Tag: ElonMusk

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world. Any comments beyond the storyline, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a flight of events from 3 July 2025 to 26 July 2025.

America: the Big, the Rap, the Flash; guilty Russia; Wimbledon Tennis; Israel, Syria, India, Spain, and Moon Landing.

America

The Big

President Trump’s sweeping legislation-over which he and Elon Musk sparred and went to war-the so called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ was passed by the Republican Party controlled House on 4th July by a razor-thin margin, delivering Trump a major legislative victory. It’s expected that the bill will slash almost USD 1 trillion from Medicaid-which could leave nearly 12 million Americans uninsured by 2034-while locking in tax cuts, mostly for the wealthy, and adding USD 3.3 trillion to the deficit. The bill then headed to the President’s desk for signature and after the great, beautiful scrawl it was made into Big Law.

Meanwhile, exasperated by the workings of Trump and the twists and turns of party politics, Elon Musk announced the launch of a new Political party called the ‘America Party’. It challenges the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans. And Musk said the Third Party will focus on deficit reduction and will be fiscally conservative. The party’s platform is to reduce debt, modernise the military with Artificial Intelligence(AI), cut regulations, and encourage more births -the human population is in decline, and we are heading toward extinction! The America Party would focus on two or three Senate Seats and eight to ten House Districts to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, and represent the general will. Musk said the Party would run in the 2026 elections, comparing his strategy to that used by the Greek General Epaminondas in the Battle of Leuctra, “a concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield”.

Trump brushed it off as ‘ridiculous’ and said, Elon Musk has ‘run off the rails’ and is a ‘train wreck’. Great, big colourful words that only Trump uses best.

A third Political Party or Front, has never made headway in America. Will ‘America Party’ break the two?

The Rap

In September 2024, American Rapper, Record Producer, and Music Mogul, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested in the Southern District of New York and indicted on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes of prostitution. He was held in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

This year, after seven long weeks of star testimonies and vigorous nods and combing of evidence, a jury (of mostly men) found Combs not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking-the most serious charges against him. But they convicted him on two lesser charges of transporting someone for prostitution. Prosecutors claimed that Combs led a criminal organisation for over two decades, forcing people around him into ‘freak-offs’, and using his status to fulfil his sexual desires. His defense team didn’t deny the drug use or domestic violence but argued the other allegations were overblown. In the end, the jurors said the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he forced anyone to engage in non-consensual acts. Combs, who maintained his innocence, pumped his fist in the air and thanked the jurors. Bail has not been granted, as yet, and Combs remains in jail and faces up to 20 years in prison, which will be known in October 2025 when the sentence is to be pronounced. What else remains to be combed?

The Flash

In one of the worst natural disasters in America’s history, Flash Floods in Texas saw water swell like never before and swallow trees, bridges, and roads. By the end, one could see a bridge overwhelmed and overtaken by raging water, and debris slamming into it. That was not rising water: it was a wall of death. 10–15 inches of rain fell in hours. The ground couldn’t absorb it. The rivers couldn’t hold it. Gauges failed. It hit hard and fast. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes and crested at 39.50 feet, early in the morning while people were sleeping. This wasn’t ignorance. This was sudden, violent and unstoppable. No one saw the severity of this coming. No one could stop it. It was an act of God.

Over 130 have died in the flash flooding. 27 young girls, teenage counsellors and staff perished after a wall of water surged through Camp Mystic, a Christian Summer camp for girls, being held on the banks of the Guadalupe River, in Kerr County. At Camp Mystic, like elsewhere in the county, residents were reliant on an outdated and patchwork early warning system of alerts. Some were from the National Weather Service (NWS), which many concede, they never received. Other messages came from local authorities, some sent only after an inexplicable delay, which others along the Guadalupe’s banks say they did not see in any case. Investigators of the catastrophic Hill Country flooding may never be able to pinpoint a precise moment that sealed the fate of the camping girls.

While we explore the skies and beyond, we certainly need to take a closer look at dear Earth. By this time, should we not be able to read Planet Earth like the plan of our hand?

Russia is Guilty

On 9th July, Europe’s top Human Rights Court found that Russia shot down a regular civilian flight, Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, Flight MH17, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members. The European Court of Human Rights also delivered damning judgments against Russia in three other cases brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands accusing Russia of atrocities in Ukraine going back more than a decade.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur-was shot down on 17 July 2014, using a Russian-made BUK 9M38 surface-to-air missile. This was fired during the war in Donbas, Eastern Ukraine, from territory controlled by separatist rebels backed by Russia-fighting the Ukrainian Government.

