Tag: Football

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 27 July 2025 to 14 August 2025: All kinds of wars; the great Cholas of India; the best of Chess, Football, and Cricket.

Wars: Tariff Included

US President Donald Trump continues his relentless one-minded drive on imposing tariffs on friends and foes alike, ostensibly to improve the US Economy by opening the flood gates of tonnes of cash flow into the country. This time it hit India when he signed an executive order slapping 25% additional tariff over the purchase of Russian oil. This is on top of the 25% tariff that Trump had previously imposed on India on 31st July, as part of the broader rollout of tariffs on more than 60 countries. This will come into effect on 27th August.With this, India faces at total of least 50 %-among the highest in the world. This will come into effect on 27th August. However, for goods shipped before 27th August previous tariff rates will apply until 17th September.

The tariff sledgehammer comes after days of Trump slamming India its purchase of Russian oil and accusing India of funding the Russian war on Ukraine. He said India remains the largest buyer of Russian oil along with China “at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine”. With such purchases, he said India does not care “how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine”. Since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India has bought discounted Russian oil.

India hit back, exposing the hypocrisy and double-standards of the US and Europe. In a clear written statement, India pointed out that the Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron & steel and machinery, and transport equipment. The United States itself continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers, as well as chemicals. India held that it began importing from Russia, in the first place, because traditional supplies from Europe were diverted to within Europe after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War. And India works for the best interests of its people, just as the US does for its people.

On another front, India and the US are engaged in complex negotiations for a free trade agreement. As with trade deals with other countries such as the United Kingdom, India has sought to keep the politically sensitive agriculture and dairy sectors out of a deal, Trump has rejected the proposal and has pushed for their inclusion. He has also pushed for India to import genetically modified (GM) crops under the deal. India considers GM crops illegal.

In the ongoing physical wars, Israel is making plans to take complete control of Gaza City with its cabinet approving the intent. And the 50 hostages still remain in captivity. Meanwhile, Australia announced that it would recognise a Palestinian State in September.I would say that countries -including India -should announced that they would ‘de-recognise’ Palestine, if the 50 Israel hostages are not released by September.

Ukraine and Russia continue making fire and a Trump-Putin Summit scheduled to take place in Alaska on 15 August, hopes to break the ceasefire deadlock. Russia is expected to demand Ukrainian land for a peace deal, which Ukraine steadfastedly refuses. Trump would probably be ‘all ears’ on a listening exercise. And Putin is a tough customer.

The Great Cholas of South India

Indian history does not cut enough into the meat of the mighty Chola Dynasty of South India, which ruled for an unbelievable 1500 years, between 300 BCE and 1279 CE(AD)- one of the longest ruling dynasties in world history. They remain grudgingly unknown, and if at all in bits and pieces. The Cholas ruled Southern India in two stints as, the Early Cholas, and the Medieval or Imperial Cholas.

This is an attempt to shed bright sunlight, on the great Cholas, who considered themselves as descendants of the Sun.

Other names, in common use, for the Cholas are, Choda, Killi, Valavan, Sembiyan and Cenni.Killi comes from the Tamil ‘kil’ meaning dig or cleave- a digger or a tiller of the land. Valavan is connected with the Tamil ‘valam’ fertility and means owner or ruler of a fertile country. Sembiyan means a descendant of King Shibi – a legendary King whose self-sacrifice in saving a dove from the hot-pursuit of a falcon figures among the early Chola legends. The story flies like this, ‘As King Shibi sat in court one day, a sparrow sought refuge in his lap, while being chased by a falcon. The falcon demanded the King release the sparrow, as it constituted its means of subsistence. Accepting the falcon’s right, the King offered his own flesh in order to fulfil his sovereign duty of protecting his subjects’. The later Cholas claimed to have descended from King Shibi. The Tamil name for Shibi is Sembiyan, a name assumed by many Chola kings.

The Early Cholas ruled in Uraiyur (now Tiruchirapalli) and Kaveripattinam, Tamil Nadu, during the period 400 BCE to 200 AD. This includes the Sangam Period, which legendary literature reveals the first authentic evidence of the Chola dynasty. The Sangam is the literary gathering of Tamil poets and scholars who were first patronised by the Pandyan kings of Madurai. The Sangam era is significant in the development of early Tamil literature and provides valuable insights into the social, cultural, and political landscape of the period.

Going back in time, the earliest known Chola King was Kantaman, perhaps mythological, said to be a contemporary of the Hindu Sage Agastya, whose devotion is believed to have brought the River Kaveri into existence (from the water pot of Agastya). Then came the Chola King Dharmavarma who first developed the shrine of the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple– A Vaishnavite shrine dedicated to Lord Ranganatha (a form of Lord Vishnu and his consort Ranganayaki – a form of Goddess Lakshmi) near present day Tiruchi. The temple is a thriving place of Hindu worship of Vaishnavism. Flooding of the River Kaveri destroyed the temple, and later, his descendant, King Killivalavan rebuilt the temple complex. The Temple site is on an island bounded by the Rive Kaveri and River Kollidam. Later Chola Kings built upon and expanded the Temple structure. The Temple is nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest functioning religious complexes in the world.

In 190 AD Karikala Chola or, Karikala The Great, stands out, unsurpassed, along with another King Kocengannan. Karikala was the son of the great warrior Chola King Ilamcetcenni – of many beautiful chariots. Karaikala is mentioned as the descendant of a King who compelled the wind to serve his purposes when he sailed his ships on the great Oceans. ‘Karikala’ means ‘elephant feller’ or ‘charred leg’. He had charred his leg in a fire-accident while escaping when he was deposed and imprisoned. He then fought his way back to the throne to create History.

Karikala Cholan was one of the greatest kings during the Sangam Age in South India. He led the Chola empire successfully to unify the three South Indian kingdoms of Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas. Karikala gained immense wealth trading with the Roman Empire, which he used to fund his military campaigns and to build towns and cities. He is known for decorating his capital city of Kanchipuram with gold, but his legendary act of fame was building, ‘The Grand Anicut’ – Kallanai Dam – on the River Kaveri.

Kallanai Dam is a massive dam of un-hewn stone, 329m long, 20m wide, and 4.5m high built across the main stream of the River Kaveri. It is the oldest water-diversion or water-regulating structure in the world, which is still in use. The dam cleverly diverts the waters of the Kaveri River across the Thanjavur delta region for irrigation through a canal system which originally irrigated near about 69,000 acres. In the 18th century, the Kallanai Dam was modified with hydraulic structures and now, after such alterations, irrigates over one million acres.

Upon the end of the Sangam Era, in the period from 300 AD to 600 AD there is almost a total black-out of the history of Southern India, Tamil Nadu in particular. Elsewhere, during this time in India, the Gupta Empire was established and flourished, rising to great heights. Kalidasa, the author of Shakuntala, was a poet in the Gupta court. Mathematician Aryabhata lived in the period. Zero was invented. The ancient Gupta text Kamasutra by Indian scholar Vatsyayana, in Sanskrit, came into being. Nalanda University was established. Chess was developed during this time. Meanwhile, outside India, Islam came into being in the sixth century AD.

