Tag: Taiwan

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-14

About: the world this week, 31 March 2024 to 6 April 2024: Israel fights; Turkey spins; Taiwan Shakes; Finland shoots; Scotland speaks; India dances; and the Oldest Man in the World leaves.

Everywhere

Israel Fights

No country in the World would like to be in the situation Israel is in today. 130 of its people are being held hostage for over 180 days by the terrorist Hamas following the savage barbarism of 7 October 2023, with no end in sight, of their release. The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, to outgun Hamas, and to find and bring home the hostages is only getting deadlier – on the scale of destruction and death of people. At home, Israelis are demonstrating that the Government is not doing enough to rescue their loved ones; abroad people are demonstrating for a cease-fire, so that the people of Gaza can get food, supplies, and medical aid. What about the hostages? Releasing them is the sanest solution to this madness.

This week, Israeli forces left the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after a two-week intensive operation by its special forces. They left behind a wasteland of destroyed buildings, wrecked infrastructure of the facility, with rubble and dead bodies strewn all over. Hundreds of suspected Palestinian militants were detained and terrorists flushed out – as claimed by Israel. Documents recovered by Israeli forces showed the hospital was used as a base to control the northern section of the Gaza Strip, which has largely been destroyed since the start of the ground invasion in October. The Hospital had been turned into a major operating centre by the Palestinian armed groups – Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

In summary, more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. In the 7th October attack, Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 253 people hostage. Israel has lost 257 soldiers in the combat, with the Israeli military publishing the names of those killed in action in the Gaza War.

Then during the week the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) accidentally killed seven foreign aid workers, including a dual US/Canadian citizen, three Britons as well as team members from Poland and Australia, and their Palestinian driver. They were travelling with a convoy that had just unloaded more than 100 tonnes of food aid brought from overseas, working for the aid charity, World Central Kitchen (WCK). Israel’s military voiced ‘sincere sorrow’ over the incident, which ratcheted up international pressure for steps to ease the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In another attack elsewhere, suspected Israeli warplanes bombed a ‘building next to Iran’s Consulate’ in Syria killing the Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy at an Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria – reviving fears of a wider regional conflagration, and setting a dangerous precedent in targeting diplomatic premises.

By the end of the week the United States of America literally threw Israel under the bus, asking it to work on a ceasefire-fire and make a ‘measurable’ plan for ensuring that aid workers and civilians are not harmed in any way.

One thing is sure, by the end of the Israel-Hamas war, Israel would be the masters of ‘Urban Warfare’ given their precise fighting methods; using high-end technology, and keeping loss of civilian life to the barest minimum – a fact not given the respect it truly deserves.

Turkey Spins

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has been having a fairly untrammelled run of his presidency, over almost two decades. That looks to be in jeopardy when this week Turks dealt President Erdogan and his party their biggest electoral blow in a nationwide local vote. It reasserted the opposition – Republican Peoples Party (CHP)-as a political force and reinforced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as the President’s chief rival, being re-elected as Mayor by a landslide 51% votes. In capital Ankara, CHP candidate Mansur Yavas, were re-elected by yet another landslide of 60%.

It marked the worst defeat for Erdogan and his AK Party (AKP) in all their years in power, and could signal a change in the country’s divided political landscape. Erdogan called it a ‘turning point’. He and the AKP fared worse than opinion polls predicted due to soaring inflation, dissatisfied Islamist voters and, in Istanbul, Imamoglu’s appeal beyond the CHP’s secular base, analysts said.

Taiwan Shakes

This week, Taiwan was struck by a 7.4 magnitude Earthquake, rocking the whole island and causing several buildings to collapse. The city of Hualien, nearest the epicentre of the earthquake, on the east coast of Taiwan sustained significant damages. Nine people died, more than 900 were injured and about 50 went missing.

The quake hit at a depth of 15.5 km just as people were headed for work and school, setting off a tsunami warning for Southern Japan and the Philippines, that was later lifted.

A magnitude about 7 is considered a major earthquake. And this is Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in at least 25 years.

