Tag: TaylorSwift

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2024-32

About: the world this week, 4 August 2024 to 10 August 2024: Britain’s riots; US Elections-running mate; Taylor Swift-not fearless; Bangladesh coup; war fronts; and the Paris Olympics – focus on India.

Everywhere

Britain: Rioting Right

Violent protests erupted in towns and cities across Britain following last week’s knife attack, which killed three children in Southport, north of Liverpool. The protests spread across the country, including Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester, resulting in dozens of arrests as shops and businesses were vandalised and looted. Several police officers were injured in the line of duty.

The stabbing attack was seized on by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim groups as misinformation spread that the suspected attacker was an immigrant and a radical Islamist. This stoked further outrage. Police said the suspect was born in Britain and are not treating it as a terrorist incident.

On Sunday, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters gathered by a hotel near Rotherham, northern England, where Britain’s Interior Ministry was housing asylum seekers. The protesters, many wearing masks or balaclavas, threw bricks at police and broke several hotel windows, before setting a large bin close to the hotel on fire.

The new Government, fresh from a superb win at the hustings, scrambled to control the worst disorder in the United Kingdom in more than a decade. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the protests and riots as “far-right thuggery” and said perpetrators would face the full force of the law. The target of the attacks were Muslim communities, mosques, and other minorities. With this crisis running on the streets of Britain, the honeymoon period of the new Government is all but over.

Who is behind the thuggery? Faceless. Plans to engage in violent gatherings have been spread on social media, encouraging attendees to shield their faces or use coded language that stirs up anger at immigration without explicitly calling for violence. Naturally, the Govt is looking at social media as an instigator. Mind that ‘misinformed’ tweet, you could get yourself arrested!

United States Elections: Running Mate

This week US Vice President Kamala Harris decided on her running-mate, choosing Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota. Walz is currently in his second term as Governor and chairs the Democratic Governors Association. He previously served 12 years in Congress. And prior to that, Walz was a high school teacher and football coach and served in the Army National Guard, reaching the rank of Command Sergeant Major, one of the highest ranks an enlisted member can attain. As a first-time campaigner, he opposed a ban on same-sex marriage and supported abortion rights. Walz fell out of favour with the gun lobby over his support for gun safety actions as Governor. Walz supports In Vitro-Fertilization (IVF) having himself ‘become productive’ after struggling to become a parent along with his wife of three decades.

Taylor Swift: Not Fearless

US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is in the Vienna, Austria leg of her blockbuster Eras tour scheduled to play three shows in the European city from Thursday to Saturday. But Organisers cancelled the shows over a possible terrorist attack after Austrian authorities said they foiled a terror plan in Vienna. The extraordinary decision-which came at significant cost to Vienna’s businesses-has devastated fans and renewed focus on the vulnerability of huge concerts as soft targets for terror networks and spree killers.

Police in Austria have questioned three teenagers suspected of plotting a suicide attack at the Taylor Swift show, sparking renewed concerns over the indoctrination of young people online. Foreign intelligence agencies helped authorities uncover the plot. That’s the world swiftly singing together on intelligence gathering.

The Bangladesh Drift: the Churning

Bangladesh is at a historic turning-point. Well, it has been in this place many times before, at about the same cross-roads. And they keep coming on the trot.

The student protests of the past weeks over reservations in government jobs, dangerously changed track and galvanised into a force that toppled the Government of Prime Minister (PM) Sheik Hasina, 76. In January this year, she won a landslide mandate for the fourth consecutive time in the General Elections. Her party, The Awami League won 224 seats, out of the 300 under direct elections. That’s about 15 years in continuous power and a total of 20 years as PM. Most Opposition Parties had boycotted the Elections, apparently making the win easier.

The seemingly harmless and peaceful demands by University students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs that began in July transformed beyond recognition. This despite the Supreme Court calling-off the strangulating quota system. However, the creeping death toll reaching over 300, due to the brutal crackdown on the protesters, turned the Government into an authoritarian one to preserve peace. Enough reason for people to spill on to the streets. And with most of the Opposition in various modes of arrest, this seemed the only outlet for anger against the Government. The PM repeatedly cut-off internet access in parts of the country, imposed a nation-wide curfew, and labeled the demonstrators as ‘terrorists seeking to destabilise the nation’. Well, they lived up to the label.

