Tag: Israel-Iran

CAPTURED: WAR & PEACE

About: This is the fourth in my Captured Series, on stories that moved the World since Episode 3, when the world was on fire – blazes. This time I capture stories on what is turning out to be a never-ending war, the peace of the BRICS Summit, Sports, and a sensation called Jimothy the Raccoon.

WAR

Least we forget, try recalling what started the Russia-Ukraine War and it appears hazy, flimsy, and bizarre. A history of intertwining between these countries, yet fighting with each other. Old cave and tribal instincts of man rising to the surface?

Going back deep into History, once upon a time Ukraine was a founding republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1922, until it declared independence in 1991 on the collapse of the USSR. Ukraine gave up all Soviet nuclear weapons and related military infrastructure, stationed on its land, to Russia over several years after independence -completing the last warhead transfer in 1996. However, it kept its civilian nuclear facilities and power plants.

Ukraine also holds the site of the terrible 1986 Chernobyl accident at a Soviet-built nuclear power plant, which is easily the worst disaster in the history of commercial nuclear power generation. An experiment designed to test the safety of the power plant went wrong and caused a fire which spewed radiation for 10 continuous days. Clouds carrying radioactive particles drifted thousands of miles, releasing toxic rain all over Europe. Deaths directly attributable to radiation exposure eventually climbed to a figure of over 9,000 people. About 116,000 people in the immediate vicinity of Chernobyl were quickly evacuated, and a 30 km Exclusion Zone was imposed, which was later expanded to cover more affected areas. Today, it is still illegal to live inside the Exclusion Zone. Despite this, about 130 to 150 people persisted: many of whom are women in their 70s and 80s, farming their ancestral land, maintaining their own way of life.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, after months of belligerent posturing to this effect, but officially the Russia-Ukraine War started in February 2014, when Russia captured and annexed the Crimean Peninsula, belonging to Ukraine. Hitting the History button again, during the Soviet Union days, Crimea was ‘internally transferred’ from Russia to Ukraine to commemorate the Union of Russia and Ukraine. Amidst the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, when Ukraine seceded, it continued to exercise sovereignty over Crimea-which seized the opportunity to call itself the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Russia’s seemingly iron-clad argument of annexation of Crimea in 2014 was that it was getting back what actually belonged to Russia. And they cleanly got away with it. This was the first Annexation of another country after World War II.

Looks like February is a dangerous month for Ukraine, any year!

What are the reasons for Russia and Ukraine being at each other’s throats? Seems to be the usual verbose, complex geopolitical, historical, and security motivations asserted by Russia. The eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is touted as an existential threat to mighty Russia. And Russia has all along been demanding legal guarantees that Ukraine would never be admitted into NATO. The full-scale invasion of the year 2022 was justified as some kind of ‘demilitarising’ and ‘denazifying’ Ukraine, which is nothing but unfounded propaganda. In the mind Russia still considers Ukraine as the blood running in its body!

Ukraine (it too has Russia, after all) fought back and even carried the fight into Russia in a strong calibrated counter-attack. By the year 2023 the front lines had largely stagnated, and the conflict became a war of attrition as it continued into 2026. The war has displaced a third of Ukraine’s population, with as many as 1.6 million Ukrainians forcibly transferred to Russian territories by Russian forces.

Over 4 years and 6 months has passed and the war is anything but over, stealing World War I’s run of 4 years 3 months and 14 days; and perhaps targeting World War II’s throw of 6 years and 1 day. It still remains a grinding war of attrition, with limited Russian territorial gains at high cost, Ukrainian long-range strikes deep into Russia, and no imminent peace deal. Russia occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine. Neither side has achieved a decisive breakthrough.

What needs to be done to stop the war? No one has an answer. Maybe until Russia’s President decides it’s done (whatever he had in mind) and enough is enough. In the process, Ukraine has become an expert in Drone Warfare and learnt to use modern weapons and perhaps use of ‘James Bond gadgets’ supplied by its Allies.

Maybe disbanding NATO- which is a defensive grouping of nations- would be the best offensive action at ending this Bloodline War. Well, was not The Warsaw Pact, the counter to NATO formally disestablished in July 1991? And isn’t the Cold War over?

Now, over to the other war which occupies the headlines. It too began in late February this year. What’s this thing with February for starting wars?