Finland Shoots

After the long Easter weekend, children had just returned to classes at Viertola School in Vantaa, outside Helsinki, Finland. The school has 800 students from 1 to 9 grade in ages ranging from 7 to 16. Then, in a 6th grade classroom, a 12-year-old boy, of the school, suddenly opened fire with a handgun, killing one and wounding two others. He fled the scene, by walk, but was later caught by the police. The suspect had a gun licensed to a close relative. Police were quick to arrive at the scene and took charge of the situation. Investigations by the Police revealed that the boy said he was a target of bullying, which was the motive for the attack.

In Finland, children over 15 can obtain licenses to use other people’s firearms. In 2008, an 18-year-old student shot dead six students, the school nurse, and his head teacher in the small town of Jokela; and the following year, another student shot dead nine students and a teacher with a semi-automatic rifle at a polytechnic in the western town of Kauhajoki.

Finland is widely known a country of hunters and gun enthusiasts and has 430,000 license gun owners in a population of about 5.6 million. There is no limit to the number of guns one can own.

Scotland Speaks – No Hate

This week a new law against hate speech came into force in Scotland, United Kingdom. The legislation was passed by Scottish Parliament three years ago but was delayed by wrangling over its implementation.

The law makes it an offence to stir up hatred with threatening or abusive behaviour, on the basis of characteristics including, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender identity. The maximum sentence is seven years in prison.

Critics ague that the new Law will have a chilling effect on free speech making people afraid to express their views. ‘Harry Potter’ Author J K Rowling slammed the new Law calling it ‘ludicrous’. The rights of trans women should not come at the expense of those who are born biologically female. “Biological sex is not included as a protected characteristic in the Law despite women bing one of the most abused cohorts in our society”, she wrote in a newspaper article.

India Dances – Democracy

The great India summer, with its blistering heat, in ruling this time of the year, in the backdrop of the Festival of Democracy being celebrated across the country. In the run-up to General Elections -the world’s largest electoral exercise -beginning on 19 April and ending on 1 June 2024, the campaigning is on a high-pitch. Opinion polls have improved their scores to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) giving it almost 400 Members of Parliament (MPs – along with partners) out of a possible 543, in a third consecutive win. The BJP’s slogan for the coming election is ‘Abki baar, 400 paar’ (this time, above 400). Recall the BJP’s own tally is 303 in the outgoing Parliament – the 17th Lok Sabha – and with Allies it is 350.

In contrast, the opposition is fragmented, harried by central investigating agencies – suddenly catching-up on their crimes. And seems unable to stitch together a coherent narrative on key issues like unemployment, electoral bonds and farmers’ discontent, which could put the Government on the mat.

Late in the week the Congress, which has a hopeless chance of returning to power, released its Election Manifesto, which was described as only capable of doing two things: one, break India on caste lines; and two, bankrupt India on freebies.

The Southern States of India, which send 130 MPs are the laggards in joining the BJP’s dance party, but new winds seem to be blowing strongly, especially in the State of Tamil Nadu. The BJP’s State President, K Annamalai, 39, an Engineer, a former Indian Police Service Officer, and an Indian Institute of Management graduate is creating waves with his blunt straight talk and aggressive posturing. People find him relatable and are coalescing around him, for a change from the parochial control of the regional Dravidian Parties.

In New Delhi, the Chief Minister of the Union Territory, Arvind Kejriwal, was arrested after failing to appear for 9 summons by the Enforcement Directorate, and thrown into jail for being complicit in a liquor scam. He joins two other Leaders of his own Party – one is a Deputy Chief Minister- already languishing in jail for almost a year on money laundering charges. He is doing his best to rule from Jail while his wife, wearing a sombre look on national television, is trying to make him appear like a freedom fighter, while the Law looks on. In India, heat is generated from multiple sources and in Indian Politics the wife has a right-of-way once the hubby heads to jail. Then a remote-control begins working from behind bars. Call it the ring and dance of Indian democracy?