Sheikh Hasina blamed the Pakistan basedJamaat-e-Islami, its Islami Chhatra Shibir student wing, and other associate bodies for inciting the student violence. And in an official circular imposed a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami under an anti-terrorism law.

With protests spiralling out of control, the Army served a 45 minute ultimatum to Sheik Hasina to leave the country. She found a helicopter and flew into the safe-haven of India, landing at a military airfield, Hindon, near New Delhi, and was met by India’s National Security Advisor after which was taken to a safe location.

Meanwhile, protesters reached the PM’s house and raided all that was inside, dusting-up her blouses, bras, and what not? One even paraded her Sari and wore it.

It was awfully painful to see people climb up the statue of the Father of the Nation and try to hammer him down. Almost killing him a second time. Recall, Sheik Mujibur Rahman-the founding father of Bangladesh and the father of Sheik Hasina- was shot in point plank range by the same Army, which entered his home, and killed almost the entire family in a horrific turn of events in 1975. That was the first Army coup of Bangladesh. Hasina herself was in Germany at that time and after years of struggle lived to become PM one day. Her sister too escaped the carnage, at that time.

Bangladesh Army Chief, General Waqar-uz-Zaman quickly took control and announced the formation of an Interim Government. Meanwhile the President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin, ordered the immediate release, from House-Arrest, former PM Khaleda Zia who was also Bangladesh’s first Woman PM and leader of the Opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Bangladesh’s unicameral parliament was also dissolved. What is the President’s role in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh has a unique system of transfer of power; at the end of the tenure of the government, power is handed over to members of a civil society for three months, who run the general elections and transfer power to elected representatives. The President as the ceremonial head of the state has limited powers. He can grant pardon to a man sentenced to death penalty or lessen the punishment. In certain instances, he also performs some legislative and judicial functions.

On another front, Hindu and other minority communities were ruthlessly attacked amounting to ethic-cleansing and heading towards genocide, showing another diabolical motive of the unfolding drama in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said that about 200 to 300 Hindu homes and businesses have been vandalised since Hasina resigned. About 15 to 20 temples have been looted.

Towards the end of the week, the Protestors agreed to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus becoming Leader of an Interim Government. Student Leaders of the so-called ‘Gen Z Revolution’ said they have not met all of their goals, and after Hasina’s resignation, the group wanted to ‘abolish fascist systems forever’. The leaders say they won’t accept a military-led or supported government.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, 84, who was in France over a minor medical procedure, flew in to Bangladesh’s capital Dacca, and was sworn-in on Thursday. Tucked inside his new cabinet are Nahid Islama and Asif Mahmud, students who led the anti-government protests. Yunus kept up to 27 critical portfolios with himself. One man show?

Muhammad Yunus known as the ‘banker to the poor’ aims to bring stability to Bangladesh. He answered the call of student protesters to temporarily lead the restive country following weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations.

Yunus is a social entrepreneur and banker who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his pioneering microfinance work as founder of the Grameen Bank that helped alleviate poverty in Bangladesh and was widely adopted around the world.

He is also a longtime critic of Sheikh Hasina. Over the years, Yunus was embroiled in multiple legal cases said to be unfairly targeted by the authorities. They include a defamation suit, a food safety case, and allegations of tax irregularities. In January, a court in Bangladesh sentenced Yunus to six months in prison for labor law violations. In a separate case, he was indicted in June on embezzlement charges. All of which was denied by Yunus.

India’s Prime Minister, under pressure to protect persecuted Hindus, had this to say, “My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development”.

Yunus’ first speech acknowledged the attack on Hindus and minorities and appealed to the protesters to trust him to bring law and order under control. If not, he threatened to step-down as Interim Leader.

Israel and Ukraine: the fight is on

The two steadily ongoing war fronts are that of, Ukraine-Russia in Europe and Israel-Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Middle East.

