Tag: Spain

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-30

About: the world this week 23 July to 29 July 2023 – Heat and Fire; Odessa; Spain’s Election; Iraq & Sweden; a coup in Niger; Greece fires; Chandrayaan-3; Singers O’Connor and Tony Bennet; Swift Quake; Movies, ‘Barbenheimer’.

Everywhere

The Odessa Fire

Russia has been launching near-constant attacks on the Ukraine Port City of Odessa, off the Black Sea, since it withdrew from a landmark grain deal – which allowed Ukraine’s grain production to safely leave Port – last week. Russian missiles strikes badly damaged The Transfiguration Cathedral, which is an UNESCO world heritage-listed historic centre. It is Odessa’s largest Orthodox Church and was consecrated in 1809. In the year 1939, it was demolished by the then Soviet Union, and rebuilt in 2003.

The destruction is enormous with half of the cathedral left without a roof, and the central piles and foundation were destroyed. All the windows and stucco moulding were blown out.

UNESCO has been urging Russia to cease attacks on Odessa, to no avail. The city’s historic centre was designated an endangered World Heritage earlier this year, despite Russian opposition.

Spain’s Hot Summer Election

This is Spain’s first general election of modern times held in the searing, fierce heat of mid-summer, when many Spaniards are usually on holiday, probably exploring the world in there own Armadas.

Spain went to the polls in a Election that offered a choice of two starkly contrasting visions: the Socialist Left and the Conservative Right.Two extremes: that’s becoming the norm across many countries in recent times.

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, who is Prime Minister (PM) since 2018 hoped the government’s social reforms and its handling of a strongly performing economy will win over voters. His Spanish Socialist Workers Party has been lagging in polls behind the conservative People’s Party (PP) led by Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who wants to roll back many of the socialist reforms of Sanchez.

In the results that were declared this week the conservative Right coalition, which was expected to win, secured only 169 seats. The socialist Left won 153 seats – 122 by Sanchez’s Party and 31 by Minister Yolanda Diaz’s, Sumar.

Both the Left and the Right were far from an absolute majority of 176 seats in Spain’s 350-seat Parliament.

The PP obtained 136 seats – 47 more than 4 years ago. The far-right Vox Party scored 33 seats – 19 less than in 2019 – which adds up to a total of 169 seats in a coalition. With the Vox Party achieving a result worse than in 2019, Feijoo’s chances of forming a PP majority coalition government with it were dashed. If the Vox Party had done better and helped form a government, it would have meant the first far-right involvement in government since ‘Francoist Spain’ under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco Bahamonde, which ended in 1975.

On its part to obtain the 176 seats, Sanchez’s party would need a total of 23 more seats, and their traditional allies in Parliament – all regional parties- together have 19 seats.

The election results have created uncertainty with regards to the future of the next government – causing a possible deadlock. Now they march to the King of Spain to discuss government formation.

PM Pedro Sanchez called the early election after his Party and its far-left partner, Unidas Podemos, were defeated in local and regional elections in May. The move seems to have paid off, though slightly below expectations.

Meanwhile, the King of Spain’s fabulously tailored suits were the hot buzz during the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament: winning praise for the excellent tailoring. And I enjoyed the threads on the science behind them. Some skills His Royal Highness could use to stitch together a government?

Iraq and Sweden: Burning

Last week, Iraq kicked out Sweden’s Ambassador and asked its own Affairs in-Charge in Sweden to pack and return home, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over burning of the Holy Quran.

Last month, Sweden granted permission to an Iraqi refugee to burn the Quran during broader anti-Islam protests outside a Stockholm mosque. Then last week, another planned Quran burning protest was scheduled to take place by the same refugee, who stomped on the holy book. Iraqi protesters responded by storming and setting fire to parts of Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad. Now, Iraq is threatening to sever diplomatic ties with Sweden amid the turmoil and has revoked a Swedish telecom giant’s license to operate in Iraq. For the moment, it’s a tit-for-tat state of affairs between the countries.

How does Sweden allow the burning and the stomping?