World’s Oldest Man Quits

This week, on 4 April, the world’s oldest man, Juan Vicente Perez Mora, of Venezuela, died aged 114 – two months before what would have been his 115th birthday.

Guinness World Records (GWR) confirmed stating: “After living through both World Wars, seeing the invention of Television, and witnessing the landing of a man on the moon, Juan Vicente also survived Covid-19 in 2020.” GWR had awarded Perez Mora the title of the Oldest Man, on 4 February 2022, when he was 112 years and 253 days. This after the previous oldest man, Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia died weeks earlier.

Perez Mora was born on 27 May 1909 in Venezuela, to Euquitio Perez and Edelmira Mora and was living in the Sate of Tachira – bordering Colombia – when he died. He had 11 children-six sons and five daughters– with his wife Ediofina del Rosario Garcia. They were married for 60 years until her death in 1997. He has 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

The next oldest man living is expected to be 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe of Japan, pending confirmation of his birth-date before the title can be awarded, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

Mora credited his longevity to, ‘working hard, resting on holidays, going to bed early, drinking a glass of aguardiente (a distilled alcoholic beverage that contains 29-60% alcohol and made from sugarcane -common in South America) every day, loving God, and always carrying him in his heart’.

GWR’s Editor-in-Chief had this to say: “It’s been an honour to recognise and celebrate the incredible long life of Venezuela’s first ever fully authenticated supercentenarian man. Not only was Sr Perez Mora his country’s oldest citizen and the first South American recognised by GWR as the oldest living man, he is now history’s fourth-oldest male whose age has been officially ratified.” He added, “How remarkable to think that we’ve just said goodbye to a man born before Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel!”

More solid stories coming in the weeks ahead. Live long with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-3

About: the world this week, 14 January 2024 to 20 January 2024; Middle East tensions; Taiwan’s Elections; The World Economic Forum; Monkey cloning; Red Ants of Australia; Emmy Awards, and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, India.

Everywhere

The Israel-Hamas war moved further south in the Gaza Strip with Israel striking this region. In northern Gaza, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets into Israel, signalling that it is just another day. The Palestinian death toll rose to over 24,285 people and on the Israel side the count is around 1,200. This week, Qatar brokered a deal between the warring parties for delivery of critical medicines to the Hostages – that count still stays at 136. There is near-total communications blackout in Gaza with no signs of abating. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed calls for a post-war Palestinian state, adding to tensions with the United States.

Last week, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom launched air and submarine strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen for their attack on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This week, the Houthis fired missiles at another US-owned commercial ship, just hours after a new round of US military strikes against them.

Then Iran launched its own kind of air strikes, hitting a militant group in western Pakistan. This is Iran’s third air strike on another country, after previous attacks on targets in Iraq and Syria. The operation hit two sites in Balochistan linked to the militant group Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice)- an ethnic Baloch Sunni group that has carried out attacks inside Iran as well as on Pakistan’s forces. Pakistan called Iran’s air strike illegal and warned of ‘serious consequences’. And later in the week, followed through with a tit-for-tat retaliation, launching attacks on, what it claimed, was terrorists and separatists based in Iran: the Baloch Liberation Army and the Balochistan Liberation Front.

Simmering beneath the surface, there could be other reasons. Iran is a hardcore Shia Islamic country, at the centre of the strategic ‘Shia Crescent’. On the other hand Pakistan, which started out as Sufi-leaning, evolved and adopted a hardcore Sunni ideology. And has been home to a range of Sunni terrorist groups. Pakistan’s aspiration of becoming the flag bearer of Islam has rattled Iran in many ways. And a major irritant is the Shia-Sunni divide, and the separatists in both countries. This despite cordial relations between the countries.

Well, with these two Islamic nations striking each others terrorist bases, maybe they are doing the civilised world a huge favour?

Tension across the Middle East is shooting-up, with more than 100 days of the unprecedented war between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, the Russia – Ukraine war ambles on. The World is becoming a battle-ground, with agendas being driven brutally by perceived wrong-doings.