In the first front, this week, in a surprise turn, Ukraine Forces pushed further into the Kursk region of Russia in a cross-border incursion with the intent of diverting Russian forces and to disrupt and demoralise them. Ukraine intends to hold-on to the territory as long as they possibly can.Will a tit-for-tat work?

In the second front, Iran mulls scrapping plans to take revenge on Israel for killing Hamas’ Political Head on its soil, in exchange for a Gaza ceasefire. In the background US, Qatar and Egypt hit the negotiation acceleration pedal urging Hamas to resume talks, after the killing in Iran.

Paris Olympics 2024: Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together

The Olympic Games is running on the Paris, France, stage from 26 July to 11 August.

In Tennis, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic struck gold in the Men’s Singles Tennis beating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(2), in an enthralling neck-and-neck final.

Novak Djokovic is the only player in tennis history to win every big event in the game of Tennis. This is the first time in his career that he has won an Olympic Gold, adding to his ever-expanding chest of 24 Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz missed out on a gold medal in his maiden Olympics appearance.

In Hockey, India beat Britain in penalty shoot-outs, 4-2 after a 1-1 tie in the regular game. Indian Goal-keeper Sreejesh became an overnight sensation over his heroics of the day-saving many goals on the field and blocking a crucial one in the shoot-out. The Great Wall of India-shouted fans, who then went treasure hunting into this Home Sate of Kerala and dug up stories of what went into building of the wall. India faced Germany in the semi-finals but despite a valiant fight succumbed 2-3. Then, bringing some cheer, India went on to beat Spain 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal. This is Indian’s second consecutive win having won the bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beating Germany.

India’s gold medal winning hope Neeraj Chopra secured a Javelin final spot with a throw of 89.34m. His best throw was 89.94m at Stockholm in the Diamond League Games, last year. In the finals, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem threw a stunning 92.97m to win the Gold and break the Olympic Record of 90.57 established in Beijing 2008. Neeraj threw 89.45 to get the Silver. The Bronze Medal throw reached 88.45m.

This is a back-to-back Olympic Medal for Neeraj who had won the gold in Tokyo Olympics with a throw of 87.58m. In that competition Arshad Nadeem had finished fifth with 84.62m. This is Pakistan’s first ever medal in this event at the Olympics.

In Wrestling, India’s Vinesh Phogat defied huge odds to earn herself a sure chance of a medal in the 50kg event. She became the first Indian Woman to reach an Olympic final in Wrestling. Sakshi Malik is the only other wrestler, who had clinched a bronze medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. In her opening match Phogat stunned reigning Olympic Champion, Japan’s Yui Susaki; then beat former European Champion, Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarters, and Pan American Games Champion, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the semi-finals to reach the finals. She was to take on USA’s Sarah Hildebrant for the Gold. But then, in a sudden twist and a heart-break, on the day of the finals, Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by a beggarly 100 grams in the 50 kg weight category. Competition rules say wrestlers must stay in their weight category on both days of the tournament. After Phogat’s disqualification, only the gold and bronze medals were awarded in the event. India has made a legal appeal and there could be yet another twist.

Now, a flashback. In May 2023, Vinesh Phogat was detained by police in New Delhi while attempting to march to India’s new parliament building, just as it was being inaugurated. This was during a protest against Brij Bhushan Singh, the wrestling federation chief, over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation. Phogat was later released.

In the run-up to the final, Phogat’s fellow wrestlers hailed her journey as both a personal and collective triumph for India’s wrestling community who have long complained that authorities failed to take their allegations seriously.

At the end of the week, Aman Sehrawat, 21, won the Bronze Medal in the Men’s Freestyle 57 kg bringing some cheer to India. He became the youngest Olympic medalist in Wrestling.

Vaulting to other events, Sweden’s Armand Mondo Duplantis broke the men’s Pole Vault world record for the 9th time with a jump of 6.25 m to cap a gold medal-winning streak. The 24-year-old has won every global men’s Pole Vault title since claiming his first Olympic gold in Tokyo.

