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Gupp and Gossip from the Hills

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3 hours ago

September 21, 2024

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Cwapugun khane madu thaya conpin manuta biswas madu

Nepali Proverb

(Those who live in a place from where the Himalayas cannot be seen may not be trusted.)

At the time of writing, the monkey menace is a lightning rod for a great deal of public anger in the hills. Everyone seems to be perpetually persecuted by them. At the old Charleville, guards armed with airguns stalk the campus to scare off the simians, especially after one of the aggressive rhesus monkeys lunged at one of the Deputy Directors, completely disregarding his seniority, forcing him to take immediate evasive action. He jumped over the railing straight into the defile down below. Result? A broken arm!

Or you could say that Mr Obtuse, a college professor was to a certain extent responsible for the sudden explosion in the rhesus population. Don’t jump the gun and get me wrong. It all goes back to the winter vacation when our dear teacher went off to his home in the plains.

On meeting an old friend, he jokingly complained of a flagging libido. ‘I’ll fix that!’ promised the friend. Later, he gave him some specially concocted sweetmeats put together by a renowned herbalist, who’d made a minor fortune peddling cures for all kinds of sexual ailments, near the Clock Tower in Moradabad. Fortified with a box brimming with aphrodisiacs, our professor came home to his flat in the narrow lanes of our bazaar. On the very first day, he ate one, leaving the box near the window. The rest, as they say, is history— not his, theirs! A pesky monkey grabbed the box, spilling the contents on the ledge below. In the ensuing free for all, the sweets were gobbled up by a troupe of monkeys. Now don’t ask me if it worked. Honestly! I don’t know. But you have my word for it—there was an immediate jump in the population of simians. I hear there were rumours that one of these red-bottomed rhesus’ had a big grin on his face whenever he peeped through the barred windows of the learned professor’s abode looking for fresh supplies!

And grinning were the langurs too at one of the town’s best walkers, a certain Miss Crabbit who, having retired from a girl’s school settled here and has not stopped walking since. Given to the belief that those who walk sixteen kilometres a day are blessed with an eternal life, she sets off on her walk after a frugal breakfast, returns home for lunch, and takes off again to stagger home at dusk.

Things went well for years, that is until one of her nieces brought her a silvery fur coat to keep her warm through the cold winter. Hardly had she stepped out of her flat, when she noticed that she was being trailed by a troupe of amorous black-faced langurs marching in step behind her!

Now! That’s real monkey business.

Up until the 1960s, we had a tradition of doctors who made their way to the mountains from the sultry Ganges delta of Bengal. Foremost among these was a Dr Mitra, who ran a private clinic near the Old Theatre. On retiring, he passed on his practice to Dr Bagchi who, for some weird reason, always wore a monkey-cap. You could tell that summer had come when the good doctor removed his cap and little kids on the road went around yelling: ‘Papu ki topi uttar gayey!’ (Old man’s taken off his cap!)

Dr Bhaduri though had no cap fetish, he specialized in sex problems. Right next to the Electric Picture Palace cinema, he had a garish hoarding that showed an exhausted lion lying flat on its face before imbibing his magical aphrodisiac, while on the other side there was that magnificent pride of Africa, roaring at the tourists much in the manner of the MGM lion. Things were going well for the good doctor, up until the day police came knocking at his door.

What could he have done? He wondered. His medicines were not that bad!

The warrant stated he had certified as dead a man who was alive and kicking, and mad and angry too, because meanwhile his estranged wife had run off with the proceeds of his insurance policy. Off to the police station they marched and into the lock up he went for the night. The barred metal door clanged shut only to be opened the next morning when he was produced before a magistrate.

Lo and behold! As luck would have it, the doctor recognised Mr Tormented, the duty magistrate, as the errant youth whom he had a long time ago treated for venereal disease. Now, seated on his august chair, memories of another day came flooding back, he could still remember the burning sensation every time he had to visit the loo. Bashfully, he now remembered approaching the doctor, and managed to mutter: ‘Doctor Sa’ab, I think my thing has a cold.’

