Tag: Shooting

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-35

About: the world this week, 27 August to 2 September 2023; fighting, shooting, banning, kissing, worming, releasing, probing and exploring, running, and throwing.

Everywhere

Ukraine Fights

Ukrainian and Russian drones are overrunning the battlefield these days as both countries are increasingly relying on the unmanned aerial Drones to wage a modern war. At any given time, dozens of Ukrainian and Russian drones are patrolling the skies above Vuhledar in the East, near ongoing fighting in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The Drones fly criss-crossing flight paths, causing air-traffic jams, and occasional collisions.

A Drone Operator remarked, ‘it’s like a crossroads in India’.

America Shoots

The shooting, on ordinary people, continues with regular frenzy in this part of the World, with no end in sight. And the United States (US) has already seen more than 400 mass shootings this year. They love their guns like hell?

Last weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, a White gunman opened fire at a Dollar General Store, killing three Black people. Later, the gunman shot himself to death. The 21 years old shooter was armed with an AR-15 style rifle and a Glock handgun that he bought legally. One of the guns was painted with swastikas. And the shooter made racist statements before opening fire. He had first tried to get into Edward Waters University, a small HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in the city, but was asked to leave by on-campus security.

Jacksonville is a city where 30% of its residents are Black.

Later, it was revealed that the shooter wrote several manifestos filled with ideology of hate. The US Justice Department is investigating the attack as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism.

France Bans

France’s Education Minister has announced a ban on abaya -a loose-fitting, full length dress worn by some Muslim women – in France’s state-run schools, describing the garment as ‘a religious gesture’. France has long banned all religious signs at educational institutions, but abaya had skirted the law until now. Students studying in public schools will no longer be allowed to wear the abaya.

Typically, the abaya is a black garment constructed like a loose robe or kaftan and covers everything but the face, hands, and feet. It’s not to be confused with a burqa or hijab-other Islamic forms of dress for women. The burqa is a garment that covers the entire face, with a crocheted mesh grill over the eyes. The hijab, on the other hand, is a head-scarf. Styles vary not only by geography, but also fashion trends.

The move is in keeping with a long line of steps that France has been taking against what it says is as an ‘affront to secularism’.

Spain Kisses

In nearby Spain a controversial ‘Football Kiss’ engulfed the country and refuses to die down.

Leading officials within the Spanish Football Federation called on suspended President Luis Rubiales to resign on account of his behaviour at the Women’s World Cup, including forcibly kissing Spain’s Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso, 33, on the lips, sparking worldwide outrage.

Rubiales, 46, has been defiant regarding the kiss. At a meeting of the federation, last week, where he had been widely expected to resign, Rubiales instead refused to step down, calling the kiss “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric, and consensual”. Rubiales also said he made a mistake, but that the kiss was consensual. Hermoso, on her part, said she did not give her permission and felt violated.

Meanwhile, the mother of Rubiales went on a hunger strike at a church in southern Spain, in support of her son, saying she would fast night and day until, what she called, the ‘inhumane hounding’ of her son ends. She had stayed back in the church after a service to start the hunger-strike. Later, she was admitted to a hospital.

Pakistan Releases

This week, Pakistan’s Islamabad High Court suspended former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s conviction and three-year sentence in the Toshakhana Corruption case, ordering his release.

Imran Khan was accused of unlawfully selling State gifts acquired by him and his family during his tenure as Prime Minister between 2018 and 2022. He was barred from politics for five years, preventing him from contesting an upcoming Election.

However, legal wrinkles are to be ironed out, before Imran Khan actually leaves jail.

India Probes the Moon and Winks at the Sun

Last week India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conquered the South Pole of the Moon with the Chandrayaan-3 Mission successfully landing Vikram on the Moon. And it in turn rolled out the six-wheeled robot Pragyan (meaning wisdom) to size-up the Moon.

This week, Pragyan went about moon-probing and sent back temperature details of the Moon’s surface besides beaming photos of a handsome Vikram. And found a host of chemicals on lunar soil. In-situ instruments confirmed the presence of sulphur and preliminary analysis also unveiled the presence of aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen.

ISRO also received the first set of data about the temperatures on the lunar topsoil and up to the depth of 10 centimetres below the surface, from a probe onboard Vikram. While the temperature on the Moon’s surface was nearly 60 Degrees Centigrade (C), it plummeted sharply below the surface, dropping to (-) 10C at 80 millimetres below the ground.