Sweden has one of the world’s strongest legal protections for freedom of expression. Sweden’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression on any subject, including ‘expressions of opinion that question religious messages, or that can be perceived as hurtful to the believer’. It also scrapped its blasphemy laws in the 1970s. That’s the stage!

Niger Coup

African nations are no strangers to coups and this week it was Niger’s turn.

Niger is a vast, arid country on the edge of the Sahara desert and one of the poorest nations in the world.

On 26 July, soldiers said they have ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, closed the country’s borders, and dissolved Niger’s Constitution. In a national TV address, security forces said the inevitable: ‘a deteriorating security situation and bad governance’ led to the coup. The announcement was made by Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, alongside nine other uniformed soldiers behind him: “We, the defence and security forces… have decided to put an end to the regime you know”.

President Bazoum is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa. Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings in recent years. In both countries the new military leaders have fallen out with France, the former colonial power, which also formerly ruled Niger. A French connection?

Greece Fires

Greece has been bracing itself for intense heat last weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb as high as 45 degrees Centigrade (113F).

People had been advised to stay home, and tourist sites – including Athens’ ancient Acropolis – was shut during the hottest days. It turned into Greece’s hottest July weekend in 50 years.

In the Greek Island of Rhodes, thousands of people were evacuated from homes and hotels after wildfires engulfed large parts of the island. More than 3,500 people have been evacuated by land and sea to safety. A further 1,200 were evacuated from three villages – Pefki, Lindos, and Kalathos.

Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires. The island has been battling wildfires fanned by strong winds since last Tuesday, as Europe deals with a challenging heatwave.

What sparked the fires is yet to be ascertained: arsonists? climate change?

Meanwhile, Greece rightfully declared it is at war with the flames.

On the sidelines, The United Nations stepped-in to say, ‘The era of global warming has ended. The era of global boiling has arrived’. And warnings of unbreathable air and unbearable temperatures is what lies ahead. And Scientists hurried to add that this month is the hottest ever in 1,20,000 years.

India Onwards to the Moon

India’s Chandrayaan-3, which took off from Earth on 14 July on mission to land on the Moon is heading in the right direction. Orbit raising manoeuvres to gradually lift the spacecraft and leave the Earth’s gravity and orbit have been successfully completed. And the next firing, to kick it into the Trans Lunar Orbit on the way to the Moon is scheduled on 1st August. Chandrayaan-3 is following the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) script to the dot, as it inches closer to the Moon.

Singers No More

This week on 26 July, Irish singer, Sinead O’Connor, 56, was found unresponsive in her London Apartment and subsequently declared dead. The death was not teated as suspicious and the medical reason is yet to be ascertained.

The feminist firebrand known for her trademark bald-head appearance was best known for her 1990 song, ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ written by Prince – the track made O-Connor a global star, partly due to its iconic video.

Two weeks ago, O’Connor had told her fans that she had recently moved back to London after a 23-year absence – and she was very happy to be home.

Sinead O’ Connor’s debut album, ‘The Lion and the Cobra’, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. He second studio album, ‘I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got’, 1990, became her biggest success selling over seven million copies worldwide. It’s lead single, ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ was named the number one world single in 1990, by Billboard Music Awards.

O’Conner had a troubled past and spoke of being sexually abused by her parents as a child, saying she was in agony. She consistently spoke out on issues related to child abuse, human rights, racism, organised religion, and women’s rights. She struggled with her mental health and had been dealing with the loss of her 17-year-old son, who died by suicide last year.

In 1999, O’Connor was ordained as priest by the Latin Tridentine Church – not recognised by the main stream Catholic Church. In 2017 she changed her name to Magda Davitt. After converting to Islam in 2018, she became Shuhada Sadaqat.

O’Connor had four children and was married and divorced four times.

Last week saw the passing of another music legend, American jazz and traditional pop singer, Tony Bennet, 97, who died in his home. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was suffering from it for many years.

He won 20 Grammy Awards; sold more than 50 million records worldwide; earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; broke the Guinness book of World records for the oldest person to release an album of new material at the age of 95 years and 60 days; among many other remarkable achievements in a long singing career.

