Author: Kumar Govindan

I am the first Graduate - an Engineer - in the family; the first to be employed in the Government Sector, India; the first to go overseas for work - USA; the first to throw it all and become an Entrepreneur (and fail); the first to get back to work - this time with the Tata Group, India - after 4 years of chasing 'business dreams'; and, the first to pick-up the Entrepreneur thread again. I now run a Women's Apparel design and styling Boutique - Mavira Designs - along with my wife. The objective of my Blog is to tell my story, intermingled with news stories from all corners of the World, with wit and pun - to squeeze a few laughs, perhaps a smile. I'm sure you will enjoy the reading.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-33

About: the world this week, 11 August to 17 August 2024: Ukraine invades Russia; Israel holds; Trump and Musk on X; leaving New Zealand; a horrific rape and murder in India; India-events; mpox is here; Paris Olympics-goodbye.

Everywhere

Ukraine’s Invasion of Russia

Last week, Ukrainian soldiers smashed through the Russian border in a surprise attack aimed at improving future negotiation options, slowing the advance of Russian forces into Ukraine, and disorienting them.

This week, Ukraine’s forces captured the town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region in the biggest foreign incursion into Russia since World War II, putting Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on the defensive. Ukraine, carving out a slice of Russian territory gives it a foothold for further advances, revealing the weakness of Russia’s border defences and prompting it to evacuate at least 200,000 people while it rushed in reserves and imposed a security lockdown. You just cannot go about bombing your own people, can you?

The Ukrainian assault on Russian has dramatically changed the narrative around the two-and-a-half-year-old war. Previously, it was Russia that had been advancing in eastern Ukraine since the failure of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive.

Wonder on which side the dice is loaded?

Israel Holds On

Israeli forces pressed on with operations near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis amid an international push for a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and prevent a slide into a wider regional conflict with Iran and its proxies.

This week Hamas said it would not take part in a new round of ceasefire talks in Qatar, but mediators are expected to consult with Hamas, afterwards.

On another angle, there is a suspended animation on Iran’s revenge act on Israel, while Hezbollah and even Hamas keep pumping those rockets-a never-ending fire -into Israel. Will Iran dare attack Israel?

Trump and Musk: Birds of a Feather

This week, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump sat for a friendly two-hour interview with Elon Musk on social media platform X, after technical problems delayed the start of the event for more than 40 minutes. Musk, who has endorsed Trump, was quick to blame the difficulties on a Distributed Denial-Of-Service (DDOS) attack, in which a server or network is flooded with traffic in an attempt to shut it down.

Trump and Musk chatted on X for over two hours. Trump recapped his assassination attempt, promised the largest deportation effort in US history if re-elected, boasted about his relationship with foreign leaders like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and the kind. Musk often praised the former President and seemed to even pitch himself as a potential Trump administration official. Their ‘bird chat’ played out as 1.3 million people listened-in at one point, according to an X counter.

Leaving New Zealand

People are leaving New Zealand in record numbers as unemployment rises, interest rates remain high, and economic growth is anaemic, government statistics revealed.

Data released by Statistics New Zealand showed that 131,200 people departed New Zealand in the year ended June 2024, provisionally the highest on record for an annual period. Around a third of these were headed to Australia.

While net migration, the number of those arriving minus those leaving, remains at high levels, economists also expect this to wane as the number of foreign nationals wanting to move to New Zealand falls due to the softer economy. Data shows that of those departing, 80,174 were citizens, which was almost double the numbers seen leaving prior to the COVID19 pandemic.

New Zealand’s economy is struggling after the central bank hiked cash rates 521 basis points in its most aggressive tightening since the official cash rate was introduced in 1999. The economy had an annual growth of 0.2% in the first quarter, unemployment rose to 4.7% in the second quarter, and inflation remains high at 3.3%.

Furthermore, Australia has been recruiting and offering relocation packages in areas such as nursing, policing, and teaching where they have skill shortages attracting New Zealanders, who do not need visas to work there. And with the New Zealand government having undertaken a significant downsizing of its public services, it has left many skilled workers looking for jobs. Well, that’s available aplenty across the border.

India: A Rape and Murder Most Foul

A 31-year-old woman trainee post-graduate Doctor working on night duty, was found dead last Friday at the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkatta – a 138 year old premier Medical Institution in the State of West Bengal. In the morning of 9th August, the mauled body was found in the seminar room on the fourth floor of the emergency department building: first spotted by a security guard. Her laptop, bag, and mobile were found nearby. On the fateful night, the Doctor a second-year chest medicine trainee had dinner with her colleagues and later retired to the seminar room for some much-needed rest: there being no separate ‘on-call’ room.

When the incident came to light, the Principal of the College, Dr Sandip Ghosh appeared to shamelessly indulge in victim blaming, calling the death a case of suicide, and attempted to brush aside the incident. The parents of the woman Doctor resisted, leading to the police to investigate and confirm that she had been raped and murdered. Subsequently, the Police arrested a suspect, a civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, 33, through electronic footprints at the scene and the Hospital premises. He is an outsider who had free access to the different departments of the Hospital.

Civic Volunteers are a band of about one lakh so-called do-gooders, put together by the State Government. Initially, they were deployed as Traffic Wardens, to manage traffic, during festivals. Over the years, this army of youngsters has been co-opted by the Police who use them liberally, such as to collect legitimate fines (and bribes too?) These Civic Volunteers gradually became a law unto themselves, pitching in with their services for the ruling party, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), whenever required. And this is not the first time a Civic Volunteer has been linked to an unnatural death in West Bengal.

The initial autopsy said the woman Doctor was murdered after being sexually assaulted, between 3 am and 6am. Her neck bone was found broken: she was first strangulated and then smothered to death. Her body was found in a half-naked condition with her spectacles broken. Further analysis, such as the amount of semen, suggested the involvement of multiple people. Her entire body bore marks of injury-not a single inch was spared-an examining doctor termed it as the most gruesome he has seen in his entire lifetime.

Doctors in India’s crowded and often squalid government hospitals have long complained of being overworked and underpaid, and say not enough is done to curb violence levelled at them by people angered over the medical care on offer.

Thousands of doctors marched on Monday in Kolkata and the surroundings to denounce the killing at the government-run hospital, demanding justice for the Doctor and better security measures. Hospital services were disrupted in several cities on Tuesday after the doctors’ protest spread nationwide. More than 8,000 government doctors in the western Maharashtra state, home to the financial capital of Mumbai, halted work in all hospital departments except emergency service.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation hours after an order by the Calcutta High Court, which came down heavily on Dr Sandip Ghosh, saying it was ‘disheartening’ that he was not ‘proactive’. The court also flagged that the former Principal was given the same role in another college hours after he resigned and said he must be immediately relieved of duties and sent on leave.

The incident brought back memories of Aruna Shanbaug, a junior nurse at King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai who was brutally assaulted by a ward boy, in November, 1973. She was left blind, deaf, and paralysed, and lived on for 42 years on life-support at the Hospital. She was cared for by fellow nurses before she passed away in 2015. He death spurred important legislation on safety and euthanasia in India.

Also, recall the Nirbhaya Case when in December 2012 a 23-year-old woman- a physiotherapy intern-was brutally gang-raped and assaulted in a moving bus in New Delhi, while returning home. The savage brutality of the incident stirred and shook India to the core. The six men involved were caught and convicted, including one juvenile. Four were hanged to death, one died-apparently suicide-in jail. And the juvenile was released after a 3-year jail sentence in a reform facility- maximum for juveniles under law.

Back to Kolkatta. In a further aggravation of the situation, when doctors were peacefully protesting, vandals armed with sticks, bottles, and bricks, usurped the night unleashing about 40 minutes of mayhem. The mob coursed through the campus ransacking critical care units, turning the medicine store room upside down, throwing around life-saving drugs, injections and other supplies. Were they trying to wipe-out evidence? The protesting doctors were forced to run to safety, and the Police were found wanting, yet again. Special forces had to be called-in to quell the violence.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a 24 hour nation wide stir -withdrawal of services-beginning on Saturday, in support of the woman Doctor and her family, and to highlight the shabby handling of the crime situation by the College Authorities and stalling of the Police investigation after the first day.

Calls for the ‘woman’ Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, who handles the health and home portfolios, to quit, grew shrill. Shockingly, she announced a protest march against ‘her own Government’ pressurising the CBI to ‘complete the investigation on the double and hang the culprit by Sunday!’ Unbelievable that a leader can indulge in politicking and act without empathy.

The incident will remain a devastating memory and a shameful blot on West Bengal. Violence is endemic to the State, long beset by insurgency, social upheaval, mass migration, and violent mobilisation for political control. It has a long, deadly history of political violence, which has persisted over many decades: deeply impacted life and stained the fabric of society in the State, in complex ways. Could this be a turning-point?

Bangladesh Flux

There is cautious optimism as Bangladesh grapples with the aftermath of its student-led protests and the cataclysmic events that led to the exit of former Prime Minister Sheik Hasina from the country. Attacks on Hindus and minorities appear to have climbed down. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus who lead the interim government used the opportunity to rid himself of most of the cases piled on him by the previous Government. And then began the return in kind. A murder investigation has been opened into Sheik Hasina over the police killing of a man during civil unrest. Six other top figures in the previous government are also being investigated.

Later in the week, Yunus called up India’s PM to assure him of safety of Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh.

India: Melange

India celebrated its 78th Independence Day on 15th August with India’s Prime Minister, in his usual vibrant, colourful head-gear, raising the national flag for the 11th time in a row. He laid down plans for the year in a long speech, from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. This time, the PM sported a multi-coloured Rajasthani Leheriya print turban. And the theme of this year’s celebration was Viksit Bharat @ 2047 (a developed India by 2047).

India’s ISRO successfully launched its third developmental flight of Small Launch Vehicle (SSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday and successfully injected a Satellite it was carrying into its exact planned orbit. ISRO only gets better after each adventure into Space.

India’s Election Commission announced Elections in the State of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)-the first Assembly elections in over a decade – and in Haryana State, which was ending a term. The J&K Elections will be held in three phases on 18th, 25th September, and 1st October, while the Haryana Elections will be on in a single phase on 1st October.

Mpox

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency – Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHIC)- with cases confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries. And a new form of the virus, called ‘clade 1b’ is spreading mainly through sexual networks. Few vaccines are available for treating cases.

This PHIC determination is the second in two years relating to mpox. WHO said that the current upsurge along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus is an emergency not only for Africa but for the entire globe. It is caused by an Orthopoxvirus and first detected in 1970 in Africa.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox has been detected in 13 countries this year, and more than 96% cases and deaths are in Congo. Cases are up to 160% and deaths have swelled up to 19% compared to the same period last year. So far, there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths.

Unlike the previous mpox outbreaks, the new form causes milder symptoms making it harder to spot. People might also sicken others without knowing they are infected.

Paris Olympics 2024: Goodbye

Hollywood movie star Tom Cruise was chosen as the showstopper of the Closing Ceremony of the Paris Olympics, and he did not disappoint. Maybe it was also a stunt to establish a connection with the next Games. Known for performing all of those dangerous stunts in his movies, he did the same at the closing ceremony, giving it a Hollywood touch. Tom Cruise jumped off the roof of Strate De France, one of the largest stadiums and landed on stage, in a jaw-dropping moment. The audience welcomed him with cheers. And the ladies even manhandled him-landing tons of kisses!

Paris has set new standards for the Olympic Games by hosting most of their games at iconic landmarks such as Place de la Concorde, the Eiffel Tower, the Chateau de Versailles and the Grand Palais. They also brought top celebrities for the grand opening ceremony including Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.

The next Summer Olympics will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles, USA and then in Brisbane, Australia in 2032. India is considering bidding for the 2036 Olympic Games.

It will exciting to see how the Summer Games will be hosted in the City of Angels, LA: its Mayor Karen Bass, who was present said, “will really show the diversity and the international character of our city. And we do have Hollywood, so I expect a lot of magical opportunities, which might begin at the closing ceremony.”

In the final Medals Tally, the United States of America led with 40 Gold, 44 Silver, and 42 Bronze -Total of 126 medals; followed by China, 40 Gold, and 91 overall; Japan, 20 Gold and 45 overall; Australia 18 Gold and 53 overall. The hosts France won 16 Gold, 26 Silver, 22 Bronze, and overall 64.

India won a total of 6 medals: 1-Silver and 5-Bronze. Overall, one medal less than the previous Games.

More sensational stories cruising-in, in the weeks ahead. Stay alert and on stage with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-32

About: the world this week, 4 August 2024 to 10 August 2024: Britain’s riots; US Elections-running mate; Taylor Swift-not fearless; Bangladesh coup; war fronts; and the Paris Olympics – focus on India.