This other war is the United States and Israel fighting Iran. And Iran in turn trying its darnedest to ‘kick the backside of camels’ of nearby nations such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait to drag the Middle East -screaming and squealing – into the War, by itself and through its proxies in Lebanon and Yemen. The United States (US) achieved one of its goals by knocking off the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the first few days, but perhaps the ulterior motive of collapse of Iran and Regime Change, never happened and stays on the drawing board. Instead, it went straight to becoming a Strait of Hormuz drama. A badly wounded (how bad, no one knows) Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father as Supreme Leader and the Islamic show goes on.

Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones striking airbases and infrastructure, disrupting the Red Sea as an alternative route and prompting Saudi pipeline issues. Saudi’s Prince Charming winked and asked Israel for Intelligence Information.

Multiple ceasefires and memoranda, including a June 2026 Pakistan-mediated one, have been signed and then collapsed over issues like Hormuz control, Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions, and proxy activity. Fighting has settled into cycles of strikes, lulls, and renewed exchanges rather than an all-out conventional war.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to dismantle Hezbollah in Lebanon, terminating the lives of more and more Hezbollah and Hamas big shots. And wiping out a maze of tunnels. I get to know, when Israel posts ‘ELIMINATED’ stamped on the guy, on X. Wonder how many more are out there – new guys coming in faster than the old ones being shot-down to Hell.

Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion are moving on their own tracks while Iran is busy needling its neighbours, keeping the fires burning.

Wars a certainly big business for the Arms Manufacturers and Suppliers. And perhaps an opportunity to get rid of old and ageing weapons. And try out fresh new techniques of killing people? But, there is still something we can do!

I am reminded of Viktor E Frankl’s powerful concluding lines in, Man’s Search For Meaning, ”For the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each one of us does his best. So, let us be alert – alert in a twofold sense: Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake”.

PEACE: BRICS 2026

Then comes the BRICS Summit hosted by India and attended by Russia, Brazil, China, South Africa and many others – not living in the acronym. Over 20 years, the BRIC start-up became BRICS and got even better, building a colony of nations. Brick by brick? Hugs, handshakes, photo-shoots ruled while the media went mad discussing the Indian vegetarian menu.

On conclusion, the newspaper headlines screamed, ‘BRICS unanimously adopts landmark Delhi Declaration’. The focus continued to be on the so-called pragmatic goals of making it easier for member nations to promote trade settlements and investments in their own currencies to achieve faster, cheaper and safer cross-border payments, among other points. It called for nuclear disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation; made a strong statement on the Palestine cause and even asked Israel to withdraw its occupying forces from Lebanese territory.

I was disappointed. Lots of lacklustre, invisible, unmeasurable goals. Russia was easily left off the hook.
My kind of visible action would be: Russia declaring its war with Ukraine over; Iran dealing with only directly responding to the US(and Israel), withdrawing support to its proxies in the Middle East, not attacking its neighbours; Gaza behaving itself and staying away from endlessly ‘irritating’ Israel – accepting Israel as a State; condemning Bangladesh’s harassment of Hindus; China accepting existing borders with India and declaring the Border War over…and the kind. Live and Let Live. Simple: one headline per day for the next week and more…until the next Summit.

India’s Prime Minister oiled the show very well in his trademark style. I would not have space on my walls to hammer the photo-frames!

China is set to chair the next BRICS Summit in 2027 and President Xi Jinping quickly left – perhaps to begin making arrangements.

Does anybody track the outcomes of these great Summits? Or are they only grandstanding glossy words on glossy paper?

SPORTS

India continues to gain muscle in sport, keeping the momentum of its many successes – across sport domains.

The Indian Women’s Cricket Team won a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title on 13 September, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai.

On the same day India’s Dhiraj Bommadevara made History by winning the 2026 Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico. He won the men’s individual recurve gold medal becoming the first Indian man to claim the season-ending title.

Dhiraj Bommadevara an Indian Army Subedar and recurve archer from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, delivered one of India’s standout individual results of the past two months. He beat Japan’s Junya Nakanishi 6-5 in a shoot-off after the five-set final finished level, sealing it with a 10 to Nakanishi’s 9. Earlier in the event, he defeated Olympic medallists Berkim Tumer of Turkey) and Jean-Charles Valladont of France.