Then in the eight century, the Cholas rose from obscurity to hit the headlines, again. Vijayalaya Chola, a descendant of the Early Cholas founded the Imperial Chola Empire in 848 AD, finding his own ground in the then ongoing conflict between the Pandya and Pallava Empires. He captured Thanjavur and made it his capital. His son Aditya-I teamed-up with the Pallavas to defeat the Pandyas of Madurai in 885 AD, and later went-on to defeat the Pallavas themselves. In 925, Aditya’s son Parantaka-I conquered Sri Lanka. Then there was a mild set-back with Cholas’ heir apparent Rajaditya Chola killed in battle. Subsequently, the Cholas quickly found their feet, and recovered power during the reign of Parantaka II (Sundara Chola). Sundara Chola had three children, crown Prince Aditya Karikalan (Aditya -II), Princess Kundavai and Prince Arumozhivarman (the future Raja Raja Chola I) the youngest. The Cholas, under the command of fearsome Aditya-II, defeated the Pandyas and further expanded the kingdom. Aditya-II died under mysterious circumstances -he may have been assassinated. On the death of Sundara Chola, his brother’s son Madhurantakan was crowned King with the title Uttama Chola. Arumozhivarman ascended the throne in mid 985 AD and adopted the regal name Raja Raja, meaning ‘King among Kings’.

The story of Arumozhivarman is the plot of the famous novel Ponniyin Selvan by Tamil author Kalki, which to a great extent brought out and kept alive the story of the Cholas.The story ran through real historical sites and galvanised interest in the Cholas.

When Raja Raja Chola -I came to power, he inherited a small kingdom centred around the Thanjavur–Tiruchirappalli region, the heart of traditional Chola territory.

And under Raja Raja -I and his son Rajendra I, the Chola Empire reach its Imperial state. At its peak, the empire stretched from the northern parts of Sri Lanka northwards to the Godavari–Krishna river basin, up to the Konkan coast, the entire Malabar Coast, in addition to Lakshadweep and the Maldives islands. The Cholas wielded a formidable navy, securing extensive maritime routes and expanding their influence into South East Asia.

Rajaraja Chola I was a dynamic ruler who applied himself to the task of governance with the same diligence and zeal he had shown in waging wars. He integrated his empire into a tight, administrative grid under royal control and strengthened local self-government. In 1000 AD, Raja Raja conducted a land survey to effectively marshal his empire’s resources. He built the iconic Brihadeeswarar Temple, in Thanjavur, in 1010. Raja Raja Chola died of natural causes in 1014 AD, after ruling for 30 years, and was succeeded by his son Rajendra Chola-I.

Rajendra Chola-I took off from the strong shoulders of his illustrious father, scaling even greater heights and is easily the greatest Chola King who ever lived.

Rajendra conquered Odisha and his armies continued north into Bengal, and reached the Ganges river in northern India. Rajendra successfully invaded the Srivijaya kingdom in Southeast Asia, which led to the decline of that empire. This expedition left an indelible impression on the Malay people of the medieval period where his name is mentioned in the corrupted form as Raja Chulan. Rajendra’s territories included the Ganges–Hooghly–Damodar basin, as well as Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The kingdoms along the east coast of India up to the river Ganges acknowledged Chola suzerainty. Diplomatic missions were sent to China in 1016, 1033, and 1077. Rajendra Chola commanded the largest blue water navy in Indian history, which he used it effectively to subdue Srivijaya, a southeast Asian kingdom that lay 3000 km away.

Realising that the traditional Chola capital of Thanjavur was literally bursting at the seams, and could not hold his dreams, Rajendra built himself a new capital called Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which served as the Chola capital for the next 250 years. He built the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in 1025 AD, symbolising Chola victory over the northern kingdoms and the successful Gangetic conquest. To anoint his new capital city with water from the sacred River Ganga he sent his army on a long expedition from Thanjavur all the way to modern day Bangladesh. His army defeated many kingdoms en route, and brought back water from the Ganga. He poured this holy water into a lake he built, the Chola Gangam, one of the largest manmade lakes in India. Gangaikonda Cholan literally means the Chola king who conquered the (plains of) River Ganga. Born on 26 July 971 AD, Rajendra Chola died in 1044 AD at age 73.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple is a masterpiece of Chola architecture with unmatched architectural grandeur, embodying spiritual and cultural brilliance. It reflects Dravidian temple architecture with an emphasis on vertical elevation, axial symmetry, and Shaiva symbolism. It is inspired by the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur (built by Rajaraja Chola I), but with a shorter yet broader vimana (temple tower). Elaborate sculptural friezes, including depictions of Shiva in various forms, sophisticated hydraulic engineering in temple tank design, showcasing advanced water management techniques, subtle Tamil inscriptions in Grantha (script) and Tamil scripts, preserving Tamil heritage. That the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a testament to the Chola dynasty’s power and architectural prowess.

Both Saivism (worship of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavism (worship of Lord Vishnu) flourished during the Chola period. A number of temples were built with the patronage of Chola kings and queens, which remained centres of economic activity.

Much of Tamil classical literature and the greater Tamil architectural monuments belong to the Sangam period, which also saw a revival of Shaivism and the development of southern Vaishnavism.

During the reign of Rajendra Chola, the Chola Empire reached its zenith in the Indian subcontinent; it extended its reach via trade and conquest across the Indian Ocean, making Rajendra one of only a few Indian monarchs who conquered territory beyond South Asia.The Chola fleet represented the peak of ancient Indian maritime capacity. The 1,000-year legacy of the Bhakti movement, maritime diplomacy, and temple-based urban culture that flourished under the Chola Empire.

Around 1070, the Cholas began to lose almost all of their overseas territories but the later Cholas (1070–1279) continued to rule portions of southern India. The Chola empire went into decline at the beginning of the 13th century with the rise of the Pandya dynasty, which ultimately caused the Chola’s downfall.

Now, coming over to the present.

India celebrated, with gusto, the millennium birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola-I on 26 July along with the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival held between 23rd July and 27th July 2025 at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, near Jayankondam, Ariyalur District, Tamil Nadu.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the celebrations and brought back focus and much deserved ‘attention to the matter’ on the great Cholas. He repeated the Rajendra Chola act of bringing holy water from the Ganges.

Here is a more detailed essay on the outstanding, mind-boggling contribution by the Cholas in art, architecture, and literature. Also to kindle your interest on the unforgettable Cholas. Sit back, and enjoy a time-machine return to India’s magnificent, ancient history.

The Chola reign marked a stupendous golden era in South India, blending religion, culture, and craftsmanship in monumental structures and intricate sculpture. The Cholas mastered metalworking techniques and perfected the art of bronze casting, producing precision detailed sculptures, particularly of deities. The iconic Nataraja sculpture of Lord Shiva, in the cosmic dance pose, is globally recognised for its depiction of motion and balance. Artisans realistically portrayed human figures, capturing physical beauty and emotional expression: the bronze figure of Sambandar – a child saint – is a testimony to this; the bronze figurines of Parvati (the consort of Lord Shiva) and Lord Vishnu showcase skill in representing ornate details such as garments and jewellery.

Art was deeply intertwined with religious themes, portraying complex symbolism in sculptures. The Ardhanareeshvara sculptures, which depict Shiva as half male and half female, symbolise the unity of opposites.

The Chola temples are adorned with magnificent sculptures that portray scenes from mythology and religious epics.The Brihadeeshwara Temple,Thanjavur, features numerous intricate carvings of gods, dancers, and animals. Chola art influenced classical Indian dance forms, particularly through depiction of divine dancers. The Nataraja in ‘Ananda-Tandava’ pose inspired traditional Bharatanatyam dance forms.

Chola art frequently depicted scenes from mythological texts, helping to preserve and propagate religious stories through visual art. Sculptures from the Airavatesvara Temple at Dharasuram, Kumbakonam, show scenes from the lives of saints and deities.

The Cholas perfected the Dravidian style of temple architecture, characterised by towering vimanas or gopurams (towering gateway structures at entrance of Hindu temples) The Brihadeeshwara Temple is a masterpiece of Chola temple architecture, standing as one of India’s largest temples.