In the Medals Tally, USA leads with 33 Gold and overall 111 medals, followed by China, Australia, and Japan. India had a total of 6 medals: 1-Silver and 5-Bronze. In the previous Olympics Tokyo Olympics, India had won 7 medals: 1-Gold, 2-Silver, and 4 Bronze.

More medal stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Run, jump, or swim to glory with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2023-49

About: the world this week, 3 December to 9 December 2023; Depends on context antisemitism; Ukrainian Sniper; new Woman Chess Grandmaster; India State Election results; Chennai underwater; TIME’s person, athlete, and CEO of the year.

Everywhere

Last week, the temporary halt in the Hamas-Israel War was just that and Israel got back to raining its fire-power on Gaza. There are still 138 hostages – including men, woman, and children in the captivity of Hamas.

Meanwhile, every day, new heart-wrenching details of the savagery of Hamas was made public by Israel based on reports of the released hostages. And the stories of barbarism is blood-curling and horrific. Can humans ever do this to another of their kind?

Israel is now expanding its military operations to the South of Gaza and has also come up with a plan to flood the Hamas’ underground tunnels with sea-water pumped from the Mediterranean Sea, so that the Hamas rats would emerge from their holes.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have stormed into the City of Khan Younis and are now operating in the heart of the City. It’s mostly house-to-house combat at this stage. The IDF has surrounded the house of Yahya Sinwar – the Leader of Hamas in Gaza – believed to the mastermind behind the 7th October attack on Israel. It’s a matter of time that they flush him out.

On Thursday the sea-water did its work and about 100 terrorist rats were caught, stripped down to their briefs (to prevent a show of any suicide vests) and taken way for ‘grilling’ and imprisonment.

Over 1200 people have been killed since the resumption of fighting.

‘Depends on the Context’

This week, the Presidents of America’s Ivy League Universities, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Pennsylvania (Upenn) spoke before America’s Congress. They were given one simple question to answer, “Does calling for genocide of Jews break the University code of conduct, and is it considered harassment?” It should have been a simple ‘Yes’. Instead, they said it ‘Depends on the Context’ and it depends on whether the speech turns into conduct. This damning reply caused a huge uproar and brought forth outright condemnation from America’s Leaders, across fields. Their failed moral leadership has led to moral decay of University campus culture. And these antisemitic incidents are seen as not just a mere anomaly.

There is a severe call for President Claudine Gay(Harvard), President Sally Kornbluth (MIT), and President Elizabeth Magill (Upenn) to resign, or be fired from their positions. Or does it depend on the context?

Ukrainian Sniper

The Ukrainian Sniper had lain still for hours in near freezing temperatures when the command came to take the shot at a Russian soldier almost 4 kilometres away. ‘You can’, his Spotter said, and Vyacheslav Kovalskiy, 58, pulled the trigger. The rest, they say, is history.

The bullet took about nine seconds to reach its target – the Russian soldier doubled down and fell. Ukraine said the shot set a new sniping distance record, breaking the previously acknowledged mark by more than 850 feet.

The record was also a shot heard around the world of snipers, group of highly skilled shooters who have long pushed the boundaries of just how far a bullet can travel with accuracy.

This is also a morale boost shot for Ukrainian forces, fighting to hold their ground against the invading Russians. Distances can kill.

Chess Grandmaster (GM)

The young Indian Chess prodigy, GM, Rameshbabu Praggnanaandhaa,18, has been all over the news in recent times and his elder sister was feeling left out. Then she must have decided ‘enough is enough’ and late last week, the sister – Vaishali Rameshbabu – became India’s third woman Chess Grandmaster. She achieved this with two consecutive victories at the Ellobregat Open Chess Tournament in Spain, which made her ride past the 2500 mark ‘Elo rating’ to become GM.

She said, “For many years I was living as Prag’s (Praggnanaandhaa) sister. Now slowly, I think it’s getting to Vaishali. I am very proud of being Prag’s sister, but I also want my name. I think I would like to be remembered as one of India’s greatest Woman Chess Players”. Prag became GM in 2018 at the age of 12 – the second youngest at the time to achieve this.