In Presidential Elections held in the ‘Republic of China’ –Taiwan -The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won an unprecedented third term and Lai Ching-te has been elected President, with 40% of the vote. The other parties in the fray were Kuomingtang (KMT), and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The DPP seeks Taiwan’s independence from ‘The People’s Republic of China’ – China. And the KMT, China’s oldest political party, is the party favouring unification with China. Since no party in Taiwan commands a parliamentary majority, the system of checks and balances will likely continue for the next four years. The KMT’s message of accommodation with China resonates less and less with the people of Taiwan, who have an increasing sense of local identity-distinct from that of mainland China. Remember, China has not set foot on Taiwan even for one minute since 1940. Whatever, this is certainly a spot to watch in the years ahead.

The annual conference of The World Economic Forum 2024, from 15 to 19 January, is on its last legs at the Ski Resort of Davos, near Zurich, Switzerland. About 3000 carefully selected delegates and speakers from global business, government, civil society, and academia gathered to brain-storm, and think-aloud on the most pressing issues of the day, and the shape of things to come.

This year’s themes are: Achieving Security and Cooperation in a Fractured World; Creating Growth and Jobs for a New Era; Artificial Intelligence as a Driving Force for the Economy and Society; and A Long-Term Strategy for Climate, Nature and Energy.

Another hot-topic discussed was, ‘Disease X’ – what if a new disease, called X (no relation of Elon Musk) arises and spreads across the world, much like Covid-19 did, and threatens the world economy? Let us wait for the outcomes, in the week ahead.

While Disease X, was being thrown around, Scientists in China announced that they have cloned the first healthy rhesus monkey –macaca mulatta. The rhesus monkey, named Retro, was cloned by tweaking the somatic cell nuclear transfer method that was previously used to create ‘Dolly the sheep’ – the first ever clone of an adult mammal. Experts say such clones can become test subjects for treatments to cure Alzheimer’s and cancer. Retro, who is over three years old, was brought into the world on 16 July 2020.

Australia is known for all kinds of weird animals – native or imported- which are constantly floated on the headlines. Now, in the news is clever fire ants, which have resorted to a ‘new stunt of forming ‘rafts’ to travel on flood waters, across storm-ravaged Australia, aiding the spread of one of the world’s most invasive species. Considered a ‘super pest’, fire ants can cause major ecosystem changes and agricultural loss by feeding on native plants and animals. Their stings can also kill people. The unusual rafting behaviour is evidence that fire ant densities are increasing in Australia. They have already infested about 700,000 hectares of land in the cane farms south of Brisbane.

Solenopsis invicta, the red ant – called Rifa or the fire ant – is an extremely invasive species, so called because of its powerful sting. They are particularly good at ‘staying alive’ and spreading. They can survive underground for years; forming rafts in floods, travelling to colonise new ground. They have moved around the world in infested soil attached to containers and shipments. Ranging from 2 mm to 6 mm in size, individuals are copper-brown in colour with darker abdomens. Their nests look like small mounds of loose, crumbly dirt, and are most often in direct sunlight on lawns, near concrete paths, taps, and bodies of water, or along fence lines.

When 10 or more ants get close together in water, a property of surface tension called the ‘Cheerios effect’ pushes them together —despite their best efforts to avoid contact. Then their legs entangle, making a stable hold – and a fire ant raft is born. The Cheerios effect is just a form of capillary action, which forces a liquid in a narrow channel to flow, even against gravity. Surface tension and the attraction between the liquid and solid materials combine to push the liquid forward through the channel.

Native to South America, red imported fire ants were first detected in Queensland in 2001 and have largely been contained within the state’s borders. How they entered Australia remains a mystery, but it is most likely they came via shipping containers, from the United States.

In November, local authorities reported that several new fire ant nests had spread into New South Wales from the Queensland border for the very first time – prompting a nationwide funding boost for eradication efforts. Fire ants are most commonly spread through contaminated soil and materials brought into new areas by people. Winged fire ant queens are capable of flying several kilometres at a time but can travel much further when blowed by wind currents.

