Tag: Russia Ukraine

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: COOKED

About: This is the second in my Captured series; about capturing various stories that rocked the world. Call it Season 1, Episode 2.

I have cooked this tongue-in-cheek account of events over the past few months, in a unique flavour and garnished it with special herbs. Hope it tastes good.

It looked like just the other day in the year 2022 that Russia invaded Ukraine and we called it a War- a new front opened in the War Business. Then the terrorist Hamas brutally attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, and took Israelis as hostages, who they painfully released in drops until the finals on 13 October 2025. In-between, Israel raised Gaza to pulp, millions starved, and it took the US President to squeeze out a peace-plan. And then this war dried-up.

However, despite biting efforts, the Russia-Ukraine war ‘drones on’ without an end in sight. Maybe it will end only when Russia’s President thinks it should end, when he has had his full. What are the objectives? Is it an ever-shifting goal-post? Meanwhile, Ukraine has become an expert in Drone-making, and if it actually wins, can re-write Sun Tzu’s, Art of War.

While all this was happening, Iran which was hiding behind the skirts of Hamas-Gaza Strip, Hezbollah-Lebanon, the Houthis- Yemen first tasted America’s bunker busting bombs targeting its nuclear facilities. The taste wasn’t finger-licking and the United States of America (USA) and Israel came to dinner loaded with food on the table. Iran’s Supreme Leader choked and was killed.

With an intent of widening the conflict, Iran retaliated against other Gulf countries, who were enjoying their meals silently for decades and never dreamt of being hit. But they were hit and became hungry for revenge. Now this war meanders on endlessly, joining the ranks of Russia-Ukraine.

Back home, the US President survived an assassination attempt – a fully loaded-with-arms man, hungry for action, simply charged a dinner hosted by the President. He did not get to eat the food on the table, though, and was whisked away from the scene by Secret Service Officers. He lived to feed himself another day.

How many more need to die for man to realise the futility of war? And the importance of eating good, healthy food to stay alive!

In India, Elections to State Assemblies was served to the people. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scored a hat-trick in Assam: people liked the local food, I guess. In the State of West Bengal a ferocious, fish-eating lady was finally, comprehensively decimated by the BJP, after 15 years of fishing in troubled waters. She lost her seat refused to accept the results, did not resign and had to be dismissed by a clever, no-nonsense Governor imported from the State of Tamil Nadu. The BJP was dumbfounded and stunned, as all it took was for the Prime Minister, during the election campaign, to walk unannounced in to a road-side sweet shop to enjoy the traditional jhalmuri- served well. After winning, it was a burst of sweet jhalmuri, all over the state. Jhalmuri is Kolkata’s most popular street food snack. It is a crunchy mix of puffed rice tossed with vegetables, spices, and a signature pungent mustard oil.

Going South on to Tamil Nadu the ruling Don Quixotic Government, which spent its entire five years fighting against the Centre, at the drop of a reason; building statues of its late Chief- and naming everything they built after him; and whipping up Dravidian Stock divisions, was bushwhacked by a reel Film Star. Tamil Nadu feeds on, and nourishes itself on film stars yet again. Kids – who could not vote-literally coaxed their parents and grandparents to vote for the Star in the name of change: else they said they will starve themselves. Some food for thought. But some wise, old, well-fed elders – without anyone to intimidate them – could not digest a rookie piloting a plane in a mid-air change and pulled back. Result, the Film Star’s party fell short of majority. And riding on horseback, the Star rode to the Governor a couple of times – trying to make hay while the sun shines. Meanwhile, the Opposition, which ran a brilliant campaign and hoped to come back to power found it was stamped out of food in the overall unbelievable scenario, which many called a Black Swan Event. Then, they began eating themselves.

Finally, the Star was fed support from people from across the table of the Evil Forces he had campaigned against and with a lovely ‘suit & boot’ took oath as Chief Minister.

In the State of Puducherry – previously colonised by the French- the BJP Alliance baked well, returning to power in the Assembly Elections. One of its Members, on being disallowed to take ‘Oath of Office’ in French, took it in Malayalam.

In the neighbouring state of Keralam- where they speak Malayalam-which shared its Governor with Tamil Nadu, the Congress Party Alliance, that opposes the BJP at the Centre, won a banquet meal and became so stuffed with it that it took a whole ten days to get it down their throats to their stomachs, an elect a Leader. Talk about stomaching a victory, after a decade in the Opposition!