Dr Bhaduri had taken one look, smiled and said: ‘Till it sneezes, may be I’ll treat you with penicillin.’

On this fated day, their eyes met again. Time’s relentless sand papering had weathered them both as the clock rewound to twenty years ago. What mattered was that at the decisive moment, they were partners in crime again.

‘Doctor Sa’ab! What are you doing here?’ asked the judge.

‘Police say I’ve certified the living as dead! And his wife has taken off with his insurance!’

‘How did that happen?’

‘These men dragged me out of my bed at night and into a hotel room,’ he recalled, almost as in a dream. ‘Yes! There was a body. I wrote the name they gave me. Can you ask a dead man his name?’

‘True! Very possible!’ nodded Tormented, saying: ‘A case of mistaken identity. Bail granted.’

For the rest of his days, I am told Dr Bhaduri stopped taking house calls. The word was out that he would break out in hives if you so much as phoned him to take a house call.

[Niyogi Books has given Fair Observer permission to publish this excerpt from Gupp and Gossip from the Hills, Ganesh Saili, Niyogi Books, 2012.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

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Israeli Strike on School Kills 22: Gaza Health Ministry

Published

20 mins ago

September 21, 2024

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Israeli Strike on School Kills 22: Gaza Health Ministry

(DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip) — An Israeli strike on a school in northern Gaza on Saturday killed at least 22 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, while the Israeli army said it targeted a Hamas command center in what used to be a school.

Another 30 were wounded in the strike on the school in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City, the ministry said in a statement. Most of the casualties were women and children, it said. It wasn’t immediately clear which hospital the dead and injured were taken to.

Video taken by The Associated Press showed dozens of people including children digging through the rubble of the building — its ceilings caved in, walls knocked out and a mess of wires and metal rods visible. Outside, others gathered around shrouded bodies. Some covered their faces as they wept for relatives killed in the strike.

“A missile, a missile from the plane hit us, and another missile,” said Ferial Deloul, who is displaced. “We saw the whole world covered with smoke and stones and we saw people and children cut up. … What should we do? What is our fault for this to happen to us?”

Read More: Exclusive: Netanyahu at War

The Israeli army said earlier Saturday that it struck Hamas’ “command and control center, which was embedded inside a compound that previously served” as a school. It said steps were taken to limit harming civilians, including using precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

Also on Saturday, the Gaza Health Ministry said five of its workers were killed and five others wounded by Israeli fire that struck the ministry’s warehouses in the southern Musbah area.

Contesting narratives over the use of schools and hospitals

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli army has struck several schools, packed with tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders. The conflict has left 90% of Palestinians in Gaza displaced, according to figures from the United Nations.

The military has continually accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, U.N. facilities and hospitals. The contesting narratives over the use of schools and hospitals go to the heart of the nearly yearlong conflict.

Earlier this month, an Israeli strike hit a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 14, according to Palestinian medical officials. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas militants planning attacks from inside the school.

In July, Israeli airstrikes hit a girls’ school in Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 people sheltering inside. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against its troops and store “large quantities of weapons.”

The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians.

Escalating tensions in the region

Tensions soared in the region on Friday after an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb in Lebanon killed dozens of people, including civilians and Ibrahim Akil, who was in charge of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. Also killed was Ahmed Wahbi, another senior commander in the group’s military wing.

The strike came hours after Hezbollah launched one of its most intense bombardments of northern Israel in nearly a year of fighting. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted most of the rockets.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel had struck more than 400 rocket launchers in Lebanon on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday night in Tel Aviv and at several smaller protests across the country, demanding a cease-fire and the return of the roughly 100 hostages still being held in Gaza. The protests, which happen every Saturday night, attracted a similar crowd compared to previous weeks despite the tense security situation on Israel’s northern border.

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Russia dissident freed in prisoner swap vows to return

Published

41 mins ago

September 21, 2024

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Russia dissident freed in prisoner swap vows to return

A dissident freed by Russia in the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War has vowed to return to the country.

Vladimir Kara-Murza told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg he thought he was being “led out to be executed” during his release in Siberia last month.