Vaishali’s inspiration has been the first and second Indian Woman GM’s before her, Humpy and Harika. Koneru Humpy is the world’s youngest female player to become GM, in 2002, at the age of just 15. Harika Dronavalli became GM in 2011. And there are about 80 Indian players, in total, who became GM’s, and are in the same league.

Vaishali and Prag also become the first-ever brother-sister duo in the history of chess to be GMs. Also the first time that we will see a brother and sister playing together as candidates. This will happen in April 2024.

What is the ‘Elo rating’?

The Elo rating system measures the relative strength of a player in games such as Chess compared to other players. Its creator Arpad Elo was a Physics Professor in the United States (US) and a Chess Master who worked to improve the way the US Chess Federation measured player’s skill levels. Each player’s Elo rating is represented by a number that reflects that person’s results in the previous rated games. After each game, their ratings are adjusted accordingly to the outcome of the encounter. As a general rule of thumb a player who is rated 100 points higher than his opponent is expected to win roughly five out of eight (64%) games. A player with a 200 point advantage will presumably win 3 out of 4 (75%) games. Most Grandmasters have a Elo rating of between 2500 and 2700. International Masters have between 2499 and 2400.

The Elo rating system was officially adopted by the US Chess Federation in 1960 and by FIDE (The International Chess Federation) in 1970. World Champion, GM Magnus Carlesn holds the record for the highest Elo rating ever achieved by a human player. He reached an impressive 2882 in the year 2014.

India Election Results

Counting of votes for seats in the Elections to the State Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Chhatissgarh, and Telangana took place on Sunday, and it was a cool, thumping win for the Bharatia Janata Party (BJP). Most of the Exit Polls were off-target and at best they could sense the direction the wind was blowing. India’s grand old party, The Congress, won in the State of Telangana where the BJP, which was not expected to win, put up a good show, made inroads, and improved its seats from 1 to 8. The emphatic wins were also an affirmation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hold on the electorate. And he is hoping to see his party, the BJP, win a third consecutive term in the parliamentary Elections coming-up in 2024.

In Chhattisgarh out of the 90 seats, the BJP won 54 and the Congress 35; in MP out of 230, the BJP won a historic never-before 163 against the Congress’ 66; In Rajasthan out of 199 the BJP won 115 to the Congress’ 69. In Telangana the Congress won 64 out of 119 with the local Party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) winning 39 and the BJP 8. The BRS was in power for a decade, since the formation of the new State of Telangana, and had grown arrogant and corrupt – shown the door by the people.

The counting in the State of Mizoram happen on Monday and a local party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) won a spectacular mandate of 27 out of 40 seats becoming a party other than the Congress (1) or the BJP (2) set to form the Government. Its Leader Lalduhoma is an ex-Indian Police Force (IPS) officer and served as security-in-charge of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1982.

He then quit the IPS and became a Congress Party Member of Parliament (MP) in 1984. He later, resigned from Congress and became the first MP to be disqualified under the anti-defection law in November 1988. Lalduhoma played an active role in ending the insurgency in Mizoram, which paved the way for the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord in 1986. He later formed the Mizo National Front (Nationalist) which was renamed Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) in 1997. In 2003, he won the assembly polls as a ZNP candidate. And later went on to form the ZPM as an alternative to the Congress and the Mizo National Front (MNF), which between them, always ruled the State of Mizoram.

Congress’ Revanth Reddy took oath as Chief Minister(CM) of Telangana on the 7th December and so did Lalduhoma in Mizoram. The other States are still to produce their CMs.

The Chennai Deluge

Cyclone Michaung originated as a low-pressure area in the Gulf of Thailand and crossed into the Bay of Bengal becoming a deep depression on 2nd December. It then developed into a cyclonic storm and was named Michaung (pronounced ‘Migjaum), which means ‘strength and resilience’. The name was suggested by Myanmar and named by the World Meteorological Organization.

This week, Cyclone Michaung found its strength and resilience wrecking havoc in Chennai, floating the city and challenging the storm water drain works done to prevent such kind of flooding. Areas were inundated with water and the wrath of the Cyclone knew no bounds, submerging homes, and drowning cars.

