If one were to look across the world, the past fortnight has been unusually eventful.
THAM LUANG CAVE RESCUE
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| Photo courtesy: BBC |
Nothing of this sort has happened any time in the recent past. Amazing story of human endurance and resilience. On the 23rd of June, 12 members of a junior football team in Thailand and their coach enter a 10-km long complexly structured cave, which has, among other things, narrow passages and a permanent stream inside. As bad luck would have it, unrelenting rains ensue. Advancing waters drive the team inside in search of drier areas. Only on July 2, a team of British divers find them stuck deep inside the cave. On 8th, a rescue mission is launched. In four batches, all are brought out; the last one on 10th. There will surely be a film made on this.
JAPAN FLOODS, OVER 200 DEAD
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| Photo courtesy: BBC |
I just couldn't believe that as many as 200 people have lost their lives (over a few days) in torrential rains and consequent flooding in western Japan, the worst weather-related disaster in 36 years. The fact that it has happened in a developed nation which has good infrastructure and technological tools to predict such catastrophic weather changes, makes it all the more striking.
BREXIT TURMOIL HITS THERESA MAY
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| Photo courtesy: BBC |
David Cameroon while electioneering in 2016 says if elected to power he will hold a referendum on Britain's continuance in the European Union. And, see what has followed. Cameron wins; is reminded of the referendum; orders it; and to his surprise, Britain votes to leave the EU. The mess that followed hasn't cleared still. A new low was reached when on July 8, Brexit Secretary David Davis quit and on the following day Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson quit, saying PM Theresa May is diluting the earlier Brexit promises. She has narrowly fended off a leadership challenge.
US-CHINA TRADE WAR BEGINS
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| Photo courtesy: CNBC |
US President Donald Trump, in his mission to make America Great Again, has been complaining to everyone in the world that America is being wronged in global trade, and that the US is losing while everyone else is gaining. (Let us not get into a discussion on that here.) One of his measures to right the past wrongs is to impose heavy duties on imports of many goods from China. Thus, on July 5, US tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods kicked off. The impact of that will be long-drawn out and felt across the world.
FIFA WORLD CUP SEMIS SANS BIG TEAMS
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| Photo courtesy: The Hindu |
Surprises are common in sports. But not the way it has happened during the ongoing World Cup football in Russia. Predictions of who will win and lose, have gone horribly wrong. For the first time ever, the semifinals were played without top teams like Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay etc. We will now have a final between France and Croatia on Sunday.
2018 FIFA World Cup (Wikipedia)
EXIT OF TOP SEEDS IN WIMBLEDON
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| Photo courtesy: BBC |
Not just World Cup Football, Wimbledon too had surprises. For the first time ever, none of the top-10 seeded players reached the quarterfinals in the women's section. Arguably the best player, Serena is there, but she is seeded 25. Today she is playing the final against Angelique Kerber.
All top-10 women's seeds out (Metro)
ANYTHING MISSED?
So many other important / interesting events might have happened across the world. Have I left out anything?