Malala Yousafzai: The One Who Lived

"When the whole world is silent , even one voice becomes powerful."

"Let us pick up our books and pencils , they are our most powerful weapons...."

These are a few of many quotes by the amazing 18 year old Malala Yousafzai who has completely changed the way many of us look at the world. Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12th 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. She is an activist for female rights and education.

On October 9, 2012, on her way home from school, a man boarded the bus Malala was riding in and demanded to know which girl was Malala. When her friends looked toward Malala, her identity was given away. The gunman fired at her, hitting Malala in the left side of her head; the bullet then travelled down her neck. she received specialist treatment and had a titanium plate fitted as well as a cochlear implant in her skull to help her hear.

However, this attack did not stop her from campaigning  for girls education. She often quotes in her speeches that she has no anger or hatred toward the man who shot her. She said, “ I often feared that what would happen if someone tried to attack me, but now I am fearless .  The worst that could have happened has already occurred nothing can now stop me in this movement of empowering girls with the right of quality education in my country and many others.”

Malala is the youngest recipient of the Nobel peace prize which she shared with Kailash Satyarthi in the year 2014 , who is also a children’s rights activist. Even though she has been campaigning for girls rights since a long time , she came into public recognition very recently after her Nobel prize win.

She began attending Edgbaston High School in March and her father has been given a job with the Pakistani consulate in Birmingham for three years. Malala marked her 18th Birthday by inaugurating her “Malala Yousafzai All-Girls School” near the Syrian border, which will provide quality secondary education to more than 200 Syrian girls living in informal camps and out of school in the Bekaa Valley region.

The efforts taken by Malala are a pathway to a significant movement . on one hand students like us are privileged to have such quality education where as in some parts of the world , children don’t even go to school. Malala is not just an inspiration to the youth of this country and many others , but she is the voice of those 66 million girls who are deprived of quality education.

During her speech at the Nobel prize acceptance ceremony she quoted “Why is it so easy to give guns , and so difficult to give books , why is it so easy to make tanks , But so difficult to build schools.” this statement just goes to signify that by educating , we can empower 

“One child , One teacher , One book , and One pen has the power to change the world”-

Malala Yousafzai.

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Kogalymavia Flight Crash : An Invitation To War

On the fateful day of 7 November 2015 a Russian passenger jet Kogalymavia Flight 9268 crashed into the desert of the Sinai region. This horrific crash claimed the lives of 224 people. The reason behind the crash is still not confirmed but there are many speculations being made.

But according to Alexander Smirnov, a Mertojet official ruled of any technical fault or pilot error and speculates ‘it was due an external impact on the plane ‘.He also went on to say that the plane was in excellent condition.  It is also reported that the routine flight check went well.

In the midst of chaos the ultra extremist group of ISIS has claimed to have bombed the plane. But this news is not confirmed but there is a fiery debate over it. The preliminary investigation shows that uncharacteristic sounds were heard just before the plane went off the radar. Also an audio suggests that a catastrophic event developed quickly.

.An infrared satellite caught a heat surge which did not look like a missile in pursuit but looked like it originated inside the plane. Another mystery regarding the plane has been uncovered through the flight data which shows  that the jet suddenly climbed 3000 feet in 3 seconds and again  3000 feet of altitude in the last minutes of it flight. On the desert of Sinai the debris was scattered all over.
This information along with audio and comments by officials suggests that the plane was bombed or was carrying a bomb.

In the year 2015 alone there have many plane mishaps which have taken the lives many civilians, such as the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which was  shot down over territory held by Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine and it claimed 295 lives. As the bodies of the victims arrive at St. Petersburg, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has halted all outgoing flights to Egypt citing security reasons. Many British holiday makers are stranded on the region of Sharam-al-Sheik waiting desperately to go back home. Due to these severe circumstances the Egyptian tourism industry will suffer a major blow and the country tries to fight militants who are creating havoc.