Everywhere

Britain: Rioting Right

Violent protests erupted in towns and cities across Britain following last week’s knife attack, which killed three children in Southport, north of Liverpool. The protests spread across the country, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester, resulting in dozens of arrests as shops and businesses were vandalised and looted. Several police officers were injured in the line of duty.

The stabbing attack was seized on by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups as misinformation spread that the suspected attacker was an immigrant and a radical Islamist. This stoked further outrage. Police said the suspect was born in Britain and are not treating it as a terrorist incident.

On Sunday, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters gathered by a hotel near Rotherham, northern England, where Britain’s Interior Ministry was housing asylum seekers. The protesters, many wearing masks or balaclavas, threw bricks at police and broke several hotel windows, before setting a large bin close to the hotel on fire.

The new Government, fresh from a superb win at the hustings, scrambled to control the worst disorder in the United Kingdom in more than a decade. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the protests and riots as “far-right thuggery” and said perpetrators would face the full force of the law. The target of the attacks were Muslim communities, mosques, and other minorities. With this crisis running on the streets of Britain, the honeymoon period of the new Government is all but over.

Who is behind the thuggery? Faceless. Plans to engage in violent gatherings have been spread on social media, encouraging attendees to shield their faces or use coded language that stirs up anger at immigration without explicitly calling for violence. Naturally, the Govt is looking at social media as an instigator. Mind that ‘misinformed’ tweet, you could get yourself arrested!

United States Elections: Running Mate

This week US Vice President Kamala Harris decided on her running-mate, choosing Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota. Walz is currently in his second term as Governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress. And prior to that, Walz was a high school teacher and football coach and served in the Army National Guard, reaching the rank of Command Sergeant Major, one of the highest ranks an enlisted member can attain. As a first-time campaigner, he opposed a ban on same-sex marriage and supported abortion rights. Walz fell out of favour with the gun lobby over his support for gun safety actions as Governor. Walz supports In Vitro-Fertilization (IVF) having himself ‘become productive’ after struggling to become a parent along with his wife of three decades.

Taylor Swift: Not Fearless

US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is in the Vienna, Austria leg of her blockbuster Eras tour scheduled to play three shows in the European city from Thursday to Saturday. But Organisers cancelled the shows over a possible terrorist attack after Austrian authorities said they foiled a terror plan in Vienna. The extraordinary decision-which came at significant cost to Vienna’s businesses-has devastated fans and renewed focus on the vulnerability of huge concerts as soft targets for terror networks and spree killers.

Police in Austria have questioned three teenagers suspected of plotting a suicide attack at the Taylor Swift show, sparking renewed concerns over the indoctrination of young people online. Foreign intelligence agencies helped authorities uncover the plot. That’s the world swiftly singing together on intelligence gathering.

The Bangladesh Drift: the Churning

Bangladesh is at a historic turning-point. Well, it has been in this place many times before, at about the same cross-roads. And they keep coming on the trot.

The student protests of the past weeks over reservations in government jobs, dangerously changed track and galvanised into a force that toppled the Government of Prime Minister (PM) Sheik Hasina, 76. In January this year, she won a landslide mandate for the fourth consecutive time in the General Elections. Her party, The Awami League won 224 seats, out of the 300 under direct elections. That’s about 15 years in continuous power and a total of 20 years as PM. Most Opposition Parties had boycotted the Elections, apparently making the win easier.

The seemingly harmless and peaceful demands by University students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs that began in July transformed beyond recognition. This despite the Supreme Court calling-off the strangulating quota system. However, the creeping death toll reaching over 300, due to the brutal crackdown on the protesters, turned the Government into an authoritarian one to preserve peace. Enough reason for people to spill on to the streets. And with most of the Opposition in various modes of arrest, this seemed the only outlet for anger against the Government. The PM repeatedly cut-off internet access in parts of the country, imposed a nation-wide curfew, and labeled the demonstrators as ‘terrorists seeking to destabilise the nation’. Well, they lived up to the label.

Sheikh Hasina blamed the Pakistan basedJamaat-e-Islami, its Islami Chhatra Shibir student wing, and other associate bodies for inciting the student violence. And in an official circular imposed a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami under an anti-terrorism law.

With protests spiralling out of control, the Army served a 45 minute ultimatum to Sheik Hasina to leave the country. She found a helicopter and flew into the safe-haven of India, landing at a military airfield, Hindon, near New Delhi, and was met by India’s National Security Advisor after which was taken to a safe location.

Meanwhile, protesters reached the PM’s house and raided all that was inside, dusting-up her blouses, bras, and what not? One even paraded her Sari and wore it.

It was awfully painful to see people climb up the statue of the Father of the Nation and try to hammer him down. Almost killing him a second time. Recall, Sheik Mujibur Rahman-the founding father of Bangladesh and the father of Sheik Hasina- was shot in point plank range by the same Army, which entered his home, and killed almost the entire family in a horrific turn of events in 1975. That was the first Army coup of Bangladesh. Hasina herself was in Germany at that time and after years of struggle lived to become PM one day. Her sister too escaped the carnage, at that time.

Bangladesh Army Chief, General Waqar-uz-Zaman quickly took control and announced the formation of an Interim Government. Meanwhile the President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin, ordered the immediate release, from House-Arrest, former PM Khaleda Zia who was also Bangladesh’s first Woman PM and leader of the Opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Bangladesh’s unicameral parliament was also dissolved. What is the President’s role in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh has a unique system of transfer of power; at the end of the tenure of the government, power is handed over to members of a civil society for three months, who run the general elections and transfer power to elected representatives. The President as the ceremonial head of the state has limited powers. He can grant pardon to a man sentenced to death penalty or lessen the punishment. In certain instances, he also performs some legislative and judicial functions.

On another front, Hindu and other minority communities were ruthlessly attacked amounting to ethic-cleansing and heading towards genocide, showing another diabolical motive of the unfolding drama in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said that about 200 to 300 Hindu homes and businesses have been vandalised since Hasina resigned. About 15 to 20 temples have been looted.

Towards the end of the week, the Protestors agreed to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus becoming Leader of an Interim Government. Student Leaders of the so-called ‘Gen Z Revolution’ said they have not met all of their goals, and after Hasina’s resignation, the group wanted to ‘abolish fascist systems forever’. The leaders say they won’t accept a military-led or supported government.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, 84, who was in France over a minor medical procedure, flew in to Bangladesh’s capital Dacca, and was sworn-in on Thursday. Tucked inside his new cabinet are Nahid Islama and Asif Mahmud, students who led the anti-government protests. Yunus kept up to 27 critical portfolios with himself. One man show?

Muhammad Yunus known as the ‘banker to the poor’ aims to bring stability to Bangladesh. He answered the call of student protesters to temporarily lead the restive country following weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations.

Yunus is a social entrepreneur and banker who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering microfinance work as founder of the Grameen Bank that helped alleviate poverty in Bangladesh and was widely adopted around the world.

He is also a longtime critic of Sheikh Hasina. Over the years, Yunus was embroiled in multiple legal cases said to be unfairly targeted by the authorities. They include a defamation suit, a food safety case, and allegations of tax irregularities. In January, a court in Bangladesh sentenced Yunus to six months in prison for labor law violations. In a separate case, he was indicted in June on embezzlement charges. All of which was denied by Yunus.

India’s Prime Minister, under pressure to protect persecuted Hindus, had this to say, “My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development”.

Yunus’ first speech acknowledged the attack on Hindus and minorities and appealed to the protesters to trust him to bring law and order under control. If not, he threatened to step-down as Interim Leader.

Israel and Ukraine: the fight is on

The two steadily ongoing war fronts are that of, Ukraine-Russia in Europe and Israel-Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Middle East.

In the first front, this week, in a surprise turn, Ukraine Forces pushed further into the Kursk region of Russia in a cross-border incursion with the intent of diverting Russian forces and to disrupt and demoralise them. Ukraine intends to hold-on to the territory as long as they possibly can.Will a tit-for-tat work?

In the second front, Iran mulls scrapping plans to take revenge on Israel for killing Hamas’ Political Head on its soil, in exchange for a Gaza ceasefire. In the background US, Qatar and Egypt hit the negotiation acceleration pedal urging Hamas to resume talks, after the killing in Iran.

Paris Olympics 2024: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together

The Olympic Games is running on the Paris, France, stage from 26 July to 11 August.

In Tennis, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic struck gold in the Men’s Singles Tennis beating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2), in an enthralling neck-and-neck final.

Novak Djokovic is the only player in tennis history to win every big event in the game of Tennis. This is the first time in his career that he has won an Olympic Gold, adding to his ever-expanding chest of 24 Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz missed out on a gold medal in his maiden Olympics appearance.

In Hockey, India beat Britain in penalty shoot-outs, 4-2 after a 1-1 tie in the regular game. Indian Goal-keeper Sreejesh became an overnight sensation over his heroics of the day-saving many goals on the field and blocking a crucial one in the shoot-out. The Great Wall of India-shouted fans, who then went treasure hunting into this Home Sate of Kerala and dug up stories of what went into building of the wall. India faced Germany in the semi-finals but despite a valiant fight succumbed 2-3. Then, bringing some cheer, India went on to beat Spain 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal. This is Indian’s second consecutive win having won the bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beating Germany.

India’s gold medal winning hope Neeraj Chopra secured a Javelin final spot with a throw of 89.34m. His best throw was 89.94m at Stockholm in the Diamond League Games, last year. In the finals, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem threw a stunning 92.97m to win the Gold and break the Olympic Record of 90.57 established in Beijing 2008. Neeraj threw 89.45 to get the Silver. The Bronze Medal throw reached 88.45m.

This is a back-to-back Olympic Medal for Neeraj who had won the gold in Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.58m. In that competition Arshad Nadeem had finished fifth with 84.62m. This is Pakistan’s first ever medal in this event at the Olympics.

In Wrestling, India’s Vinesh Phogat defied huge odds to earn herself a sure chance of a medal in the 50kg event. She became the first Indian Woman to reach an Olympic final in Wrestling. Sakshi Malik is the only other wrestler, who had clinched a bronze medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. In her opening match Phogat stunned reigning Olympic Champion, Japan’s Yui Susaki; then beat former European Champion, Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarters, and Pan American Games Champion, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-finals to reach the finals. She was to take on USA’s Sarah Hildebrant for the Gold. But then, in a sudden twist and a heart-break, on the day of the finals, Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by a beggarly 100 grams in the 50 kg weight category. Competition rules say wrestlers must stay in their weight category on both days of the tournament. After Phogat’s disqualification, only the gold and bronze medals were awarded in the event. India has made a legal appeal and there could be yet another twist.

Now, a flashback. In May 2023, Vinesh Phogat was detained by police in New Delhi while attempting to march to India’s new parliament building, just as it was being inaugurated. This was during a protest against Brij Bhushan Singh, the wrestling federation chief, over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation. Phogat was later released.

In the run-up to the final, Phogat’s fellow wrestlers hailed her journey as both a personal and collective triumph for India’s wrestling community who have long complained that authorities failed to take their allegations seriously.

At the end of the week, Aman Sehrawat, 21, won the Bronze Medal in the Men’s Freestyle 57 kg bringing some cheer to India. He became the youngest Olympic medalist in Wrestling.

Vaulting to other events, Sweden’s Armand Mondo Duplantis broke the men’s Pole Vault world record for the 9th time with a jump of 6.25 m to cap a gold medal-winning streak. The 24-year-old has won every global men’s Pole Vault title since claiming his first Olympic gold in Tokyo.

In the Medals Tally, USA leads with 33 Gold and overall 111 medals, followed by China, Australia, and Japan. India had a total of 6 medals: 1-Silver and 5-Bronze. In the previous Olympics Tokyo Olympics, India had won 7 medals: 1-Gold, 2-Silver, and 4 Bronze.

More medal stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Run, jump, or swim to glory with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-31

About: the world this week, 28 July 2024 to 3 August 2024: Israel’s Golan; Britain’s stabbing; Venezuela’s turmoil; Prisoner swap; Wayanad landslip; Paris Olympics.

Everywhere

Israel’s Golan

The Golan Heights-Golan -is a 1200 square km rocky plateau, once a part of southwestern Syria, but now part of Israel. It overlooks Lebanon, borders Jordan, and is bound by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee, and Hula Valley in the west. The area’s water resources makes it one of the best in the land: a key source of water for an arid region. Rainwater from the Golan’s catchment feeds the Jordan River. The land is fertile and the rich volcanic soil is used to cultivate vineyards, orchards, and raise cattle. Golan is also home to Israel’s only ski resort.

Over 40,000 people live in Golan: more than half of them being Druze Arabs and the remaining Israeli settlers who make a living on farming and tourism.