India is the land of the Archer and Arjuna and Lord Rama would be proud.

Another heart-warming result was Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty winning the men’s doubles title at the 2026 China Masters Super 750 in Shenzhen on 6 September, becoming the first Indian pair to lift the trophy since the tournament began in 2005. They beat China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in a 70-minute final after dropping the opening game. It was their third final at the event, after runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2025. Persistence pays!

Moving out of India to the United States.

Alexander Zverev won the 2026 US Open men’s singles title, beating American Ben Shelton 6–3, 7–6(7–2), 5–7, 6–2 in the final on 13 September. It was his second Grand Slam of 2026-after the French Open-and the first US Open men’s title by a German since Boris Becker won the title in 1989.

Kazakhstan’sElena Rybakina– the No 2 seed- won the women’s singles title beating two-time defending champion Belorussia’s Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 5–7, 6–2 on 12 September. It was her first US Open title and third major overall (she also won the 2026 Australian Open). The result also confirmed her position as the new World No 1.

RACOON JIMOTHY

A Raccoon is a medium-sized, stocky mammal native to North America. It looks a bit like a small, hunched bear or a heavy-set cat, with a pointed muzzle, rounded ears edged in white, and short legs. The most recognisable features are the bold black ‘bandit’ mask across the eyes and a bushy tail. The body fur is dense and grizzled gray-brown. Front paws are hairless on the palms and unusually dexterous, almost hand-like, which lets raccoons manipulate objects, open latches, and feel for food. Raccoons have short necks – thick, and often hidden. A raccoon’s body is compact and somewhat hunched, with dense fur around the shoulders and a relatively broad head that sits close to the torso. That makes the neck less obvious than on a dog, cat, or deer. You still see it clearly when the animal stretches, looks up, turns its head, or walks with the head held forward.

Now, enter Jimothy the Raccoon.

A wild raccoon living in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, Washington State, US, has captured the collective imagination of people, due to his unusual body shape. It was first spotted in July 2026, and has since gone viral on social media, and its fame has spread not only across the US, but globally as well.

The spark was a short Instagram video posted by a woman after she spotted him under a car on 13 July and thought he was a cat. She named him Jimothy because, “he just looked like a Jimothy to me. I don’t have any other explanation”. The clip exploded to millions of views and became an internet sensation. Neighbours then shared older footage, including a video of him as a clumsy kitten with his mother and siblings. Jimothy is a playful made-up portmanteau combining Jim and Timothy – a common piece of modern slang used in internet memes and comedy to poke fun at overly formal or corporate speech.

The look, plus the name, plus the “what am I looking at?” energy turned him into an instant mascot. Seattle embraced it as Jimothy Summer: city proclamations, murals, tattoos, a bobblehead, brand shout-outs, charity fundraising, even an honorary University of Washington mention. People compared him to a Cryptid (a fictional animal of folklore), Danny DeVito, or a living Koosh ball (a round toy made of soft rubber filaments attached to a central core).

Jimothy has a rare congenital spinal condition, called short spine syndrome. It shortens and compresses the spine so his head sits right on his shoulders, his body looks compact and rounded, and his gait is a distinctive lope. Jimothy is incredibly short, and an unusually round raccoon running through the neighbourhood.

Now his every movement is carefully mapped, multiple global news outlets are running stories on him and Seattle City Hall has already christened 2026, ‘The Summer of Jimothy’.

Wildlife officials have been clear: leave him alone. He is a healthy wild raccoon, not a pet. Approaching, feeding, or trying to catch him risks harm to both the animal and people.

Meanwhile, Jimothy is still around, and is often spotted in the neighbourhood.

CAPTURED

About: We love to capture a lot of things, pictures of objects, songs, books, movies, memorabilia, experiences, news…and keep them with us, ‘cell them’ somewhere, in mysterious ways (some venture into capturing animals and humans too). I have captured these stories from the news of the world and am locking them down them. This time it’s about the United States in action, in Venezuela and Iran – along with its buddy, Israel- which captured my attention.

VENEZUELA

The whole of last year, 2025, we had a President, that of the United States of America, who began a 100 metre dash for the Nobel Peace Prize, then a 200m sprint, then a 400m run…growing gradually into a never-ending marathon jog, of sorts. Peace was still not in sight despite honestly bringing the Israel-Hamas war to an end, getting all the hostages released, and making Wild West claims of reigning-in India on its superb Operation Sindoor battering of, ‘living next-door’, Pakistan.