His signature song, in 1962, ‘I left my heart in San Francisco’, lingers in the heart!

In other swift music news, Singer Taylor Swift is on a music tour. And after two nights of earth-shaking dancing at Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour concert at Lumen Field, Seattle, USA, enthusiastic ‘Swifties’ caused seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to a seismologist. The ‘Swift Quake’ has been compared to the 2011 ‘Beast Quake’, when Seattle Seahawks fans erupted after an impressive touchdown by running-back Marshawn ‘Beast Mode’ Lynch.

Please Yourself

Amid the ongoing, no-end-in-sight Hollywood Writers’ and Actors’ Union strike two much anticipated movies hit the theatres late last week: ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’. Fans got to watch Greta Gerwig’s take on life in plastic and Christopher Nolan’s biopic on the scientist behind the atom bomb. The two films, dubbed ‘Barbenheimer,’ had already sold over 40,000 tickets combined worldwide before release. Though the Unions Strike threaten to hurt the film industry, which lost around $7 billion during the pandemic, the shows must go on. Oppenheimer and Barbie are expected to bring in USD 40 million and USD 80 million respectively in their opening weekend.

This week Barbie did fabulously well at the Box Office -the famous pink was splashed all over Town- and appears to be on its way to becoming a blockbuster success.

Barbie is a fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. It is based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel. The film follows Barbie – played by Actress Margot Robbie – and Ken – Ryan Gosling- on a journey of self-discovery.

While Barbie dolled-up the Box-Office, Oppenheimer got itself entangled in a ‘spiritual bomb incident’ over the way the Hindu Holy book, Bhagavad Gita was read and portrayed in a scene in the movie.

More pink and other colourful stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Stay cool with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2021-37

About: the world this week, 5 September to 11 September 2021, musings on mankind, abortion, the Kingdom of eSwatini, a Bishop in Spain, Tennis and Football, and a brand new Superhero movie.

Everywhere

Mankind has grown beyond the wildest imagination of our cave-dwelling, hunter-gatherer, stone-tool forefathers. And we are growing our known Universe every single day: we sight a new Star, a new Galaxy, a new Black Hole; spy a fiery Meteor, stare at a beautiful shooting star; find a new Sun-spot…the list goes on. Then we send out space-ships to get as close as possible, tickle them, even land and dig on them – ingeniously fly above too, testing space.

On dear Planet Earth, we discover a new kind of frog in the thick plant and leafy forest undergrowth, or a new species of fish, or my favourite sharks, in the depths of the mighty oceans. All this is made possible by stupendous, never-before in-existence technology, invented by the ever hard-working, relentlessly exploring man. On the way, we designed and manufactured ferocious weapons that can wipe out all of us – without a trace- from the face of the Earth, within seconds. We also created computers and networking – sewing the world together – and suddenly, knowledge is strewn all over the place; you just need to pick it up and use it to make your own thing.

Then it hits you like a sledgehammer: a narrow-minded, cave-thinking force, with their beards, menacing weapons, and disrespect for the woman of mankind emerge from the darkest corners of Earth and occupy centre stage in a country. Do they realise that their mothers are women? And there is a fear of that Country returning to antediluvian times. Have we come full circle? Should we?

This week, such a force, called the Taliban, which had with unbelievable ease gained control of the country of Afghanistan, lazily announced the formation of an Interim Government. It was bulleted with the Who’s-Who on the ‘Wanted List’ of the United Nations and many Countries. Where does Afghanistan go from here?

Unconfirmed reports fire-in that the Panjshir Valley, the last region holding-out, which is not under Taliban rule in Afghanistan and which has steadfastly remained out of any occupying force during its entire history has also been defeated and taken. But there is still signs of a resistance hanging out there.

There is nothing but hope to hold on to. Meanwhile, the rest of the world may start growing a beard and cover itself up!

Eswatini: A Last Kingdom

Eswatini is a tiny, land-locked country in Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique with a population of about 1.2 million ‘swazis’. It is officially known as the Kingdom of Eswatini – Kingdom of eSwatini- and was formerly known as Swaziland: the name change happened in 2018. It is the last standing, absolute monarchy in Africa. The country gained its independence from Great Britain in 1968 and is celebrating 53 years of Independence. Well, actually it is not.