Golan were part of Syria until 1967, when Israel captured most of it during the Six-Day War. This war came about as a result of years of increasing tension and vicious border skirmishes between Arabs and Israelis, following the creation of the State of Israel. The Six-Day War was a decisive victory for Israel during which it captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights; the status of these territories subsequently became a major point of contention in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Israel occupied the captured territory of Golan fully, annexed it, and applied Israeli law to the area in 1981, making it its own. The unilateral annexation was not recognised internationally, and Syria has been demanding the return of Golan. After annexing Golan, Israel gave the people living in the region the option of citizenship, but most rejected it and still identify as Syrian.

During the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Syria tried to regain Golan, but was thwarted by Israel, despite Syria inflicting heavy losses on Israeli forces. In 1974, Israel and Syria signed an Armistice and a UN observer force has been in place on the ceasefire line ever since. In 2019, the then US President Donald Trump officially recognised Israeli sovereignty over Golan. Israel argues the ongoing civil war in Syria underlines the need to keep the plateau as a buffer zone between Israeli towns and its unstable neighbour. It also says it fears Iran, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, is seeking to establish itself permanently on the Syrian side of the border, in order to launch attacks on Israel. In 2000, Israel and Syria held their highest-level talks over a possible return of Golan and a peace agreement, but the negotiations collapsed.

This week, the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, operating from Lebanon, launched an outrageous rocket attack on a football pitch in Majdal Shams in Golan killing, 12 children who were playing football. The attack was the deadliest against Israel since the Hamas massacre of 7th October that triggered the devastating war in Gaza.

Then in a swift, daring retaliation, Hamas’ Top Political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran in an unbelievable stealth operation on his residence – a Guest House he used to frequent – in Tehran within the control of the Iran Presidential Guard. He was killed by a rocket attack while sleeping in his bedroom. Reports said he was killed using a hidden explosive device- planted two months ago-detonated remotely. A bodyguard was also killed. Exact details are not know, and Israel was quick of issue a diplomatic, ‘we are not involved’ statement. Earlier, Ismael Haniyeh had attended the inauguration ceremony for Iran’s new president in Tehran. At the ceremony, the crowd chanted, “Death to Israel.” However, looks like the Angle of Death had other plans.

Iran was visibly rattled and embarrassed with the killing happening right under its nose. And and made noises about revenge and retaliation for ‘murdering a guest’ enjoying Iran’s hospitality.

In another raid in Beirut, Lebanon, Israel knocked-out Fuad Shukr ‘Sayyid Muhsan’, Hezbollah’s Most Senior Military Commander and its Chief, Hassan Nasrallah’s Right-Hand Man. He was responsible for the murder of the 12 children in Golan.

Then, in a third strike, Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), Hajj Habib Zadeh, was assassinated in Damascus, Syria. He is a top ranking military brigadier in the Iranian aerospace forces. And also one of the main figures in Iran who led and executed the 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel, known in Iran as ‘Operation True Promise’. One by one, Israeli’s enemies appear to be falling like dominos, in precision warfare.

In the short term, the three assassinations in Beirut, Tehran, and Damascus will halt ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas over release of the hostages, and keep the region on a knife’s edge.

This week, Israel also confirmed that Mohammad Deif, the military commander of Hamas and the mastermind of the 7 Oct 2023 barbaric attack on Israel, is indeed dead-killed along with other Hamas Terrorists in Gaza, in an air strike on 13 July 2024. This means, the among the Top Three of the Hamas leadership two are gone and only Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, remains alive.

Britain’s Stabbing

Three children aged, 6, 7, and 9 were killed and ten others injured in a shocking knife rampage targeting a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance class in Southport, north of Liverpool, England. Two children died on the spot, and a third in hospital. Of those hospitalised, 5 children and 2 adults are in critical condition.

The attacker just walked into the premises armed with a knife and started to attack the children.

The frenzied attack has stunned Britain, leaving the Police clueless on why an unusually devastating incident took place in a country where gun ownership is heavily restricted, but knife crime has been described as a national crisis.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and detectives are on the job of finding the motive. Later, the suspect was identified and named as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana. This was also done to dispel a mistaken belief, which spread on social media that the suspect was a Muslim and subsequent riots in Southport with rioters attacking a mosque.

Venezuela’s Turmoil

Venezuela is wracked by protests and election uncertainty following this Sunday’s Elections, which was the most consequential one in years. Thousands of people across Venezuela are protesting the results of the country’s presidential election.

The National Electoral Council declared Authoritarian Leader, President Nicolas Maduro the winner. It said Maduro had won 51.2% of the vote while Gonzalez received 44.2%. This means a third six-year term for Madura who has been in power since 2013. But the opposition said the 73% of vote tallies to which it has access showed its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had won by a landslide, with more than twice as many votes as Maduro.

The results came as a surprise to many Venezuelans (and world leaders) after polls showed challenger Edmundo Gonzalez winning the election by 25 points.

Many Venezuelans staged ‘cacerolazos’, a traditional Latin American protest where people bang pots and pans in anger. Some blocked roads, lit fires, and threw petrol bombs at police as protests proliferated around the nation, including near the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas.

The opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, a former Diplomat stepped into the role after the highly popular Maria Corina Machado was barred from running, following allegations she didn’t include some food vouchers in her asset declaration.

Once the fifth – largest economy in Latin America, Venezuela has experienced the worst economic collapse of a peacetime country in recent history. This was brought about by a crash in the price of oil-a key export-combined with chronic corruption and mismanagement at the hands of Government Officials.

Towards the end of the week the United States said it recognises Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, discrediting the results announced by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council – said to be Govt controlled.

Prisoner Swap

In the biggest prisoner exchange of its kind since the end of the Cold War, Russia and the West agreed to swap prisoners held in respective countries, this week. The deal, negotiated in secrecy for more than a year, involved 24 prisoners, including 16 moving from Russia to the West and 8 prisoners held in the West and sent back to Russia. The United States said it had negotiated the trade with Russia, Germany, and three other countries. Also involved were Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus. Turkey coordinated the exchange.

The last major exchange between the United States and Russia was in 2010 and involved 14 prisoners. The two countries also had a high-profile exchange in December 2022. When US Basketball star Brittney Griner, sentenced to nine years for vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage was swapped for arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was serving a 25 year sentence in the US.

Prominent prisoners released on the Western side were Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.

Prominent on the Russian side was Roman Seleznev – a Russian hacker and Vadim Krasikov- an alleged hitman and assassin.

India: Wayanad Landslide

Wayanad is a district in the north-east of India’s State of Kerala and the only plateau in the State. It is a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, which is the southern part of the Deccan Plateau. It sits high in the Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 metres. Wayanad is derived from, ‘vayal nadu’, meaning the ‘land of paddy fields’.

Wayanad has increasingly been hit by flooding and is prone to landslides caused by irregular and intense rainfall during the monsoon seasons.

This week, over 300 people died and dozens more are feared trapped or missing after heavy rains trigged a series of landslides in Wayanad. The landslides surged down the hills of the Western Ghats in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when people were asleep in homes and were crushed as a river of mud, rocks, and uprooted trees swept down the steep terrain. Many migrant labourers working on nearby tea and cardamon plantations had been staying in temporary homes and tents that were easily swept away.

Rescue operations were hampered by the collapse of a crucial bridge connecting Chooralmala to Mundakkai and Attamala.

This brought back memories of severe flooding in Kerala in August 2018 when almost 500 people died in the floods caused by the unusually heavy rainfall, the worst floods to hit in a century.

Ecologist Madhav Gadgil who was the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) has termed the disaster a man-made tragedy attributing it to the Kerala Govt’s failure to implement crucial ecological recommendations. The panel had classified the region into three levels of sensitivity with the areas now struck by landslides being marked as highly sensitive. No development should have taken place in these highly sensitive areas. The areas have seen extensive development of constructions of resorts and artificial lakes. Stone quarries, operating a few kilometres from the disaster site, has exacerbated the situation.

The Indian Army was called to action for relief efforts and in a fantastic on-the double- job, built a temporary bridge-a Bailey Bridge-190 feet long, in a record time of 31 hours, to connect Chooralmala with Mundakkai over the Iruvanipzha River. The Bridge, which can take a weight of 24 tons, was promptly open to vehicle movement.

A Bailey bridge is a portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge developed by the British for military use during World War-II. It has the advantages of requiring no special tools or heavy equipment to assemble. The wood and steel bridge elements are small and light enough to be carried in trucks and lifted into place by hand, without the use of a crane. These bridges were strong enough to carry tanks.

Paris Olympics 2024

Once the Olympics got off the starting blocks, India reached the Podium quickly winning its first medal of the Summer Games. Manu Bhaker, 22, from Haryana State, is the first Indian shooter to win an Olympic medal since 2012 and also the first female athlete from country to win a medal in shooting. The last Olympic medallist for India in shooting was Gagan Narang who also won bronze in the London 2012 Games.

The medal was for the 10m Air Pistol category where South Korea’s Oh Ye Jin won Gold with 243.2 points -setting a new Olympic Record-and South Korea’s Kim Yezi won silver with 241.3 points, and India’s Manu Bhaker, the Bronze with 221.7 points. Vietnam finished fourth with 198.6 points. The Olympic record is 240.3 points and the World Record is 246.9 points.

Born in Jhajjar, Haryana, a state known for its boxers and wrestlers, Manu Bhaker took to tennis, skating, and boxing in school. And also trained in a form of martial arts called ‘Thang-Ta’ – originating from Manipur, which uses Swords and Spears-winning medals at the national level. Then, when just 14 years old, and soon after the 2016 Rio Olympics, she impulsively decided to try her hand at shooting, and loved it. Within a week, Manu Bhaker asked her father to get her a sports shooting pistol to begin training. At the 2017 national shooting championships, Manu Bhaker stunned Olympian and former world No. 1, Heena Sidhu scored 242.3 to erase Sidhu’s mark to win the 10m Air Pistol final. She then added a silver medal at the 2017 Asian Junior Championships. At 16, she won a gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and also became the youngest from India to win a Gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup.

In the middle of the week, Manu Bhaskar teamed-up with Sarabjot Singh to win the Bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event. In doing so, she becomes the first Indian Woman, since Independence, to Win two medals in a single Olympics. And she is not done as yet… entering the finals of a 3rd event – the 25m Pistol Event.

Then is another shooting event, India’s Swapnil Kusale won the Bronze medal in the Men’s 50m Rifle 3-Positions Event. He is also the first Indian athlete to win a medal in this category.

In Hockey, India beat Australia 3-2 on Friday in its final Group Stage match to move to the second place in its Pool. And India has beaten Australia in the Olympics after 52 long years. Will India regain its past Olympic Hockey glory? The men’s team dominated the Olympics in the early years, winning six consecutive golds from 1928 to 1956 and added two more since.

In a superb comeback, US Gymnast Simone Biles won Gold in the all-around title. At 27, she is the oldest woman to take the title in more 70 years, the third to win two of them and the first to do it in Games that were not back-to-back.

With Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps gone, Biles is the last of the great Olympic stars of the 21st century who is still competing. She was the biggest draw at the Paris Olympics, the one athlete who can persuade people who do not much like or care for sport to switch on and watch the best to ever do it!

More inspiring and record-breaking stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Watch the world with World Inthavaaram.

On My Front Gate

About: a light-hearted morning musing, on a normal day.

It’s become a morning ritual. Soon after waking-up, brushing, downing two glasses of water, and sipping a strong cup of filter-coffee, I walk over to unlock my Flat Door security grill-gate, then the main Front Gate. And then switch-off the night-safety lights, allowing the sunlight to sizzle. Often, a lovely morning breeze welcomes me into the open.

My almost decade old Honda City car-I call it Ertugrul-spends the night resting inside the narrow porch, with just enough space, on one side, for me to crab-walk to unlock the Front Gate. Ertugrul is bound on the sides by a boundary steel fence and a ‘boundary-less open fence’, the Front Gate, and a flight of stairs. And has a galvanised steel roof to provide some protection from nature’s Greta Thunberg un-inspired climate change forces, standing on a firm tiled floor.

On wide-opening the Front Gate, I start-up Ertugrul and use the superb wide steering angle designed by Mr. Honda to manoeuvre to a mid-way position so that I can access the car all around. This is to give it a daily morning wash, brush Ertugrul’s teeth, as if it were.

I live in a three-storey building in a small Town near Salem, Tamil Nadu, overlooking the Railway Station- which, though fully-electrified recently, has not started wearing a Mumbai-like Station foot-fall. My Front Gate is on a reasonably wide road, cut-off from the Railway premises by a concrete boundary wall, separating the residential area that I live in. Initially, there wasn’t a wall, but a Hospital situated at one end began ‘operating’ on the Railway land injecting its medical waste on the broken fault line. The Railways suddenly woke up, became awfully possessive and built a two-metre high wall, first at the Hospital end, and then taking it all along its precious land. Two mighty Gates was installed to prevent the tax-paying citizen from claiming any movement rights. In the process, I lost a great expanse of land in front of my Gate.