A new weapon called Tariff, was unleashed during 2025, by the US President. Never mind the US Supreme Court called the ‘Bluff’ (and India’s Priyanka Chopra fought hard, with an ancient Pirate blade, to keep the gold).

Meanwhile, the year turned a page and early on 3 January 2026 the President took the Peace Bull by the horns – actually working from behind, screwing its tail. If peace does not get one a Prize maybe surgical action could get one closer? Another President, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela found himself captured in his sleep- thankfully with his wife Cilia Flores for great company-all in the blink of an eye, in the capital City Caracas. He was into narcoterrorism, drug-trafficking, and other highs affecting the American people and a New York Court wanted him captured and brought to America for justice. The US President’s men did just that. Justice at midnight-lights out, please. It did not matter he was the President of another country!

It was a ‘crack-oiled’ operation, which the Venezuelans could not see happening in the dark and where the world could clearly see the stealth and magnificent superiority of the US Armed Forces. Operation ‘Absolute Resolve’ was absolutely clinical – would make a surgeon proud!

Maduro’s government was purely authoritarian, with electoral fraud the name of the game and with human rights abuses, corruption, censorship, and severe economic hardship permanently up its sleeve: that was the order of the day, and stacking-up into a monumental heap of misdeeds. Those who were caught in the tyranny of the land were the thousands who died in extrajudicial killings and the about 7 million forced to flee the country due to economic collapse.

After the capture, Venezuelans celebrated, a new Government smoothly slid into place and began to seriously look inward at the world’s largest proven Oil Resources, perhaps to oil the US President and the world. That’s where were are.

IRAN

The Venezuelan dust on Nicolas Maduro’s boots had just begun to settle, when the roar of the Lions of Israel and the Eagle-eyes of the United States combined with deadly precision on, 28 February 2026, to send Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thousands of leagues into the sky. Nevermind he thought he was safe with a supremely reinforced concrete and heavily fortified bunker 200 feet below Iran’s ground level, within his reach. He never got to the lift that would take him down to the underground Bunker in a 5 minute ride, but was killed by Israel’s deadly, ‘Blue Sparrow’ missile while still above ground holding a meeting. His wife, daughter, a son-in-law, a grandchild, along with a few top generals joined him in his journey to the skies above. America’s famous bunker busting GBU-57 burrowing bombs were used later to clean-up the underground world should other Iranian rats use it as a supreme getaway. Sadly, none were captured, but sent to invisible parts of the world.

For over 47 years the fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Iran has been the single greatest prime mover of death in the Middle East. It has funded, armed, and directed terror across the globe. They built Lebanon’s Hezbollah, funded Gaza’s Hamas, armed Yemen’s Houthis, spending billions a year on terrorism. They specifically targeted Americans, Israelis, Jews, Arabs, and anyone standing in their way. ‘Death to America’, ‘Death to Israel/Zionists’, were popular war cries. Others were, ‘Death to hypocrites’, ‘Death to enemies of God/Islam’. All this, on the outside world.

On the inside, all the while, Iran was quietly building nuclear weapons while shaking hands with diplomats from other countries, and bullying its own people. Tens of thousands of Iranians were killed in domestic protests and crackdowns since the year 1979. During the recent, January 2026, crackdown on protestors of the Regime, ‘ssnipers on rooftops shot protestors in their heads. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps entered hospitals and shot and killed injured protestors in their beds. Relatives were handed over dead bodies on payment of a bullet fee-based on the number of bullets on the body. This January alone, Iran executed the largest massacre of civilians in its modern history.