As heavy rains brought the city of Chennai to a crying halt, ahead of Cyclone Michaung’s landfall the rainfall was called historic and unprecedented, a 47-year high. This is said almost every year, with the previous one being left behind in all aspects. The rainfall, surpassed the figures of 2015, when intense floods had claimed 199 lives. This time Chennai received 44 centimetres (cm) of rain in Perungudi area and 43 cm at Meenambakkam in just 36 hours.

Chennai’s Southern suburbs were most affected with more than 1000 people evacuated from their homes in Pallikaranai, Perungudi, Thoraipakkam, and Sholinganallur. They struggled under 5 feet of water on day 3.

India’s Prime Minister, who is the head of the National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA), was quick to sanction INR 561.29 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for India’s first urban mitigation project focussing on Chennai. And represents a proactive measure to address challenges posed by urban flooding and enhance Chennai’s resilience to natural disasters.

Meanwhile, boats were playing on the roads with food and essentials being delivered to people caught in the waters. It would take a few days for the flood-water to recede and then the State Government is expected to be taken to task and face tough questions.

TIME Magazine’s Athlete, Person, and CEO of the Year

This week, Argentina’s Football Captain, Lionel Messi, 36, was named as TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year. Messi played a star role in Argentina winning their first World Cup title in 36 years when they beat defending champions France in the final in December last year. Messi also won the Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time.

Messi wins the TIME award for the football influence he has brought over to the United State (US) since joining Inter Miami and elevating the profile of the sport in the US

Lionel Messi had no shortage of offers when he left Paris St Germain earlier this year, choosing to sign for Major League Soccer (MLS) Inter Miami despite being linked with his former team Barcelona and a big-money move to Saudi Arabia’s side Al-Hilal. Messi shocked the globe by turning down a contract from a Saudi club reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year and announcing in June that he was signing with Inter Miami.

It wasn’t just the move that was stunning, but the size and scope of the deal. In addition to the more than USD 20 million a year Inter Miami would pay him, he would be granted an ownership stake in the team upon retirement and an unprecedented cut of revenues earned by a league media partner—in this case, Apple. It was a deal that not only reflected Messi’s undiminished talent on the field but also set a new standard for athlete leverage and empowerment.

Messi wearing a pink Inter Miami jersey made an instant impact at Miami, scoring 10 goals in seven Leagues Cup appearances as he spurred them to victory in the tournament which features MLS teams as well as sides from Mexico.

Messi’s arrival in the US also made waves off the pitch, causing a massive spike in searches for match dates and tickets to see him in action, with fans also buying up his official pink Inter Miami shirt. The price of tickets to Inter Miami games skyrocketed, while Apple TV, which has a 10-year partnership with the MLS, saw a significant increase in subscriptions.

TIME said, “Messi managed to do what once seemed impossible: turning the US into a soccer country.”

His games took on the feel of a religious revival. After Messi scored a goal against the New York Red Bulls in August, rapper Fat Joe posted on Instagram a video of himself, nearly in tears, shouting “Messi! Messi! Messi!”

TIME has chosen American Singer-Songwriter, Taylor Swift as Person of the Year, and OpenAI CEO since 2019, Sam Altman as CEO of the Year.

Taylor Swift’s, The Eras Tour – now made into a film – occupied much of this year 2023. It began in Glendale, Arizona in March 2023, and is set to conclude in 2024. Each show spans three and a half hours, with a set list of 44 songs divided into 10 distinct acts that conceptually portray Swift’s ten studio albums. The tour was a commercial success and received critical acclaim. It became a cultural and economic phenomenon, bolstered by globally unprecedented ticket demand and fan frenzy.

TIME has this to write , “While her popularity has grown across the decades, this is the year that Swift,33, achieved a kind of nuclear fusion: shooting art and commerce together to release an energy of historic force”.

Taylor Swift beat Barbie and King Charles-III to the title.

I have written about Sam Altman in last week’s post World Inthavaaram – 48.

https://kumargovindan.com/2023/12/02/world-inthavaaram-2023-48/

The Person of the Year, Athlete of the year, and CEO of the year, reflects TIME’s assessment of the individuals who most shaped the headlines over the previous twelve months, for better or for worse.