The Donbas War is a phase of the Russian-Ukraine War which began in April 2014, when Russian paramilitaries seized several Ukrainian Towns. Ukraine launched an operation against the separatists but failed to re-take territory. Due to the armed conflict in the region some airlines had began avoiding eastern Ukrainian airspace, in early March 2014.

The Court said that the evidence suggested that the missile had been intentionally fired at flight MH17, most likely in the mistaken belief that it was a military aircraft. The Court found that Russia’s refusal to acknowledge its involvement in the Flight MH17 disaster violated international law and its failure to properly investigate the matter significantly aggravated the suffering of the relatives and friends of the dead. In May, the United Nations’ Aviation Agency also found Russia responsible for the disaster.

Russia excels at being the ‘grizzly’ bad-boy of the world and gets away with everything?

Wimbledon 2025

This year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament saw new Champions walking the grass carpet and creating new records, new firsts, on a green background.

In a comeback, after recovering from cancer, the Royal Patron of Wimbledon, Catherine-Kate Middleton-Princess of Wales, handed over the Trophies, bouncing on court and making blue and white fashion statements with young Royals in tow. Something to watch besides the balls?

Kate became Patron of the All England Tennis Club in 2016, taking over from Queen Elizabeth. As Patron, she regularly attends the Women’s and Men’s Finals. However, she wasn’t there when Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini for the women’s title, last year. And she was catching-up, quickly.

This year, the Women’s Singles Title winner is Poland’s, Iga Swiatek who defeated America’s Amanda Anisimova, with a brutal 6-0, 6-0 scoreline, in just 57 minutes. This is the first double bagel in a Wimbledon final, since 1988, and only the second in a Grand Slam Final in over a century. Iga Swiatek is the first Polish woman to claim the Wimbledon singles champion in the Open Era. The defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, of the Czech Republic, lost in the third round to America’s Emma Navarro.

In the Men’s Singles, Italian Jannik Sinner demonstrated superb resilience by recovering from a set down to win his first Wimbledon title. It was a phenomenal performance, toppling the two-time defending champion, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 6-4. Sinner is the first Italian Wimbledon singles champion in the Open Era, and he now stands as a four-time Grand Slam Champion. He breaks his ­overall tie with an assortment of famous names, including Arthur Ashe, Andy Murray, and Stan Wawrinka. Perhaps, most important, he ends his rival, Alcaraz’s, run of five consecutive wins against him, adding a new dimension to a rivalry that seems set to decide the majority of major tournaments in the near future. This is also Sinner’s first Grand Slam title away from hard courts, after two victories at the Australian Open and last year’s US Open.

Then, there is a ‘sin’ angle. This is Sinner’s first grand slam victory and overall title since his three-month doping ban between February and May this year. Sinner had tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol last year before successfully arguing, during his initial tribunal in August, that the positive test had been a result of contamination, receiving no suspension. After the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) chose to appeal the case, Sinner’s team and WADA eventually entered a case resolution ­agreement, essentially a ­settlement, agreeing on the three-month suspension.

The prize money for the Wimbledon Championship is a record £53,500,000 with the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Singles, each receiving £3,000,000. The runner-up receives £1,520,000.

Other Stories

The Ukraine-Russia War plods on with US President, Donald Trump, mediated loud ceasefire attempts falling on deaf ears, and failing to inspire Russia. Now, the US is arming Ukraine to the teeth, to fight Russia, tooth and nail!

The ongoing Israel-Hamas War, to avenge the 7 October 2023 barbarism on Israel, rescue the 50 remaining hostages, and obliterate the terrorist Hamas, is still a hard work in progress. Israel is going in for the kill while humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip gets strangulated: the usual blame-game between the United Nations (UN) and Israel. But the UN can do better with tons of aid already in the Gaza remaining undistributed.

Over the past weeks, France said it plans to recognise Palestine as a State at the UN General Assembly Meeting in September, which drew fire from those on the side with Israel. Wait until the Palestine State actually comes into being, said Italy.

In Syria, a fresh wave of deadly sectarian violence erupted with fighting in the province of Suweida between Druze and Bedouin militias-two groups with long-running disputes-as well as government forces ‘joining the party’. The latest violence started on 13 July with the abduction of a Druze merchant. A few days later, Israel launched air strikes on Damascus, Suweida, and Deraa seeking to protect the Druze against government-affiliated forces. One week on, more than 1,100 people have been killed in Suweida. All sides – Druze, Bedouin and Syrian Government forces-have been accused of atrocities, but mainly the Government.