The Cholas introduced gopurams – probably first thought of by the Pallavas but developed by the Cholas and later made better and bigger by the Vijayanagar Dynasty – that became an iconic feature of South Indian temples. Chola temples are known for their massive scale and advanced engineering techniques, especially in the construction of monoliths. The granite monolith of Nandi at Brihadeeshwara Temple weighs over 20 tons and is an engineering marvel. Cholas innovated by using both stone and brick in temple construction, allowing for more elaborate designs and stronger structures: again, the Airavatesvara Temple is a prime example.

Chola architecture extended its influence beyond India, particularly in Southeast Asia: The temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia portray features reminiscent of Chola architectural styles, reflecting their global influence. The Cholas incorporated water management systems like temple tanks and reservoirs into their temple complexes: the pushkarinis (a stepped temple tank) at Gangaikonda Cholapuram were essential for ritual purification and water conservation: The Chola architectural style laid the foundation for later South Indian dynasties, particularly the Vijayanagar Empire, which continued and expanded on Chola architectural innovations, especially the lofty gopuram style.

The Cholas, through their unparalleled contributions to art and architecture, left a legacy that continues to inspire admiration. Their innovations in bronze sculpture, religious iconography, and monumental temple architecture elevated the Dravidian style to its peak, influencing future generations. Although the Chola empire has faded, their artistic achievements remain immortal, showcasing the artistic and architectural brilliance of medieval South India.

The Cholas patronised and advanced Tamil literature, fostering distinguished poets like Kalladanar(Kalladar), Kamban, and Avvaiyar. Kalladanar’s Kalladam (of Lord Muruga) celebrated Lord Shiva, while Thiruttakkadevar’s Seevaka Cinthamani (one of 5 great Tamil Epics) introduced Jainism to Tamil audiences. The epic is the story of a Prince who is a perfect master of all arts, perfect warrior, and perfect lover.

Despite the Chola rulers’ support for Sanskrit, original Tamil works thrived, with Poet Kamban translating Valmiki’s Ramayana – as Kamba Ramayana- enriching Tamil literature’s evolution.

In the beginning of 10th century, a Nayanmar saint Nambi Aandar Nambi wrote the ’Tiruttoonar Tiruvandhadhi, which is a memoir on the lives of the 63 Nayanmars (Tamil Saivite Saints). In 11th century, Nambi Aandar Nambi as the court poet of Raja Raj Chola compiled the hymns of the Nayanmar saints in Tirumurai, which is considered to be one of the greatest text of Nayanmar saints. The Tamil ‘Naalayira Divya Prabandham’ – 4000 divine verses- was composed by Alvar Poigai during the Chola reign. Rajaraja I was instrumental in bringing back Thevaram (the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai, a collection of devotional poetry dedicated to Lord Shiva) in the Shaiva tradition.

Classical dances like Bharatnatyam flourished during the Chola period primarily due to the Devadasi system. Cholas also patronised the bamboo staff fencing marital art Silambam. The representation of Nataraja or Adal Vallan (king of dance) in the form of the idol was the motif of Tamil music, dance and drama with hymns composed by Nayanmars. e.g. Oduvars and Padikam Paduvars: They were appointed to sing in the temples to recite Thirumurai.

The Cholas decentralized administration, allowing local leaders and village assemblies (sabhas) to exercise autonomy. This allowed the empire to maintain control over vast territories while fostering strong local governance. The Kudavolai system was used for local elections. It involved writing names of eligible candidates on palm leaves, which where then dropped into a pot and drawn out by a young boy -selecting representatives.

On the commerce front, Ports like Nagapattinam became thriving centres of international trade, with the Cholas exporting textiles, spices, and jewels.

That’s a breathtaking history of the Great Cholas.

Flash Floods

A massive cloudburst triggered heavy rains and flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. A flood of water came down, swelling the Kheerganga river and sending tonnes of muddy waters gushing downwards on the hilly terrain, covering roads, buildings and shops in Dharali Village – a tourist spot populated with hotels, resorts and restaurants.

Sports

India’s Chess International Master (IM) Divya Deshmukh all of 19 years, won the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup beating fellow Indian Grand Master (GM) Humpy Koneru in the tiebreaks. Through this victory she also achieves GM status- and a new star is born. She is now the 44th woman to hold the GM title. It was a magnificent feat for the talented and mentally tough Divya.

Divya Deshmukh was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra and hails from a Marathi family. Her parents are both medical doctors.

England’s Women earned its place in women’s football history with a stunning penalty-shootout victory over Spain to retain their European title at Euro 2025, on 27 July. Chloe Kelly, who scored the iconic winner at UK’s Wembley Stadium in the final of Euro 2022, was the hero again as she converted the decisive spot-kick to seal victory after Spain had missed three in a row – England’s goal-keeper saved two of them. It is the first time an England team has won a major trophy on foreign soil – at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland -and seals manager Sarina Wiegman’s status as one of the world’s greatest with her third successive European title – achieved with two countries.

England’s Men came close to the winning ways of the women but India stole their thunder. The enthralling 2-2 draw for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India provided a dramatic start to the new cricket World Test Championship cycle. It was an epic contest, each of the five Tests going into the final day, four in fact into the final session, providing some of the best individual and collective performances the five-day format has seen in recent years.

Cricket pundits had predicted a clean sweep for England, what with the home advantage and India’s pre-series struggles. Whitewashed 0-3 at home by New Zealand, followed by a 3-1 drubbing by Australia down under in two preceding series, India looked vulnerable and wobbly.

The England-India Test series was a five Test one. And with the 4th Test at Old Trafford, Manchester ending in a draw India came to the Oval in London trailing England 1-2 in the series. But then India won by six runs to level the series 2-2 in one of the most dramatic conclusions in Test Cricket history. England were denied a record-breaking run chase by an irresistible India.

How India held their nerve under immense pressure – driven by willpower, ambition, and skill – culminating in a thrilling comeback to win and level the series, is one of Test cricket’s most riveting tales. It also marks this Indian young team’s transition from apprehension and misgivings one of rich promise fuelled by ambition and excellence. The future looks bright for this Indian team.

More captivating stories blending the past with the present, coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay with Freewheeling.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-2

About: the world this week, 7 January 2024 to 13 January 2024; Israel changes tactics; the Houthi Movement; France’s new Prime Minister; Bangladesh’s old PM; India’s oil find; the Golden Globe Awards; and passing of Football superstars.

Everywhere

Israel is shifting its war against the terrorist Hamas to a different level: to a new kind of tactical urban guerrilla warfare. And once their goals are accomplished, I am sure there will be no army like Israel’s Defense Forces. There are still 136 hostages out there, since 7 October 2023, under unimaginable duress, and Israel is fighting hard to bring them home.

On another front, the United States and the United Kingdom launched a massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The strikes were from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen, in response to the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea. And this is a dramatic regional widening of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Houthis have, more than two dozen times, attacked commercial vessels since mid-November 2023, triggering an international challenge. The US and UK said their action demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks.

The Houthi Movement, officially known as ‘Ansar Allah’ is a Shia Islamist political and military organisation that emerged in Yemen in the 1990s. The leadership is drawn largely from the Houthi Tribe, hence the name. In the formative stages, it was mainly an opposition to Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Salem, who they accused of corruption and being backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States. What began as a moderate theological movement that preached tolerance and held broad-minded views evolved into a violent organisation, over the years, largely influenced by the Hezbollah of Iran. In the year 2003, the Houthis adopted their official slogan as, ‘God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A curse upon the Jews, Victory to Islam’. This slogan is often portrayed on a white flag, with the written text in red and green: the pro-islamic statements in green and the anti-America & anti-Israel ones in red. The Houthis aim to govern all of Yemen and support external movements again the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. They have a complex relationship with their own people-the Sunnis- in Yemen.