They shot a 16-year-old girl, Nika Shakarami, in the street. Then snatched her body and tried to bury her in secret before her family could find her. Another 20-year-old man, Amirhesam Khodayarifard walked into a protest and was chanting peacefully. A government agent shot him in the head. They beat to death a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, over a headscarf issue, after The Guidance Patrol, the Religious Morality Police, had arrested Amini for not wearing the hijab in accordance with government’s ‘gold’ standards! Then there is the heart-wrenching story of Dr Aida Rostami, a 36-year-old Iranian General Practitioner working at the Shahid Chamran Hospital in Tehran who was secretly treating (only because she was true to The Hippocratic Oath) wounded protesters during the nationwide uprising sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody. After tending to several injured people and realising she needed more supplies, she left to buy them. She called her mother earlier that evening, asking if she needed anything on her way home. She never arrived. The next day, police contacted her family claiming she had died in a ‘car accident’. They directed the family to collect her body from the forensics office. What they found instead was undeniable evidence of extreme brutality: a smashed face, broken arms, fractured shoulders, severe bruising on the lower torso indicating signs of sexual assault, and her left eye completely gouged out. The official forensics report vaguely cited death from being ‘hit by a hard object’. But medical examiners told the family privately that they had been ordered to conceal the real cause that she had been tortured and killed by security forces. Dr. Aida is one of the thousands of women who were killed by brutal anti-women Khamenei regime. These are just a few of countless horror stories of the kind. This is who they are. This is who they’ve always been.

The Israel-US joint strike on Iran was called Operation Epic Fury and the objectives centred on weakening Iran’s missile systems, naval power, and nuclear program. And disrupting the network of proxy forces that Iran has used in an asymmetric warfare to influence conflicts across the Middle East.

The strike happened even while negotiations were going-on with Iran, to prevent start of the present war. From the outset, the Iranians asserted that uranium enrichment was Iran’s inalienable right and declared their large stockpile of enriched material-about 9,980 kilograms-was off the table for negotiation. This could yield about 11 nuclear bombs if further enriched: that’s how close they are to a nuclear weapon. What killed any deal-making was probably when they told the negotiators, “We’re not going to give you diplomatically what you couldn’t take militarily.”

Experts in International Law (e.g., Natasha Hausdorff) say the war is legal and legitimate. This is especially in the background of the decades old ongoing armed conflict with Iran during which, it is well known, Iran has been consistently attacking US and Israel interests across the world. The US specifically invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, saying the strikes were for self-defense and pre-emptive, and accused Iran of violating UN Security Council resolutions related to its nuclear activities. Seen in the context in which ‘Operation Roaring Lion’ was launched, Israel joining the US to strike Iran is in accordance with the international law of armed conflict.

Under International Law, the use of force by States is governed primarily by the UN Charter, Article 2(4) of which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. There are two main exceptions: 1-authorization by the UN Security Council under Chapter VII, or 2- self-defense under Article 51, which allows force in response to an ‘armed attack’ until the Security Council acts. Preemptive strikes (preemptive self-defense or anticipatory self-defense) refer to the use of military force by a State against another State (or non-State actor) before an armed attack has actually occurred, but when such an attack is believed to be imminent. Preventive strikes (also called preventive self-defense, preventive war, or preventive attack) refer to the use of military force by a State against another State to neutralise a potential future threat (such as acquiring nuclear weapons capability) that is not yet imminent.

At this time, the US has openly ruptured with the United Kingdom over Iran, base access, and broader British policies on energy and immigration, while treating Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a more reliable partner and moving to cut trade with Spain over NATO and base issues.

The UK did not join its ‘all-weather’ ally – the US- in the opening strikes and refused to allow its Diego Garcia base to be used by the US. However, later the UK relented and allowed limited use of other bases and even readied an aircraft carrier for duty in the Mediterranean. US President Trump castigated the UK for being very uncooperative and ruining relationships, saying – this is not the age of Churchill and they do not want the UK to join after they have won the war. He said about the same about Spain’s uncooperativeness.

On the other hand, in what never happened in about 50 years, almost all the Gulf countries of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait of the Gulf Cooperative Council united against Iran. This is because Iran has triggered the Gulf countries to get involved. While primarily targeting US military bases and assets in the region Iran’s return-of-fire also affected civilian infrastructure in several Gulf countries due to direct strikes, interceptions, and falling debris. Overall regional impacts include few killed and over 100 injured across the Gulf, with widespread economic disruptions: thousands of flights canceled, oil prices rising due to halted production, and temporary closures of key ports and airspace. The anger in the Gulf reach a crescendo.

Then suddenly you find the Shia Muslims – Iran- on one side and the Sunni Muslims – Gulf countries on other, but united. The timeless fault lines are as visible as never before.

Looking from another angle, Trump is dismantling the British system of Imperial control, of keeping the Gulf in permanent turmoil through Britain’s much used colonial era divide & rule policy, using Islamist fundamentalism as a battering ram-obviously against Russia-and in the process keeping its commerce paying through the Lloyds Register of Shipping Insurance.