Over the past months people are spilling on to the streets, protesting the strangulating monarchy, the brutality of Police and Military action, and clamouring for democracy and a better life, with over 60% of the population living in abject poverty. There are certain parts of the country, which even in this year 2021, do no know what electricity is or what it means to have clean drinking water.

Eswatini is ruled by the ‘superhuman’ King Mswati III, since 1986. He lives an obnoxiously extravagant lifestyle and has over 30 children from a ‘bevy of wives’ (at least 15, on the last count). He owns expansive mansions, a flat of expensive vehicles, and a top-of-the-line personal jet. While the poor people struggle for a livelihood, the King is hoping to surpass his father, King Sobhuza II, who had accumulated 70 wives and over 200 children, in the wife development department. Age is on his side and being in the fifties he may well get past his father. The famous annual reed dance festival of Eswatini helps him find suitable women to add to his collection. And it goes on…

With his talent for adding wives and planting seed, the King should be able to find the means and resources to improve the lot of his people and multiply their incomes. And crown himself with true people’s glory. Or, maybe Kings & Queens are an old-fashion item that need to be thrown out? Over to Eswatini. They decide.

Abortions

Early this month, the State of Texas, United States, brought-in a new law banning abortions once a foetal heartbeat is detected, which is as early as six weeks. Many women don’t even know that they are pregnant around this time. Further, there are no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Means, you have to carry on with having the baby. The Texas Law is one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the US. And Texas is also doing things differently. It’s giving private citizens the power to enforce the abortion ban. i.e., people can sue abortion providers, friends, and family members who they believe violated the law or helped someone get an abortion. And they can get a prize of at least USD 10,000, if they are successful.

India is, by far, more progressive that the US, on abortion. Recall the recently amended Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act of 1971, which allows women to seek abortions as part of reproductive rights and gender justice. The upper limit of MTP is twenty-four weeks for women including rape survivors, victims of incest, differently-abled women and minors. Failure of contraception is also acknowledged, and MTP is available to ‘any woman or her partner’. The Indian law is definitely empathetic and sensitive, rightfully allowing women to be in control of what happens in their bodies.

Continuing with the pregnancy theme, this week, Mexico’s Supreme Court has ruled that criminal penalties for terminating pregnancies are unconstitutional. The decision to decriminalise abortion in Latin America’s second largest catholic nation brought hopes that throughout Mexico women with the ability to carry a child have the conditions and freedom to determine their reproductive destiny.

The US takes many steps forward and least a few steps backward every once in a while. It can take ‘baby steps’ and learn from India, and Mexico. Some hand-holding is required!

A Spanish Bishop: Falling in Love

Xavier Novell became Spain’s youngest Bishop in the year 2010, at the age of 41, in Solsona, North-Eastern Catalonia. He was a strident critic of homosexuality, advocated gay conversions, and carried out exorcisms; holding on to traditional values of abortion; and being an outspoken supporter of Catalonian Independence. Despite being a a rising star in the Spain’s Catholic Church, last month he gave it all up and secured the Vatican’s approval to resign as a Bishop, citing ‘personal reasons’ – most of us have used this ‘pregnant-with-meaning’ phrase so often in our lives, haven’t we?

Turns out that he had fallen in love with a divorcee, who is a psychologist and novelist, writing Satanic-tinged erotic fiction. In his youth Xavier Novell had fallen in love with a 18 year old girl and wanted to marry her and raise a family, before deciding on the path of God, culminating in his becoming a Bishop.

Wow, what a way to fall – in love!

Paralympic Games, Tokyo: The End

The Paralympic Games came to an end on Sunday and India finished with a fabulous haul of 19 medals – the highest in its History. More sportspersons added glory than ever before.

In total, India bagged 13 medals (Gold-5, Silver-8, Bronze -6) and was placed 24th with China, Great Britain, and the United States topping the tables on most medals won – in that order.

