner.

This week, Israel’s Eurovision entry officially qualified to be in the Eurovision finals, to be held this Saturday in Malmo, Sweden, after singer Eden Golan’s impressive performance in the semi-finals. The 20 year old singer received huge cheers from the audience after her performance of ‘Hurricane.’ Originally titled ‘October Rain’, the song had alluded to the Hamas attacks on southern Israel last 7th October. Israel’s public broadcaster agreed to modify the lyrics, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is responsible for the contest, gave the song the green light.

There have been several campaigns to block Israel from taking part in this year’s contest following the outbreak of war in Gaza. Eden Golan’s victory came hours after thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered in the streets of Malmo to show their support for Gaza. A night before, the 20-year-old singer had been booed during dress rehearsals. There was a mixture of cheering and booing again during the semi-final.

Security is being tightened for the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden’s Malmo city, with large demonstrations planned to coincide with the event and the country already on high alert. Police and organisers say they’re well-prepared and hoping for a ‘joyful’ event. The annual feel-good celebration of pop and showbiz is this year shrouded by complaints from some quarters over Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza. Sweden was already facing heightened security challenges, and Malmo is expecting one of the country’s biggest ever policing efforts.

As many as 100,000 visitors are set to descend on this city on Sweden’s south-west coast for the world’s largest live music contest. Colourful Eurovision banners decorate many of the city’s streets, and it’s the third time that Malmo is playing host, after Swedish artist Loreen won last year’s competition in Liverpool, with her hit song Tattoo. Commentators say that it is one of the most politically-charged Eurovisions ever.

Met Gala 2024

The Fashion World’s biggest night, the 2024 Met Gala was held this week at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA. The Gala fundraises for the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute and is held every year in the 1st week of May, almost always ‘at the steps’ of the same venue. And dresses to a theme and a dress code.

This year’s exhibit theme was ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’, to examine how technology can breathe new life into garments that are too old and fragile to be worn again. The dress code was the ‘The Garden of Time’ named after the 1962 short story by J G Ballard.

In the story, an aristocratic couple living in a walled estate with a magical garden try to stave off an unruly mob trying to break in. To keep the mob at bay, the husband picks flowers trying to turn back time until there are no blooms left. The mob eventually breaks in, ransacks their place and the couple turns to stone. Guests were told that outfits should represent ‘fleeting beauty’ and embody ‘the beauty of the natural world- its fragility and its inevitable decay’.

The Gala, is known to have a very secretive guest list with the names of attendees kept tightly ‘under wraps’ and then released with all the sheerness and nakedness one can see-through on the Gala Red Carpet.

This year Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez, and Zendaya, served as co-chairs alongside Vogue’s Anna Wintour. The rest of the attendees—which includes the world’s top singers, actors, models, athletes, and artists—revealed themselves on the Red Carpet.

Indian Actress Alia Bhatt attended wearing a stunning floral saree by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. She brought the ‘timeless’ saree to the Met carpet and in doing so, nailed the theme ‘The Garden of Time’. Her dress was ethereal, a scene-stealer that took a total of 163 dedicated individuals investing 1965 man-hours to make.

Singer and Actress Jennifer Lopez, known for her show-stopping red carpet appearances, took glamour to new heights. Stepping onto the red carpet the 54-year-old dazzled in a custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture creation. The mermaid-style gown, crafted from sheer tulle, shimmered with a plethora of sparkling rhinestones and pearls, cascading into a flowing train.

Supermodel Gigi Hadid continued her streak of theme mastery, flawlessly embodying the essence of this year’s theme alongside Designer Thom Browne’s vision of the dress code. Stepping onto the Met Gala carpet, Hadid donned an unmistakable Browne ensemble—a white off-the-shoulder corset dress with exaggerated hips, layered beneath a white silk moire coat adorned with 3D yellow roses and intricate thorn appliques.

American Rapper, Cardi B’s Met Gala philosophy has consistently been ‘the bigger, the better,’ and her jewellery choice for the 2024 event perfectly embodied this sentiment. Arriving on the Met steps, she made a dramatic entrance ‘wrapped’ in a voluminous tulle gown designed by Windowsen. The Garden of Time dress code was styled with a diamond necklace featuring a 141-carat Colombian emerald by the Indian jewellery house Kamyen. Complementing this centrepiece were her striking earrings, boasting dual emeralds and diamonds that featured a cascade yellow and white mini-briolette cut diamonds. She accessorised her hands with large emerald rings and a bangle bracelet on her wrist, with more emeralds and diamonds.

Kamyen, the Indian jewellery brand, was founded in 2010 by Pooja Gandhi, who comes from a lineage of three generations of ‘Diamantaires’. Renowned for its one-of-a-kind designs incorporating large gemstones, particularly yellow and pink diamonds, the brand has garnered global acclaim through Cardi B’s appearance at the Met Gala this year.

Some of the best dressed were: American Actress, Elle Fanning in an iridescent Balmain column with sculpted birds at the shoulders and Cartier jewellery; ‘Dune’ Actress Zendaya – in four outfits – the first a custom Maison Margiela Gown by John Galliano; Actress Gabrielle Union in mermaid inspired Michael Kars Collection with Tiffany & Co jewellery; Actress Demi Moore in a show-stopping Harris Reed oversize floral-print gown with detachable back panel and padded hips plus a massive Cartier necklace; Actress Michelle Yeoh wearing sculpted aluminium Balenciaga Coutre, plus Cindy Chao jewellery. Other memorable appearances were by Singer Shakira, South African Singer and songwriter Tyla, and ‘Baywatch’ Pamela Anderson.

The other Indians at the Gala were: Heiress Natasha Poonawalla in a custom Marigela designed by John Gallino; Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Mona Patel in a off-shoulder, body-hugging Iris Van Herpen gown inspired by flying butterflies – 3D butterflies were flying on her sleeves, lending a magical touch; Actor & Producer Mindy Kaling in a sculptured nude couture gown by Gaurav Gupta – with cape and train; Actor Ambika Mod in a monochromatic black and white gown from Loewe; Vouge India Cover Star and Bridgerton Actor, Simone Ashley, in a cut-out navy blue dress designed by Prabal Gurung; Hyderabad based based Indian billionaire, Sudha Reddy, in a custom Tarun Tahiliani ivory silk dress. Reliance heiress Isha Ambani in a bespoke hand-embroidered sari-gown by Rahul Mishra.

It was a feast of flesh, colour, fabric, and pure magic, dancing in the Garden of Time. Would be hard to sleep with all those images flying like butterflies in your dreams!

More striking stories coming in the weeks ahead. Dress yourself with World Inthavaaram.