In recent times, the Hospital started eyeing the space over the wall, and the Railways being ‘physically challenged’ put-up a one-metre high sheet-fence on top of the wall to completely cut-off the Hospital vision and line of sight.

The boundary wall then grew wild bushes on either side and became a tourist spot for the great Indian citizen to fertilise the lush vegetation and kill plant parasites with acid water spray.

The Railways were still mindful. Enough is enough: they built a beautiful pavement on their side of their road, beyond the boundary wall and also a Public Toilet, sponsored by a Government of India Navratna Company, at the Station entrance. That was two years ago, and the handsome toilet is yet to be commissioned for want of ‘this and that’ – could be that the Railway Minister is unable to find time to inaugurate the facility?Meanwhile, the Toilet’s walls took the full force of the Homo Sapiens water spray, has slightly buckled under pressure, and the grey outside has transformed to a light yellow colour.

The Railways did a fantastic job of asphalt-carpeting the entire area, hoping that the soil of the Earth would be safe from human chemical warfare. But the other day I caught a Lawyer, who I had picked up a conversation with and be-friended, and religiously does his morning walk on this stretch, do a doggie at one corner. I whacked him on his brain and after a helpless stare he moved on to greener pastures.

Coming back to my three-storey building, my wife and I run a Boutique on the ground-floor, board on the first, and furiously cut, sew, and steam-iron on the third – the production unit of our business.

Now, continuing with the morning ritual, after washing Ertugrul, I drive it outside the Front Gate and neatly park it under a mostly-green Tree, which also spreads its branches on to the Railway Station Space (no fence for that).

While washing, the neighbour on my right-side who runs a Jewellery Business in Town comes over to inspect his dilapidated, termite infested old concrete and tiled house, overgrown grass covered plot, and pick flowers for his morning pooja. We engage in sweet nothing conversations while he plucks flowers and I wash the car. The road outside the Gate is in a poor state had lost its top marble gravel, and every time a vehicle passes, it generates a ton of dust (which I clean-up the next day on Ertugrul).

On this road, the morning traffic is a sight to behold. It’s mandatory that you should not wear a helmet on a two-wheeler; must have a phone in one hand with head tilted in an acute angle; and hold at least three persons- at times growing up to five -riding on one scooter or bike. School girls drive their Government freely-gifted bi-cycles to the next-door Municipality School or to the nearby Girls High School. Exactly at 8.30am I see a uniformed young girl with double pleated braided hair riding her cycle to school with a boy on a bike tracking and riding in parallel with her, better than a GPS. Once they stopped in front of my Gate and the boy took a selfie with the girl leaning on his motorcycle. This twining ride happens almost every day. Is it a brother, or is it budding young love- a Romeo and Juliet in the making, I wonder?

The other day, it was well past 10 pm when a gang of mad-max bike riders crushed into one another at my Front Rate with a loud screeching thud – when one of them skidded while suddenly braking on the loose gravel. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, and the fall broke his nose with a stream of blood finding its way to his mouth. He struggled to find his feet, found he had lost one tooth, and declared, “ I’m dead”. I showed the bike gang the nearby Hospital to find life and live.

Another day, after the lovers had twined past, I parked Ertugrul on the other side under the usual tree, and when I returned for work found the rear glass had been shattered to smithereens. I suddenly became Sherlock Holmes, grew new antennae, and tried his kind of detective work. I carefully studied the broken glass, any objects inside the car, tracks outside, marks on the body of the car. And concluded that a vehicle with a protruding object must have hit the glass while backing down during a reverse turn. The next-but one neighbour is building a new House and I often see machinery and extended ladder-laden jeeps or vans delivering mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. I confronted the Builder, and he turns red in the face and stalks off. And sends his brother to ask if I suspect them?

They say, the best is saved for the last. Well, a man just did that after saving all his water and releasing it in full glory. A car pulls up in front of my Gate, almost crashing head-on in to a silently napping Ertugrul. The driver jumps out and using the cover of his car and mine, neatly pees on the lush bushes occupying this side of the Railways built wall – undercover peeing, I call it. He gets back into his car, while Ertugrul gives a deadly stare, and vanishes into the dusty road. I silently watch through the glass door from inside the Office.

At the end of the day, I tuck back Ertugrul on the porch, pat him on the bonnet, lock the gate and look up to tomorrow, again.

PS: I wrote this article about a year ago and submitted it for a Writing Competition – did not win prizes, but was appreciated. The broken, dust generating road on my front gate has since been repaired. And the dust has moved to other places. The Toilet at the Station Entrance is still not opened for public use and has probably fallen into ‘criminal’ disrepair. And the Indian citizen continues to spray the walls with his graffiti – on a yellow background.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-30

About: the world this week, 21 July 2024 to 27 July 2024: Microsoft goes hard; the wrath of Israel; new Presidents of the US; Bangladesh rocks; India’s Budget, Testing, and Firing; Nepal plane crash; Paris Olympics; and Dark Oxygen.

Everywhere

Microhard

In one of the biggest technical outages in history, millions of Microsoft Windows users world-wide experienced the Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD), last Friday. Almost all Passenger Airlines around the world faced technical issues that affected booking, check-in, and flight updates. Hundreds of flights were cancelled. Other sectors affected were healthcare, shipping, finance, food chains, and brokerage firms. What caused this?

A mistake in a security software update sparked hours-long global computer systems outages, another incident highlighting the vulnerability of the world’s interconnected technologies. This occurred when CrowdStrike, used in Microsoft Windows, released a sensor configuration update for its ‘Falcon Sensor’ to Windows Operating Systems. Sensor configuration updates are an ongoing part of the protection mechanisms of the Falcon platform. The configuration update triggered a logic error resulting in a system crash BSOD. However Mac and Linux-based systems were not affected.

CrowdStrike’s website says, it is a cyber security service designed to stop internet breeches or hacks. It was founded on the premises that sophisticated attacks targeting the world’s leading businesses cannot be solved merely using existing malware-based defenses. A brand new approach was needed – one that combines the most advanced endpoint protection with expert intelligence to pinpoint the adversaries perpetrating the attacks, no just the malware.

Later, CrowdStrike said the issue has been isolated and a fix deployed. It confirmed that it is not a security incident or a cyber attack. Users running Falcon Sensor for Windows version 7.11 and above, that were online between Friday, 19 July 2024 04:09 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and Friday, 19 July, 2024 05:27 UTC were affected. Systems running Falcon Sensor for Windows 7.11 and above that downloaded the updated configuration from 04:09 UTC to 05:27 UTC – were susceptible to a system crash.

Global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike is one of the largest operators in the industry. It is not a household name, but it is a USD 83 billion company with more than 20,000 subscribers around the world, including Amazon and Microsoft.

The Wrath of Israel: Don’t Start a Fire

Late last week the Houthis (an Iran-backed militant group) of Yemen hit Israel’s city of Tel Aviv with a drone resulting in the death of one Israeli civilian and injuring many others. When you do this to Israel, what happens? You invite its wrath!

Israel’s Air Force struck the largest Port in Yemen causing grave damage. The Port was completely engulfed in flames. About 25, F-15 and F-35 aircraft, accompanied by refuelling planes, flew about 2000 km toward the city of Hodeidah in Yemen for the attack. The strike was carried out in eight waves, which destroyed fuel depots and a power station north of the Port inflicting severe damage on the Port.

Bibi in America

During the week, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) flew to the United States, shopping for ‘good will and support’. He also addressed both Houses of Congress and delivered a masterpiece of a speech. It was mighty impressive that he got an insane number of standing ovations, 55 to be precise – the most standing ovations given to any foreign leader addressing Congress. The applause went overboard, and at one point, the audience began to clap and Bib had to stop them to say, “No, don’t applaud. Listen.” Here are some of the best lines:

This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization.

These protesters chant, ‘from the river to the sea’. But many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about. They not only get an ‘F’ in geography, they get an ‘F’ in history. They call Israel a colonialist state.

Don’t they know that the Land of Israel is where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob prayed, where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached and where David and Solomon ruled?

For nearly 4000 years, the land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s always been our home; it will always be our home.

And one more thing. When Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city, every city that you come from, we’re not only protecting ourselves. We’re protecting you.

In World War II, as Britain fought on the front-lines of civilization, Winston Churchill appealed to Americans with these famous words: “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job.” Today, as Israel fights on the frontline of civilization, I too appeal to America: “Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster.”

Back to the War Front

In an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) operation in Khan Younis, 5 bodies of hostages were recovered from the Gaza Strip and brought back to Israeli territory. It is over 300 days and about 125 hostages are still held in excruciating captivity by the Terrorist Hamas.

Biden Out: Kamala In

US President President Joe Biden, 81 – who is recovering from Covid – and has been ‘rapidly growing old’ in recent times, finally announced he will no longer seek re-election, ending his Presidential campaign less than four months before Election Day. He said his decision was in the best interest of his party and the country. And he quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, calling on fellow Democrats to come together and beat Republican candidate Donald Trump. This is the first time a US President has ended his re-election bid this late in the game. The last incumbent to make a similar move was President Lyndon B Johnson in 1968.

The US Secret Service: Grilled & Roasted

Over the week, US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle appeared before a bipartisan House Oversight Committee looking into the lapses of the Donald Trump assassination attempt, to answer questions. The committee was allover her with piercing questions, and she cut a sorry figure under the intense grilling. She rankled lawmakers by refusing to provide sufficient details about the incident, being as slippery as an eel and as evasive as a snake. Said one of the members, ’This committee is not known for its model of bipartisanship, and I think today we came together unanimously in our disappointment. We don’t have that confidence that you can lead.” During more than four hours of often contentious proceedings, Cheatle called the 13 July 24 shooting “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades”.

Later in the week, she could hold-on no longer. She resigned.

Bangladesh Rocks

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Sunday rolled back most of the controversial quotas on government jobs which sparked violent protests in the country.

The Court dismissed the earlier ruling that brought back the quotas, directing that 93% of government jobs will be open to candidates on merit, without quotas. A lawyer representing the students said that the Supreme Court, “gave a final solution to this quota system. That is, 93% quota for general people, 5% quota for freedom fighters and their kin, 1% for ethnic minority community, and 1% for third gender and physically disabled”.

India: We built this City

The official commentary on Budget 2024, that was unveiled on 23 July 24, would run something like this: ‘It’s a comprehensive strategy built on nine foundational pillars – agriculture, employment, inclusive development, manufacturing and services, urban development, energy, infrastructure, innovation/research and development, and next-generation reforms. These will serve as guiding principles aimed at fostering broad-based opportunities and sustainable progress across the country. It presents a holistic approach to economic development, balancing fiscal prudence with targeted interventions for inclusive growth and sets a bold trajectory towards a prosperous and resilient India’.

The focus of this year’s Budget was on ‘ four caste’ groups of: Farmers, Youth, Poor, and Women, to hopefully make life better for them.

Set aside that jargon, and let’s roll over. The Government, short of a majority in Parliament, actually stands on two foundation pillars. 1-its own numbers, and, 2-that of the States of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Bihar plus certain other small Allies. And AP and Bihar got their pound of flesh, when the new Government set sail on the high seas on 11 June 24 following the declaration of Election Results on 4 June 24.

AP got a bonanza of INR 15,000 crore for building its new capital city of Amravathi (It had no capital following bifurcation into Telangana and AP, with Telangana getting Hyderbad as its Capital) a completion of irrigation projects and essential infrastructure such as water, power, railways, and roads. Bihar got big-ticket measures of INR 26,000 crore for various road projects in the state and bombastic plans for new airports and sports infrastructure. In addition, it grabbed another INR 11,500 crore for flood mitigation and taming the mercurial River Kosi, which runs through the State.

The hard-working, honestly tax-paying middle class felt left-out again – timidly thrown under the bus. Though the tax slabs were tinkered with and the standard deduction tweaked, giving them ‘slightly more money’ in their hands, they were disappointed. It was depressing that the tax on Long Term Capital Gains was increased by 2.5% to 12.5% (from 10%) without indexation. And Short -Term Capital Gains from equities and mutual funds to 20%. The Govt rewarded the risk taken to grow their money. What was given by the right hand was quickly grabbed by the left hand. Did something spill down?

The Big Numbers said INR 48.21 Lakh Crore would be the estimated total expenditure by the Govt with a nominal GDP Growth of 10.5%. The Fiscal deficit, which represents the difference between the government’s total income and its total expenditure was plugged at 4.9% with serious intentions to bring in under 4.5% by 2025-26, which is actually very good.

The allocation for Defence was 6.22 Lakh crore; the Rural push was 2.66 Lakh crore; and for Education it was 1.26 Lakh crore, among other outlays.