Australia’s unique climate and lack of natural predators make it the perfect home for fire ants, which could inhabit the entire continent, except for the most extreme coldest locations, if not contained, according to biosecurity authorities. One of the biggest fears shared by experts is that they could one day get into the nation’s Murray-Darling River system and then move rapidly into new states and territories. A three-year-old colony can hold as many as 100,000 fire ants, and a mature queen can lay up to 5,000 eggs per day.

In recent decades, fire ants have spread across the US, China, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. Ants could become Australia’s worst pest.

The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards saw the biggest names in the world of movies and television show-up. After the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, the Emmy Awards got underway at the Peacock Theatre, downtown Los Angeles on Monday. The awards Function, which was postponed by four months because of the Hollywood strikes, finally came on stage.

Following the pitch of the Golden Globes, the last season of the TV drama, Succession scooped major awards’ such as Outstanding Drama Series; Lead Actor Drama, for Kieran Culkin; and Lead Actress, Drama, for Sarah Snook.

The Bear won six, and The Beef bagged five-including outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. I’ve briefly talked about ‘Succession’ and ‘The Beef’ in World Inthavaaram-2. Now, it’s time for ‘The Bear’.

The Bear is an American comedy-drama television series created by Christopher Storer starring Jeremy Allen White as an award-winning chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to manage the chaotic kitchen at his deceased brother’s sandwich shop: it won Outstanding Comedy Series, best Lead Actor, Comedy, for Jeremy Allen, among other wins.

Trevor Noah’s, The Daily Show, bagged an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show. This year’s Emmys also honoured classic TV shows with cast reunions and tributes. Tributes poured for I Love Lucy and Carol Burnett. The cast of Grey’s Anatomy was up there on the stage drooling out the nostalgia. So were, The Sopranos, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, SNL Weekend Update, All in the Family, and Ally McBeal.

The Red carpet spinned the trending bow, and one of the best was Suki Waterhouse who flaunted her baby bump stunning onlookers with a custom red Valentino gown. The singer, actor, and songwriter is engaged to ‘Harry Potter’ Robert Pattinson and the couple is expecting their first child.

In India, this week, there is a spiritual buzz in the air, and a frenzy of activity dominating the lives of Hindus. In an awesome build-up, all roads seem to be leading to Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, for the Pran Prathistha(consecration ceremony) to be held on 22 January 2024 at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. ‘Pran Pratishtha’ means imbibing the idol with divine consciousness and is a must for every idol that is worshipped in a Hindu temple. The Ram Temple will be inaugurated that day and is considered as one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

This would mark a new beginning for Hindutva in India, following the peaceful end of the 500 year old conflict over the birthplace of Lord Rama, in which enough bloodshed has been shed across the country. Including the 6 December 1992 demolition of the Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid structure-standing over the original Ram Temple-by a gathering of near 200,000 karsevaks (someone who offers his services for a religious cause), which subsequently led to deadly communal riots across the Indian subcontinent.

The Supreme Court (SC) verdict of 9 November 2019 brought to an end, decades of uncertainity, and means of realising a long-awaited dream of Hindus in India. In a landmark judgement, the SC unanimously ruled that the entire disputed Ram Janmabhoomi land belonged to the deity Ram Lalla (infant Rama)- the Hindus. And ordered it to be handed over to a Trust to build a Ram temple. It also ordered the Government to give an alternate five-acre tract of land for building a mosque. The judgement – based on available records and substantial Archaeological evidence – established the fact of the original Ram Temple in Ayodhya. That was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1528 and a Mosque called the Babri Masjid, built over the ruins of the temple is the birth spot of Rama.