The Druze are an Arabic-speaking ethno-religious minority in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. The Druze faith is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs. Half of its roughly one million followers live in Syria, where they make up about 3% of the population. Druze in Israel are largely considered to be loyal to the state, owing to their participation in military service. There are some 152,000 Druze living in Israel and the Golan Heights.

Towards the end of July, Thailand and Cambodia’s decades old border dispute escalated into deadly clashes after both sides accused each other of opening fire, and then exchanged fire along the disputed border. More than a dozen people have been killed and more than 135,000 civilians evacuated from the region. Tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbors have been boiling for months over disputed sections of their 800 km land border, demarcated partly by Cambodia’s former colonial ruler France, and which runs near several archaeologically significant Hindu religious sites that both countries claim.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out on a historic 5 nation – Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, Namibia-visit, between 2 July and 9 July. This was to fill the period gaps left by other PMs, deepening trade and improving bilateral hand-shake and hugging ties, and attending the BRICS Summit in Brazil. This was also the longest diplomatic visit outside India, in 10 years, by India’s PM.

The first visit to Ghana in 30 years; the first visit to Trinidad & Tobago in 27 years, where India’s PM also picked-up the nation’s highest national award – The Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago; the first diplomatic visit to Argentina in 57 years; and in the final leg, the first visit by an Indian PM to Namibia, in nearly 30 years. That’s decades of ‘distance generating love’, and the visit heats it up. Did India get that far from all these countries?

Then on returning, in a brilliant reverse swing, PM Modi topped-up with a visit to the United Kingdom(UK) on 24 July where he signed a landmark Free Trade Agreement between the countries. This will see growth in every part of the UK-delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.The deal will see tariffs lowered so businesses can expand more easily in one of the fastest growing economies in the world-India, while UK consumers will benefit from lower prices and greater choices. India’s PM also welcomed nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, which will create 2,200 jobs across the UK. For Britain, eager to score a post-Brexit win, the deal is its most economically significant trade agreement since leaving the European Union. For India, it marks its first major free trade pact outside Asia. For both countries, the agreement signals a long-term economic partnership.

It’s not over, not yet. Before returning to India from Britain, the PM dropped-in at Maldives, to warm-up things up after a period of cold unfriendliness crept-in between the nations over the past year. Cheers to that!

Spain’s Pain: Brutal heat scorched Spain in the first week of July, a blistering reminder of the climate change that is battering the world-stretching finances even a government debt climbs to new heights.

Humans landed on the moon for the first time 56 years ago on 20 July 1969, which is celebrated as Space Exploration Day, the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. On this Day in 1969, the Apollo 11 crew of America’s NASA, successfully accomplished the first human landing on the Moon, touching down in the Sea of Tranquility. Six and a half hours later, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history as the first humans to walk on the lunar surface. Armstrong took the first step with that that iconic phrase, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

More scorching stories about giant leaps coming-up in the weeks ahead. Watch that step, with Freewheeling.

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world, garnished with humour. Any comments beyond the story, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run from 14 March 2025 to 2 April 2025.

Enter the Dragon

It took Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring back stranded Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), who were first deposited in the cold, in Space, by Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft in June 2024.

Boeing’s Starliner, with stars in its eyes, carried two astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams in its first ever human crew carrying mission. It was intended to be a 8-day-stay and its successful return-with the crew’s hair intact-meant NASA could certify Boeing’s spacecraft to make routine trips to and from the ISS. Elon Musk’s SpaceX had already reached that exalted status and was freaking out making round trips-about 44 trips to the ISS (only Elon’s young son did not make the grade, as yet). The Starliner encountered serious problems with its thrusters, and its propulsion system was leaking helium gas like a sieve. Boeing’s Engineers worked furiously to resolve the issue and succeeded, but NASA decided not to risk lives and ordered the return of Starliner without the crew. And it did return ‘pretty safely’ in September 2024. Meanwhile, Sunita Williams let loose all her hair (and even had Donald Trump counting the strands) and in typical Indian tradition perhaps decided not to tie it until she returns Home. Thank India, it worked.

Now, enter the Dragon.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth orbit, and beyond. It is the only spacecraft currently flying that is capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth, and is the first private spacecraft to take humans to the space station.

Sunita’s hair relayed the message, and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft lifted-off on 14 March 2025 from the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida with a crew of 4, consisting of NASA Astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Is this not collaboration among fighting Nations at its best? The inward crew will spend 6 months in Space until another crew replaces them. Sunita Williams, who had been the commander of the Space Station, handed over to the new team, and after ‘taming her hair’ shifted into home gear.

Returning along with Sunitha and Butch-both of them after a nine month stay-will be NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Aleksandr Gorbunov, who have themselves been in Space for 6 months.