I hope such medal winning unleashes the sporting spirit in India and every State competes with each another, to send the best Athletes to all forms of the Olympic Games.

Tennis and Football

The US Open is nearing the stage of the final matches and I talked about Emma Raducanu in World Inthavaaram 2021-28

https://kumargovindan.wordpress.com/2021/07/10/world-inthavaaram-2021-28/

Keep that in mind and read on.

Two teenage women who were not too well known to anyone before this US Open will play for the singles championship on Saturday in what is probably the most improbable matchup for a Grand Slam Final since the modern era of tennis began more than fifty years ago. Emma Raducanu, 18 years old, of Britain and Leylah Fernandez, 19 years old, of Canada are the two teenage sensations who knocked off seasoned professionals in the world rankings to get to this stage. May the best ‘born in Canada’ teenager win.

In Football this week, Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to give Argentina a 3-0 win over Bolivia in a World Cup 2022 qualifier, lifting him above all-time great Pele as South America’s top international scorer with 79 goals. It was Messi’s seventh hat-trick for Argentina.

I am already looking forward to the FIFA Football World Cup 2022 to be played in Qatar between 21 November 2022 and 18 December 2022.

Please Yourself

There are two famous Comic Book Entertainment Companies based in the United Sates, that have, between them, invented all the Superheroes we know – to wow us. DC (Detective Comics) which first created the magic of Mandrake the Magician and then brought to Earth, Superman, flew Batman, ringed Wonder Women…among others; while Marvel Comics spinned Spider-Man (the all-time best superhero revenue earner), forged Iron Man, led Captain America, went green with The Hulk, hammered Thor, and painted Black Panther…among others.

Most of these superheroes were of Western origin and the Eastern World was ignored, kind of felt left-out – needed its own Superhero!

Now, Marvel (Marvel Cinematic Universe-MCU)after looking deeply at Asia produced its first Asian Superhero Movie called, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ based on its titular Marvel Comics character. The Ten Rings are ten mystical weapons that grant their user immortality and great power.

The film stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, a brutally trained martial artist and assassin who leaves his father’s secret organization, known as Ten Rings, to live an ordinary life in San Francisco, United States. The Superhero lives as a Valet Driver, Shaun, parking cars and spending weeknight karaoke sessions with his co-worker and best friend Katy, from which stage the story rings out.

The goofy exchanges between Shaun and Katy are a stand-out and along with the superb action sequences and special effects, the film is already one of the freshest Marvel pictures to come along in a long time.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who is of Japanese descent, the movie is made up of a predominantly Asian cast of, Awkwafina (Katy), Tony Leung, and the unmissable, Michelle Yeoh.

The Film released on 3 September 2021 in the US and has become a box-office hit.

More teenage sport and superhero stories up ahead in the coming weeks. You’ll fall in love with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2021-25

About: the world this week, 13th June to 19th June 2021, Israel’s new ‘Iron Dome’, Aeroplanes, Biden-Putin Summit, Tennis, Euro Football, new Diamonds, and old movies.

Everywhere

Israel’s New Prime Minister

After 12 long years punctuated with steady hiccups, Israel got itself a new Prime Minister.

Naftali Bennett,49, was sworn in as Israel’s 13th Prime Minister (PM)this Sunday, taking over from Binyamin Netanyahu (Bibi), who stood strong like Israel’s famous Iron Dome, shooting down all attempts to dislodge him, until now. Bibi got so used to his hot seat in Parliament that after shaking hands with the new PM he ‘missile-d himself’ to his old seat and had to be gently diverted to find a new one.

Israel has always struggled with individual Parties winning an absolute majority – that’s number 61 – and it was coalition politics that ruled most of the time. Never short of tall Leaders with the crystal clear purpose of ensuring that Israel survives and thrives in an Ocean of Arabs, coalition governments, despite internal abrasion, always delivered the goods-the fights!

The new ‘Rotation Government’ won a razor-thin confidence vote, on 13th June, in Israel’s Parliament, The Knesset, with 60 votes for and 59 votes against.