Ram Janmabhoomi is the site of the birthplace of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu – one of the Hindu Trinity of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The epic Ramayana states that the location of Rama’s birthplace is on the banks of the Sarayu River in a city called Ayodhya. Modern-day Ayodhya lies in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, formed on the Orders of the Court, began the first phase of construction of the Ram Mandir in March, 2020. The Bhoomi Puja was performed and the foundation stone of the Ram Temple was laid in Ayodhya on 5 August 2020, leading to the present stage of ceremonies and celebrations.

More spiritual stories coming up in the weeks ahead. Build with World Inthavaaram .

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2022-29 to 33

About: the stories of the world, this week – weeks between 17 July and 20 August bundled-up as one.

I had been on a work and writing break travelling to London during the last week of July & early August to spent quality time with my son living and working in the United Kingdom. And this is an attempt to bring my weekly World Inthavaaram ‘up-to-week’.

Everywhere

School Burns, and a Flight

While I was eyeing the Anna Airport at Chennai to lift me off to London’s Heathrow, I had to drive through Kaniyamoor, near Chinnasalem in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu. On 13 July 22, a 17 years old girl, studying in Class 12 at the Sakthi Matriculation School Group-The ECR International CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) School, was found dead in the hostel premises. The girl boarding in a hostel room on the third floor was suspected to have died by suicide by jumping to the ground from her floor, late in the night. The fallen girl was spotted by the school watchman, who then rushed her to the Kallakurichi Government Hospital, but was declared brought dead. The girl is said to have left behind a suicide note saying that she was driven to the decision due to torture and harassment by two teachers, who pushed her to study harder!

The cause of death mentioned in the autopsy report was multiple injuries and haemorrhage. However, the girl’s family contested the finding saying that her death could not be suicide. In a complaint to police, the family said that she had sustained injuries prior to her death and was sexually assaulted; they held the school management responsible and refused to take possession of the body for a burial until it was investigated. This led to a hot, simmering situation.

Then events took a violent turn, when hundreds of people- mostly youngsters and juveniles – suddenly appeared like ants from an anthill. They swarmed into the school and began damaging property, burning school buses, and setting fire to class rooms and documents. The local police was found wanting, sleeping on the job, and when they woke up, the School Campus was found transformed into a war zone. A few arrests followed. And the case is under investigation. Who started the fire?

After a non-stop over 10 hours flight, on landing in the United Kingdom, I found London’s Heathrow Airport charming; Immigration was a breeze – lightening fast – compared to the long queues on departure and arrival at Chennai. I had read about the horrific chaos at Heathrow and was prepared for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised with the silk-like smoothness in Terminal 5.

A New President and Vice President for India

India commissioned a new President, its 15th, and celebrated the elevation of Droupadi Murmu, 64, as the first Indian President from a tribal community -one of the lowest rungs of Indian society – on 25 July 22. She took over from outgoing President, Ram Nath Kovind.

President Droupadi Murmu is the first person from the State of Odisha to hold the Office and the first President, to be born after Independence. That’s a lot of firsts! I am not aware of any other major nation with an indigenous woman leader. The world should bow in respect!

Meanwhile, a new Vice President of India – its 14th – Jagdeep Dhankhar, 71, hailing from the Sate of Rajasthan was inaugurated on 11 August 2022. He took over from outgoing Vice-President, Venkaiah Naidu.

Jagdeep Dhankhar was formerly a Governor of the ‘tough unruly State’ of West Bengal and also a Supreme Court Lawyer. He will need all these skills and much more: to manage and control debates as Chairman of the Upper House of Parliament – The Rajya Sabha-through which nearly all Bills, made by the Government in the Lower House, pass through before becoming Law.

Both, the President and the Vice President are candidates put-up by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and they won the elections on a cool jog, leaving the Opposition at the starting-blocks, with their tails firmly between their legs.

Monkeypox

Over two weeks ago, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency, which means that without a coordinated international response, this could escalate into a pandemic. How did we get here?

Monkeypox has been around since at least the 1970s. But it has largely stayed confined to Central and West Africa. That all changed in the past months, when cases started popping up around the world. There are now more than 20,000 recorded cases in over 70 countries. And together 10 countries account for 89% of the world’s cases, including the United States – 5175 cases, Spain -4298, Germany -2677, the United Kingdom-2546, France-1955, Brazil-1369, the Netherlands-879, Canada-803, Portugal-633, and Italy-479.