The reusable Crew Dragon Freedom Capsule undocked from the ISS and successfully splashed down off the cost of Florida on 18 March 2025 and was well received with a splash of applause by a pod of dolphins swimming in the neighbourhood. The crew were then successfully extracted from the Capsule and planted on Earth. Looking forward to them growing at Home.

Wars

Israel got back to its old ways, collapsing the ceasefire agreement with Hamas as the latter was not keeping its side of Agreements in releasing hostages. There are now 59 hostages still being held in brutal captivity. And Israel started a major ground offensive in Gaza to clear, seize and occupy large swaths of land, in addition to many other plans to kill the devil. I would say that Israel must annex some Gaza territory every day for every hostage not released.

On the sidelines, ‘Negotiation Liking Nations’ Egypt and Qatar are desperately trying to revive the ceasefire and tunnel a deal in the dry desert conditions. And I wonder why the people of Gaza are not rising-up against Hamas for making their lives unalloyed hell. Wait, someone heard, there is indeed some rumblings of an uprising demanding that Hamas release the hostages and get out of their lives. But it begs the question, is this true? The same civilians that cheered the 7 October barbarism have turned a new leaf, unbelievable? It is yet another drama by Hamas?

Meanwhile, Israel announced that it is going to take back full ‘security control’ of Gaza. Enough is enough.

On another War front, on 18 March 2025, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin grabbed the phone and spent over 2 hours talking about ending the Russia-Ukraine War and also about improving frosty relations between them. Love was in the air. The blood and treasure that Ukraine and Russia have been spending in the war would be better spent on the needs of their people-that’s wisdom oozing through every pore. The wily Putin deflected Cupid’s arrows, did not hug an immediate ceasefire, but said he will not police every move and every breath of Ukraine’s electricity grids and gas supplies. The dialogue goes on and a breakthrough ‘may or may-not’ be expected. And Putin is an awfully tough customer. That’s the way it is. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President has put off his plans for shopping for new suits.

India: Traitors, Poop, and Loose Cash

Freedom of Speech needs freedom to be more freely defined in India. Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, called Maharashtra’s State’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a Traitor (gaddaar) in a show titled ‘New India’. Kamra referred to Shinde’s 2022 defection from the Shiv Sena, which triggered a major political crisis leading to a vertical split in the Shiv Sena and subsequently Shinde’s Group being ‘legally’ recognised as the real Shiv Sena – with the Bow & Arrow. In the Show, Kamra sang a parody of a Bollywood song alluding to Shinde as a traitor, outraging his supporters who called it derogatory. The studio in Habitiat, Mumbai where the Show was shot, was attacked by Shiv Sena supporters who ransacked the place and made meat of the furniture.

Freedom of speech works on a knife-edge. Shinde is surely not a traitor as the Law of the Land-the Courts-has said that he leads the ‘real’ Shiv Sena, and further he has won the people’s trust by winning the Elections. The traitor is now on the other shoe? Surely comedy is great fun with the laughs it generates, but where is the fine control and ‘honouring facts? Looking back, the undivided Shiv Sena was the original traitor after winning the Elections jointly with the Bharathiya Janata party (BJP) and then dumping them. The Shiv Sena supporters are surely outside the law – taking law into their own hands in going physically after the Physical Studio. And they should be dealt with as per the law. Surely they have no right to react in the manner they did. Unless you want to make a comedy of ‘self defence’? Finally, why cannot our Politicians and famous people just laugh it off with a shrug, take things in their stride?

In another stinking story in the Southern State of Tamil Nadu, Health Department sanitary workers – about 20 of them in uniform – invaded the house of Savukku Shankar, a You-Tube and Political Activist, and dumped sewage waste and human faeces in his house in Chennai. And hurled the choicest expletives, and used abusive language on his Mom who was alone at home. This is supposed to be in the wake of some comments and allegations made by Savukku Shankar about sanitary workers, Greater Chennai Police, and the Commissioner of Police. Since when did Sanitary Workers not get dirty? And again, taking law into their dirty hands? The poop deserves to be its rightful place- underground. Surely, this is a smelly new trend in India.

Swinging over to India’s Capital New Delhi, for Justice Yashwant Varma, a judge of the Delhi High Court, the Festival of Holi turned unholy when a fire broke out in his official Bungalow, on the night of 14 March 2025. Actually, it was in an outhouse on the grounds and the fire burnt through bundles of cash stashed in the store room. About four-five bags of partially charred Indian currency notes – estimated to about INR 150 million – were discovered by firefighters who doused the flames and captured digital evidence. Of course, Justice Varma categorically denied the ‘money hoarding’ labelling it-you guessed it-a larger conspiracy to tarnish his (great?) reputation. There was an attempt to quickly transfer the Judge to another Court, which was protested by the lawyers of the receiving Court. Why should we handle such dirt? And don’t we have to guard our reputation, as well?