Due to growing concerns of safety, many Airline Companies like Emirates, Lufthansa, AirFrance and Air Arabia have decided to blacklist the area till the reason behind the crash is properly explained.
The truth, when it is disclosed is either going to be a fatal mistake on the part of one of the airline personnel or is another inhumane act of the extremist Islamic group. Whatever it might be, the lives lost cannot be resurrected.

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Mr. Barack Obama: Road to Debt Limit Victory

In what was seen by many as a major test for him before his tenure comes to an end,US president Barack Obama came out with flying colours winning the U.S. debt limit.The bill , already discussed and debated over the past few weeks in Washington ,was passed with an overwhelming majority in the house with the senate also voting 64-35 in its favour.With Obama winning the Congressional bill, congress thwarted the threat of a default on government debt. According to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, the department would have exhausted the last of its borrowing capacity on November 3, resulting in far reaching complications.With Mr President stating that he will sign the bill into a law as soon as possible, this gives major relief to the government reeling under the restrictions on spending. It is now allotted an additional dollar 80 billion for military affairs and domestic programs.

This bill  seen to be a very crucial one as its success or failure could have far reaching consequences.

The president came under scrutiny while unveiling his budget blueprint for fiscal year 2015-16 ,with critics commenting that the Presidents defensive budget yet again failed to adequately prepare the country's men and women in uniform to effectively fight current and future wars. Mr. Obama chose to ignore structural reforms Pentagon needed which included military health care, retirement and acquisition reforms ,thus seen by critics to abrogating his responsibility to provide a common defense and be a good steward of the people's money. However this reform will surely soothe some nerves.,with the additional budget allocated. Many have called for a reduction in military expenditure of the U.S. in recent times, terming it wasteful and over-killed. The truth is that in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile and with adversaries strengthening their nuclear arsenal , a country like U.S having great influence on world politics, is mandated to have a strong military. Coming back to the bill, the opposition leaders aren't that pleased, with republican senator Ted Cruz  accusing  the congress of handing the president with a blank credit card for the remainder of his tenure.

Furthermore, some experts feel that this crisis of debt and over reliance on public capital warrants needs urgent attention as this could metamorphose into a global economic crisis if not addressed properly. Rising interest rates would also discourage investors and question the governments ability to manage the budget. Strengthening the U.S economy means in turn ensuring that the worlds other economies are safeguarded as economic interests are interlinked.We all are very well aware of what would happen if such an eco ic crisis were to happen. Some radical groups have made  bizarre claims that in the event of a global economic catastrophe , only China could help US maintain its economy. Seems someone is really eager to stoke the ever burning feud between capitalism and communism.!!!Leaving the radicalist to fight it among themselves,, let's just hope that this bill  achieves its intended target and the taxpayer is satisfied that his dollars are funnelled into something worthwhile.

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The Middle East: A Death Valley for Humans

Beirut bombings sign that war is spreading into Lebanon. Poor weather conditions affect refugees throughout the region. Syrian refugees reach 1 million. Thousands of refugees pour into Iraq. Beirut bombings sign that war spreading into Lebanon. Jordan refuses entry to Syrians Riots in Za’atari camp. These are a few of the many headlines that we have encountered in the newspapers and on the internet in the past few months.

The Middle East and North Africa region continues to face multiple and complex emergency situations on an unprecedented scale, that are likely to pose further overwhelming challenges in the year ahead. The question of the hour is “is this potentially leading to a third world war?” the answer is rather ambiguous.

According to a statistical report by the UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY, the humanitarian situation in Syria remains extremely challenging. In the fourth year of the conflict, there are more than 3 million Syrian refugees in the region, In addition to over 50,000 Syrians who have sought asylum in more than 90 countries outside the region.

1.8 million people were displaced by insecurity in Iraq.The security situation in Libya is increasingly volatile , the situation is rather getting out of control with the influx of refugees from the other regions and with bombings in different sections of the region  with at least 140,000 Libyans displaced within the country by recent fighting.