With the top honchos of the Corporate world complaining about a lack of skills among the ‘educated unemployed’, the Govt heard. It came up with a programme to skill-up 20 lakh young people over a 5-year period. 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes will be upgraded in a hub. One-month wage will be provided to new entrants in all formal sectors in 3 instalments up to INR 15,000, which is expected to benefit 210 lakh youth.

Finally, is a great spin, import duties on gold and silver were reduced to 6% from the earlier 15% leading to India’s Jewels in the crown getting cheaper. And gold prices fell by over 5%. With Indian households owning approximately 11% of the World’s Gold the fall in prices wiped out over 10 lakh crore from the value of gold held by Indians in a single day.

India: We Test Well

This week India’s Supremo Court ruled on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for Under-Graduate admission to India’s Medical Colleges, which testing was challenged. It said that there was no proof of systematic breach of exam – sanctity preserved, hence no-retest needed, nor a cancellation of exam itself. But 4 lakh candidates will lose 5 marks each over a contentious Physics question. New merit lists were to be notified in two day’s time and the derailed process was put back on track.

India: We Fire Well

In another fighting news, on Wednesday, India quietly and successfully flight-tested its Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence System from off the Odisha coast. The test demonstrated India’s indigenous capability to defend against ballistic missiles of 5,000 km class. The Target Missile was launched mimicking an adversary Ballistic Missile, which was detected by weapon system radars deployed on land and sea and activated the Interceptor system.

Nepal: Plane Crash

This week there was yet another plane crash in Nepal. I recall writing about two other plane crashes over the past two years in 2023, and 2022. Since 2000, nearly 360 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in the country.

This Wednesday, a small passenger plane, a Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft, belonging to Nepal’s Saurya Airlines crashed and caught fire while taking off from the capital Kathmandu, killing 18 people on board and leaving one survivor, the Captain Pilot. The 50-seater plane, carrying two crew members and 17 technicians, was heading for regular maintenance to Nepal’s new Pokhara airport, which is equipped with aircraft maintenance hangars. Eighteen of those on board were Nepali citizens, with one engineer from Yemen.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway with its wing hitting the ground.

The crash again focused attention on the poor air safety record of the landlocked Himalayan nation that is wedged between India and China and is heavily dependent upon air connectivity due to its limited road network. Nepal’s aviation industry has a poor safety record – that has been attributed to multiple factors over the years, from unpredictable weather to lax regulations.

The Paris Olympics: On Your Marks

In what will be a unique festival ‘on the water’, for the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics Games, the Opening Ceremony will be held outside a stadium. Athletes will parade down Paris’ famous River Seine, on boats – a floating parade through the heart of the City. The Opening Ceremony is scheduled to begin on Friday 26 July, when the first boats depart from the Austerlitz Bridge.

Going east to west through the city, 10,500 athletes on 94 boats will be ferried down a 6 km route that ends in front of the famous Trocadero, opposite the Eiffel Tower, where the rest of the Ceremony shows takes place, such as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the official opening speech by French President Emmanuel Macron. The boats will pass through some of Paris’ most iconic landmarks, including the Louvre and the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.

Saboteurs struck France’s TGV high-speed train network in a series of pre-dawn attacks that caused chaos on the country’s busiest rail lines and heightened security concerns. Vandals damaged signal boxes along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled.

In another incident, the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport, located by the French-Swiss-German border, was evacuated due to a bomb threat. It later reopened and resumed operations.

Under the Sea: Dark Oxygen

We are all too familiar with oxygen produced by photosynthesis. But what if there is another source, that too deep under our Oceans?

This week, Scientists found evidence of an additional source of oxygen – raising questions about the origins of life on Earth. For decades, scientists have floated theories about dark matter, which is believed to hold galaxies together by its gravitational pull. The enigma of dark matter continues, and now scientists have discovered what they call ‘dark oxygen’ on the ocean’s floor.

A recent study published in Nature Geoscience-a journal dedicated to Earth sciences research-shows oxygen emitted from mineral deposits 4,000 meters below the ocean’s surface on the seafloor at a depth that is almost half the length of the tallest peak of Mount Everest.

On the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), which spans 4.5 million square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean, there are coal-like mineral rocks, called polymetallic nodules, which typically contain manganese and iron. Scientists have found that these nodules produce oxygen without the process of photosynthesis. The fact that we’ve got another source of oxygen on the planet other than photosynthesis has consequences and implications that are utterly profound.

More oxygen-rich stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Breathe easy with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-29

About: the world this week, 14 July2024 to 20 July 2024: India fights; Donald Trump fights; Israel fights; Reservations shake & stir Bangladesh and India’s Karnataka; Air India’s Gold; EU Leaders place themselves; Spains reigns in Wimbledon and the Euro-cup.

Everywhere

India: Mounting Body Bags

Terrorists from across the Border-read as Pakistan-are still on the prowl in India’s State of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and the number of dead Indian Jawans is mounting. This week, four Indian Army soldiers including an officer were killed in an exchange of gunfire during an encounter with terrorists in the Dessa area, Doda District, J&K. Counter-terrorism activities are underway, and it’s time India visibly acts to prevent these attacks, than just express ‘routine sympathy’ for those martyred.

America: Die Another Day

Last Saturday, former US President Donald Trump was at a Republican Party Campaign Rally at Butler, Pennsylvania, when he trumped death and ducked to live another day. A bullet grazed his right ear while he danced his head in his trademark speaking gesture-that saved him. It was a failed assassination attempt. Time magazine summed it up best with the headline, ‘Man of the Ear’.

A 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks drove 70 km from his home in Bethel Park with an AR-15 rifle, climbed-up a warehouse at the venue, and took shots at Trump, while roof-top snipers seemed slow to spot him. When bullets wizzed past him, and after one kissed his ear, Trump went down on his knees holding a bloodied ear, while the Security Service body-blanketed him. A spectator, a 50-year-old volunteer fire-fighter chief, Corey Comperatore, was killed when he dived on his family to protect them-he died a hero. Two others were injured.

Trump emerged from the bottom of the stage, with a fist thumping, ‘fight’-only after finding his shoes, which came loose in the melee. And overnight it became an iconic photo with China quick to copy it on T-Shirts and sell them like hot cookies.

The would-be assassin, Crooks was killed: shot dead by a Sniper, while still on the roof. A clear motive is yet to be established.

Crooks, a ‘high honours’ graduate with an associate degree in engineering science, working in a local nursing home kitchen as a Dietary Aide, at a short drive from his home. The AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle used was purchased by Crook’s father about six months ago, and dad allowed the son to use it, like he had many times before. And Crooks purchased 50 rounds of ammunition on the day of the rally. He had a membership of the gun club in his area for at least a year. He had registered himself as a Republican voter but has made a USD 15 donation to a Democratic Party cause.

On the day of the shooting, Crooks drove his Hyundai Sonata to the rally and parked it outside the rally venue, with an explosive device hidden in the trunk of the car that was wired to a transmitter he carried. He had a bicycle, which he used to scout around the rally site and finally to reach the chosen position. He then scaled an air-conditioning unit of an adjacent building from the ground and pulled himself up onto the roof. He got up eight shots at Trump, about 400 feet away.

The AR (ArmaLite Rifle)-15, is a weapon of war, designed to be lightweight, easy to fire and carry in the field. It’s also a central symbol in the US gun debate; the most popular, and ubiquitous firearm in the US, with close to 25 million in civilian hands.

Law enforcement says, Crooks was identified as suspicious an hour before the shooting and Secret Service deemed him a threat 10 minutes prior to Trump going on stage. But allowed Trump to go ahead, anyway.

All eyes are on the Secret Service to explain how it could have suffered its biggest security failure since President Ronald Reagan was shot at in 1981. As a former president and presidential candidate, Trump receives Secret Service protection by law. And when it comes to campaign rallies, security sweeps around the event’s perimeter are typically routine. The Secret Service’s counter-sniper and counter-assault teams were at the Rally. Yet, a gunman was able to fire his weapon within 400 to 500 feet of where Trump took the stage, leaving many shocked and fearful that there could be more acts of political violence ahead of the November Elections. Of course, a President of the US is given over a thousand times more security than an ex-President. But the security-lapse is alarming and raises many red flags!

Later, turning-up with a neatly bandaged right ear, Trump announced his running-mate and Vice Presidential candidate as the 39 years old James David Vance. Eight years ago, in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, JD Vance was a bitter critic of Donald Trump. Publicly calling him an ‘idiot, and said he was ‘reprehensible’. Privately, he compared him to Adolf Hitler. He has since come-around.

Vance, was born in southern Ohio. And rose from poverty to become US Senator and now, a Vice Presidential candidate. Vance defeated Democratic Party Nominee Tim Ryan in the 2022 US Senate Election in Ohio State.

After serving in the Marine Corps, attending Yale Law School, and working as a venture capitalist in San Francisco, Vance rose to national prominence thanks to his bestselling 2016 Book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’. In that memoir, he explored the socioeconomic problems confronting his hometown and his upbringing in Appalachia. And attempted to explain Trump’s popularity among impoverished working class white Americans.

He met his future wife Usha Chilukuri at Yale and married her in an interfaith Wedding ceremony in 2014: they were blessed by a Hindu Pandit, along with a Bible reading by Vance’s best friend. The couple have three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel.

Usha is a daughter of Indian immigrants, from a family of academic achievers. Her great-aunt, Shanthamma Chilukuri, 96, is celebrated as India’s oldest active professor. She teaches Physics and lives in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh State, commuting 60 km on most weekdays for her classes at Vizianagaram. And says, teaching is her passion and purpose in life. Usha’s family hails from Vadduru Village in Andhra Pradesh but moved to Chennai when her maternal grandfather took up a teaching assignment at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

At the end of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump accepted his Party’s nomination as Presidential candidate. During his acceptance speech, he rolled out a Rambo threat to the terrorist Hamas, “We want our hostages back. And they better be back before I assume Office, or you will be paying a very big price”. Great words indeed!

Israel: Fierce Battle

Last Saturday, news swirled about the possible killing of Muhammad Deif, the second in command of the Terrorist Hamas, in a deadly air-strike by Israel on the compound where intelligence indicated he was hiding. However, Israel has not confirmed whether it indeed killed Hamas’s elusive military leader. Israel seems confident he was at that location to meet with Khan Younis brigade commander Rafa’a Salameh. But it could be possible that Deif left, for some reason, minutes before the strike.

Israeli forces continued pounding areas in the central Gaza Strip, killing and are eliminating tens of Hamas terrorists almost every day. This Tuesday, the military said it had eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing and killed or captured about 14,000 fighters since the start of the war, around half the fighting force estimated by the Israeli military. Israel says over 320 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza. And the fighting goes on.

European Union(EU): Leaders Elected

Ursula von der Leyen, 65, of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) was re-elected as President of the European Commission following a secret ballot among Members of European Parliament (MEP). She secured the backing of 401 MEPs at a vote in Strasbourg on Thursday – 41 more than required. Von der Leyen, was first elected in 2019. And will now serve another five years at the helm of the EU.

Von der Leyen is German, and worked as a Physician and Research Fellow before becoming a Politician. She is married to Physician Heiko von der Leyen – a Professor and CEO of a medical engineering company. The couple have seven children.

As head of the EU’s executive branch, the President sets the EU’s policy agenda, political direction, and priorities, leads a cabinet of commissioners and represents the EU at international meetings and summits.

The other two big EU jobs will be filled later this year by Antonio Costa, a former Socialist Prime Minister in Portugal, who will head the European Council, which represents the 27 EU governments; and by Estonia’s Kaja Kallas who has stepped down as Prime Minister to become the EU’s foreign policy chief.

Bangladesh: Reservations – Shaken

Bangladesh is on the boil. Thousands of students armed with sticks and rocks clashed with armed police in the capital Dhaka this Thursday. And mobile internet services were cut to quell anti-quota protests that have killed at least 16 people this week.

The nationwide agitation, the biggest since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected for a fourth time, is fuelled by high unemployment among the youth, with nearly a fifth of the 170 million population out of work or education.

Students have been holding rallies demanding change to a system which reserves a third of public sector jobs for the families and relatives of veterans of the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971 -categorised as war heroes. Some jobs are also reserved for women, ethnic minorities. Government jobs are highly coveted in Bangladesh because they pay well. In total, more than half of the positions-amounting to hundreds of thousands-are reserved for certain groups. And takes the quota system to a whooping 56%.

The students are arguing that the system is discriminatory, demanding a merit-based approach to jobs.

India’s Karnataka Reservations – Stirred

Meanwhile, in India’s State of Karnataka, The State Government brought a bill, cleared on Monday, which requires Private Companies to prioritise local hires for 70 % of non-management roles, 50%of management-level jobs, and 100% reservation at certain lower levels. By every sound of the Bill, it appeared to be glaringly illegal and would not pass the Constitution test. And surely the Courts will chuck it out. But still, India’s Grand Old Party-The Indian National Congress-which rules the State, made a scene of it.