The discovery of the cash-stash was a thunderbolt strike on the reputation of the Indian Judiciary. Are they a law unto themselves, answerable to none? The method of selection of Judges to such Posts was naturally called into question. And there is a colourful fire burning right now in the house of the Judiciary! Urgent reforms needed here-before the next fire!

Earth Shakes

Earthquakes are back with a Big Bang. Since when did they leave? Myanmar, already reeling with internal insurgency and a footloose Army was struck by a 7.7 magnitude Earthquake on 28 March 2025. It killed over 2700 people, injured over 3900 people and caused the collapse of numerous man-made structures.

In faraway Bangkok, Thailand, about 1000 km from the epicentre, a lone unfinished under-construction high-rise building fell unbelievably, like the proverbial pack of cards, into a pile of dust. Experts reasoned that it was because a ‘flat slab’ construction process was adopted, where floors are made to rest directly on columns, without using beams. And Thailand wasn’t thinking Earthquake resistant construction at all?

The Earth’s upper layer is split into different sections called tectonic plates. These plates are moving constantly, which causes earthquakes and volcanoes. And Myanmar sits uneasy atop the convergence of four of these tectonic plates-the Eurasian, the Indian, the Sunda, and the Burma plates. Like it or not Myanmar is considered to be one of the most geologically active areas in the World.

More earth shaking stories ahead. Ride with ‘Freewheeling’.

FREEWHEELING

About: A footloose commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world, garnished with humour. Any comments beyond the story, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run from January 2025 to 13 March 2025.

It looks like the New Year 2025 had just begun, and we are already in the middle of March, moving at the speed of light, trying to spy Einstein on the stands. It appears that Elon Musk (and his little son) is the only person living on the Planet, and at some distance is Trump trying to find his space. Suddenly, Elon’s Starlink is already rocketing into India, riding with Jio (Hello Reliance) and Airtel (Hello Bharti) linking up in mysterious ways to space the air waves in this part of the world.

The United States (US) President Donald Trump began his new term with a big-bang, giving an awfully blunt, straight-talking, commencement of presidency address. His disruptive ideas had everybody in a swoon-deeply shaken and stirred: deporting illegals in America to all parts of the world in handsome chains; throwing tariffs around like hitting balls of various shapes out of the ground; boxing with Ukraine’s President in the White House, pushing Ukraine to the red corner; and making love to Russia’s President Putin (who surely accepted the advances and smiled like a Cheshire cat). Trump’s Vice-President, Vance sent Europe scurrying to do things it thought it could never do-but is the best for it -and had it fuming through every available nostril.

Meanwhile, India’s Prime Minister earned a great negotiator medal in the US’ White House; hugged France’s Macron-too tight for Brigette-in France; and found a new winning streak in State Elections in India. Talk about the Modi magic rising-up again. The comeback of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in Delhi was after 27 years and people hope to see more stars in clearer skies, and breathe longer with cleaner air while imbibing the ‘spirits’ of Scotland & Ireland. Last heard, India’s PM was in Mauritius adorning himself with yet another Highest Award medal. I reckon, the 56-inch chest can hold…and perhaps is growing wider, to match India’s GDP.

Israel saw many of its hostages, held by the barbaric terrorists Hamas, released in bits and pieces in a ceasefire that kicked-in, in January and seems to be holding. The large-scale fighting is off the hook, while the small-scale surgical strikes keeps the fire burning. Trump issued yet another ultimatum to release all the hostages or face the wrath of Israel. The bad guys have been holding Israel to ransom for almost two years and Israel is pregnant with revenge. Rightfully so.

I say, one state of Israel is the best solution-from the River to the Sea-with its people digging their heels, living in the land that was always their homeland. Think about the biblical Moses-the promised land and the Ten Commandments; Samson- strength in the hair; David- sling-shot Goliath; Solomon -oozing wisdom…and many others. So much to look up to! I wish every country in the world would stand-up and scream, ‘Release the hostages now-bring them Home’ or forget we can do any kind of business with you.

After some spanking in America and hot desert talk in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine has agreed to a cool 30 days cease-fire with Russia. And Russia is still cogitating over it-eyeing more land and sea? Hope to see Ukraine’s President wearing a nice suit, soon. And America gleaming with rare-earth metals on its chest. Else, the laughs are on Ukraine?