In the meantime, the US President flew to China and noodled its President to work together as fantastic pals. In the US President’s world everything is great, fantastic, exemplary. Talks focussed on trade, the Iran conflict, Taiwan, and broader US-China relations. Packed like sardines, the US President brought along top US Business CEO’s and high-profile executives, about 17 of them -from technology, finance, aerospace, and other sectors to show economic muscle, and for the meat of trade opportunities in China. And to pressurise China to open-up and gobble up more of US Businesses – breakfast, lunch, and dinner served.

Not to be left behind, India’s Prime Minister(PM) decided he needed some pizza and lean-in on a melody with Italian PM Meloni. He gifted her a pack of the home-grown toffee brand Melody. And it was ‘Melodi’ in the air sang Social Media, where such events fly off the shelves as viral. But he kept the best for the last. And the Indian manufacturer of the Melody Toffee went Instagram with ‘Sweetening relationships since 1983’.

In a 5 nation tour, India’s PM started with the United Arab Emirates where he made clever plans with the Oil Sheiks to strengthen energy ties and storage of precious oil for India, amid the West Air tensions – in the process enabling gas-cooked food on the table, for Indians. In the European leg of Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and finally Italy, he set out to deepening partnerships in trade, technology, Artificial Intelligence, innovation, green growth, and defence. At almost all the places enthusiastic foreign dancers, after probably eating spicy Indian food, danced to Indian tunes, to Indian dances.I would have loved to see Indians living abroad, after eating foreign food, dancing to foreign tunes, foreign dances!

India’s PM not only had food on his mind he also had plates as well. While in the Netherlands, he charmed them to handing over Leiden (Aanaimangalam) Copper plates one of the first Copper plates to be discovered about the great Cholas of Tamil Nadu. They were excavated by the Dutch, while in India, in the year about 1700 and brought to the Netherlands by a Pastor whose descendants donated it to Leiden University in 1862. The plates were deciphered in 1886 and found that Rajaraja Chola I had issued them and consisted of 21 copper plates held together by a bronze ring with the regal seal. The first 5 plates are in Sanskrit, rest 16 are in Tamil. They weigh about 30 kilograms and are numbered. Plates 2-21 mentions the lineage of Cholas. It also records the historic grant by Rajaraja Chola to the then Ruler of Sri Vijaya, Indonesia, for constructing a Chulamanivarma Vihara in Aanaimangalam of Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu. Interestingly, boundaries of the Vihara were determined by the ceremonial circumambulation of a female elephant.

In the summer of 2023, India had submitted a request to Leiden University to return the Chola Plates – with or without food on them.

These plates will now be kept by the Archaeological Survey of India in the capital, New Delhi. Never mind Tamil Nadu cried it wanted it back on its table.

Finally, India’s PM returned with more medals on his famous 56 inch wide chest – enough to make an Army General jealous. What, with many a nation gushing and rushing to honour him with their heaviest medals. I reckon it was wide, on purpose. And a Museum piece?

FREEWHEELING

About: A break free commentary on events on our Planet, anchored on the news of the world. Any comments beyond the story, are entirely mine, without prejudice -take it or leave it. This is a run from 15 April 2025 to 22 April 2025: Boeing on China ground; making the West great again; war & peace; death of a Pope; roof collapse; the biology of sex; and possible new life in our Universe.

Boeing in China: Stuck on the Ground

US President Donald Trump rockets up the Tariff War imposing an astounding 250% tariff on Chinese goods entering America. Earlier in a tit-for-tat, Tom & Jerry play, China plainly cancelled its Plane Orders on Boeing. China’s Airlines were ordered not to take further deliveries of Boeing’s jet planes made in America. China’s top three Airlines, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines are due to take delivery of 45, 53, and 81 Boeing jets respectively between 2025 and 2027. Now, this could result in Boeing flying-out these planes to other countries. The COVID pandemic had set the Aircraft Industry years behind in manufacturing aircraft and this was a comeback period.

Boeing’s rival Airbus, based in Europe, holds a dominant position in the Chinese market. But Airbus is not in a position to meet all of China’s Orders.