This Tuesday, France named a new Prime Minister: the youngest and the first openly gay person. Gabriel Attal, 34, takes over from his predecessor Elisabeth Borne following her resignation early in the week over turmoil on an Immigration law that strengthens the Government’s power to deport foreigners. Gabriel joined French President Macron’s political movement in 2016 and was Government Spokesman from 2020 to 2022, which made him well-known. He also served as Budget Minister and Education Minister in Macron’s Government. And is popular among the people besides being media savvy. France seems to be growing young, riding on the shoulders of the old. Macron himself became France’s youngest President at age 39 in the year 2017.

This week, South Korea’s Parliament passed a landmark ban on production and sale of dog meat, bringing to an end a centuries old practice. Until now, eating dog meat was neither explicitly banned nor legally permitted and has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days.

In India’s immediate neighbourhood, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,76, secured a record fourth straight term-her fifth at the top job-with her Awami League Party winning two-thirds majority in Parliament. The voter turnout was miserly at 40% and could be due to the main Opposition Party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Allies, boycotting the General Elections. They were angry over the harsh crackdown on the opposition and human-rights violations. Hasina herself won her seat for the eight time, since 1986, and her nearest rival secured just 469 votes.

Hasina has been in power since 2009 and has remarkably transformed the economy of Bangladesh. Its garment sector is one of the world’s most competitive. She has staved off military coups, controlled Islamic militancy, and raised the profile of her country. And she is best friends with India.

Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was the architect of separation from parent Pakistan, and founding Bangladesh as an independent nation in 1971 – with India’s help. The Father was assassinated in August 1975. Hasina herself has survived a total of 19 assassination attempts on her life. She has a son and a daughter. Hasina’s niece – the daughter of her only living sibling, Sheikh Rehan is Tulip Siddiq, the UK politician serving as Member of Parliament for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.

India is beginning to get rich in many ways. It’s already the owner of the largest ornament gold in the World and as if the shine of this yellow isn’t enough, India discovered one of its best Black Gold – Crude Oil – finds ever. India’s Oil & Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) announced the discovery. A total of 26 wells were found, and 4 wells have just begun production, capable of pumping out 45,000 barrels per day by May or June this year. This would meet about 7% of India’s total oil requirements. The discovery is 30 kilometres from Kakinada’s coast, nestled within the Krishna Godavari basin, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh State.

The 81st Golden Globes Awards Ceremony 2024, hosted by comedian Jo Koy, was held at the Beverley Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, US, on 7th January and the award winners were announced. The Golden Globes is one of the few Award ceremonies which include achievements in both motion picture and television. Oppenheimer and Barbie, between them, won most of the nominations and the awards, reminding us that ‘Barbenheimer’ are quite a pair, still running together on the big screen. Oppenheimer had 8 nominations and 5 wins: best Film-drama, best Actor-drama for Cillian Murphy, Best male actor in a supporting role for ‘Iron Man’ Robert Downey Jr, Best original score, and Best Director for Christoper Nolan.

Barbie was the most nominated film in 9 categories and won 2 Globes. It won the first-ever award for Cinematic & Box Office Achievement, introduced this year. Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig set records and hit over USD 1 billion in global box offices. The second award was for Best Original Song. Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell won for their emotional track, ‘What Was I Made For?

Best Film-musical or comedy went to Poor Things: about a young woman living in Victorian era London who, after being resurrected by a scientist following her suicide, runs off with a debauched lawyer to embark on an odyssey of self-discovery and sexual liberation. The best animated film went to The Boy and the Heron: follows a boy during the Pacific War, who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town after his mother’s death and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron.

The best non-English Film award went to Anatomy of a Fall: a French courtroom drama thriller about as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death.

Best Television Series-Drama went to Succession: the ups and downs of a dysfunctional American global-media family. Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television went to Beef: about two strangers whose involvement in a road rage incident escalates into a prolonged feud. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun became the first actors of Asian descent to win for their meaty roles in the series.

Major fashion and dressing trends were unleashed at the Golden Globe Awards. And individuality still ruled the Red Carpet. The 50s ankle-length cocktail dress—the sheath and lavender was there. Bangs (locks of hair that fall over the scalp’s front hairline to cover the forehead, usually just above the eyebrows) were a big-bang sensation, going by Taylor Swift’s ‘Kissing the Brow Bangs.’ Carey Mulligan’s blunt cut, which some call the bob, also did the rounds. Large glam curls were seen on Jennifer Lopez and Brie Larson, which provided a soft look. Selena Gomez and Helen Mirren went for the traditional bun, while Billie Eilish and Lily Gladstone did some exciting things with the layers. Ponytails were back. Florence Pugh’s fluffy reverse duck-tail was chic and could start a trend with women. Barbie’s Margot Robbie came in a pink Armani dress inspired by the classic ‘Superstar Barbie’ doll of 1977. She continued playing Barbie.

What about the men? They were simply suave.

In the world of Men’s Football, only three players have won the FIFA World Cup, both as player and as a Manager. Franz Beckenbauer of Germany, Mario Zagello of Brazil, and Didier Deschamps of France.

This week, on 9th January, Franz Beckenbauer died at the age of 78. Late last week, on 5th January, Mario Zagello, died at the age of 92. That’s two legends leaving the football field forever, within the span of a week.

Beckenbauer, known in Germany as ‘Der Kaiser (the Emperor) is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. He helped Germany win their second world title as a player and Captain in 1974 and later as a Manager in 1990, in their third win.

Born in Munich in 1945, he captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup title on home soil when they beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the Munich final; then managed the team that beat Argentina 1-0 in Rome to lift the trophy at Italia’90. He was named European footballer of the year in 1972 and 1976. He played a pivotal role in some of the country’s greatest sporting achievements. But, in later years, his legacy was tarnished by his involvement in scandals surrounding Germany’s successful bid to host the 2006 World Cup.

Mario Zagello was in Brazil’s winning team, playing alongside the legendary Pele, in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup, and ‘managed’ Pele and the Brazilian team in 1970 when Brazil won the World Cup for the third time. He wore the nickname of ‘The Professor’ throughout his coaching career due to his tactical awareness and commanding presence on the bench. Brazil went on to win the world in 1994 and 2002 – an unsurpassed record five times. Brazil is quickly followed by Germany with 4 FIFA World Cup wins in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014 and Italy also with four wins in 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006.

More real and reel stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Watch with World Inthavaaram .

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-33

About: the world this week, 13 August to 19 August 2023; a charged Trump; the Taliban; rain fury in India; caste problems; Inflation; Moon mission; brainwave music; Women’s Football, and Men’s Hockey.

Everywhere

United States

Former United States (US) President Donald Trump ‘refuses to quit’- the headlines, for the wrong reasons. He and 18 others were indicted in the State of Georgia for trying to overturn the Presidential Election Results in 2020, which culminated in his supporters storming the US Capitol Hill in January 2020. This week, the jury laid out a 41-count indictment against Trump and others.

Trump was charged with 13 counts, including violating Georgia’s RICO Act, (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations) soliciting a public officer, and conspiring to file false documents. Some of the others indicted include former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and former White House lawyer John Eastman.

The RICO Act enables prosecutors to target people in positions of authority within a criminal organisation, not just lower-level people doing the dirty work. But its use was never meant to be limited exclusively to organised ‘Gangster’ crime.

On expected lines, Team Trump called the prosecutors in the case ‘rabid partisan’ and called the indictment ‘bogus.’ It’s the fourth time he’s been criminally charged in four months. Trump has maintained that the other indictments are politically motivated.

Educating The Taliban

It’s close to 700 days since the Taliban banned teenage girls and women from schools and they continue to be denied the right to an education in Afghanistan. Now, in another onslaught on women, a Taliban Official said this week, “Women ‘lose value’ if men glimpse their faces in public”. Hence the necessity for them to cover-up!