But then, there was a thunderous uproar, with many Bengaluru Companies saying they will move their business out of the State. And the nearby state of Andhra Pradesh began ogling at the opportunity, and turned on an infectious charm, with come hither looks. Karnataka suddenly found its tail settling between the legs and made a hasty retreat.

“The bill intended to implement reservation for Kannadigas in private sector institutions, industries and enterprises is still in the preparation stage. A final decision will be taken after comprehensive discussion in the next cabinet meeting”, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Wonder where wisdom lies?

Air India: Gold

This week, an Air-India passenger flying on a normal flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to New Delhi on flight AI-992 raised suspicion with his continual refusal of in-flight food and drink during the over five hours flight. The airline must have felt slighted that its on-board cuisine wasn’t tickling enough for the man. An alert flight-attendant found this unusual and informed the Captain. And on landing the Passenger was placed under severe watch by Customs. On interrogation, he admitted to concealing gold in his body. He had about 1097 grams – with about INR 69 lakh – of the precious metals hidden in four capsules in his rectum. Indians love their gold, for sure. Never mind where it comes from.

Sports: Tennis and Football

Wimbledon

The Ladies Final saw Czech Barbora Krejcikova outplay Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, to win her first Wimbledon Singles Ladies Title. With the victory, Krejcikova emulated her late friend and coach Jana Novotna, who was Wimbledon Champion in 1998 and died from ovarian cancer in 2017, at the age of 49.

For Jasmine Paolini, 28, it was her second straight Grand Slam final defeat, after falling to Poland’s Iga Swiatek in straight sets in last month’s French Open.

In the Gentlemen’s Finals, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6, to win the Wimbledon Singles Title, and now owns 4 Grand Slam Titles (1 U S Open, 1 French Open and 2 Wimbledon) at age 21. He also retains the title he won last year. He outclassed seven-time champion and 24 Grand Slam Title holder Djokovic. Alcaraz is also only the sixth man to win the French Open and the Wimbledon back to back.

Novak Djokovic says of Carlos Alcaraz, “He played every single shot better than I did: the way I felt on the court today against him, I was inferior on the court. He was a better player. That’s it. He played every single shot better than I did. I don’t think I could’ve done much more… he wasn’t allowing me to have free points on my serve. He played with a lot of variety. I’ve never seen him serve that way. I’ve never seen him serve that fast. He must’ve had a really good serving practice day, yesterday. He really outplayed me… he was better than me in every aspect of the game.”

Carlos Alcaraz received the trophy from a classy Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, who came back from her time-out, sizzling in a purple dress. And with daughter princess Charlotte fondly looking over her. The Royals received a standing ovation.

Eurocup 2024

Spain beat England in the European Football Championship, hosted by Germany from 14 June to 14 July 2024. The tournament involved 24 teams, with Georgia making their European Championship debut.

Spain had 65% possession to England’s 35% and double the passes made. England got a lucky draw with Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia and got lucky again in semi-finals beating Netherlands, but were finally outplayed by brilliant Spain.

Spain struck late, to win with a 2-1 victory over England on Sunday in Berlin to capture the trophy for a record fourth time. It was an intense first-half as Spain dominated, but England soaked in the pressure, and held them to a 0-0 scoreline. In the second-half, Spain struck early as Neco Williams scored in the 47th minute to give his side a 1-0 lead. But Cole Palmer equalised in the 73rd minute, bringing England back to the game. Spain substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored a late winner in the 86th minute as his side won, 2-1.

More earful stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. ‘Fight’ with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-28

About: the world this week, 7 July 2024 to 13 July 2024: What’s happening in India’s States; India-Russia-Austria bear hugs; the big Wars; NATO meets; Singapore’s insects; and Wimbledon Tennis.

Everywhere

India: Potpourri

The State of The States

In India’s southern State of Tamil Nadu back-to-back killings shook the State. One was in Salem City, where a party functionary was hacked to death by motorcycle-mounted killers wielding knives. Shanmugam, a Political Party Regional Secretary was returning home on his motorcycle from the party office, late in the night, when he was attacked. It appears that Shanmugam worked against the sale of drugs and illicit liquor in the area and hence ‘needed mending’ by the gangsters.

The second was in the State capital, Chennai, where Armstrong, the Regional Head of a National Party was confronted by a motorcycle-mounted killer gang who streamed-in as Food Delivery Boys, armed with machetes, and country bombs (as a back-up). And Armstrong was brutally murdered in the evening near his house at Perambur, on 5th July. The Police made some arrests, but not really the ones responsible. His life was under threat for over a year, and this murder seemed coming.

Then, quick on the heels was a third one, Shankar, another Political Party functionary was fatally stabbed in Cuddalore. And just when we thought the knives deserved a rest, a fourth incident occurred. A rowdy, Vinod, just released from jail, on bail, was having lunch in his home in Dindigul when unknown men broke-in and hacked him to death – making a meal out of him.

Suddenly, such kind of bloody news was all over the place. And older ones were dug-up from the graves. A few weeks earlier in Tirunelveli another Political Party leader, Jayakumar was likewise brutally murdered. And all these Political Leaders do not belong to the ruling Political dispensation. Rings a bell?

The State Government presented a pathetic picture. What does it do? It sacked the incumbent Police Commissioner responsible for Law & Order and brought in another, from down the line. The new one menacingly said he will talk to the rowdies in their language. Expect a violent shake-up of the Police Force in Tamil Nadu – hope the common man understands this language.

Meanwhile, in Maharashtra hit-and-run cases by the wealthy and powerful is on a spirited run. Mihir Shah, the 24-year-old son of a senior leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Raju Shah, driving his BMW car knocked down a couple riding a scooter. The woman who died Kaveri Nakhwa, 45, was riding with her husband, Pradip when the car driver lost control at around 5.30 am. Mihir Shah went into hiding while his family diligently tried transferring the blame to the driver sitting next to him. However, Police arrested him after a few days, quelling some public anger.

Moving to India’s northern most State of Jammu & Kashmir an attack, by Pakistani terrorists, caused five Indian Soldiers to be martyred in Kathua when an Army vehicle was ambushed in the mountainous terrain. The terrorists targeted the Army truck near Badnota Village in Lohai Malhar, about 150 km from Kathua Town. This attack is the fifth in the Jammu region in a month, in a loudly mounting graph of fire from across the border. There is a quietly growing pressure on India to respond in kind, as the ever-increasing body-bags of soldiers return home.

These are also testing times for India’s National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts various competitive entrance exams for admission to higher Educational Institutions, across the country. The NTA has been in the business for over a decade, but this year it comprehensively messed up the National Eligibility-Cum Entrance Test (NEET) – Undergraduate (UG), the gateway for admission to Medical Colleges in the country. Allegations of inflated marking and paper leaks scorched the headlines ever since the results are announced on 4th June. And the issue reached the doors of the Supreme Court of India, which is hearing various pleas, including re-testing and scrapping the Exam.

The NEET is conducted offline, using pen and paper where students answer multiple questions on a OMR sheet. The Optical Mark Reader/Recognition (OMR) sheet is a special pre-printed paper which contains bubbles and timing tracks sensors. Bubbles are filled by candidates and timing tracks help to read the OMR Sheet. Maybe it’s time to conduct NEET online. And NTA has been successfully conducting the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) to India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Colleges, a record worth looking-up to.

Later in the week IIT-Madras, came out with a fact finding investigation on NEET -UG and its report concluded that there are was no mass malpractice. A ‘tested’ wake-up call!

A High Wedding

The seemingly never-ending Wedding Festivities – some called it a Wedding Circus – for the youngest son of Asia’s richest man is one of the biggest shows happening in India. It started a long time ago – about 4 months – and finally seems to be ending this week. Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani, ties the proverbial knot with Radhika Merchant, daughter of Pharmaceutical Business Tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.

There have been months filled with hair-raising lavish events leading up to the wedding itself. All the glamorous outfits, stunning jewellery, fairytale-like decor and rare performances by Indian and global stars, from every corner of the world, have been splashed all over the media. Anybody who is a who’s who or a somebody, in India or abroad, appears to have been invited.

Imagine a ferocious, screeching Tiger of West Bengal being unable to resist the call, making a dash to the Wedding. And another normally wheel-chair mounted, convicted out-on-bail politician throwing his wheel chair to walk to the Wedding? When not in jail for stealing fodder or otherwise sitting, many say, he plays badminton.

Makes one wonder, how much is too much? There is no paucity of entertainment in India – in all walks of life.

India – Russia: Bear-Hugs and Friends Forever

This week, India’s Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi made his first visit to Russia-since the Russia-Ukraine war-for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit.

He was received with a bear-tight embrace from Russian President Putin. They rode together on an electric golf-cart driven by the President himself through his plentiful residence, made small talk over a cup of tea, and even whispered to the President’s collection of horses – in the stables.

Russia agreed to discharge Indian Soldiers in its ranks, fighting the Ukraine war, on a request made by India. Then in yet another hug, and a tighter one this time, Russia awarded The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, to PM Modi. This was for exceptional services in promoting the special and privileged partnership between Russia and India. The over 300-year-old award was first established by Tsar Peter the Great in 1698 in recognition of outstanding civilian and military merit and is Russia’s highest civilian award. Saint Andrew is the first apostle of Jesus and the patron saint of Russia. In a special ceremony in the St. Andrew Hall in the Kremlin, President Putin conferred the award on PM Modi, who becomes the first Indian leader to receive this award.

India-Austria: a Long Overdue Hug

On the return swing, India’s PM visited Austria and was received by the ‘sound of music’ when a western version of India’s National Song, Vande Mataram, was played by an Austrian Orchestra. This is the first time in over 40 years that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Austria. What took India so long?

Austria is a not a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and its Chancellor Karl Nehammer had invited India for bilateral discussions on improving relations between the countries.

The Others

French Elections: It’s getting complicated

A left-wing New Popular Front alliance won the most seats in the French Parliament, thwarting the far-right National Rally in a stunning turn-around result after Sunday’s second-round vote. The ganging-up of parties fearing the ‘right rule’ seems to have been successful. It’s telling of the times that Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party won every single French department except for Paris in the European Union Parliament Elections, which led to this snap Election being called by President Emmanuel Macron. And after a commanding first round win, Le Pen lost the second round, being relegated to third place. The result means France is plunged into political limbo, with no party reaching an absolute majority, leaving parliament gridlocked.

The New Popular Front won 182 seats, while President Macron’s centrist Ensemble Alliance won 163 seats. The National Rally and its allies won 143 seats. Definitely a surprise result. And the majority required is 289 seats.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the firebrand leader of ‘France Unbowed’, is a possible candidate for Prime Minister. And Jordan Bardella, the National Rally’s 28-year-old leader missed the chance. He said that France had been thrown into ‘uncertainty and instability’.

Ongoing Wars: No End in Sight

In the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian missiles killed over 41 when it hit a Children’s hospital in Ukraine’s Capital Kyiv. Parents holding babies walked in the street outside the hospital, dazed and sobbing after the rare daylight aerial attack. Russia also rained missiles down on other cities across Ukraine. This is one of the deadliest air strikes in months.

Meanwhile, in the Middle-East, Israel presses on with its Gaza offensive against the terrorist Hamas, with rumblings of a possible cease-fire doing the rounds. The Israeli military expanded its evacuation order to the whole of Gaza City, which saw thousands of Palestinians flee to safer zones.

NATO Meets

In America, leaders of the transatlantic security alliance, NATO’s 32 member countries met this week in Washington for a summit, with further military and financial support for Ukraine high on the agenda. But much of the focus could be on US President Joe Biden as some in his own Democratic Party call for him to drop his run for a second term. For Keir Starmer the freshly-minted British PM this was his first international trip after leading the Labour Party to a landslide victory in Britain’s parliamentary election last week.

President Biden was at his gaffes best when he called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as President Putin and Vice President Kamala Harris as Vice President Trump. And when he kissed an uncomfortable looking Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni, he must have been thinking she was Marilyn Monroe? Someone must be turning in his grave.

Singapore: Insects on the Menu

This week, Singapore approved 16 insects for human consumption. The approved insects include various species of crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, mealworms, and silkworms. Restaurant owners believe that sales from insect-based dishes will increase their revenue by around 30%. They are ready to add these items to the Menu card. We could probably see a bee-line to ‘insect infested’ restaurants.

Sports: Wimbledon

The Annual Wimbledon Tennis Championships began in London on 1 July and plays up to the 14th July culminating with the Gentlemen’s Final and the Ladies Doubles Final.