Naftali Bennett had stitched together an extraordinary coalition of eight Parties comprising the entire ideological spectrum of Israel, ranging from ultra-nationalists, centrists, left-wing and Arab-Israeli parties, following the Legislative Elections in March 2021. Himself a former aide to Netanyahu, while in the Likud Party, Bennett is the leader of a nationalist party, Yamina, which is one of the smallest in the new coalition. He positioned himself between those loyal to Netanyahu and those opposed to him and when Yair Lapid, the Leader of the Opposition and the head of the Yesh Atid Party, offered Bennett the first two years of the new Prime Minister’s term, a rotation deal was struck. Yair Lapid will hopefully take-over after two years, if the bits & pieces government lasts that long.

Naftali Bennet is the youngest son, of three, born to Jewish immigrants from the United States who settled down in Israel. He is married to Gilat, a professional Pastry Chef and a Parent Counsellor, and the couple have four children.

Bennet served in the Israeli Defence Forces commanding many combat operations. After his service period, while remaining a Reserve, he became a Software Technical Entrepreneur and went on to make millions before entering politics. He brings to the table working experience as Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Minister of Education, and Minister of Defence. That’s an Iron Dome in itself.

He is a strong advocate of the Jewish Nation State insisting on Jewish historical and religious claims to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

Tough times lie ahead for the Palestinian Terrorists if they try to whack Israel. In fact, they tried a trick this week, launching fire balloons into Israel, and got what they hoped for, air-strikes in the Gaza.

Airbus & Boeing

The two biggest aircraft manufacturers in the world are Airbus-made in the European Union (EU)-and Boeing-made in the United States of America (USA). Most fliers must have flown more often in one of them than in any other Aircraft.

The competition between Boeing & Airbus was so intense that over the years Governments started unfairly propping up their respective flagship plane-makers by providing subsidies and imposing tariffs. And this trade-war kept flying for near about 17 years.

Then, The World Trade Organisation (WTO) noticed, and in parallel cases, in separate rulings in 2019 and 2020, ruled that the EU and the USA provided illegal support and violated trade rules in keeping their respective Aircraft manufacturers in flight.

This week the EU’s European Council (EC) President Ursula Von Der Leyen and US President Joe Biden met at a summit in Brussels, and the US and the EU have agreed a truce in the 17-year trade dispute over subsidies for Boeing and Airbus.

Under the agreement, both sides will lift taxes on goods, including wine, cheese and tractors, for five years. The tariffs, imposed by both sides as punishment in the escalating dispute, had already been suspended in March this year, while they tried to resolve matters.

Meanwhile, China-supported by Russia-began scaling and ramping-up its plane-making skills and is beginning to pose a stern challenge. China’s Comac is already in the final stages of developing the C919-a plane designed as a direct rival to Airbus’ A320 Neo and the Boeing 737 Max. In the Long term, it has a partnership with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation, to develop a larger, wide-body jet.

That’s stiff competition flying in the air. And China is everywhere.

A Little More of Less Space

Taking-off from the Airbus-Boeing drama, and perhaps to get a better perspective, from above, this week, China successfully launched three of its Astronauts into Space through its Shenzhaou-12 Spaceship. And six and half hours later the Astronauts docked with and cooly entered the country’s under-construction Space Station.

In other Space News, Mauritius launched its first ever Satellite, MIR-SAT 1, piggy-backing on SpaceX’s Falcon-9 Rocket, from the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, USA.

Isn’t Space getting crowded? Time to build Street Lights out there?

Biden & Putin

The Villa La Grange is an 18th century storied manor house, at the centre of the Parc La Grange – one of Geneva’s largest and most popular parks – and located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. The site is known for lush green gardens and its role as a ‘mystical setting’ for many important moments in the struggle between war and peace in this world. The Villa’s, over 15,000 works Library is the only room holding on to the original decorative features and serves as a perfect backdrop for looking into one’s eyes and seeing the soul – how deep is my love?

This Wednesday, the Villa hosted a face-to-face meeting between the US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the Library. This was to talk things over and thaw the ice-cold relations between them. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov were also in the Library, at arms length, reading the book titles.