India’s Rain Fury

Intense rain and cloudbursts wreaked havoc in India’s northern State of Himachal Pradesh for the second time since July, resulting in multiple landslides that claimed more than 50 lives across the hill state.

The devastation in the Hill Station of Shimla was Biblical with buildings collapsing like the proverbial ‘house of cards’ washed away by the avalanche-like gush of water down the hill sides.

The situation was grim in the neighbouring State of Uttarakhand too, as a continuous spell of torrential rain caused three deaths and left five people missing. The fatalities have pushed the state’s rain-related death toll this monsoon to over 63, with many unaccounted for.

The extreme rain spells came during a break in the monsoon over India, when the monsoon trough runs close to the Western Himalayas, making the hill states vulnerable to heavy showers.

India’s Inflation

India’s retail inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which was relaxing around 4.81% in June for quite a while, surged to a 15-month high of 7.44% in July. Vegetable prices, notably tomatoes, and other food items are major contributors to the spike. This marks the highest figure since April 2022, when inflation was at 7.79%.

The two indices that are used to measure inflation in India are the CPI and the WPI (Wholesale Price Index). These two measure inflation on a monthly basis taking into account different approaches to calculate the change in prices of goods and services. The study helps the Government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to understand the price change in the market and thus keep an eye on inflation.

The CPI analyses the retail inflation of goods and services in the economy across 260 commodities. The CPI-based retail inflation considers the change in prices at which the consumers buy goods. The data is collected separately by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation and the Ministry of Labour.

The WPI analyses the inflation of only goods across 697 commodities. The WPI-based wholesale inflation considers the change in prices at which consumers buy goods at a wholesale price or in bulk from the Manufacturer/Producer’s Factory, Mandis, etc.

India’s CPI rose, the WPI continues to remain in the negative territory for four straight months and was (-)1.36% in July 2023.

Tamil Nadu’s Caste Problems

In a shocking, brutal incident, a 17 years old student, Chinnadurai and his 14 years old sister Chandraselvi, studying in a Government-aided School, were attacked with sickles by six of his classmates at his house in Nanguneri, in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli District, late last week.

Chinnadurai is a Class 12 student of the School in Valliyur on the National Highway, near Nanguneri and belongs to a lower caste. His attackers-classmates from his own school- belonged to dominant upper castes. When the attackers barged into their house, Chandraselvi who had come to Chinnadurai’s rescue was also hacked. The neighbours gathered on hearing the commotion, the students fled the scene.

The brother suffered about fifteen cuts on his body while the sister had about five cuts, primarily on her hands. Both were treated at the Nanguneri Government Hospital and later at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. And are out of danger.

A 60 years old relative of the victims, who was among those holding a protest demanding police action against the suspects, fainted and died.

Chinnadurai was subjected to casteist harassment and bullied at school by students of Class 11 and Class 12 who forced him to run errands for them such as buying cigarettes and snacks. Unable to bear the harassment the boy complained to his parents-who are daily wage labourers-and stopped going to School.

Chinnadurai’s mother had taken him to school to complain, whereupon the students involved were called by the Headmaster and let off with a stiff warning. This seems of have angered the boys who confronted Chinnadurai on his way home and threatened him with severe consequences if he complained. And on the same night, the students gathered and entered Chinnadurai’s house and attacked him.

Tirunelveli has been infamous for caste clashes in schools in the past too and the Government had taken measures such as banning the use of coloured wristbands and other symbols that identify caste in schools. Like wristbands, students would sport tilaks and bindis in different colours – for instance, red and green for Dalits, yellow and red for Thevars. Such wristbands and also colourful T-shirts and trousers are banned in Schools in the region.

Moon Mission

India’s Chandrayaan-3 is flying like a butterfly and is getting closer to the Moon and this week it successfully completed all Moon-bound manoeuvres. The next step of the separation of the Lunar Landing Module-Vikram-from the Propulsion Module happened on 17 Aug 23. And subsequently, the de-boosting operations to slow down the spacecraft was also completed. Vikram is now as close as about 113 km away from the Moon, looking for a spot… to land.

And it’s over to the soft-kiss touch-down landing on the Moon…and of course the strolling when Vikram ‘opens up’ to reveal the Rover – Pragyan – tucked inside.

Land like a Butterfly! Sting the Moon like a Bee!

Music From Another Brick In The Wall

Scientists have reconstructed Pink Floyd’s iconic song, ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ by eavesdropping on people’s brainwaves- the first time a recognisable song has been decoded from recordings of electrical brain activity.

Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, published a study explaining how they reconstructed ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ by decoding electrical brain activity. Scientists placed electrodes on 29 epilepsy patients’ brain surfaces as they listened to three minutes of the song. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computer models used the brain-activity patterns in each patient’s brain to help recreate the song’s lyrics, rhythm, and melody. The scientists said they decided to use music instead of voice because ‘music is universal’. Now, the success of the study could be used to help paralysed patients with neurological conditions.

Researchers found an increased reaction in part of the temporal lobe (which processes sound and memory) when playing certain notes. The scientists hope the study could help answer why some patients who struggle with speech can sing but not speak. They also believe the research could help develop devices that can do more than just rely on speech-but can instead interpret sounds and emotions as well.

The breakthrough could help tens of thousands of people who have difficulty with speech including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients and those with non-verbal apraxia.

ALS is a form of motor neuron disease, where the muscles are left ‘without nourishment’ and thereby loss of signals that nerve cells normally send to muscle cells.

The hope is that doing so could ultimately help to restore the musicality of natural speech in patients who struggle to communicate because of disabling neurological conditions such as stroke or ALS – the neurodegenerative disease that famous Scientist Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with.

Women’s Football

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is on its last legs in the joint-hosting countries of Australia and New Zealand.

Joining Spain and Sweden – last week’s Semi Finalists – were England and Australia. England beat Colombia 2-1 in regular time, and Australia beat France 7-6 on penalties, to get to the last Four. This is Australia’s first ever entry into the Semi-Finals.

In the first semi-finals Spain beat Sweden, 2-1, and in the second, England beat Australia, 3-1, to kick into their first ever final. Australia’s Sam Kerr scored a spectacular goal from around the mid-half – easily one of the best in the tournament – to level after the English scored. But Australia fumbled during an English raid, at the goal-post allowing England to slip in a goal.

The Spain versus England Final is set for 20 August 23 at ‘Stadium Australia’- Accor Stadium – Sydney, Australia. Neither have the Spanish ‘La Roja’ or the English ‘Lionesses’ reached this stage previously, and either way it will be truly be a ‘maiden win’.

The key players capable of determining the final outcome are: England’s defender Alex Greenwood, considered one of the best ball-playing centre backs in the World and along with her impeccable passing she can roar in the attacks. She will have to fend off Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso, who has a ran a total of 67.43 km in the Tournament thus far, chasing down every ball and brushing over every blade of grass to help her team win. Then there is the Ona Batlle -Lauren Hemp and Teresa Abelleria – Keria Walsh battles to look forward to.

The other stars are Spain’s Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo, especially the latter. After giving up an athletics career the 19 years old has gone on to establish herself in the Spanish squad. Able to play wide or through the middle, her pace is a nightmare for opposition defenders, plus she has an eye for goals. She has scored three times in Spain’s last two games before the World Cup. Another lioness to look out for is the ‘poised for breakout’ 21 years old English star Lauren James.

England are favourites to win the Cup. The Queen of Spain is expected to watch the Finals, and maybe wave a magic wand?

The race for the Golden Boot, has Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa, at 5 goals, in the lead followed by France’s Kadidiatou Diani, at 4 goals.