World No 2, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic sailed into the quarter-final with a fluent 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Danish Holger Rune who, once in the year 2022, toppled the Serb to win his first Masters-1000 title. But this time Rune was throughly outplayed. The crowds bellowed “Ruuuuune” throughout the match in a deep elongated chant that sounded like booing. After winning, Djokovic thanked the respectful part of the crowd and criticised those he felt disrespected him.

Meanwhile Russia’s Daniil Medvedev knocked out World No 1 Italian Jannik Sinner in a topsy-turvy five-setter. Then, the first Men’s semifinal between Spanish Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev saw Alcaraz play smart tennis to overwhelm Medvedev 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and move to the Finals. And the second semifinal Novak Djokovic outclassed Italian Lorenzo Musetti to set up a showdown with reigning champion Alcaraz in a repeat of last year’s final. Djokovic stayed on course for a record-equalling eighth men’s singles title at Wimbledon with a 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory on Centre Court.

In the Women’s side, Czech Barbora Krejcikova knocked out Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina to make an incredible comeback and reach the Ladies Finals. Krejcikova was down 3-6 in the first set and climbed back to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-4. She meets Italian Jasmine Paolini in the final this Saturday. Paolini also lost her fist set, 2-6, against Croatian Donna Vekic, before taking the next two, 6-4, 7-6 (tie-break) in a marathon game – said to be one of the longest and best ever semi-finals – and reaching her first Wimbledon Finals.

More thrilling stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay and dance with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-27

About: the world this week, 30 June 2024 to 6 July 2024: Israel grinds; US gasps; France swings; Britain labours; India stampedes; and Team India wins a nail-biting T20 Cricket World Cup Final.

Everywhere

Israel Grinds On

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of starting a ceasefire in Gaza while Hamas remains in power. This comes in the background of talks about a truce that would give Israeli troops time to prepare for a potential land war with Iran-backed militant Hezbollah, operating in Lebanon.

Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Wednesday, the second top field leader killed in less than a month, and Hezbollah retaliated by firing scores of rockets at Israeli military positions near the border. This is anyway a regular sideline feature in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The over 120 Israeli hostages in the captivity of Hamas, for over 270 days, are yet to see freedom. Negotiations for a possible deal to secure their release appears to be alive, walking in the shadows.

The United States Gasps

The first Presidential debate-ahead of the upcoming US Election in November 2024-left viewers gasping for breath; actually it was the Democrats’ candidate, incumbent President Joe Biden, who struggled to find air. He delivered a shaky, halting performance, while his Republican rival Donald Trump battered him with a series of attacks at a debate last Thursday. The two oldest presidential candidates ever, exchanged personal insults; traded barbs on abortion, immigration, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza; growled on each other’s handling of the economy; and even put stick to their golf games. Later, standing on firmer ground, Joe Biden said, he can do the job even though, “I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to.” Time to send him home? Reusing has its limits!

Meanwhile, in a landmark ruling, the US Supreme Court ruled that Trump cannot be prosecuted for any actions that were within his constitutional powers as President, but can be, for private acts. This ruling recognises for the first time, any form of presidential immunity from prosecution.

Then, Biden, this time quick on the draw, and reading from a teleprompter, thundered, “This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law. Not even the President of the United States”. He called the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, a ‘dangerous precedent’ that could turn Presidents into kings and called on the American people to ‘dissent’ by rejecting Donald Trump in November’s election. Maybe, the Democrats need to dissent on going along with him.

France Swings

France has a semi-Presidential type of Government with a President and Prime Minister. The President is the pre-eminent figure-the Big Boss-and is directly elected through Presidential Elections in a term, separate from Parliament. The President’s role is unique. He can deal directly with the people when required, bypassing and even dissolving Parliament. The President appoints the Prime Minister and chairs cabinet meetings. The Prime Minister is responsible to Parliament, which consists of a Lower House- the National Assembly and an Upper House-the Senate.

The parliamentary election to the National Assembly is a complex, two-round process in which the two candidates who get the most votes in the first round go through to a second round. There are 577 seats in the National Assembly. And for an absolute majority a party needs 289. The Parliament may or may not be controlled by the party the President belongs to.

When opposing parties control parliament and the presidency, the power-sharing arrangement is known as cohabitation. Before the year 2002, cohabitation occurred as a regular feature, because the term of the President was seven years and the term of the National Assembly was five years. And the overlapping brought together strange bed-fellows. With the term of the President shortened to five years, it is expected that cohabitation is less likely to happen.

Emmanuel Macron is the current President of France, in office since May 2017, being elected for a second term in May 2022.

This week, the results of the first round of France’s Parliamentary Elections were out. And the challenger, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) & Allies made historic gains winning 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28%, and well ahead of President Macron’s broad alliance of centrists, who scored just 22%.

The first round eliminates all candidates who fail to win the support of 12.5% of locally registered voters. Anyone who scores more than 50% of the vote with a turnout of at least a quarter of the local electorate wins automatically. That normally happens only in a handful of constituencies.

RN is led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella – designated Prime Minister – and in Parliament by Marine Le Pen, who has fought for the presidency three times and lost each time. Now, the polls say her party could become the biggest in France, falling short of an absolute majority. Naturally, Le Pen has set her eye on the next presidential election, in three years’ time.

Pollsters calculated the first round had put the RN on track for anything between 250-300 seats, but that is before tactical withdrawals reshape voter intentions this weekend. And there seems to be ganging-up of parties against Marine Le Pen, given her strident anti-Muslim stand. Le Pen has called for the hijab to be banned in public spaces, while Jordan Bardella, has called the veil a ‘tool of discrimination’.

The second round – the run-off will be held on Sunday, 7th July. And consists of a series of run-offs fought either by two, three or sometimes four candidates. Some candidates may drop out before 7th July to give an Ally a better chance of stopping a rival from winning.

Never before has the far-right won the first round of a French parliamentary election.

The Macron alliance had only 250 seats in the outgoing Assembly.

Whoever wins, President Macron has said he will not resign. If his party loses, and National Rally wins, then the question is whether RN can win an absolute majority or a relative majority similar to that held since 2022 by the Macron camp.

An RN victory could open the door to almost three years of ‘cohabitation’: when the president of one party heads the state and another party runs the government.

Marine Le Pen is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen who founded the National Front Party. For years, she has been working to ‘de-diabolise’ or detoxify her party from the antisemitic and extremist roots of her father and his fellow founders. Once in control, she renamed the party as, National Rally to shrug-off the past. Much of its focus now is on the cost-of-living crisis, but many of its strict anti-immigration policies remain, and a ruling this year by the Council of State, France’s highest court for administration, confirmed it could be considered ‘extreme right’. Jordan Bardella wants to ban French dual nationals from sensitive strategic posts, calling them ‘half-nationals’. He also wants to limit social welfare for immigrants and get rid of the automatic right to French citizenship for children with foreign-born parents.

Britain’s Labour Labours Liberally

British voters headed to the polls this Thursday for a crucial General Election. The snap vote, called by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, was held months earlier than necessary, and caught much of his party by surprise.

The opposition Labour party had suffered its worst defeat since 1935 in the last general election, but has since rebuilt itself under the leadership of Keir Starmer. And when the results were out on Friday it was a Landslide win for Labour with 410 sets, well above the majority mark of 362. Well, that was what India’s Prime Minster was aiming for, 400 paar – 400 and above. Never mind, it happened in faraway Britain.

The Labour Party swept hundreds of seats across the country and in the process brought an end to 14 years of Conservative rule. And a tumultuous era, which saw five different Conservative leaders running the country.

Sir Keir Starmer, 61, was quickly appointed Prime Minister(PM) by King Charles, later in the day. Rishi Sunak, the outgoing PM, conceded early in the morning, acknowledging Labour had won and calling Starmer to congratulate him. Sunak took responsibility for the loss. His Conservative party won a conservative 121 seats.

Britain’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, studied at Reigate Grammar School, University of Leeds, and University of Oxford. He is married to NHS occupational therapist Victoria Alexander and has one son and one daughter.

Keir started his professional life as a Barrister in the 1990s, and was appointed the director of public prosecutions, the most senior criminal prosecutor in England and Wales, in 2008, which service eventually got him knighted as ‘Sir Keir Starmer.’

He was first elected in the Holborn and St. Pancras constituency in north London in 2015, and took over the leadership of Labour after the party’s poor 2019 general election, pledging to start a new era after the abrasive left-wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

This election’s insurgent party was Reform UK, the right-wing successor to the Brexit Party and the UK Independence Party. Nigel Farage, its leader, finally won a seat on his eighth attempt – but his party’s initial projection of 13 seats fizzled to four.

India’s Death Stampede

It is one of the deadliest stampedes and worst crowd crushes in India, 123 people, including women and children, died in Phulrai Mugalgarhi village in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Hathras District. About 250 were injured. The tragedy occurred at the conclusion of a Hindu religious satsang (a prayer meeting) organised in the area, by a self-styled God-man guru, called Bhole Baba; when the meeting concluded and the Baba was leaving the venue.

The organisers tried to create a passage from the venue to the main highway for the convoy of Baba’s cars to leave, amidst a rush of people who began gathering on both sides of the corridor. All of this, combined with the mismanagement of the huge crowd by the organisers has prima-facie led to the stampede. A Mad rush, extreme humidity, slippery ground, desperation to seek Baba’s blessings – collect dust under his feet- confusion, screams, and fear were tell-tale signs of the gruesome scene. Most of the deaths resulted from suffocation.

More than three times the permitted number of people attended the event-about 250,000-despite permission being granted only for 80,000.

The satsang was held by Suraj Pal, 58, who also goes by the names, Narayan Hari, Sakar Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba or simply ‘Bhole Baba’. Hari hails from Bahadur Nagari village in Kasganj district, about 65 km from Hathras where the stampede occurred. Suraj Pal worked as a constable with the UP Police, and was last posted in Agra, before he quit in the 1990’s to become a religious preacher. He claims to have a spiritual bend even while working with the Police, which made him ‘switch careers’.

He then adopted the name Bhole Baba, began preaching, and conducted satsangs known as ‘Manav Mangal Milan Sadbhavna Samagam’ along with his wife, who is known as Matashree. Hari does not have children.

Bhole Baba does not wear the traditional saffron clothes, often appearing in a white suit and tie or a kurta-pyjama. He claims to spend all the money donated to him on devotees. He calls himself a disciple of Hari (Lord Vishnu). He is said to have a notable following in western Uttar Pradesh.

Wonder why the ‘God-Man’ did not stay back and offer succour to those affected, or use his ‘Godly power’ to bring back people to life? Instead, he promptly fled the scene.

T20 World Cup Cricket Thrills

I have not watched live cricket on TV in a long time and there was no better day to get back than last Saturday. And it was worth its weight in gold watching the India – South Africa Finals.

India’s 13 year wait for a World Cup win finally ended on a glorious day at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, West Indies, on 29th June. For South Africa, the endless agony for a Cup Win goes on. The spectacle these two teams produced was more than worthy of a World Cup final. It was a contest that sashayed back and forth, each blow followed by an equally brutal counterpunch that left the result hanging in balance until the final moments, in an edge-of-the-seat position.

In the end India won against South Africa by seven runs, becoming just the third side to win the Men’s T20 World Cup twice, after England (2010, 2022), and West Indies (2012, 2016). Barring a no result against Canada, India won all their remaining contests in the tournament, thus becoming the only undefeated side to win the T20 World Cup.

In the Finals, India batted first, making 176/7 runs in 20 overs with a vintage performance by Virat Kohli who made 76 of 59 balls, and pinch-hitter Axar Patel delivering his role to perfection, knocking 47 runs off 31 balls. In return, South Africa made 169/8 in 20 overs. Indian bowlers Hardik Pandya 3/20, Jasprit Bumrah 2/18, Arshdeep Singh 2/20 delivered the final blows – finishing the job.

Classy Klaasen lifted South Africa to the precipice but then it took the genius of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya to dismantle the Proteas. Bumrah, the human slingshot with logic-defying accuracy, had bowled flawlessly throughout the tournament and in the final innings. And when India was desperate for a wicket -that would open the gates to the South African batting’s tail-end, he flung down a delivery only the cricketing gods could conceive, clicking-off the stumps. And then Suryakumar Yadav performed a nimble feet-of-flames tiptoe around the boundary rope to complete a one-man relay catch struck by David Miller off a Hardik Pandya ball, which was a turning point in the game. Virat Kohli was declared the man of the match and Bumrah, man of the tournament. India exploded in celebrations and waited for the Team to return Home-caught in a West Indian Hurricane.

This was ‘the Wall’ Rahul Dravid’s final innings as Team Coach (he lamented that he is now jobless!), while Captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kholi said they were quitting T20 International Tournaments. It was an all-round fiery display of coaching and captaincy, which brought Team India to deliver its best when it really mattered. Over to the next team.