With the United Nations loosing all its teeth (did it have any at all?) and becoming redundant in these war spring times, we need a make-over. If I were Russia, I would say, disband NATO and yell at Europe to find other means of safeguarding themselves: how about learning some self-defence. And we are always ’near-by’, across the Border, to lend a helping hand and offer a ‘Bear Hug’. Ask India if you have any doubts!

The world’s largest gathering of people in one place, the Maha Kumbh Mela happened in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and other upstream and downstream places on the River Ganges between 13 January and 26 February 2025. The Mela was at the Triveni Sangam-the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers, after a gap of about 144 years due to a rare celestial alignment, making it a once-in-a-lifetime event for Hindus all over the world. Believers swelled the banks, and it was a sight of humanity, to behold, with visitors of one 660 million making the pilgrimage. The world is surely a cleaner place-in many dimensions-what with past mistakes and sins of life cleansed with a holy dip in the holy Ganges. Special cleansing bacteria took care of the rest, claimed some scientists.

In India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, a Russian name wearing Chief Minister created havoc on learning a third language. Never mind Russian, he thought in Tamil and fumbled in ecstasy in English. His Members of Parliament rocked Parliament, black & red, on a perceived insult and extracted an apology from the Centre’s Education Minister, while quietly worshipping (and building statues for) a man who called the Tamil language barbaric; unfit even to earn beggar wages; and encouraged everyone to talk to their maids in English. And advocated that at least Tamil Nadu remains forever a British State. Caught in the headlights are the kids who dream of learning three languages to improve their cognitive and learning abilities: says the New Education Policy of India. Early in the year, the Russian name Chief Minister claimed that the technology of smelting Iron was developed in Tamil Nadu about 5,300 years ago. The Iron Age just got older. Other claims have rusted. Wonder, who will come out with more shine!

The Oscars -the 97th Academy Awards- was staged in March 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, US. The film ‘Anora’ won a leading five awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included ‘The Brutalist’ with three awards; ‘Dune: Part Two’, ‘Emilia Perez’, and ‘Wicked’ with two awards each.

Adrien Brody, acting in The Brutalist, won the Best Actor Award; Mikey Madison, being Anora, dressed-up to become Best Actress. The Brutalist is about a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor who immigrates to the US to achieve the American Dream. Anora is about a stripper from New York marrying the wealthy son of a Russian Oligarch in a Cinderalla moment. The fairytale hits the ground when the Russian parents try to annul the marriage.

In Tennis sport, Australian Open 2025, Italy’s Jannik Sinner swept aside Russian Alexander Zverev to retain the men’s singles title. In the Women’s singles final, America’s Madison Keys beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka to get the keys to the Cup. Afterwards, Jannik found out he had sinned and accepted a three-month suspension after testing positive for dope-the banned substance clostebol- during the 2024 Indian Wells tournament. That seems a light punishment -until the next sin?

And in New York, two men were hospitalised with histoplasmosis (a lung infection) after growing weed using bat poop! Innovation is the real word, these days. Nothing artificial about it.

In cricket sport, Team India became Champions in the Champions One-Day Cricket Tournament held in Dubai, sending the Kiwis wingless to New Zealand. This is India’s third grasp of the Cup, and they won without losing a match. India’s iconic cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, now firmly bats in the commentary box, danced the game of his life-on the border of the field- and had Bollywood’s dancing stars looking bewildered. Even the costume was clever, with Gavaskar wearing pants of what could have been the better part of the mini-skirt of his fellow woman Anchor. How do they face this kind of competition?

More stories ahead. Wheel with ‘Freewheeling’.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-5

About: the world this week, 28 January 2024 to 3 February 2024; Misdeeds of UNRWA; Link Telepathy; EU and Farmer Protests; Pakistan’s Imran Khan; Australian Open Tennis – Rohan Bhopanna, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jannik Sinner.

Everywhere

This week the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) came under relentless fire by Israel. They furnished proof of least a dozen of the about 13,000 UNRWA Staff in Gaza being complicit with the terrorist Hamas in the 7 October 2023 barbaric attack on Israel. The revelation was extremely damning, and on the last count about 15 nations pulled the plug on their funding for the Agency. The US is the largest donor and cut the ‘supply line’ last weekend. And was quickly followed by the likes of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, among others.