Hockey

The Indian men’s hockey team won its fourth Asian Champions Trophy title, cheered on by a capacity crowd in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. They defeated Malaysia 4-3 in the finals. Now the expectations are huge for winning Gold in upcoming The Asian Games – about a month away. With this victory, India becomes the most successful team in the Asian Champions Trophy, ahead of three-time champions and arch rivals, Pakistan.

India was down 1-3, at half-time, but clawed-back into the game to secure a 4-3 win. Jugraj Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Akashdeep Singh scored the goals for India.

Japan beat Korea 5-3 for to finish third, while Pakistan beat China 6-1 to finish fifth.

More sticking stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Play with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-40

About –the stories of the world this week, 2 October to 8 October 2022: deadly football, a tight election in Brazil, 5G in India, a fierce helicopter, Noble Prizes – and human evolution.

Everywhere

Crushing Football in Indonesia

Football – Association Football – is the most popular sport in Indonesia in terms of attendance, participation, and revenue. And the domestic league, played at all levels – from children to middle-aged men – is widely followed across the country.

Liga 1, the Indonesian domestic league is hugely popular and was started around 1930 in the Dutch colonial era. The National Body that kicks the football around the country is the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI). Some of the major teams are: Persija Jakarta, Persib Bandung, Persebaya Surabaya, PSM Makassar, Persita Tangerang, PSMS Medan, PSIS Semarang, Persik Kediri, Persipura Jayapura, Persiwa Wamena, and Arema Malang.

Few places in the world can match the passion for football generated by fans in Indonesia, where stadiums are regularly packed to the rafters to cheer their sides. Fans are strongly attached to their clubs, and such fanaticism often ends in violence and hooliganism, mostly outside the stadiums.

On Saturday, last week, in Malang, East Java the home team Area FC lost, 2-3, to long-time, bitter rival Persebaya Surabaya at an overcrowded Kanjuruhan stadium. On the final whistle, marking the defeat, Arema FC fans invaded the pitch, causing the Police to chase them to bring order. They then started attacking the Police, damaging vehicles and a Police car was set on fire. In response, the Police began firing tear gas, on the spread of which spectators in the stadium panicked and started running towards the exits. And in the stampede and the surge to leave the Stadium that followed, at least 130 people were suffocated or crushed to death and hundreds injured. This is one of the world’s worst stadium disasters. Two police officers also died in the melee.

The Kanjuruhan stadium has a stated capacity of 38,000 and 42,000 tickets were sold for the match. However, being the home ground of Arema FC, Persebaya Surabaya fans were banned from buying tickets, fearing clashes between the sides – whoever wins or loses.

FIFA, the world’s governing football body, states that no ‘crowd control gas’ should be carried or used by stewards or Police at matches. Here, Police had fired numerous tear gas rounds ‘continuously and fast’ after the situation with the fans became ‘tense’. If the crowds panic and the Police also panic, it can lead to nothing but disaster. It did.

Across the world, other instances of Stadium disasters are:

In the year 1964, 320 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured during a stampede at a Peru-Argentina Olympic qualifier in Peru’s Capital, Lima.

In 1985, during the European Cup final between England’s Liverpool and Italy’s Juventus Clubs, 39 people died and 600 were hurt at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium, when fans were crushed against a wall that then collapsed.

In 1989, in the United Kingdom, crush of football fans led to the death of 97 Liverpool fans attending the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield. The tragedy was largely attributed to mistakes by the Police.

Lessons still to be learnt: new ‘safety’ goals are to be set by the Police and Authorities managing sport in stadiums.

Close Presidential Elections in Brazil

Brazil’s bitterly divisive presidential election is headed for a runoff on 30th October as incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro beat expectations to finish a closer-than-expected second to front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Lula, seeking a presidential comeback, secured 48.4% of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 43.2%. Simone Tebet, a member of the Brazilian Federal Senate, an academic and lawyer politician came a distant third with 4.2% of the votes.

It was an unexpectedly strong result for the combative ex-army captain Bolsonaro, and for Brazil’s far-right, which also had surprise good showings in a series of key congressional and governors’ races.

Lula, the popular but tarnished ex-President who led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, had been the favourite to win the race – possibly in a single round.

Super-fast 5G in India

On 1st October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India ushering a new era of super-fast communications.

In telecommunications, 5G is the Fifth Generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019, and is the planned successor to the 4G networks which provide connectivity to most current cellphones. 5G is up to 100 times faster than 4G.

Let’s go back a decade to when it all started with 1G and move up a decade and a Generation, at a time.

In 1980 we had 1G with mobile voice calls. In 1990 we stepped on to 2G with mobile voice calls and SMS (Short Message Service). In 2000 we walked fast on 3G with mobile web browsing. Then in 2010 we began running on 4G with mobile video consumption and higher data speed. Now 5G provides the sprint: faster connectivity speeds, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth dramatically enhancing day-to-day experiences. Services that we used to see as futuristic, such as e-health, connected vehicles and traffic systems, and advanced mobile cloud gaming have arrived.

Like its predecessors, 5G networks are cellular networks, in which the service area is divided into small geographical areas called cells. All 5G wireless devices in a cell are connected to the Internet and telephone network by radio waves through a local antenna in the cell. The new networks have higher download speeds, eventually up to 10 gigabits per second. In addition to 5G being faster than existing networks, 5G has higher bandwidth and can thus connect more of different devices, improving the quality of Internet services in crowded areas.

India’s Blue Thunder

India’s indigenously built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) was commissioned this week and named Prachand, meaning ‘fierce’.

This is a fierce lift-off for India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan campaign, which intent is to make India a self-reliant country in all aspects.

Prachand is a multi-role, light attack helicopter, capable of taking-off and landing at an altitude of 16,400 feet – perhaps the only one of its kind in the world with such a high flight ceiling. It is manufactured by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and designed by its in-house Rotary Wing Research and Design Centre.

It has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army based on a lessons -learnt outcome during the 1999 Kargil War, in which India successfully staved off and attack by Pakistan. The war revealed that Indian armed forces lacked a suitably armed rotorcraft capable of operating unrestricted in the high-altitudes.

Prachand is equipped with a two-person tandem cockpit to accommodate a pilot and co-pilot gunner and can perform both the anti-infantry and anti-armour missions. The features that are unique to Prachand include its narrow fuselage, a crashworthy tricycle landing gear arrangement and self-sealing fuel tanks, armour protection, and a low visibility stealth profile. It is protected via an extensive electronic warfare suite which comprises multiple defensive elements to guard against various kinds of threats. These include a radar warning receiver, laser warning receiver and a missile approach warning system. The protective measures included consist of a digital camouflage system, an infrared suppressor fitted to the engine exhaust, and an exterior covered by canted flat panels to minimise its radar cross-section. It is furnished with an integrated dynamic system, including a hingeless main rotor and bearing-less tail rotor, which works in conjunction with an anti-resonance isolation system to dampen vibrations.

That’s breathtaking capability developed by India. Way to go! Prachand whirled memories of the 1983 Hollywood movie, ‘Blue Thunder’ starring ‘Jaws fame’ Roy Scheider, about a combat style Police surveillance helicopter. Remember the movie?

Rewards for Path-Breaking Work – The Nobel Prizes

The question of our origin and what makes us humans unique has engaged humanity since ancient times. I’ve always been fascinated by human evolution: how did we get here in our present shape? Finally, we are getting some definitive answers to the many puzzling questions about our origins.

First, a few scientific definitions: hold your head tight before it starts spinning.

Taxonomy is a scheme of hierarchical classification in which things are organised into groups or types. Human taxonomy is the classification of the human species within the zoological taxonomy. Genome means the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism. It is made of DNA (or RNA) and other elements that control the activity of genes. Genome sequencing is a laboratory method that is used to determine the entire genetic makeup of a specific organism or cell type.