Insurance for nearly all oil tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz is provided by Lloyds and with Iran closing the Strait, Lloyds said it is terminating ‘war risk’ Insurance. Trump then outflanked the UK by ordering his Government, US Development Financial Cooperation, to provide Insurance and ordered the US Navy to ensure safe passage of Oil Tankers. This seems to be the most consequential outcome in the war, thus far, with 300 years of ‘British Crown Control’ broken in a single day.

The US seems to be digging up the former American President Franklin D Roosevelt’s (FDR) ‘America First’ Policy and re-organizing globalisation, to this end. Broadly, this plan is about using America’s methods of economic development and industrialisation on its allies, and is directly opposite to the British Imperial Rule System, which America blames is the cause for many conflicts in the World, beginning with World War I.

FDR saw the British Empire as a barrier to global peace and economic fairness, arguing that colonial systems bred resentment and instability. He advocated decolonization in regions like Africa, India (at that time under British Rule), and Asia, viewing imperialism as ‘unselfish’ only if it advanced civilization without exploitation-but he saw Britain’s model as selfish, exploitative, and outdated. FDR’s anti-colonial push was pragmatic: he feared that maintaining empires would alienate potential allies in the developing world and prolong global conflicts, harming US interests.

Donald Trump seems to be first US President who has seriously latched-on to FDR’s ideas…and is trying to make it work.

Wow, there are so many layers to the present conflict:more than what meets the eye. And surely the Middle East would look a lot different after the US & Israel – Iran War is over. Meanwhile, for Israel, it’s looks like it’s just another day in Office. And India is definitely on the right side of the conflict. India anyway is quietly dismantling the effects of British colonial rule within the country.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-44

About: the world this week, 27 October to 2 November 2024: Israel & Iran; Afghanistan-voice ban; America-the Menendez brothers; Spain-Biblical floods; Cricket, Chess; and Deepavali – why burst firecrackers?

Everywhere

Israel

Israel kept its promise to whack Iran for daring to attack it over a third-party problem. And late last week, Israel executed a large-scale, three-wave airstrike on about 20 Iranian military sites, targeting critical infrastructure including air defense systems, missile manufacturing facilities, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV) development centres. It was a calibrated attack and at first seemed ‘not loud enough’ in keeping with Israel’s standards, of such responses. However, from the looks of it, and given the grave-dead silence on the Iran side, Israel appears to have achieved its goals: significantly weakening Iran’s military capacity, publicly exposing the regime’s vulnerability, and preventing a larger, drawn-out conflict. Iran was left ‘naked’-for Israel to strike at will, when it decides.

Iran’s air defense, despite years of boasting, proved insufficient, as Israel penetrated deep inside and danced unchallenged in Iran’s air-space. Israel seems to have chosen the least escalatory option, of the various available, and refrained from hitting financial, regime, or nuclear targets.

Back in the Gaza, Israel’s IDF is surrounding and rounding-up remaining terrorists in north Gaza resulting in the surrender of hundreds of operatives, and the process continues in a seemingly never-ending operation. Meanwhile, 101 hostages still remain captive-held by the terrorist Hamas- and are unreachable for over 395 days. Ceasefire talks are doing the rounds, but nothing concrete as emerged, as yet.

Afghanistan: Voice Over

The Taliban continues its antediluvian thought process in Afghanistan and this week, in a bizarre rule, banned women from ‘hearing each other’s voices’. This is a fundamental tactic of misogynist authoritarianism to prevent communication between women who may otherwise organise and resist. The Taliban only backslides Afghanistan, every week.

The Taliban Minister responsible for the ‘propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice’, declared that women must refrain from reciting the Quran aloud in the presence of other women. “When women are not permitted to call Takbir or Azan (Islamic call to prayer), they certainly cannot sing songs or music,” he said. “Even when an adult female prays and another female passes by, she must not pray loudly enough for them to hear. How could they be allowed to sing if they aren’t even permitted to hear voices while praying, let alone for anything else,” A woman’s voice is considered ‘awrah’, meaning that which must be covered, and shouldn’t be heard in public, even by other women, the minister said. The black-veiling only gets darker.