The dual British-Russian citizen realised he was one of 24 prisoners to be freed in the exchange when he was on the plane.

But in his first joint interview with his wife Evgenia in Europe since they reunited, he defiantly reveals to the BBC that he plans to return to Russia.

“You know, when our plane was taking off from Vnukovo airport in Moscow en route to Ankara on 1 August, the FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] officer who was my personal escort sitting next to me turned to me and said, ‘Look out the window, this is the last time you’re seeing your motherland,’” he told me.

“And I just laughed in his face, and I said, ‘Look, man, I am a historian, I don’t just think, I don’t just believe, I know that I’ll be back home in Russia, and it’s going to happen much sooner than you can imagine.’”

Kara-Murza, one of the Kremlin’s most vocal critics, was held in solitary confinement in a high security jail after receiving a 25-year sentence in April 2023 on charges of high treason.

The full interview will air on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

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London cabbies take 200 children in palliative care to Disneyland

Published

1 hour ago

September 21, 2024

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London cabbies take 200 children in palliative care to Disneyland

For brothers Rhys and Benjamin, it was a chance to meet their Disney heroes

Lauren Johansen Brothers Rhys and Benjamin wear Disney shirts in the grounds of Disneyland Paris. — For brothers Rhys and Benjamin, it was a chance to meet their Disney heroes

More than 200 children across England, who suffer from chronic or life limiting conditions, have been taken to Disneyland Paris by some of the capital’s black cab drivers.

The trip is now in its 30th year and aims to provide some light relief for the children during difficult times, the organisers said.

Cabbie, Phil Davis said: “It’s a challenge but we all do it to see a smile on their face.”

Families arrived at Disneyland Paris on Friday evening after setting off from Canary Wharf earlier that day.

“We brought a child here five years ago, knowing he was in palliative care and his mother said he can go on whatever he wants in Disneyland.

“He went four times around Space Mountain,” added Mr Davis, who is on his 30th trip, and was the former chairman of The Magical Taxi Tour.

“When we returned she phoned and said he had sadly passed away on the Wednesday morning.

“But, when he came off Space Mountain he had a beaming smile, one she hadn’t seen for years. It is all about creating memories.”

Ava and the rest of the children in the black cab convoy had a police escort

Lauren Johansen Young girl called Ava sitting on a French police motorbike — Ava and the rest of the children in the black cab convoy had a police escort

Also part of the convoy with the cabbies were London Ambulance NHS Trust and AA breakdown vehicles.

Police outriders from the City of London Police and from France’s Gendarme Nationale were also there to escort them.

Jay, his mum Kate, and taxi driver Tom were among those who spent the day exploring Disneyland Paris

Lauren Johansen Jay with his mum Kate and taxi driver Tom in front of the Disneyland Paris castle — Jay, his mum Kate, and taxi driver Tom were among those who spent the day exploring Disneyland Paris

Among the families on the trip were 10 children from Birmingham Children’s hospital.

They are joined by consultant Dr Lauren Johansen, who is on the trip for the fifth time.

She followed in her father’s footsteps, as he used to participate on the same trip driving one of the cabs to Paris.

“We watch our families have to deal with so much and it is really humbling to see their strength. This is an opportunity for me to give something back,” she said.

A convoy of black cabs, AA vans and ambulances left London on Friday morning

Lauren Johansen Black cab with a Winnie the Pooh soft toy attached to the front with red and blue ribbons to the front windscreen. — A convoy of black cabs, AA vans and ambulances left London on Friday morning

“From the moment we pick everyone up, the trip is simply wonderful. There are surprises, treats and new magical experiences every step of the way.”

Dr Johansen said many of the families, including some from London, have not been on holiday before because of their children’s health but the medical support makes it possible.

“That for me is fabulous,” she added.

Mr Davis says that 90% of the parents and carers do not tell their children about the trip until the night before.

Early on Friday morning as the black cabs left Canary Wharf, the Royal British Legion band played music as they began their journey.

After taking the ferry from Dover to Calais they were driven to the theme park in Marne-la-Vallée, about 20 miles (32km) from Paris.