China should take a Boeing flight to Washington with a hand-shake plan and negotiate a deal with Trump to shake up the skies.

Make the West Great Again

Then it was the turn of Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – she’s a superstar-to catch a flight to Washington, for trade talks. Was the European Union looking? And was it on a Boeing or an Airbus?I missed that part of the flight!

Meloni called on Trump to form a historic alliance between Italy and the US. She acknowledged the rift between the US and Europe, but said now’s the time to fix it. Then came the invitation: “I want to thank President Trump for having accepted an invitation to pay an official visit to Rome, and consider the possibility in that occasion to meet also with Europe.” And she closed with the line that said it all: “The goal for me is, ‘Make the West Great Again.’

Talk straight, drop the drama, and find common ground. Is China listening?

I reckon the Oval Office must be wearing-out thin-with all that inflow and outflow of footfalls!

Wars

With Donald Trump being inaugurated in January this year, his promises on ending the Israel-Hamas War and the Russia -Ukraine War seemed to be working in the beginning. And cheers could be heard. But in a near about a U turn, for the worse, the wars have got into a ‘cushy slot’ (for the perpetrators – Hamas & Russia)and are progressing at their own sound pace.

Sudden: Easter Peace

The United States is almost giving up on bringing about a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine War after negotiations were not translating into tangible outcomes. Ukraine had previously offered a 30-day ceasefire, which was shrugged-off by Russia, and it went on with the fighting as if it heard nothing.

Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a brief Easter ceasefire: a declaration met with skepticism in Ukraine as the war enters a crucial phase, and US-led negotiations stall.

The timing, the brevity, the sudden, unilateral nature of it all seemed just a knee-jerk effort. If Ukraine and its allies needed proof of Moscow’s wild cynicism when it comes to peace, the announcement provided just that.

Putin said ‘all hostilities’ would halt between 6 pm, Moscow time on 19 April, Saturday and midnight on 21 April, Monday. ‘We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example,’ he said, adding that the truce would help Russia determine how sincere Ukraine is about wanting to reach a ceasefire. However, just hours after the announcement, Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of ‘not-stopping’ and continuing the fighting.

Unwavering Israel

Yet again, Hamas has rejected Israeli’s most recent ceasefire offer, instead calling for a comprehensive proposal to end the war. The rejection prompted Israeli lawmakers to issue calls for an immediate escalation in Gaza, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to unleash ‘hell’ and pursue ‘complete victory’.

The Israeli ceasefire proposal did not guarantee an end to the war and called for a disarmament of Gaza, both of which have been red lines for Hamas. The terrorist organization refuses to give up its weapons and demands that any proposal includes a ‘permanent end’ (that’s awfully hard to define?) to the war.

The Israeli plan called for a 45-day truce, during which the two sides would aim to negotiate a permanent ceasefire. Under the proposal, the remaining 59 hostages would be released in stages, starting with American-Israeli Edan Alexander on the first day of the truce as a ‘special gesture’ to the US. A further nine Israeli hostages would be released in two stages in exchange for 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,100 detainees held without charge since 7 October 2023. The proposal also demands that Hamas provide information about the remaining living Israeli hostages. This in exchange for information about the Palestinian detainees, and the release of the bodies of 16 deceased Israeli hostages, for the remains of 160 deceased Palestinians held by Israel.

In keeping with its style of working, The United Nations issued a dire warning over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying lifesaving supplies were nearing ‘total depletion’ due to Israel’s blocking of aid entering the Gaza.

Roof Collapse

In one of the deadliest non-natural disasters in the history of the Dominican Republic, the roof of the iconic Jet Set Nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed in the early hours of 10 April 2025 morning, with at least 500 people inside. Over 200 died and another 150 were injured-about 190 were rescued alive. The collapse happened during a performance of merengue (a Caribbean style of dance, music) artist Rubby Perez and his orchestra. The dead included Perez whose body was recovered from the scene. Two former Major League Baseball players are also among the victims.

The Jet Set Nightclub Building began as a movie theatre in 1973 and was converted into the Nightclub in 1994. It underwent renovations in 2010 and 2015 featuring 2-storey high ceilings over an expansive open dance floor, which could hold 1000 standing and 700 seated visitors. The building had large air-conditioners and electric generators on the roof-top and large stage lighting and loudspeakers mounted in the ceiling. Top Heavy? In the year 2023, the roof caught fire after lightning struck an electric generator, but was deemed structurally safe by firefighters. Experts say that the roof was inadequately supposed by columns on the sides, and could have collapsed under its own weight.

Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic, an island country in the Caribbean Sea, and one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities.

The Pope Dies

The head of the Roman Catholic Church and the spiritual leader of catholics worldwide, Pope Francis died at the age of 88, on 21 April 2025, Easter Monday, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He had been the ‘Peoples Pope’ for a reformative 12 years. And in recent times, he was going through a prolonged period of illness, struggling to carry out God’s work.

Roman Catholics believe the Pope represents a direct line back to Jesus Christ. And is considered a living successor to St Peter, who was chief among Christ’s initial disciples, the Apostles. That gives him unhindered power and to make decisions on issues of faith and morality over the entire Catholic Church. He is an important source of authority for the world’s roughly 1.4 billion Catholics.

In addition to consulting the Bible for guidance, Catholics also turn to the teachings of the Pope for finding their way through the vicissitudes of life.

About half of all Christians worldwide are Roman Catholics. Other divisions, including Protestants and Orthodox Christians, do not recognise the Pope’s authority. The Pope lives in Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world, surrounded by the Italian capital, Rome. The Pope does not receive a salary, but all his travel and living expenses is paid for by the Vatican.

A papal funeral is traditionally an elaborate affair, but Pope Francis recently approved plans to make the whole procedure less complex. Previous Popes were buried in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak. Pope Francis has opted for a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc. He has also scrapped the tradition of placing the Pope’s body on a raised platform-known as a catafalque-in St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. Instead, mourners will be invited to pay their respects while his body remains inside the coffin, with the lid removed. Francis will also be the first Pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican. He will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome. A basilica is a church which has been granted special significance and privileges by the Vatican, and the major basilicas have a particular connection to the Pope.

The Pope’s death will set in motion a centuries-old ‘smoking’ process of electing a new Pope – chosen by the Catholic Church’s College of Cardinals: all men, appointed directly by the Pope and who are usually ordained Bishops. There are currently 252 Catholic Cardinals, 138 of whom are eligible to vote for the new Pope. The others are over the age of 80, which means they cannot take part in the election, although they can join in the debate over the selection.

During the time between the Pope’s death and the election of a new Pope, the College of Cardinals governs the Church.

The cardinals will be summoned to a meeting at the Vatican, followed by the Conclave, as the election is known, which is held in strict secrecy – no phones, no contact or communication with the outside world. The Conclave will be inside the famous Sistine Chapel – the ceiling and upper walls of which is painted by Michelangelo. The intent is that the Holy Spirit guides the election, free from politics or outside influence.

Individual cardinals vote for their preferred candidate until a winner is determined, a process, which can take several days. Each Cardinal writes the name of his chosen candidate on a ballot, folds it, and places it in a chalice on the altar. Then they pray, “ I call as my witness Christ The Lord who will be my judge”. A two-thirds majority is required to elect a Pope. After each round of voting, the ballots are burned. Chemicals are added to the smoke to signal the outcome. Black-no decision; white – we have a Pope. In previous centuries, voting has gone on for weeks or months. Some cardinals have even died during Conclaves.

The only clue on the progress of the election is the smoke that emerges twice a day from burning the cardinals’ ballot papers. Black smoke signals failure. The traditional white smoke means a Pope has been chosen. After the white smoke goes up, the new Pope normally appears within an hour on the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square. A senior cardinal participating in the Conclave will announce the decision with the words “Habemus Papam”-Latin for “We have a Pope”. He will then introduce the new Pope by his chosen papal name, which may or may not be his original given name. Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but he chose a different name for his papacy in honour of St Francis of Assisi.

The Pope/Pontiff/Holy Father then gives his first blessing, Urbi et Orbi (to the City and to the World). The bells of St. Peter’s ring and Christians around the world rejoice.

Of the 266 Popes chosen to date, 217 have been from Italy.

I hope to see a new Pope who would be meaningfully conservative, following strict Church doctrine, spreading the teachings of the Bible, and diligently minding the welfare of ‘His Flock’ all over the world.