The Moon, however, is known for harbouring extreme temperatures: daytime temperatures near the lunar equator reach a boiling of 120C, while night temperatures can see-saw and plunge to (-) 130C.

The Moon’s Poles are even colder- one crater near the North Pole recorded (-) 250C, which makes it the coldest temperature measured anywhere in the entire solar system. Equally cold temperatures have been recorded at some of the craters, which remain permanently in the shadows in the South Pole.

Having found something to chew-upon on the awfully cold Moon, India is heading towards absolutely hotter parts – the Sun to find what’s cooking over there. ISROs first space mission to study the Sun – Aditya L1 – is scheduled to be launched this Saturday. Aditya means ‘Sun’ in Sanskrit and…and that’s as close to Sun as one can get!

Aditya L1 will be placed in a halo orbit around what is called the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million kilometres (km) from the Earth. It will take Aditya about 4 months, from the time of launching, to reach the designated orbit. The beauty of this spot is that a satellite placed in this orbit will have an unobstructed, continuous view of the Sun at all times – never mind the eclipses.

Aditya carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors. Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.

Aditya L1 is expected to work for about 5 years, sending back ‘hot’ information to ‘cool’ the World.

Brain Worms

This is probably the first known discovery – an astonishing one – of a live worm inside a human brain: neurosurgeons in Canberra Hospital, Australia extracted a 8 centimetres (cm) long parasite roundworm – which was not only alive but wriggling – from the brain of a 64 years old Australian woman.

The incident came to light in 2022 and the extraordinary medical case was published in the latest edition of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The symptoms first appeared in January 2021 when the women developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea followed by fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, and night sweats. As they worsened over a period of three weeks she was admitted to her local hospital in southeast New South Wales. Respiratory samples were examined and lung biopsy was carried out, but no parasites were detected at that stage.

By 2022 the woman was experiencing forgetfulness and worsening depression prompting an MRI scan, which showed brain changes and a lesion in her brain. When the neurosurgeon investigated deeply, they were shocked to find the worm.

Doctors believe that after hatching within her body the larva must have made its way to the brain. A brain biopsy was expected to reveal a cancer or an abscess. But a big lump appeared in the frontal part of the brain from where the worm was picked up.

The woman is relieved and glad that the Doctors found out the cause of her problems. She is on the road to recovery.

The creature is the larva of an Australian native roundworm not previously know to be a human parasite, named Ophidascaris Robertsi. The worms are commonly found in Carpet Pythons, living their oesophagus and stomach.

The worms eggs are shed in snake droppings, which are eaten by small mammals. The life cycle continues as other snakes eat the mammals. The woman lived near a carpet python habitat and foraged for native vegetation called Warrigal Greens – a type of grass- to cook. While she had no direct contact with snakes it is hypothesised that she consumed the eggs from the vegetation or contaminated hands.

Clever Washing – that we all religiously learnt and diligently executed during the Covid19 pandemic -may still work at all times?

India Strikes

The 19th World Athletics Championships was held in Hungary’s Budapest between 19 and 27 August 23 – a first in Hungary- and India having conquered the South Pole of the Moon woke up to conquer or ‘land safely’ in three other domains. Indeed, a glittering week for India in the Milky-Way Galaxy.

First, the Indian men’s 4×400 metres(m) relay team achieved a historic milestone by qualifying for the final for the first time ever. The team’s remarkable performance also resulted in setting a new Asian record with a time of 2:59.05 seconds during the semi-final heats, finished second.

Though ultimately the team finished 5th in the Finals clocking a time of 2:59.92, they created a huge, running sensation in India. The United States continued their dominance as they finished first with a time of 2:57.31, and the French set a new national record by clocking a time of 2:58.45. Great Britain won the bronze with a time of 2:58.71, their season’s best.

The Indian men’s relay team consisted of Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Rajesh Ramesh. They finished narrowly behind the heavyweights of world athletics and have become new heroes in India.

Second, India’s Parul Chaudhary was running another race. She finished 11th in the women’s 3000 m steeplechase final, but ran the race of her life to set a new National Record and also go past the entry standard for the upcoming Olympics.

She is the first Indian runner to clock 9:15.31 in the women’s 3000m steeplechase event. She broke Lalita Babar’s mark of 9:19.76 set during the 2016 Rio Olympics, while also finishing comfortably under 9:23.00, the automatic qualification mark for next year’s Summer Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France. In July 2023, she won a Gold in women’s 3000m steeplechase in the Asian Athletics Championships held at Bangkok.