UNRWA workers are accused of helping Hamas stage the attacks on 7th October or of aiding it in the days after. One kidnapped a woman. Another handed out ammunition. A third took part in the massacre at a kibbutz where 97 people were killed. The most detailed accusations concerned a school counsellor from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, who worked with his son to abduct a woman from Israel. A social worker from Nuseirat, in central Gaza, helped to bring the body of a dead Israeli soldier to Gaza, as well as distributing ammunition and coordinating vehicles on the day of the attack. Of the 12 individuals identified, seven were teachers in UNRWA schools and two worked in the schools in other capacities. The others were an UNRWA social worker, a clerk, and a storeroom manager. Ten of them were members of Hamas. One was a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. They were largely implicated by their cell phone use. Half of the individuals’ phones were traced to southern Israel on 7th October. Others received text messages ordering them to rallying points ahead of the attack and one was told to bring rocket-propelled grenades stored at his home.

The UNRWA was established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly to provide relief to all refugees resulting from the 1948 Israel-Arab War, including, Jewish and Arab Palestine refugees inside Israel. In the year 1952 Israel took over the responsibility of those inside its country, pushing out the Agency to work primarily in the Gaza Strip. The UNRWA’s mandate is subject to periodic renewal every three years and has been consistently extended since its founding. Perhaps it’s time to wind it up!

Meanwhile, Israel began a deadly, different kind of stealth warfare. Undercover troops of the Israel Defence Forces, dressed as civilian women and medics stormed a hospital in the West Bank – shooting dead three Hamas terrorists, after entering the Ibn Sina hospital, in the northern city of Jenin, early this Tuesday.

Later, Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of the last refuge on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where the displaced are penned against the border fence in hundreds of thousands. More have arrived during the week, carrying their belongings and pulling children on carts, since Israeli forces launched one of the biggest assaults of the war to capture Khan Younis north of Rafah. More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now homeless and crammed into Rafah.

In attempts to bring about a cease-fire, Hamas said that releasing hostages – 136 of them- it is still holding, would require a guaranteed end to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and withdrawal of all Israeli forces, reiterating its position after Israel held a meeting with Qatari and Egyptian mediators. There was also some talk about Hamas demanding an exchange of 150 Palestinian prisoners for release of every Israeli female hostage. And there hardly seems to be any visible pressure on Hamas, by the Middle-East countries, to release all the hostages and end the War – that’s all it takes.

This week, the European Union (EU) leaders met in Brussels to decide on aid for Ukraine, after Hungary had previously blocked the deal in December, by using its veto power. This time, all 27 EU leaders agreed on a Euro 50 billion aid package for Ukraine.

Ukraine’s economic ministry said it expects the first tranche of funds in March.

The package will help to pay pensions, salaries, and other costs over the next four years. It comes as US military aid for Ukraine – the largest provider of military support for Ukraine – is being held up by US’ Congress. Many European countries also provide military aid to Ukraine.

The EU meeting in Brussels was held in the backdrop of a simmering Farmers Protest that swelled across Europe where, tens of thousands of farmers downed tools, mounted their tractors and took to the streets. Many European leaders have been spooked by the size and duration of the protests, with dozens of tractors ‘ploughing into’ central Brussels for more demonstrations, before the summit.

Farmers said they are not paid enough, are choked by taxes and green rules, and face unfair competition from abroad. They were already struggling with a cost of living crisis made tougher by the EU’s sustainability policies.

Protests across the EU echoed common grievances over debts, price pressures, extreme weather and cheap imports. Burdened by debt, squeezed by powerful retailers and agrochemical companies, battered by extreme weather, and undercut by cheap imports, for years – all while relying on a subsidy system that favours the big players. The war in Ukraine has only made matters worse. A spike in prices for crops, like wheat, proved to be short-lived. And Russia’s aggression has upended trade flows, causing a supply glut.

From a two-hour protest action across Poland to a multi-day ‘siege’ of Paris, angry farmers have launched protests across the EU since the start of the year.

Later in the week, two of France’s main farming unions urged protesters to go back home, after measures were announced to try to quell the anger.

In Pakistan, a court handed former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, 71, a 10-year jail term, for leaking state secrets- classified documents- in what is called the cipher case, the harshest sentence so far, and over a week before a general election is scheduled to take place. Ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also convicted.

Quick on the heels, after two days, as second judgement sentenced Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years in jail. And both are barred from Office for 10 years. This was in the Toshakhana (State Treasury) Case linked to illegal sale of State Gifts, that he and his wife received while in office. The couple were convicted of illegally profiting from such sale. Khan, who was ousted as PM in 2022, is already serving a three-year jail term for corruption. The two sentences are expected to run concurrently, although it is yet to be confirmed.

Our brains are all set to become brainier. This week, on Sunday, the first human patient received an implant from brain-chip startup Neuralink – a Company founded by Elon Musk – and is recovering well. The US Food and Drug Administration had given Neuralink clearance, last year, to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans.