We are just beginning to heave a sigh of relief on the slowly, but surely, diminishing COVID19 pandemic and now this one is poking us!

Straight to Taiwan

While all this was happening, the water in the Taiwan Strait reached boiling point and many fish felt out of water. The United States (US) House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a daring visit to Taiwan despite China trying its darnedest in preventing the visit. But, why?

Taiwan is a self-governing democracy, which China claims as its own territory. Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking US political person to visit Taiwan since 1997. China blew hot and cold, throwing all kinds of temper tantrums and warnings, including moving its Navy Fleet near to Taiwan, conducting war-time exercises and military drills in the Strait between China and Taiwan. It even test-firing missiles from mainland China. For a moment we thought of another ‘Russia like special operation in Ukraine’ developing in Taiwan. But then, Nancy did it, and in time was followed by another US Delegation for business-as-usual. Last heard was China’s endless growl.

Thambi’s Chess Olympiad

India hosted the 44th Chess Olympiad at Chennai between 28 July and 9 August 2022, with Thambi (younger brother – dhoti & shawl clad with a chess-horse head) as a mascot at the Convention Centre of Four Points by Sheraton in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai. The Opening and Closing Ceremony was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai: they showcased the fabulous, rich and expansive culture of India played on a Chess Board, and the performances were like none before in a Chess Olympiad. And this is the first Chess Olympiad ever to take place in India.

Initially, the State Government of Tamil Nadu ran a parochial black & white campaign with only the State’s Chief Minister’s photograph on the posters, but was forced by the Courts to include that of the Prime Minister (and President). Well, that was obvious, wonder how they missed it, wearing dark glasses indoors has an effect on sight?

The Chess Olympiad is organised by the Federation International Des Eches (FIDE) or the World Chess Federation, which consists of Open and Women’s Tournaments as well as several events designed to promote the game of Chess. It was originally planned to be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia; later moved to Moscow and scheduled in August 2020. But was yet again postponed due to COVID19, and finally relocated to Chennai following the start of the Russian-Ukraine War.

FIDE has been in the business of organising World Chess Championships since 1948.

A total of 1737 participants moved their pieces in the Open and 800 in the Women’s Events. Registered teams were 188 from 186 nations in the Open and 162 from 160 nations in the Women’s.

Oliwia Kiolbasa of Poland was adjudged the best individual player in the Women’s Event. And David Howell of England was best individual player in the Open Event.

Commonwealth Games: Wealth of Medals for India

India is fast sprinting to becoming a great sporting nation, spike marks of which were visible in the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, held between 28 July and 8 August 2022, earning a ton of medals. 72 countries participated in the Games.

Australia led the medal rush winning 67 Gold, 57 Silver, and 54 Bronze, Totalling 178. India came fourth with 22 Gold, 16 Silver, and 23 Bronze totalling 61 medals, behind England (176), and Canada (92).

India won its first ever medal in the Lawn Bowls event, after the Women’s Fours team won gold besides many other amazing wins. And finished-off as the best nation in Badminton, Table Tennis, Wrestling, and Weightlifting, and second best in Boxing.

’Think thrice’ before wrestling with India?

Satanic Versus: the Return

Salman Rushdie the Author of the much banned novel, Satanic Verses, had the Satan upon him when Hadi Matar, 24, a Shiite Muslim American of Lebanese descent, stabbed him multiple times in the neck and torso, while beginning to deliver a lecture in New York, United States. He survived to live another day, and will probably write more verses in the years to come.

Indian-born Salman Rushdie spent years in hiding after Iran, under Ayatollah Khomeini, offered a bounty – issued a fatwa- to kill him over his novel ‘The Satanic Verses’, which it termed as blasphemous against Islam and insulting the sacred beliefs of Muslims.