The ICC Men’s Twenty20 (T20) tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) commenced on 1st June with co-hosts USA taking on neighbours Canada, while fellow hosts the West Indies playing Papua New Guinea in Guyana on the second day of group play.

More nail-biting stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay the course with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-26

About: the world this week, 23 June 2024 to 29 June 2024: Israel readies another battle front; WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange gets freedom; Kenya in turmoil; China returns with goods from the Moon’s far side; and Diamond hunting in India.

Everywhere

Israel

Israel is sounding the world that its intense phase of fighting against Hamas is nearing an end. And in a sense is making strategic future plans. But the war will keep firing-on until Hamas stops controlling the Gaza. One plan is to move Israel’s troops to the northern part where a fight with the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah is brewing. Looks like Israel is gearing up to fight its war on several battle fronts.

Israel said it is interested in a ‘partial deal’ with Hamas that could free some of the 120 hostages still held in ‘horrific captivity’ for over 265 days. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has said it would continue raining rockets on Israel until there’s a cease-fire agreement in Gaza.

WikiLeaks

Julian Assange, 52, is an award-winning Australian editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. He rose to the limelight in 2010, when WikiLeaks published a series of sensitive leaks from United States (US) Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. Of footage of a US airstrike in Baghdad, classified US military logs from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and US diplomatic cables.

In November 2010, Sweden issued a European arrest warrant for Assange on allegations of sexual assault. He lost an appeal, breached bail, and took refuge in the Ecuador’s Embassy in London, in June 2012. Ecuador granted him asylum in August 2012 on the grounds of political persecution and on fears that he might be extradited to the US.

Julian Assange launched the WikiLeaks Party in Australia-while in confinement in the Ecuadoran Embassy-and stood for the Australian Senate in 2013, but failed to win a single seat. Later, Swedish prosecutors dropped the sexual assault investigation in 2019. And in the same year, Assange’s asylum was withdrawn following a series of disputes with Ecuadorian authorities. Then the London police promptly arrested him. He was found guilty of breaching the United Kingdom’s Bail Act and sentenced to 50 weeks in prison.

The US tried to have Assange extradited, indicting him on charges of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and conspiring with hackers. And charging him with computer intrusion conspiracy related to the leaks provided by Chelsea Manning – piling up a total of 18 criminal charges. Assange remained in prison in London from 2019 to June 2024, as the US Government’s extradition request was contested in the British Courts.

Now, this June 2024, Julian Assange agreed to a ‘Plea Deal’ with US prosecutors. During a three-hour hearing, Assange pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents under the Espionage Act, in order to avoid potential imprisonment. But said he believed the US Constitution’s First Amendment, which protects free speech, shielded his activities.

He pleaded guilty in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands -on the US Pacific island territory of Saipan. And thereafter walked out from court, as a free man.

Under the terms of the deal, US Justice Department prosecutors sought a sentence that allows for his immediate release. He was ordered to instruct WikiLeaks to destroy the information given by Chelsea Manning, providing an affidavit. The US territory in the western Pacific was chosen due to Assange’s opposition to travelling to the mainland US and for its proximity to Australia.

Assange then returned to Canberra, Australia, this Wednesday, in a private jet. His UK and Australian lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, thanked the Australian government for its years of diplomacy in securing Assange’s release after a 14 year saga, in what she called ‘criminalisation of journalism’. It is remarkable that Australia’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ secured freedom for Assange.

Kenya

Kenya is on the boil. Kenyans have been struggling to cope with several economic shocks caused by the lingering impact of the Covid19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, two consecutive years of drought, and depreciation of the national currency.

With this in the background, Kenyan President William Ruto’s Government introduced a Finance Bill in Parliament, which aimed to raise an additional USD 2.7 billion in taxes as part of an effort to lighten Kenya’s heavy debt load. Interest payments alone consume 37% of annual revenue. Parliament approved the finance bill, moving it through to a third reading by lawmakers. The next step was for the legislation to be sent to the President himself, for signing into law.

However, opposition to raising of taxes quietly built-up, descended into unprecedented, never-before seen protests and violence in Kenya. Police had to fire on demonstrators who tried storming Parliament and threw stones at Police lines. The protests began in a festival-like atmosphere, but as crowds swelled, police fired tear gas in Nairobi’s Central Business District and the poor neighbourhood of Kibera. Police also fired tear gas in Eldoret, President Ruto’s hometown in western Kenya, where crowds of protesters filled the streets and many businesses shut-shop, fearing violence.

In chaotic scenes in the capital Nairobi, protesters overwhelmed the police, entered the Parliament compound and set parts of it on fire. Protests and clashes also took place in several other cities and towns across Kenya, with many calling for Ruto to quit and voicing their opposition to the tax rises. Clearly, it became the biggest assault on Kenyan democracy, in decades.

In a televised address to the nation, Ruto said the tax debate had been ‘hijacked by dangerous people’, but persisted with the Finance Bill.

Ruto won an election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenya’s working poor. But, has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to obtain more funding, and a hard-pressed population. Opposition politicians called on Ruto to step down.

Feeling the heat, the government then made some concessions, promising to scrap proposed new taxes on bread, cooking oil, car ownership, and financial transactions. But that was not enough for the protesters. The finance ministry says the concessions would blow a 200 billion Kenyan shilling (USD 1.56 billion) hole in the 2024-25 budget, and compel the government to make spending cuts or raise taxes elsewhere.

Then, after all the tough talk, in the middle of the week, President Ruto did a U-turn and withdrew the contentious Finance Bill, saying he will not sign the Bill into law. He said he heard the voice of the people, and has conceded.

But then, Kenyan police had to put up roadblocks on streets leading to the presidential palace on Thursday as some protesters vowed to ‘occupy’ the State House; despite the president’s climbdown on proposed tax hikes that sparked a week of demonstrations.

Raiders of the Moon

China’s Chang’e-6 lunar module returned to Earth this Tuesday, successfully completing its historic mission to collect the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon. The re-entry module landed, via parachute, in the designated zone in China’s Northern Inner Mongolia region just after 2 pm local time. A search team located the module minutes after its landing. And first visuals showed a worker carrying out checks on the module, which lay on grassland, beside a Chinese flag.

The module is expected to contain up to 2 kilograms of moon dust and rocks from the lunar far side, which will be analysed by researchers in China before being opened for access by international scientists.

Diamonds of India

For about 3,000 years, India was the only source of diamonds in the world, until deposits were discovered in South Africa and Brazil. In India, diamond resources are concentrated in the three states of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Madhya Pradesh has 90.17% at 28,709,136 carats, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 5.73% with 1,822,955 carats and Chhattisgarh at 4.10% with 1,304,000 carats, of resources, according to Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The total resources of diamonds in the country, as in the year 2015, was estimated at 31,836,091 carats with 756,765 carats gem grade, 840,823 carats industrial grade, and 30,238,503 carats unclassified grade.

The Central Government controlled National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is the only authorised miner of diamonds in India, which organises and controls the mining.

Panna, a region in Madhya Pradesh, about 400 kilometres away from the state capital, Bhopal, is known for its diamond mines, which have been supplying precious diamonds for thousands of years.

Behind that glitter lurks the dark reality of the local people facing poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, and migration in Panna’s backward Bundelkhand region, which also faces severe distress due to water woes. Rich in minor forest produce such as tendu leaves (used for wrapping the tobacco of cigarettes and beedis) and mahua (a kind of tropical tree), the region is also a natural habitat for wildlife including tigers, leopards, Indian fox, sloth bear, and other animals.

NMDC Panna, is the only diamond mine in the country with more than 74 hectares of mechanised mining. The diamonds come mainly from the Diamond Mining Project at the Majhgawan mine – the only mechanised diamond mine in India, which started operations in 1971. The Majhgawan Diamond Pipe, as it is called, is located at about 15 km from the Panna town. It is equipped with facilities of, Ore Processing Plant, heavy media separation unit, X-ray sorter for diamond operations, and a disposal system.

However, the smaller mines of Panna are open cast mines that use traditional techniques and hand tools. The process involves four steps – digging, collecting soil mixed with small stones, washing the soil away with water, and finding diamonds among the stones. Big rocks are broken with hand tools to get smaller stones.

Hundreds of mine owners and thousands of workers are involved in diamond mining in the region.

In Panna, ‘finding diamonds; involves a specific procedure. First, individuals must obtain a License from the diamond office by submitting photos, proof of Identity, address, and finally paying a fee. The License is valid for one year at the designated mine site. License holders are allotted a 8×8 metre plot for digging. Any diamond found must be submitted to the Govt Designated Office for quality and price assessment before it goes to auction, where the government takes a 12.5% royalty. And there are around a dozen mine sites designated by the district mineral department.

Finding a diamond is not easy, and it may take a lifetime for a person to find a single piece of precious stone, unless Lady Luck smiles on you.

Late last week, on 22nd June, a stroke of extraordinary luck struck a poor farmer who unearthed a dazzling 6.65-carat diamond in the Pati diamond mining area of Panna. The farmer Deshraj and his wife, residents of Gaureya Kakrahati, immediately deposited it at the local diamond office. Inside, a gem expert, meticulously examined the diamond under a magnifying lens, ensuring its authenticity and quality and testing it for its clarity and brilliance, using specialised tools. Then the diamond was carefully placed on a precision scale, the digital display confirming its impressive 6.65-carat size. Deshraj was overjoyed at the newfound fortune. The diamond will be auctioned in the upcoming diamond auction.

Deshraj, who had obtained a mining lease from the diamond office, had previously discovered a 1.35-carat diamond just days before this remarkable find. His perseverance is noteworthy, and it is expected that both his diamonds have been secured and will be featured in the next auction.

The Panna diamonds have not made much of a buzz in India or abroad because the precious stones are ‘average’ quality, But that does not stop the rush to find diamonds. The best stones found in the district usually fall in the ‘G’ Grade on a D-Z scale of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) colour-scale. According to the GIA scale, ‘D’ – colourless-grade diamonds are the highest valued while ‘Z’-light coloured- are of the lowest value. The ‘G’ Grade diamonds of Panna are considered just average. But a stone worth lakhs of rupees or even above a crore of rupees is found once in a while. It is such finds, which receive big publicity, that attracts miners.

One of the most famous diamonds in the world, from India, is the Koh-i-noor Diamond – boasting a weight of 105.6 carats- believed to be have been mined in Kollur Mines, Golconda, Andhra Pradesh State, during the Kakatiya Dynasty’s rule in the 17th century. The diamond, now sitting on the British Crown, has a spectacular history and a thrilling story on how it got to its ‘present position’. The diamond originally weighed 191 carats, but it was re-cut to enhance its fire and brilliance in 1852 by Britain’s then Royal Jeweller.

More precious stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Find your own diamond with World Inthavaaram.

This is my Blog where I essay stories on life about and around me, on subjects that stir and shake me up, as I turn, and make life's pages count: hoping to inspire you to live your own story!

Everywhere

Ukraine’s Invasion of Russia

Israel Holds On

Trump and Musk: Birds of a Feather

Leaving New Zealand

India: A Rape and Murder Most Foul

Bangladesh Flux

India: Melange

Mpox

Paris Olympics 2024: Goodbye

Everywhere

Britain: Rioting Right

United States Elections: Running Mate

Taylor Swift: Not Fearless

The Bangladesh Drift: the Churning

Israel and Ukraine: the fight is on

Paris Olympics 2024: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together

Everywhere

Israel’s Golan

Britain’s Stabbing

Venezuela’s Turmoil

Prisoner Swap

India: Wayanad Landslide

Paris Olympics 2024

Everywhere

Microhard

The Wrath of Israel: Don’t Start a Fire

Bibi in America

Back to the War Front

Biden Out: Kamala In

The US Secret Service: Grilled & Roasted

Bangladesh Rocks

India: We built this City

India: We Test Well

India: We Fire Well

Nepal: Plane Crash

The Paris Olympics: On Your Marks

Under the Sea: Dark Oxygen

Everywhere

India: Mounting Body Bags

America: Die Another Day

Israel: Fierce Battle

European Union(EU): Leaders Elected

Bangladesh: Reservations – Shaken

India’s Karnataka Reservations – Stirred

Air India: Gold

Sports: Tennis and Football

Wimbledon

Eurocup 2024

Everywhere

India: Potpourri

The State of The States

A High Wedding

India – Russia: Bear-Hugs and Friends Forever

India-Austria: a Long Overdue Hug

The Others

French Elections: It’s getting complicated

Ongoing Wars: No End in Sight

NATO Meets

Singapore: Insects on the Menu

Sports: Wimbledon

Everywhere

Israel Grinds On

The United States Gasps

France Swings

Britain’s Labour Labours Liberally

India’s Death Stampede

T20 World Cup Cricket Thrills

Everywhere

Israel

WikiLeaks

Kenya

Raiders of the Moon

Diamonds of India

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