The meeting, being a first, between the two as heads of their countries was a cordial sizing-up one, straying into arms control, browsing into cybersecurity (we didn’t hack anything, said Putin), gunning for release of prisoners, agreeing on return of Ambassadors to their seats, starting nuclear talks, and touching upon the imprisonment of Russia’s Leader of the Opposition, Alexei Lavalny (he broke the law, said Putin).

Both leaders stayed rooted in their positions and became part of the lush green landscape. We have to look for greener pastures, elsewhere!

French Open 2021

The French Open, after a ‘pressing mental struggle’ at the start, picked up and delivered powerful games of Tennis on the clay courts of Roland Garros, raising dust.

On the Women’s side unseeded Czech, Barbora Krejcikova 25, beat Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova,29, to win the Women’s title, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. This was her first Grand Slam Singles title. That wasn’t all, Barbora Krejcikova teamed-up with Katerina Siniakova to win the Women’s Doubles title too, one of the few do so in one Tournament. Overall, Barbora now has seven Grand Slam Titles under her belt having previously won doubles and mixed- doubles Titles.

Barbora lost her coach, Jana Novotna – a 1998 Wimbledon Champion – to cancer in 2017. And was sure she was proudly looking at her from up above and volleying her the blessings.

In the Men’s Game, Serbian Novok Djokovic beat Greek Stefanous Tsitsipas to win his 19th Tennis Grand Slam Title. Two other old warriors were waiting for him at that level: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam titles each. Djokovic had just one Grand Slam Title to his name in 2010, and he has been sprinting like hell, to get this far.

I watched the finals and was impressed with Tsitsipas. He has a terrific a backhand, but was let down by his forehand, drop shots, unforced errors, and his nerves. He should look up to ice-cool Bjorn Borg, who was on stage to present the Trophies. I’m sure we’ll see him winning more Titles in the years to come.

UEFA Euro 2020 (2021)

The Union of European Football Associations (UEPA) is the governing body of European football and the umbrella organisation for 55 national associations across Europe. It holds the Euro Football Championship every year.

Last year, Euro 2020 was scheduled from 12 June to 12 July 2020, but got postponed – by a whole year – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year it is being held between 11 June and 11 July 2021 in eleven host cities across the continent for the first time in the 60-year history of the Tournament. And it retains the name ‘UEFA Euro 2020’. Why not?

On the second day of Euro 2020 it suffered a heart-attack when Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed on the pitch during Denmark’s game against Finland. Turns out he had a cardiac arrest. The Emergency Medical Services team was quick to act and CPR (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation) was started straight away on Eriksen, followed by use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) which saved him. He was moved to a hospital and has crossed the danger zone. It’s unclear how a cardiac arrest can suddenly occur to a healthy person and player at this sporting level of football.

Pain in Spain

The Canary Islands (Canaries) is a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, known for their black and white sand beaches. The Islands once contained dogs (canes) of very large size and the original inhabitants used to worship dogs.

Tenerife is the largest Island and its coast is the scene of a horrific, monstrous crime, which brought a shaken Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to say, ‘the whole country is in shock’.

Tomas Gimeno and Beatriz Zimmermann had dated since they were teenagers, but broke up last year during the pandemic. Between them, they had two children, Olivia, six years old, and Anna, just one year old.

Anna and Olivia went missing on 27 April 2021 after Tomas arranged to spend an afternoon with them. He is also missing, presumed dead. A judge was then called to investigate.

The investigating judge says that Tomas most likely murdered his daughters to ‘cause the greatest pain imaginable to their mother’. He killed his daughters in his house on the day they went missing, put them in bags, drove to the Port, sailed his boat to the deep waters off the coast of Tenerife and threw them overboard, after weighting the bags down with heavy objects. He did this after announcing to his ex-wife and his relatives that he was leaving with Olivia and Anna and that they would never be seen again. The next morning the boat was found drifting at sea.

After 44 days of searching, Olivia’s body was found in a bag at a depth of 1000m. A bag next to it was empty. And the body of Anna is yet to be found.