The book follows the tale of two Indian Muslim actors who magically survive a plane hijacking. As they fall from the Sky one of them transforms into Archangel Gabriel while the other morphs into the devil. The book explores dislocation, nature of good and evil, doubt, and the loss of religious faith.

Novelists, Academics, and Journalists who dared criticise or question Islamic beliefs have faced similar treats or condemnation from Islamic religious heads. They are either murdered, arrested, flogged or forced into hiding or exile.

India, under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was the first country to ban the Satanic Verses just nine days after it was published. Those were the hey-days of misadventures by Rajiv Gandhi when he had a brute majority in Parliament and when he overturned a Supreme Court ruling which ordered maintenance to be paid to a divorced Muslim woman, Shah Bano.

India @ 75

India celebrated its 75th Independence Day with the Tricolour (Trianga) flag flying all across the country like never before. People enthusiastically hoisted the national flag atop their homes, business places, and offices. Others flew the flag in their social media profile pictures. And suddenly the flag was visible everywhere. What does the Indian flag mean?

The top most colour Saffron means strength and courage, renunciation and disinterestedness; the middle White means peace and truth, light to guide; and the bottom Green means fertility, growth, and auspiciousness of the land. The central Dharma Chakra, Ashok Chakra, with 24 spokes means the Law of Dharma. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change, which India must not resist and move forward. Life in movement, death is stagnation. It also signifies the Wheel of Duty: 24 religious paths of duty. E.g., the first is Chasity – live a simple life, 2nd is Health…

When India obtained its independence from British Colonial Rule it consisted of about 562 princely states, each with its own army, police, stamps, and currency. It is well known that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel- called the Iron-Man of India, as India’s first Home Minister was singularly responsible for bringing all these States together to unite as the Republic of India.

Behind the iron-man, there is one man, almost forgotten and an unsung Architect of the India integration story, Vappala Pangunni Menon (V P Menon) who dextrously stitched India together, along with Patel. Menon was Vallabhbhai Patel’s chosen Secretary who he personally requested to be allocated to him from the then Civil Services that the British had established and left behind.

Previously, before Independence, Menon had put together a plan for transfer of power to India and Pakistan, furiously drafting it on his typewriter working on a punishing schedule. His plan was the chosen one. And after independence, Menon was hoping to retire into the sunset, but was called to rise to action by Patel.

Vallabhbhai Patel and Menon spent an insane amount of time travelling to the various Indian Kingdoms goading them to fall in line and integrate with India by signing the Instrumentation of Accession Act. They used a carrot-and-stick approach spending over two tortuous years engaging in negotiations with the eccentric princely rulers. While Patel wore the tough face, Menon was the lubricant, mixing subtlety, charm, and even ruthlessness. In about 2 years, 500 princely states dissolved and re-formed as 14 new States of India. The rest, they say, is History.

V P Menon, who had not gone to college, began life as a worker in a gold mine and rose to the top of India’s Civil Service over a period of 37 years. He began his career in the Imperial Bureaucracy as typist, stenographer, and clerk. Menon served as the Constitutional Advisor to the last three Viceroys during British Rule in India, and he was the only Indian in Mountbatten’s inner team. And being in rooms with different personalities and big egos taught him about negotiation and drafting. He learnt, absorbed, and adapted. He famously said, “You can only learn if you start at the bottom”.

After 1947 he faded away from the limelight and received no official honours for the stupendous work he had done. He died aged 75 leaving behind three children from two marriages. His funeral was small and private.

How many of us remember V P Menon? The Statue of Unity misses a companion! With so many statues coming-up all over India why not one for Menon?

The United Kingdom – Now

The race to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has narrowed down to former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and former Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, with the former reported to be a step ahead, on votes. Meanwhile, the outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson is keeping the Conservative Party Seat warm. The new Prime Minister is expected to be announced on 5 September 2022, when the Tories vote for a new Leader.

I’m back!

More colourful stories, sewn together from all over the world, coming-up in the weeks ahead. Live with World Inthavaaram.