The children spent their day at the Disneyland theme park on Saturday.

The special event ends with a formal dinner and disco and they will head back on Sunday.

The event is organised by The Magical Taxi tour charity and The Worshipful Company Of Hackney Carriage Drivers.

The taxi drivers give their time and use of their vehicles for free – everyone on the trip is a volunteer.

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Thunderstorms and heavy rain sweep parts of UK

Published

1 hour ago

September 21, 2024

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Thunderstorms and heavy rain sweep parts of UK

Thunderstorms moved in across southern England in the early hours of Saturday morning

BBC Weather Watchers / Jake Allison fork lightning giving a blue hue in the night sky — Thunderstorms moved in across southern England in the early hours of Saturday morning

Thunderstorms and heavy showers have hit parts of the UK, as “unsettled” weather is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

A yellow weather warning is in place for much of southern England and Wales, with Cornwall experiencing the brunt of the storms.

The Met Office said that the county in south-west England had seen most of the thunderstorms on Saturday. Large hail and lightning has been reported in the region.

By Sunday, more heavy rain is forecast to spread – bringing a continued risk of localised flooding and travel disruption.

Met Office yellow warnings in force over the weekend for thunderstorms and rain

Met Office Two maps of the United Kingdom: the first shows a yellow thunderstorm warning area for Wales, central and southern England on Saturday; the second shows another yellow warning for rain on Sunday across most of Wales, the Mildlands and south-west England — Met Office yellow warnings in force over the weekend for thunderstorms and rain

The weather warning, which covers Wales, south-west England, the Midlands and parts of south-east England, is in place until midnight on Sunday.

Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said there was “probably quite a lot of water on the road” in Cornwall – with about 30mm (1.2in) of rainfall reported in the area – which could lead to “tricky driving conditions”.

She said there had also been heavy showers across Wales and London, while Surrey and Oxfordshire had seen thunder strikes on Saturday morning.

Ms Mitchell added that there was the potential for more “widespread” thunderstorms into the afternoon, triggered by higher temperatures.

Further heavy showers, accompanied by hail, are expected across parts of Wales and southern England, with the possibility of 50-80mm (2-3.2in) of rain.

Thundery downpours

On Friday and into the early hours of Saturday, around 8,000 lightning strikes were recorded across southern England.

Intense downpours brought some localised flash flooding.

Damage was also reported in Hampshire where the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation confirmed that a tornado had ripped through Aldershot.

Further thunderstorms on Saturday could bring similar conditions, while gusty winds and hail may accompany the downpours with the possibility of local flash-flooding.

Ms Mitchell said the weather is expected to remain “unsettled” into next week, with the potential for some localised flooding.

Heavy showers and storms will continue through the night into Sunday, when there is another Met Office yellow warning for rain in place for the whole day.

Not everywhere will experience bad weather, however.

Throughout the weekend and into early next week, Scotland, Northern Ireland and areas around the Irish Sea are expected to experience drier and calmer conditions.

There will be plenty of sunshine and pleasant temperatures. However, make the most of it, as it will not be long before the autumn chill arrives.

A weather warning for rain will come into force on Sunday for Wales and central south-west England before another comes into effect on Monday, stretching to cover areas further east and further north as well.

There will be some sunny spells over the next few days, especially in northern and western parts of the UK

BBC Weather Watchers / Stormchaser Al path meandering through green and golden brown trees with some sunny spells and a glimpse of some sunny spells above — There will be some sunny spells over the next few days, especially in northern and western parts of the UK

Autumn equinox and beyond

With the autumn equinox on Sunday – 22 September – it seems that Mother Nature has decided to end summer right on cue.

A change of wardrobe is inevitable for all of us next week. As the winds eventually swing from the north, cooler air will move in as low pressure systems bring widespread cloud and rain.

Daytime temperatures will typically range from 12C in Scotland to perhaps 16C along the England Channel coast. By mid-week, there is a risk of gales and even colder northerly winds.

However, it is entirely possible that an occasional spell of warmer weather may appear during October, which has historically even brought the odd hot spell.