Third, now to the Gold part. India’s reigning Olympic Champion and World Champion, Neeraj Chopra won Gold in javelin, with a throw of 88.17m becoming the first Indian to win Gold in the World Athletic Championship.

Recall that Neeraj Chopra won the Gold Medal in the 2020 (held in 2021) Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.58m becoming the first Indian Olympian to win a gold medal in athletics.

Later in the week Chopra missed being crowned the Diamond League Champion as well, coming second by the narrowest of margins of 0.15m. He finished being Czech Republic’s Akub Vadlejch (85.86m) who had won a bronze in the World Championships. Previously, Chopra had won the Diamond League Meetings in Doha – 5th May and Lausanne – 30 June.

Neeraj Chopra works as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Rajputana Rifles of the Indian Army. He was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award- the Padma Sri – in 2022. He is fast evolving into the best sportsperson India ever had, setting an example on and off the field – going by reports of the way he carries himself.

More stories worming-up in the weeks ahead. Kiss your loved ones and stay with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-27

About: the world this week, 3July to 9 July 2022. Shoot, Kill, Quit, Fight, Sing, Sprint, Pray, and Eat.

Everywhere

This week started with a bang…and ended with a bang, literally.

Denmark’s capital Copenhagen witnessed a mindless shooting spree at a Shopping Centre, which shocked Danes to the core. Three people were killed and four injured. The deadly attack began at the Field’s Shopping Mall – a multi-storey building and one of the biggest in Denmark: it has about 140 shops and restaurants and is located on the outskirts of Copenhagen.

Police arrested the suspect, an ethnic Dane, thirteen minutes after being alerted to the attack. The killer had mental health issues; there is no indication of a terror motive. And the shooting appears to be a lone wolf act – with no other conspirators.

English singer, songwriter, and Actor, Harry Edward Styles was to perform in a concert nearby. And it was cancelled at short notice. Fans were impressed with the manner police and organisers ensured young concertgoers were safely carted away, by way of informing parents and providing a police escort to the nearest safe train station.

The last time Denmark saw a major terror event was in 2015 when two people were killed and six police officers injured during an attack on a a cultural centre and a Synagogue in Copenhagen. The gunman was later killed in a shoot out.

Denmark has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe with licences to own firearms usually available for hunting or sport shooting, following background checks, and with almost a total ban on automatic weapons. Carrying a firearm in public is strictly prohibited.

Now, to the cowboys of the West.

The shootings in the United States of America (US) is only shooting up, and there seems to be no sign of it loosing its spirit, at the moment.

This week, six people were killed in a shooting in downtown Highland Park, Illinois during the 4th July Independence Day Parade. Parade-goers were enjoying a sunny parade along Central Avenue when a gunman began firing indiscriminately and randomly from the roof-top of a Business building, which he had scaled using a ladder.

The suspect, Robert E Crimo III, was spotted by a North Chicago Officer who attempted a traffic stop. Crimo led the Officers to a brief chase before being stopped and taken into custody.

This marks at least the 308th mass shooting in the US this year and the carnage adds to an already bloody American Spring and Summer.

Just look at this statistic: Denmark had 3 mass shootings in the last 28 years. The US had 17 mass shootings in the last 5 days. The difference and what needs to be done is crystal clear. Got it America?

In another finding, The US found itself to be the serial killer capital of the World. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) complied information about 4743 known serial killers worldwide between 1900 and 2016 and discovered that 3204 of them were from the US. Is that why guns are required? Is America setting a bloody infectious example?

Shots in Japan

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, is Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister until he resigned in 2020. He was known for his ‘Abenomics’ policy to lift Japan’s economy – the world’s third biggest – out of deflation and wanting a more prominent role for Japan’s military, to counter growing threats from North Korea and a more assertive China. He was responsible for Japan winning the bid to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, cherishing a wish to preside over the Games. He even appeared as the Nintendo video game character Mario during the Olympic handover at Rio 2016.

During his tenure as PM, he considered it a failure in being unable to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution, which prohibits the country from using force to resolve international disputes.