The Menendez Brothers

In the United States, Erik and Lyle Menendez, two brothers convicted of murdering their parents more than three decades ago, are one step closer to being released from prison. The brothers are currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, in California. This is a significant development in a case that has gripped America, since it hit the headlines in the year 1989.

The Los Angeles County district attorney formally recommended their re-sentencing in a court filing, arguing for a lesser sentence for the pair. If approved, the request would make the brothers eligible for parole, and the first step on what could be a long road to freedom.

The brothers fatally shot their parents, entertainment company executive Jose Menendez and Kitty Menendez, with shotguns in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Jose was shot six times, and Kitty ten times, including a shot to her face after Erik reloaded. The brothers were 21 and 18 years old at the time.

The brothers alleged sexual abuse by their father at their first trial. And claimed they killed their parents in self-defense, following years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. That trial resulted in a mistrial after the juries deadlocked- a hung jury. Prosecutors argued that the brothers committed the crime out of greed (their parents were worth USD 14 million). They were tried a second time, and packed-off to jail.

Nearly 30 years later, new evidence has emerged: a letter Erik wrote in 1988 detailing the sexual abuse, and another person has alleged that the brothers’ father abused him.

Earlier this month, more than two dozen members of the Menendez family issued a public plea for Erik and Lyle to be released, saying the boys endured horrific sexual abuse at the hands of their father and are not a threat to society. Kitty Menendez’s sister said, “the whole world wasn’t ready to believe that the boys could be raped, or that young men could be victims of sexual violence”. She said that now “we know better” and “a jury today would never deliver such a harsh sentence”. But the family is not in complete agreement. A lawyer for Kitty Menendez’s brother called the brothers “cold-blooded” and said their “actions shattered their family and left a trail of grief that has persisted for decades.” The brother believes his nephews should stay in prison for their “heinous act”, according to his lawyer.

The release of a Netflix docudrama and documentary has renewed interest in the case, with a new generation taking to social media to advocate for the brothers’ freedom.

If the hearing results in a judge approving the new sentence, attention will shift to the California Parole Board. The Board will examine the case, and whether the Menendez brothers are indeed a threat to society if they are released. Even if the Board approves their release, the Governor of California could decide to halt proceedings.

Spain: Super Floods

Imagine a year’s worth of rain-cats & dogs-falling in just under eight hours. That’s what happened in Spain’s eastern region of Valencia this week. Over 95 people have been killed in possibly the deadliest flash flooding to hit Spain in its modern history. Torrential rain battered Valencia, sweeping away bridges and buildings, causing pile-ups on highways and submerging farmland in a region that produces two-thirds of the citrus fruit grown in Spain, a leading global exporter.

Residents in the worst-hit places described seeing people clambering onto the roofs of their cars. As a churning tide of brown water gushed through the streets, uprooting trees and dragging away chunks of masonry from buildings and the water itself standing tall at over 2 metres. It left its mark on the walls of the buildings, in many residential areas. In narrow streets, it was cars ‘flowing over one another’.

Trains to the cities of Madrid and Barcelona were cancelled, and schools and other essential services were suspended in the worst-hit areas. Near about 150,000 users in Valencia were left without electricity.

The scale of the flooding that unfolded in Valencia is truly Biblical and unfathomable. And this is definitely not normal weather or even the ‘normal’ abnormal. There is a footage in Chiva, where a jaw-dropping 343 mm of rain was recorded in just 4 hours between 4:30pm and 8:30pm on a particular day. So severe was the extent of the damage that Spain declared a three-day national mourning.

Sports

Cricket

The New Zealand cricket team is touring India, during October and November 2024, on a three Test Match Series against India’s Cricket Team. The Test Series forms part of the 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship.

The Kiwis were off to a strong-legged start, winning the First Test in Bengaluru-played between 16th and 20th October-by 8 wickets. And in a stunning ‘flightless walk’ kept the momentum to win the Second Test – played in Pune between 24th and 28th October – by 113 runs. They have climbed to a muscular, unassailable 2-0 lead in the Series.

It was a historic first Test Series victory for New Zealand against India, in India, ending the hosts’ 12-year unbeaten streak. This also ends India’s remarkable run of 18 consecutive home series wins, since Alastair Cook’s England clinched a famous 2-1 triumph in December 2012. We can safely say that the Kiwis white-washed India in an outstanding series win, their first in India in almost 70 years! To draw a comparison, this is as significant as India beating Australia in Australia in 2018, after 70 years.