Keep up with our latest thoughts on the coming weeks with our monthly outlook.

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Pilot held captive by gun-wielding jungle rebels for 19-months finally FREED after fighters seized plane in West Papua

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2 hours ago

September 21, 2024

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Pilot held captive by gun-wielding jungle rebels for 19-months finally FREED after fighters seized plane in West Papua

A KIWI pilot held hostage by armed rebels in Indonesia has finally been rescued after 19 brutal months in captivity.

Phillip Mehrtens was kidnapped by gun-wielding fanatics who stormed his tiny plane after it landed in the remote region of Papua.

New Zealander pilot Phillip Mehrtens flanked by the armed Indonesia rebels in a hostage video released last yearCredit: AP

Mehrtens onboard a helicopter with a local official after his release

The freed pilot appears to FaceTime with loved ones at home

Mehrtens is treated at a police HQ in the town of TimikaCredit: AFP

The West Papua Liberation Army – the armed wing of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), snatched the pilot and set fire to his jet on February 7.

Rebel leader Egianus Kogoya kept him as a bargaining chip to push the Indonesian government to make Papua independent.

Officials refused and stood firm – insisting Papua would remain a “legitimate part” of the country.

Now Mehrtens, 38, is finally free to return home to Christchurch and reunite with his wife and young son after an international effort to secure his release.

Multiple government agencies in New Zealand worked with Indonesian officials to see him freed.

A joint military and police task force was sent to the village of Nudga early this morning to retrieve him.

Faizal Ramadhani, leader of a national task force working on the conflict in Papua, said today “We have picked up pilot Phillip, who is in good health, and we flew him from Nduga to Timika.”

He was taken to a police HQ in Timika to undergo a medical and psychological assessment.

Indonesian police released pictures of the gaunt pilot with a long beard following his rescue.

Footage on local media appeared to show him having an emotional call on FaceTime – possibly with loved ones back home.

The Foreign Ministry in New Zealand confirmed his safe release and said: “We are pleased and relieved to confirm that Phillip Mehrtens is safe and well and has been able to talk with his family.

“This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones.”

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with staff in both Indonesia and Wellington, has led a sustained whole-of-government effort to secure Philip Mehrtens’ release, and has also been supporting his family.”

He had been working for an Indonesian aviation company last year when he was seized after landing a single-engine Susi plane on a remote airstrip in Nduga.

Chilling footage released by West Papuan rebels at the time showed Mehrtens flanked by gun-wielding militants in the mountainous region.

He said in the hostage video “It’s me,” nervously laughing, before directly addressing his wife Maria and six-year-old son Jacob.

“I’m OK, they are treating me well… I’m trying to stay positive and I hope that you and Jacob are healthy and doing OK and getting support,” he said.

“I love you both lots and miss you both lots and hope to be able to talk with you soon.”

Images showed Mehrtens arriving at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta in Indonesia late on Saturday.

During a press conference on Saturday Foreign Minister Peters said: “His family will be absolutely over the moon, I believe.

Speaking of the 19-month ordeal he said officials had to “hold our nerve, not getting too carried away and not doing anything that might imperil our chances”.

“There’s always a concern of ours that we may not succeed,” he said.

On September 18 the rebel group holding him captive asked the New Zealand government, police and army to collect him.

They also asked for local and international journalists to be involved.

It is not clear whether any kind of agreement or negotiations were made with the group to secure his release.

Mehrtens, (centre left), is greeted by New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia Kevin Burnett at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base on SaturdayCredit: AFP

Mehrtens sent a video message to his wife and son while in captivity

He is given a drink at the police HQ today

Phillip Mehrtens speaks at a press conference after his releaseCredit: AFP

Mehrten's plane is seen up in flames following his capture — Mehrten’s plane is seen up in flames following his capture

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UK weather as expert says when last mini heatwave will be before Arctic blast

Published

2 hours ago

September 21, 2024

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UK weather as expert says when last mini heatwave will be before Arctic blast

The UK is set to record temperatures above 20C at the start of October as the Met Office says ‘warm/mild spells’ are due to return after a wet and windy weekend