We humans belong to the Kingdom – Animalia, Phylum-Chordata, Class-Mammalia, Order-Primates, Family-Hominidae, Subfamily-Homininae, Tribe-Hominini, Genus-Homo, Species-Sapiens. Going deeper, the genus Homo is placed in the tribe Hominini alongside Pan-Chimpanzees. The two genera diverged over an extended time of hybridization spanning roughly 10 to 6 million years ago, with possible admixture as late as 4 million years ago.

The genus, Homo includes both anatomically modern humans and extinct varieties of archaic humans. In the Tribe ‘Homini’ only one species exists today – that’s us Homo Sapiens (meaning ‘wise man’, in Latin), or plain human beings. Other human varieties went extinct just like the Dinosaurs did. And the reasons are yet to be conclusively established.

Now, armed with this scientific background, let’s move to more nobler things:

This year’s The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Sweden’s Svante Paabo for his work on human evolution – for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution. The Prize committee said he achieved the seemingly impossible task of cracking the genetic code of one of our extinct relatives – Neanderthals (Homo Neanderthalensis). He also performed the ‘sensational’ feat of discovering a previously unknown relative – Denisovans (Homo Denisova). His work significantly helped explore our own evolutionary history and how humans spread around the planet.

Svante Paabo successfully sequenced the genome of a Neanderthal in the year 2010 by extracting the DNA from the femur bones of three 38,000 years old female Neanderthal specimens from Vindija Cave, Croatia, and other bones found in Spain, Russia, and Germany.

Recall, by the end of the 1990’s, almost the entire human genome had been sequenced, which was an outstanding, path-breaking accomplishment that allowed subsequent studies of the genetic relationship between different human populations.

Paabo found that gene transfer had occurred from these now extinct hominins to Homo Sapiens following the migration out of Africa. This ancient flow of genes to present-day humans has physiological relevance today, for example affecting how our immune system reacts to infections.

Paabo’s seminal research gave rise to an entirely new scientific discipline: paleogenomics. By revealing genetic differences that distinguish all living humans from extinct hominins, his discoveries provide the basis for exploring what makes us uniquely human.

Paleontological and archeological research provided evidence that the anatomically modern Homo Sapiens, first appeared in Africa approximately 300,000 years ago, while our closest known relatives, Neanderthals, developed outside Africa and populated Europe and Western Asia from around 400,000 years until 30,000 years ago, at which point they went extinct. About 70,000 years ago, groups of Homo Sapiens migrated from Africa to the Middle East and, from there they spread to the rest of the world. Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals thus coexisted in large parts of Eurasia for tens of thousands of years.

We know about our relationship with the extinct Neanderthals from clues derived from genomic information. Comparisons with contemporary humans and chimpanzees demonstrated that Neanderthals were genetically distinct. It has also been demonstrated that the most recent common ancestor of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens lived around 800,000 years ago. This means that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens interbred during their millennia of coexistence. In modern day humans with European or Asian descent, approximately 1 to 4% of the genome originates from the Neanderthals.

In 2008, a 40,000-year-old fragment from a finger bone was discovered in the Denisova cave in the southern part of Siberia. The bone contained exceptionally well-preserved DNA, which Paabo’s team sequenced. The results caused a sensation: the DNA sequence was unique when compared to all known sequences from Neanderthals and present-day humans. Paabo had discovered a previously unknown hominin, which was given the name Denisova. Comparisons with sequences from contemporary humans from different parts of the world showed that gene flow had also occurred between Denisova and Homo sapiens. This relationship was first seen in populations in Melanesia and other parts of South East Asia, where individuals carry up to 6% Denisova DNA.

At the time when Homo Sapiens migrated out of Africa, at least two now extinct hominin populations inhabited Eurasia. Neanderthals lived in western Eurasia, whereas Denisovans populated the eastern parts of the continent. During the expansion of Homo sapiens outside Africa and their migration east, they not only encountered and interbred with Neanderthals, but also with Denisovans Interbreeding occurred when Homo sapiens spread across the continent, leaving traces that remain in our DNA.

A flashback: Neanderthals were the first species of fossil hominins discovered and have secured their place in our collective imagination ever since. The first Neanderthal fossils were found in Engis, Belgium in 1829, but were not identified as belonging to Neanderthals until almost 100 years later. The first fossils to be called Neanderthals were found in 1856 in Germany, at a site in the Neander Valley (where Neanderthals get their name from).

The other Nobel Prizes of 2022, announced are:

The Nobel Prize in Physics to France’s Alain Aspect, USA’s John F. Clauser and Austria’s Anton Zeilinger, ‘for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science’.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry to USA’s Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Denmark’s Morten Meldal, and USA’s K. Barry Sharpless, ‘for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistrye’.

The Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to the French author Annie Ernaux ‘for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory’.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial, and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties: they represent civil society in their home countries. Said the announcement , “They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy”.

Over the years there was a grouse about the ‘tiny amount’ of female prize winners. Maybe someone heard?

As of 2022, Unique Nobel Prize laureates include 885 men, 59 women, and 25 Organizations. Only one woman, Marie Curie, has been honoured twice, with the Nobel Prize in Physics 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1911.

More gritty, armoured stories coming up in the weeks ahead, work hard and stay the course, you may win a Nobel; meanwhile, keep reading World Inthavaaram to evolve better.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2020-48

About: This is a light-hearted commentary of what happened this week, in our World.

Wisdom

“I’m tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want, If that makes me a b***h, Okay” – Madonna, Singer-Songwriter.

Everywhere

New Zealand’s Parliament

I just cannot stop talking about Jacinda Arden’s New Zealand. When Jacinda was re-elected as Prime Minister in a landslide last month, she brought-in to the law-making business people from diverse backgrounds, in what is considered as the most inclusive Parliament in the world. Almost half of New Zealand’s newly sworn-in Parliament are women and 11% are LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning). Both New Zealand’s Indigenous Māori and people with Pacific Island heritage are represented at a slightly higher rate than in the general population.

“It looks like New Zealand looks. We’re not male, pale and stale anymore”, said a professor of Politics at the University of Auckland, of the country’s Government.

Vaccines

The coronavirus Vaccine Station is beginning to fill. Over the past weeks, we had Sputnik V, Pfizer, and Moderna come up with positive results of ensuring coronavirus negatives. On 23rd November, Oxford/AstraZeneca of the United Kingdom wriggled in to the Station with claims of about 70% efficacy levels going up to 90% if a lower dose is used. Smells like Homeopathy? The Oxford Vaccine is cheaper, easier to store and distribute.

In China, a company called Sinopharm claims its vaccine has been given on an experimental basis to nearly a million people and has no adverse reactions, as yet. However, it has not provided any clear clinical evidence of efficacy levels.

If the coronavirus is listening to all the Vaccine Noise it must be packing its bags to return home (China?) and lie-low until we again put up the ‘Welcome Home Board’ – lets not!

Vaccines take years to develop, but thanks to advancement in science & technology and great minds working awfully hard, we are getting quicker results and perhaps longer lives.

The United States (US) of America.

US President Donald Trump, a loser, is getting close to agreeing to hand-over to the winning Biden-Harris team in January 2021 and the Transition seems to be happening. But he is yet to concede. ‘Biding’ his time?

Meanwhile, with the pandemic hitting many highs in America, accelerated by the Thanksgiving movement, Trump is spending more time on his golf course.

Does it help? Could it be that he tried his best to ’go out’ famous but settled down to become infamous? That’s famous anyway!

India

Violin Making

Antonio Stradivari (1644 to 1737) hailing from Cremona, Italy is said to be the greatest hand-made violin maker in history and a Stradivarius Violin is considered the finest string instrument ever created. They are highly prized, valued, and used by professionals the world over.