Pushed to a corner like never before, India face their biggest challenge at home when they clash with New Zealand in the must-win third Test as they are left to salvage pride and fight a perception about their diminishing ability to negotiate quality spin attack. The Third Test match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai between 1st and 5th November. And India need to win, to remain in contention for a slot in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June 2025.

Chess

This week Indian Chess Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, 21, crossed the venerated 2800 Elo rating mark in live chess ratings – a phenomenal feat. He is only the 16th player in the world and the second Indian to do so after the legendary Viswanathan Anand.

Arjun crossed the mark in the live chess rating by beating Russian chess grandmaster Dmitry Andreikin in Round 5 of the European Chess Club Cup. Arjun is currently on 2802.1 points and holds the world No.3 ranking in the live rating.

Arjun is also the third youngest player to cross the 2800 points mark. The youngest is French GM Alireza Firouzja who achieved the feat at the age of 18 in 2001. World No.1 Magnus Carlsen is the second youngest. He got to 2800 Elo points in 2009, also at the age of 18. At that time Carlsen was the fifth player to cross the 2800 barrier.

Currently, he leads the list in live rating with 2831 Elo points followed by USA’s Fabiano Caruana (2805.2).

The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in zero-sum games such as chess or e-sports. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-American physics professor. Elo ratings are comparative and are valid only within the rating pool in which they were calculated, rather than being an absolute measure of a player’s strength.

Deepavali: Why Firecrackers?

Hindus in India and the World over celebrated Deepavali-typically called the Festival of Lights-this week on 31st October, by lighting oil lamps, mostly earthen-diyas- exchanging gifts, devouring sweets, and bursting firecrackers, among other practices.

Often there is a case to prevent or altogether stop the bursting of firecrackers in the name of noise and smoke pollution. And the Courts are challenged, to step-in.

A ‘lack of fundamental understanding’ on crackers affects the Hindu faith. Bursting firecrackers on Deepavali is not a mere celebratory or merry-making activity, but a ritual integral to Hindutva and laid down in the ancient Hindu texts, of over 1000 years. And at best the Government can regulate or control, but never ban or disallow. Here is an explanation.

There are many variants of the ancient Deepavali festival, and it’s no coincidence that Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Hindus all celebrate on the same day-in about the same period-in one way or the other.

Generally, Deepavali is the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance; Lord Rama returning to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana (evil-who kidnapped Sita) and welcomed back with an array of lighted diyas and firecrackers; Lord Krishna killing the demon Narakasura-evil; honouring Goddess Lakshmi’s marriage to Lord Vishnu…and a string of many other stories.

The ways of celebrating are also as varied, from buying gold jewellery and ornaments, making and trading sweets, wearing new clothes after an oil-on-the-head bath, exchanging gifts, tightening family bonds-especially brother-sister, lighting diyas… to bursting firecrackers. But, why do we burst firecrackers? This story has not been highlighted much and deserves sparkling attention this Deepavali.

A month before Deepavali, is about a fortnight (a period called mahalaya) dedicated to worshipping our ancestors: we invite them to abide among us-the living on Earth, and receive their attention. The understanding is that your ancestors having come down to Earth from their world, you are supposed to host and feed them. Well, they came, you fed them, and now they -weighed down by the food, and drunk with your hospitality-have to return to where they came from. On the day of Deepavali the ancestors are shown the way to leave, with firecrackers and lights to illuminate their path in the skies above. It’s also a celebration of the spiritual advancement of our ancestors to higher and greater realms.

In summary, the core of Deepavali festivities is to illuminate and resonate the path of our deceased ancestors to the skies above, with firecrackers and and array of lights. This is a fact corroborated in the Ananda Ramayana.

If an Aeroplane needs a lighted runway to land on Earth, so do our ancestors, who require a ‘runway of lights in the sky’ to return to, say, the Heavens above. Hence, it’s important that people burst crackers and fulfil this ritual. That’s the nexus.

The word ‘Deepavali’ is derived from Sanskrit and means ‘row or series of lights’ Though the English version word, ‘Diwali’ is often used, it’s best to use the original Deepavali.

More spiritual stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Burst firecrackers and light up the skies with World Inthavaaram.