More timely stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Lift yourself with World Inthavaaram.

WORLD INTHAVAARAM, 2020-50

About: This is a light-hearted story on what happened this week, in our World.

Everywhere

The woman I married was from a small growing up Town, Attur, in Salem District, while I was working as a power plant erection & commissioning Engineer at Neyveli, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu. After working in various Companies across India never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I will end up starting a ‘Blouse Construction’ (Oh, I could not do the commissioning on a personal level, though!) Business in Attur, which my wife & I did in 2015. Here we are.

Over the years, I’ve watched Attur develop slowly, but remain rigid to drastic change. One of the best things to happen is garbage collection, where the ‘Garbage Collector’ now wearing hand gloves (I wish they are given more protective gear, and powered carts as a takeaway) and some kind of uniform, pushes a small cart through the narrow streets, and the wides ones a well- like the one where I have set up shop- collecting the garbage and separating them out into various blue, green and white bins on the cart.

It has become my morning routine to first take-out the garbage and then wash my car. The Garbage Collector appears about this time with his cart and I made it a habit to make small conversation with him, about his life, family and the pressures of garbage collection, often cracking a joke to see his wrinkled face light up with a broad, stained-teeth smile. We soon became good ‘garbage friends’. We met again this Monday morning, and he says, “It’s nice to talk to you and I’m glad that you spend some time with me. Nobody else does this. Honestly, I look forward to seeing you every morning”. Wow, that made my day!

I wish Attur could become a modern Town with wide pavements, specified parking lots, neat lanes, traffic signals…and clever Garbage Bins at the right places. Make more garbage friends, I guess!

Mount Everest is the tallest Mountain in the World and from my school days the height of 8,848 metres grew into me so much that it became a part of my brain. And often I shot down any quizmaster with the curvaceous data. Well, now I have a problem. This Tuesday, Mount Everest grew by more than two feet. So agreed Nepal and China (that’s a height of cooperation between them), the two countries that share the mountainous border. They announced that they had determined the exact height of the world’s tallest mountain, which officially, according to them stands at 8,848.86 metres (29,031.70 feet). For 65 years, the consensus height had been 8,848 metres (29,028.87 feet).

Mountains grow in mysterious ways…and we humans are not the ones to be left behind. At least not Nepal and China. They measure up to the task!

A mysterious disease that began spreading in Elluru, Andhra Pradesh has claimed one life and made over 400 people sick. People were suddenly falling unconscious after suffering from symptoms such as, three to five minutes of epileptic fits, nausea, forgetfulness, anxiety, vomiting, headache and back-pain. The reasons are unclear at the moment and Doctors are unable to pin down a credible source of the outbreak.

Initially, it was suspected that water contamination could be the cause, but sample tests ruled it out. There is another suspicion that anti-mosquito fogging may be a cause, but nothing is confirmed as yet.

A preliminary study report found traces of heavy metals, lead and nickel, in blood samples but strangely not in water or any other food substance in the locality. Experts have clarified that the mysterious disease is neither a bacterial, or a viral infection, nor a contagious disease. Medical and Expert teams are out on the ground looking for tell-tale clues and leads. I hope they crack this code quickly.

Meanwhile, most of the victims have recovered and others are stable.

What an ‘outbreak’ year this is getting to be!

The COVID-19 Vaccine is finally here and a 90 years old woman, Margaret Keenan, originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and living in Coventry for more than 60 years, on Tuesday became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine-after official approval in the United Kingdom (UK). And the UK became the first Country to start jabbing people in the arm, outside trial conditions. Margaret received the jab at University Hospital Coventry from Nurse, May Parsons, at 6.31am and declared it was a privilege.

Margaret is a grandmother of four and worked as a jewellery store assistant until her retirement, four years ago. She will receive a booster shot in 21 days to complete the vaccination sequence. Margaret turns 91 next week and what better advance Birthday present than this? Nurse May Parsons originally from the Philippines has worked in UK’s National Health Service (NHS) for the last 24 years. That’s lot of age and experience getting together in that one vaccine injection.