Baluswamy Dikshitar – one of the trinity of carnatic music composers – is believed to be the first, in India, to introduce the violin into traditional carnatic music in the 17th century. With this background here’s a story.

The art and craft of indigenously making a hand-made violin did not reach India, until recently. Four craftsman: Renjith K P of Mallapuram, Kerala, a father-son duo of Murali E D & Vinay Murali from Ernakulam, Kerala, and Satyanarayana of Tamil Nadu achieved a historic milestone in completing hand-made copies of the famous Stradivarius Violin after attending rigorous training workshops, knowns as ‘Violin Wise’, organised by the Lalgudi Trust, founded by late Lalagudi Jayaram and now run by his violinist son G J R Krishnan.

Over many years, beginning in 2013, the four craftsman diligently attended the annual workshops making steady progress in learning the art, and every aspect of hand-making a violin. James Wimmer a renowned Luthier – someone who builds and repairs a string instruments – from Santa Barbara, USA who trained in Germany under Wolfang Uebel – a violin making specialist- has been engaged by the Trust to train the craftsmen, which has eventually brought hand-made violin making (and repair) to this finelytuned stage. It takes about two to three months to hand-craft a violin and costs about Rs 1.5 Lakh.

In India, teak and jackfruit tree are used for making violins while European woods, such as maple spruce, are the best to bring out the right tone. Other kinds of Violins are mostly made in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh and in Kolkatta, West Bengal.

Can you recall some Violin greats? I can, a few: Late Yehudi Menuhin is one, Joshua Bell, Nicole Benedetti… are others. India? Late Kunnakudi Vaidyananthan, Late Lalgudi G Jayaraman, L Subramanian…

Sport

Football: The ‘Hand of God’ goes back to God.

On 25th November, Diego Armando Maradona, of Argentina, one of the greatest, superstar, football players of all time passed the ball to God who was standing outside the Football arena, and ran to him, forever – never to return, falling to a ‘red card’ cardiac arrest. He was 60 years old, and we all wish he could have shown us more of his magic play, conquering our hearts with his divine talent of running and scoring magnificent goals with the ball. Who can forget the ‘Hand of God Goal’, but better still the second goal by Maradona – voted the ‘Goal of the Century’ four minutes after the Hand of Gold Goal, in the very same game. Let’s go back to that game.

It was a sunny 22nd June 1986, the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final between Argentina and England in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City. There was a shimmering tension in the air as the game was set to begin.

In the background was a humiliating defeat in the Falklands War over ‘territorial’ claims, ‘handed’ down by Iron-lady Margaret Thatcher’s England, to Lieutenant General Leopoldo Galtieri’s Argentina. On the football field, the then 25 year old Captain Maradona said, ‘Let’s get on with the Game’

The scores were tied 0-0 at half-time. Six minutes into the second half of the match, Maradona while trying to dribble past the English defenders passed the ball to team-mate Jorge Valdano. However, the ball was cleared towards the England goal by English defender Steve Hodge. Maradona pounced on the chance but struggled to get to the ball with England goalkeeper Peter Shilton heading up at almost the same time. But Maradona ‘grew a leg’ on his left arm to nudge the ball-in what looked like a header – and found the net, giving Argentina the much-needed goal lead. The English players complained to the Referee on the use of arms, but the goal stood up to the challenge – given that there was no video refereeing at that time and the Referee was obstructed (by God?) from having a clear view. The benefit of doubt went to Argentina. Later, Maradona said the goal was, “a bit with the head and a bit with the hand of God.”

Four minutes after the ‘Hand of God goal’, in the 55th minute, Maradona collected the ball in the Argentine half and in a magical, extraordinary solo run, weaved his way through the England defence as if it wasn’t there, before striking a low hard shot into the nets. It was voted one of the greatest goals of all time.

Said somebody from the England side, ‘The first goal was a disgrace, It was handball, and it was a dreadful mistake, but the second goal was a miracle. One of the most brilliant I had ever seen. He (Maradona) has such grace, such poise on the ball. I didn’t like the second goal, but I couldn’t help but admire it.”

Going on, Argentina beat Belgium, 2-0 (Maradona scored twice) in the Semi-Finals, to reach the Finals with Germany, which it won, 3-2. Argentina lifted the Football World Cup for the second time in 1986, the first being in 1978.

Diego Maradona was the son of a maid and a factory worker and grew up in a shack in Villa Fiorito, in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He stood five feet, five inches, but his stocky body and muscular legs gave him awesome explosive power.

Like the game of Football, Maradona’s life can be divided into two halves – God being a full-time Referee in the first.

In the first half, Maradona began his professional career at age 15, at Argentinos Juniors, a historic but modest club. Success there took him to Boca Juniors and then to Barcelona and Napoli. But he found fame and fortune hard to handle; and craved affection. Nightclubbing, with the wrong people, led to dribbling with cocaine addiction – a habit he struggled to tackle and overcome. There were many women in his life, and they say he had enough children to form a football team of his own.

The second half of Maradona’s life was tragic. Obese, looking worn-out, and often in pain he made pathetic attempts at comebacks. He failed as a Manager, especially of Argentina’s national team and was often in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

In his sagacity, he predicted that compatriot Lionel Messi would become one of the World’s greatest players. Kind of handing over the ball? No 10.

Rest in Peace, Diego Maradona. We’ll miss the Hand of God. But those trademark surging solo runs with the ball as-if glued to the football boots, and the instinctive dashes of brilliant vision will forever stay glued to our memory. He is Legend. Never mind the second half!

Melange

Spider Silk

There are about 40,000 known species of Spiders, and they have been around on Earth spinning their webs for over 300 million years. They can be found in every Continent except Antarctica. If the world’s population of spiders worked together, they could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year. Planet of the Spiders? Not all spiders build webs, but every species produces silk.

Spider silk is stronger by weight than steel and as tough or even tougher than Kevlar – the toughest man-made polymer. It is finer than human hair and able to maintain its strength below – 40 Degrees Centigrade. Spider silk is also more elastic and waterproof than silkworm silk.

Spider Silk is primarily made up of proteins- chains of amino acids. There are about seven types of silk, for different uses, produced by seven separate silk glands. A single spider does not possess all seven glands and has about three or four of them in a life. The glands are located at the lower side of the abdomen and contains a watery fluid known as ‘dope’, which is the first stage of silk production. This fluid passes through a spinneret (a web spinner) and in fractions of a second, this goopy, liquid slurry of proteins is transformed. And it doesn’t just turn into a solid. On their way out of a spider’s bottom, the protein building blocks in silk, called spidroins, fold themselves and interlace, creating a highly organised structure – many fibres bound together like a cable – without a catalysing outside force. The diameter of a single fibre is controlled by the muscular action of a valve. The faster and tighter the silk is drawn, the stronger the silk. That’s how they generate different qualities of silk.

Scientists have spent years trying to mimic spider silk hoping that it will someday revolutionise the construction of ultra-strong, sustainable materials.

How about a spider silk sari with a matching spider silk blouse for an Indian Wedding? Lots of strength in there!

While spiders produce tough silk, the World is continuously spinning a web or hard news. There’s lots of turmoil in Africa: Ethiopia, Nigeria are hitting the brutal headlines. This Friday, a top Iranian Nuclear Scientist was assassinated in Iran: he died in Hospital after an attack on his car. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is showing signs that he may finally give up power after months of protests against his disputed re-election in August. Down under, Australia is seeing spectacular success in eliminating the coronavirus. Read that the Australian Open Tennis Tournament opening in a new January 2021 may be postponed by one or two weeks.

The World is a happening place. Enjoy every single day. Spin your story, with or without Spider Silk and leave the rest to the Hand of God.