Tomas had left his pet dog, bank cards with the PIN numbers, and car keys at his parents’ house. He gifted his new girlfriend USD 7500 in cash with a goodbye letter.

The investigation says that Tomas would often send his ex-wife insulting and offensive messages after both had moved on to form new relationships.

The incident has sparked nationwide protests in Spain against gender based violence, given Spain’s scorecard on this aspect. Since the year 2013, Spain has seen 39 minors killed either by their father, or a partner, or former partner of their mother.

In another story, a Spanish Man, Alberto Sanchez Gomez, aged 28 was sentenced to 15 years in prison for ‘killing and eating’ his mother, two years ago.

Police arrived at the home in Eastern Madrid in February 2019 after a friend raised concerns about the mother, Maria Soledad Gomez, who was in her 60s. Sanchez had strangled his mother during a dispute, then dismembered and ate parts of her body over the following two weeks, feeding some to his dog.

Unbelievable, what’s becoming of us humans? Return of the Cannibals?

Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds are formed over billions of years under conditions of intense heat and pressure in the Earth’s crust and are normally found at a depth of between 150 and 200 kilometres (km) below the Earth’s surface.

Rough diamonds are usually classified as being gem-quality, near-gem or industrial-quality, depending on their colour, clarity, size and shape.

The largest diamond discovered in the world is the 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond found in South Africa in the year 1905. The Cullinan was subsequently cut into smaller stones, some of which form part of British Royal Family’s Crown Jewels.

The second largest discovery is believed to be the Lesedi La Rona, a 1,109-carat stone found by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond at the Karowe mine in Botswana, Africa, in 2015.

Now, what is considered to be the third largest gem-quality diamond ever found is a 1,098-carat stone that has been unearthed in the Jwaneng Mine, also in Botswana, about 120 km from the country’s capital, Gaborone. The mine is operated by Debswana, a diamond company jointly owned by Botswana’s Government and the De Beers Group.

The Jwaneng Mine was opened in 1982 and usually yields between 12.5 million and 15 million carats of diamonds a year. This month’s find is the largest gem unearthed by the company since diamonds were first discovered in Botswana in 1967.

The diamond was presented to President Mokgweetsi Masisi this Wednesday.

Reminds me of India’s very own famous Kohinoor Diamond, mined in Golconda, Andhra Pradesh, which was one of the largest cut diamonds at about 105 carats.

It is now with the United Kingdom, gifted-away by India’s then Kings, to the British and on display at the Jewel House, Tower of London, London. It’s a never-ending story, ‘We’ll get the Kohinoor back to India’

Please Yourself

‘Love and work, work and love, that’s all that there is’. You’re never wrong to do the right thing’.

Over the weekend I watched the perky generation-gap fable, The Intern, the 2015 film starring Robert De Niro-as Ben Whittaker- and Anne Hathaway-as Jules Ostin- Rene Russo-as Fiona, written and directed by Nancy Meyers.

A retired 70 years old, clean-image widower,Ben, of the yesteryear analogue workforce joins as a Senior Intern at a digital online Fashion Retailer. He goes on to sparkle wisdom on work-life balance, on the overloaded, constantly texting, and emailing young Founder, Jules, who has a very young daughter and a stay-at-home husband. He scintillates even better and has the juices oozes through every pore, after being beautifully massaged by Office Masseuse, Fiona. Ben even finds a wild analogue solution to recall an obnoxious email sent by Jules to her mother – he forms a gang to physically steal the computer from the mother’s house before it can be opened to read mail!

Watch it for the wonderful chemistry between De Niro and Anne Hathaway and massage physics between De Niro and Rene Russo. And how to set-up a new Facebook Account. If you have a problem, just call Jules!

What I saw and was inspired by was, the impeccable dressing of Ben with his die-hard ‘cannot be found these days’ leather briefcase, awesome tie-collection, and supremely calm and dignified demeanour. He was the online Fashion Company’s best offline mascot, if ever there was one!

Have a great week ahead. Dress to kill. Remember, tuck-in, button-up, and wear that tie- may earn you more than a massage!