The Biology of Sex

We, modern humans, have been living on Earth for more than three hundred thousand years and often the basic definitions of male-who is a man, and female-who is a woman, become fuzzy, lost in translation, and get challenged, confusing too. To complicate things we have people sliding in-between calling themselves transgenders.

This April, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court, tasked with the legal definition of a woman under the UK’s Equality Act, ruled that the law defines women as people born biologically female. Wonder what took them so long to get into the X & Y chromosomes of sex? The five judges sitting on judgement gave an unanimous decision – woman in the Equality Law refers to biological women-based on biological sex. That means holders of a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)- trans women – are not women in the eyes of the law. It makes it awfully clear that if a space or service is designated as women only, a person who was born male but identifies as a woman does not have a right to use that space or service.

This is a huge win for ‘real’ women, ‘real’ men, and sanity in the UK and the West. And has far-reaching consequences for the transgender community-it could restrict trans women from single-sex spaces such as toilets, prisons, and rape centres. Also leading to change in gender rules in various sports.

Going back to the reason why we are here.

In the year 2018 a law passed by the Scottish Parliament called for 50% female representation on the boards of Scottish Public Bodies. Its definition included trans women whose gender is legally affirmed with a GRC. This resulted in a campaign by, ‘For Woman Scotland (FWS)’ to challenge the law in court saying the Scottish Govt had overstepped its powers by effectively redefining the meaning of a woman. The FWS lost the case, it had filed, in a Scottish Court in 2022, but was allowed to take the matter to the UK Supreme Court, which then made the ‘biological’ judgement. Science indeed works!

Harry Potter Author, J K Rowling, a prominent supporter of the Group, said the verdict protected the rights of women and girls across the UK. It took three extraordinary tenacious Scottish women of the FWS, with an army behind them, to get this case heard in the Supreme Court. And win. You better not mess with Scottish Women!

To refresh our Biology Lessons: Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 in total): one set comes from each biological parent. Out of the 23 pairs, one pair is the sex chromosomes, called the X and Y chromosomes. People with XX are assigned female at birth while people with XY are assigned male at birth. Though rare, other combinations of sex chromosomes are possible. The other 22 pairs are autosomes or non-sex chromosomes.

Biology has definitive answers to X and Y issues. No doubt at all.

Planet K2-18b

Biology is suddenly leaning-in everywhere. This real science is back with a bang?

Scientists, Astronomers in particular, are always up to crazy things. Inventing completely out-of-the-box or discovering something we never knew about.

In keeping with the science of things, a team of astronomers detected what they cautiously call the most promising signs to date of a possible bio-signature, or signs of past or present life linked to biological activity, on an Exoplanet named K2-18b. No definitive declaration as yet!

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, the team detected chemical fingerprints within the atmosphere of K2-18b that suggest the presence of Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) and potentially Dimethyl Disulfide (DMDS). On Earth, both molecules are only produced by microbial life, typically marine phytoplankton.

K2-18b, located 124 light-years from Earth, could be a Hycean world: a potentially habitable planet entirely covered in liquid water with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Leading the study is Nikku Madhusudhan, Professor of Astrophysics and Exoplanetary science at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. Madhusudhan and his colleagues first theorised the concept of Hycean worlds in 2021 after determining there may be liquid water oceans on K2-18b.

The planet is located within the habitable zone of its star, meaning that the world is at just the right temperature and distance from the star to host liquid water on its surface.

However, other experts believe that while the results promise excitement, confirming the existence of life beyond Earth-and even deciding what type of exoplanet K2-18b is-will take much more time and data. Astrophysicist Sara Seager, a professor of Physics, Planetary Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said independent teams have completely different interpretations of the planet itself.

Hycean refers to a newly proposed type of exoplanet, a portmanteau of ‘hydrogen’ and ‘ocean’. These are thought to be planets with vast liquid water oceans, like Earth, but also have thick hydrogen-rich atmospheres. They are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, making them a type of super-Earth or mini-Neptune. Hycean worlds are envisioned as having a significant amount of water, potentially covering the entire planet, similar to Earth. However, they also have a much thicker hydrogen-rich atmosphere than Earth, which could be a significant factor in their habitability.

Meanwhile, how do we get to K2-18b? We need another kind of Elon Musk to get the job done.

More biologically revealing stories coming-up. Find your own space with white, ‘smoking hot’ Freewheeling.