The device aims to help people with disabilities to control computers and communicate by only using their thoughts. During testing on animals, the device allowed a monkey to play a computer game, with its brain making all the moves. Elon Musk says that results “show promising neuron spike detection,” suggesting the device is already gathering information from the patient’s brain. Still, it could be months before we learn whether the device is working as intended. For now, Neuralink is focused on analysing the device’s safety with its human trial.

The device, a tiny chip known as ‘Link’ – about the size of a small coin – sealed in a biocompatible enclosure is surgically implanted into the brain’s motor cortex (controls body movements), drilling through the skull. The chip has a battery that can be charged wirelessly. It has 1024 tiny threads, flexible ultra-thin wires – thinner than human hair- which are carefully inserted in specific areas of the brain. The electrodes at the tips of these wires detect electrical signals in the brain – neural spikes representing neurons firing an electrical impulse. The brain implant decodes these signals meaningfully, such as which movement they correspond to and what sensory input they represent. And transmits the data wirelessly to a connected external device – a computer. The external device uses these decoded signals for various applications, like controlling a computer cursor or even to input commands into other digital devices.

Over a period of time, the system algorithms would learn and adapt to the individual’s brain patterns and become more accurate in interpreting signals. Finally, the system could provide sensory feedback to the brain, closing the loop. This means the brain could not only control a device, but also receive inputs from that device, such as touch sensation from a robotic hand. Imagine controlling a device – such as a phone or computer – just by thinking. Telepathy at its best!

Some of the diseases the Link could help cure are, Motor Neurone Diseases such as ALS – Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis- and spinal chord injuries, Parkinsons’ Disease, Brain injuries, Epilepsy, Depression, Blindness and Deafness, and Chronic pain.

The Australian Open (AO) Tennis Tournament ended in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on the 28th January.

Ageing but ‘growing young’ Indian tennis star and World No 1 Doubles Champion Rohan Bhopanna at 43, won the doubles title along with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden beating the Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, 7-6, 7-5 in Final. They played a flawless tie-breaker to score in the first set and then carried forward the momentum to win the second set and the title. This is the first Men’s Grand Slam doubles win for Bhopanna. What an achievement for a man at his age – attributed to doing Yoga, which worked wonders for him. And three years ago he almost gave-up. Australia is the land of magic. In a touching speech, Bhopanna thanked his team, his family and his beautiful wife who instantly became an internet sensation with all those looks.

In the Women’s Single Finals, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, routed China’s Zheng Qinwen with a fluent 6-3, 6-2 score becoming the first woman to win back-to-back AO titles since Victoria Azarenka, also from Belarus, did it in 2013. There is something about Belarus?

Sabalenka also became the second player in 20 years to win the AO women’s singles without losing a single game on serve after Serena Williams. There is another ace coming: Sabalenka is only the 5th player in this century to win the AO without losing a single set after Lindsay Davenport in 2000, Maria Sharapova in 2008, Serena Williams in 2017, and Ashleigh Barty in 2022.

Italian Jannik Sinner, all of 22, won his first Grand Slam AO title, against Russian Daniil Medvedev becoming the first from Italy to do so. The number 4 seed is the eight man to come back from two sets down to achieve a Grand Slam Final victory with a hard scoreline of 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. His signature down-the-line forehand sealed the fate of Medvedev in the last shot of the match. And he finished off with a wonderful speech – this years’ AO is as much about inspiring speeches as it is about brilliant tennis.

“I wish that everyone could have my parents, because they always let me choose whatever I wanted to. Even when I was younger, I made also some other sports and then they never put pressure on me and I wish that this freedom is possible for as many young kids as possible. So thank you so much for my parents”.

Sinner’s father, Johann Sinner works as a Chef in a Restaurant at a Ski Lodge in Val Pusteria, Italy, and his mother Siglinde Sinner works as a waitress in the same restaurant. Jannik became one of Italy’s top junior skiers in the eight to twelve-years-old age bracket and also won a National Championship award in Giant Slalom at the age of eight. It was his father, Johann, who pushed him to get back to tennis and develop his skills to compete at a higher level.

Sinner’s coach Simone Vagnozzi has this to say about the ‘Perfect Parents’, “They enjoy the life of the tournament but never come to us and say, serve, volley, breakpoint. Sometimes, they come to the tournament and do not say a word about tennis”. Sinner takes home a prize money of Australian Dollars 3,150,000 (INR 17 crores).

More ‘perfect’ stories playing on this court in the weeks ahead. Watch the game with World Inthavaaram.