Late this week, Shinzo Abe was in the western city of Nara to make a campaign speech ahead of this Sunday’s upper house elections. While giving the speech he was shot twice from behind, by a man using what looked like a shotgun or a home-made gun . The first shot appears to have missed, but the second shot hit Abe in the back. Security Personnel then quickly overpowered and detained the shooter, who made no attempt to run. Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest and airlifted to the Nara City Hospital where he succumbed and died due to the shooting. A suspect, an Army Veteran, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, of Nara City was arrested.

Abe’s shooting has shocked Japan: gun violence is rare and Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world due to its extremely strict gun control laws.

The last time a current or former Japanese PM was shot was 90 years ago. There has never been a political assassination in Japan since the 1930’s, The only shootings ever heard of in Japan involve the Yakuza – Japan’s famously violent organised crime gangs – arguing over territory. Even those were rare. But most people never come in to contact with the Yakuza. Even they shy away from guns because the penalties for illegal possession are just not worth it.

There were 10 gun incidents last year, leaving one person dead and four wounded. In the year 2014 six gun deaths were reported, and the number rarely exceeds 10, in a country of 126 million people. In 2018, Japan only reported nine deaths from firearms, compared with 39,740 that year in the USA.

Under Japan’s firearms laws, the only guns permitted for sale are shotguns and air rifles. Handguns are outlawed. But getting them is a long and complicated process.

Japan has close to ‘zero-tolerance’ of gun ownership – an approach that contributes to its extremely low rate of gun crime.

Later, a video of the shooting showed that Shinzo Abe’s Security did a horrible job of protecting him when compared to the tight heavy security in other parts of the world. Understandable, given Japan’s safe record? Maybe there is a lesson here.

This week’s assassination of Shinzo Abe could change Japan forever.

Herd moves: Losing the Best Job in the World

This week Boris Johnson resigned as leader of his Conservative Party and is on the way out as Prime Minister (PM) of the United Kingdom (UK).

He has been in a quagmire of scandal after scandal, in recent months. The list includes everything from ‘Partygate’, surviving a no-confidence vote, to corruption allegations to the latest ‘Pincher’ scandal. It was acknowledged that Johnson knew about sexual misconduct allegations against a fellow Conservative Party member before appointing him to a senior position. But he says he ‘forgot’ about it. A ‘wind rush’ of ministers resigned since Tuesday and nudged him to do the same. And after initial resistance Johnson has agreed to step down. In his exit speech he said a Herd moves by instinct and when the Herd moves, it moves. And he was sure ‘Darwin’s evolution’ would find the next PM, and that he is sad to leave the Best Job In the World.

Boris Johnson squandered one of the strongest political positions held by a PM of the UK, in record time. The authoritative mandate gained after winning an eighty seat majority in December 2019 dissipated at extraordinary speed as he dealt with a series of scandals with a ham-fisted mixture of denial, disorganisation, and even outright lying.

Johnson secured the Election Victory riding on the back of the ’Get Brexit Done’ pledge. After securing an exit from the European Union (EU), he struggled with the coronavirus pandemic – got it himself- was late in imposing the first lockdown in March 2020, and thereafter went too fast in loosening restrictions the following Christmas, which he was forced to cancel at the eleventh hour.

But UK’s PM was ultimately undone not by policy disagreements but by character failings. He presided over a lax culture at Downing Street during the pandemic, in which he, advisers and officials attended a string of booze-filled parties (imbibing the spirits of Scotland & Ireland?) while people all over the country were locked down at home.

I reckon, the seriousness of governance evaporated and it could not be condensed into a workable drink, any longer. Mind the herd!

Just Begun

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, continued his ranting and warned that Russia has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and dared the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield. “Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest,” Putin said during a speech to Russian lawmakers this week. He added, “The further it goes, the harder it will be, for them to negotiate with us”.

Methinks, this is the beginning of the end, and Ukraine will stay the course, gradually ‘managing’ the bullying of Russia.

India’s Upper House

The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally called the Council of States, is the Upper House of the bicameral Parliament of India – the Lower House or the House of the People, being the Lok Sabha.

While people of India directly vote to elect the Members of Parliament (MP) of the Lok Sabha, the MP’s of the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by the legislatures of the States and Union territories. Further, for the Rajya Sabha, the President of India nominates 12 members who have special domain knowledge or practical experience in art, literature, science, and social service. This is on the advice of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister – the Leader of the majority/ruling party in the Lok Sabha. The intent being to enrich Parliamentary proceedings, which otherwise may be hijacked by political party musings.