This is indeed an historic leap in the fight again virus’ in general and the coronavirus in particular. And development of a vaccine in less than a year after the world discovered a never-before-seen disease is truly incredible.

We are in the last spikes of the year 2020 when various Newspapers and Magazines rush to name their Persons, or ‘Things’ of the Year: people who made a huge difference to life on Earth. This time, Time Magazine has named Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as Time Person of the Year. “For changing the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world”, wrote its editor-in-chief.

Playing on, LeBron, the Los Angeles Lakers star has been named Time magazine’s ‘Athlete of the Year’ in recognition of what the 35 years old has achieved both on and off the court.

The Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles.

James led the Lakers to a record-equalling 17th championship title in October this year, during a season unlike any other. It was James’ fourth National Basketball Association(NBA) title and fourth finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He is the first player in NBA history to win the accolade with three different teams. Only Michael Jordan, with six titles, has more.

Moving ahead, for most of us, I reckon, the ‘coronavirus should be named the ‘Thing of the Year’ for attempting to wipe out the human population. And without doubt, in my opinion, the PERSON OF THE YEAR – of any magazine or newspaper worth its name – should go to the Frontline Health Care Workers all over the World, for tirelessly helping us battle with the virus, and many having given up their lives for us. Also the Vaccine Developers should be included for bringing out a vaccine so unbelievably quick.

At the time of posting this article the United States (US) reported 2,32,000 coronavirus cases in one day, setting a new record.

In another decisive moment the US Supreme Court has rejected Trump’s bid to overturn the US Presidential Elections. Has Biden-Harris finally won?

Absolutely challenging times!

Please Yourself

American Singer-Songwriter Taylor Swift, who released her Album ‘Folklore’, in July this year is literally living up her name and has ‘swiftly tailored’ a second surprise Album, ‘Evermore’, which was released at midnight, this Friday. Her 9th Studio Album.

Folklore was recorded during the pandemic quarantine, and the record topped the US and UK Charts earning Swift six Grammy nominations, including Album of The Year. It is also the first album of 2020 to sell more than one million copies.

Swift described Evermore as a ‘sister album’ of Folklore. ‘To put it plainly, we just could not stop writing “, she said. Swift draws a lot of inspiration for her songwriting, from her personal life, and also confirmed that boyfriend, Actor Joe Alwyn, in the mystery Folklore co-writer. That sure is a Love Story pulling the heart strings and generating the music notes.

Swift’s debut single ’Tim McGraw’ was released on 19 June 2006, and she’s grown from being a teenage country singer to one of the most famous pop stars on the planet.

The song that first got me to start listening and fearlessly falling in love with her narrative songwriting and singing is, the Romeo-Juliet themed ‘Love Story’, of the Album, ‘Fearless’. Listen to it, to understand Taylor Swift’s music.

I’m a huge fan of Hollywood Actor, Harrison Ford and his man-on-the street style of acting. No superhuman stunts or mind-boggling acts, just a smart presence of mind, courage, wit and intelligence gets him through the toughest situations. And he manages to survive. Nothing exemplifies this better than ‘Indiana Jones’, or Indy, in ‘The Raiders of the Lost Ark’ 1981, and the many adventures in the series of movies that followed.

Now Harrison Ford, at 78, returns as Indiana Jones for the fifth and final episode, planned for release in July 2022. The Film producer said he has no intention of replacing the actor in his iconic role. That’s well said. Only James Bond is replaceable.

Meanwhile, we have to think Indy and keep our wits and intelligence with us to survive till 2022. Maybe, go back to the old Indy movies and relearn new tricks? Grab the whip and ram that hat? I still remember that during a hair-raising chase in the crowded streets of Cairo, Indy is confronted by one of the bad guys who dances with his hands & legs showing-off twisted karate skills. Indy after coolly watching just takes out a handgun and shoots him! That’s a whip-lash finish! Typical Indiana Jones!

More graceful and skilled stories coming up in the week(s) ahead.