The nominated members have a six-year term and the Rajya Sabha is a permanent House, not subject to dissolution. However, one-third members of Rajya Sabha retire after every second year: opening the gates for elections and nominations.

The Rajya Sabha being a representation of the States of India serves to protect the rights of States. And all laws passed by the Lok Sabha – affecting the states -have to be approved by a two—thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha.

This year the President of India dipping into his 12 MP rights, nominated legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja, from Tamil Nadu State, celebrated athlete P T Usha, from Kerala, blockbuster film screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad from Andhra Pradesh, and spiritual leader Veerendra Heggade from Karnataka.

Rajayya Gnanathesikan, R Gananthesikan, went by the name of ‘Rajaiya’ on joining school, Raaja on learning music from his Master, and became Ilaiyaraaja after the stupendous success of his virgin music scores in the Tamil movie ‘Annakkili’(Parrot). Ilaiyaraaja then went on to become famous as a film composer, conductor, singer and lyricist, working predominantly in Tamil cinema. Ilayaraja is credited with introducing western music concepts in South Indian music and synthesising western and Indian music instruments. He has composed more than 7,000 songs, provided film scores for more than 1,400 movies and performed in more than 20,000 concerts.

Ilaiyaraaja is also called ‘Isaignani’ (musical genius) and is often referred to as ‘Maestro’, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London, amongst others.

The journey from Gnanathesikan to Isaignani has indeed been an awfully long one. Names changed along with the heavenly music!

Pilavullakandi Thekkeraparambil Usha, P T Usha the sprinter, and India’s most famous woman track & field athlete, known as the Payyoli Express and the Golden Girl, has won over 100 medals at national and international events, including four golds at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. She hit the headlines with her performance at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where she reached the final but missed out on a medal by a 1/100th of a second. And a billion India hearts skipped a beat. She was born in Payyoli, Kozhikode district of Kerala hence the Payyoli Express tag.

In 1986 Seoul Asian Games, India won 5 Gold Medals where she alone won 4 Gold Medals in 200 metres (m), 400m, 400m hurdles & 4×400 relay and 1 Silver Medal in 100m. She is the first Indian woman to reach the final of an Olympic event.

P T Usha is married to V Srinivasan an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force. The couple have a son, Ujjwal Srinivasan, who is a Doctor and holds an International Olympic Committee Diploma in Sports Medicine.

She is currently the committee head of Indian Talent Organization, which conducts National level talent Olympiad examinations in schools across India. And runs the Usha School of Athletics (USHA) at Koyilandi, near Kozhikode.

Koduri Vishwa Vijayendra Prasad,V Vijayendra Prasad is a film screenwriter and director known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema, in addition to Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi cinema. He has done more than twenty-five films as a screenwriter, most of which were commercially successful.

He is best known for screenwriting blockbusters such as ‘RRR’, the ‘Baahubali’ series and ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ in addition to Manikarnika: the Queen of Jhansi, Magadheera, and Mersal (Tamil). His film-maker son, S S Rajamouli directed the Baahubali series of movies, to wide acclaim.

Veerendra Heggade is a Jain Philanthropist and the hereditary administrator or Dharmadhikari of the Dharmasthala Temple. He has been at the forefront of outstanding community service, social work, and communal harmony, doing great work in health, education, and culture.

He succeeded his father as Dharmadhikari at the age of nineteen in October 1968, the 21st in his line, of the Pergade Dynasty belonging to the Digambara Jain group. He administers the temple and its properties, which are held in a Trust, for the benefit of devotees and worshippers.

Veerendra Heggade married Hemavathi, in a match arranged by their parents and the couple have an only child, a daughter, Shraddha. His heir and the person to succeed him will be his younger brother, Harshendra – as traditionally, sons get the charge.

Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade has been conducting a Free Mass Marriage every year in Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala since 1972. Over 10,000 couples have been married under this scheme.

The Annapoorna kitchen at the Lord Manjunatheshwara temple at Dharmasthala is one among the five biggest kitchens in India, which feeds thousands of people. The others big kitchens of the country are Shirdi, Chennai’s Taj kitchen, main kitchen of Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) at Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and Akshaya Patra Foundation’s kitchen at Hubli, Karnataka.

Lots to eat, with more stories coming out of my small Kitchen in the weeks ahead. Stay safe, stay with the herd, and move with World Inthavaaram.