Yemen continues to face a complex humanitarian situation characterized by ongoing insecurity, localized conflicts, water scarcity and the extreme poverty of growing numbers of the population. In addition, Yemen hosts 246,000 registered refugees, 95 per cent of whom are Somalis. Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, and Sweden are making significant efforts to accept asylum seekers. Spain is focusing  on preventing Syrian asylum seekers from staying in the country. Bulgaria, Greece and Italy are helping to provide with the flood for refugees and migrants arriving on their shores, receiving little support from the rest of Europe. Nevertheless, arrivals in Europe are low in comparison with countries bordering on conflict zones.

But not everyone is silent in this matter. Many celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jeremy Renner visited the camps themselves and not only provided financial support but also spent time with them Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in October 2012 after campaigning for girls’ rights to education, added: “On behalf of the world’s children, I demand of our leaders to invest in books instead of bullets.”Books, not bullets, will pave the path toward peace and prosperity. Our voices will continue to get louder and louder until we see politicians and our governments invest in the education of their youth rather than military and war.”

This is more than enough evidence to prove that this crisis is likely to transform into the 3rd world war. In some parts , war  like situation has already arisen.Thus, the inference can be considered as quite redeeming in the context of humanity. No one today actually knows what peace is. If it doesn’t happen to you, it doesn’t mean its not happening. For all the dead, exploited and suffering crushed under the factions of different countries, may their soul rest in peace.

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Wiping The Crocodile Tears: The Crocodile and Taliban Ephemeral

Pakistani Sheedis, whose  ancestors came from Africa and are drawn from various Muslim sects, were considered potential target for hardline militants who wanted  to impose their strict interpretation of Islam on others.

The shrine is a place of worship, people come to pray with a wish or mannat. The community believes the crocodiles living in the shrine’s pond are the disciples of saints. But due to the recent attacks , the care taker reported a decline in the number of worshipers. however , drought days seem to be over for an 87-year-old crocodile venerated by Pakistan’s tiny Sheedi community, as pilgrims once again flock to a shrine in Karachi that has been shunned for years amid fears of Taliban attacks.

The Taliban retrieved  confidence coincides with a major crackdown on crime and militancy by paramilitary Rangers in the southern port city of 20 million people where the shrine is located, which has seen murder levels take a surprisingly sharp drop

The Pakistani military has also been carrying many significant offensives against the Taliban in the northwest provinces of the country since 2014 and its want of militants caught up pace following the massacre of Peshawar school children in December. Elders revive their memories and tell tales of the Taliban held strength and how the police were too afraid of them,

But say that eversince the Rangers and police operation In Karachi , people have started to return assuring themselves of safety. The shrine had a silent reopening   in 2011, but only a handful of worshippers dared to come. Eventually, developing security meant 100 people might turn up on a busy day last year. Now crowds of more than 1,000 flock to the shrine several days each week.
Militant attacks across the nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people have fallen by around 70 percent this year. Which is major achievement as a  result to the operations conducted for the eradication of the Taliban.

The fall in violence has also uplifted Sheedi community hopes of celebrating their annual four-day festival before the end of the year. It has been cancelled for the last five years fearing retaliation and attacks

At the autumn celebration, four Sheedi communities sacrifice goats and dance to a drum beat before the crocodiles, which are showered with rose petals and anointed with perfume and saffron.

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Game of Thrones: Bihar Edition

A ray of hope emerged in the country when Mr. Narendra Modi became the 16^th Prime Minister of India. A feeling of nationalism and patriotism started pouring into the country. The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) had an overwhelming majority in the LOK SABHA shattering off the well reputed UPA Government and the regional parties.

Then there were State Assembly Elections in the state of Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir. The NDA fought the elections under the authority of Mr. Narendra Modi and the result turned out to be that the BJP came into power in Maharashtra and won the second highest majority in Jammu Kashmir and hence going on to form the coalition government with PDP (declaiming the regional parties and the Congress Party).

But now the elections have come to the third most populated state – BIHAR.  This election will decide the political future of many new faces including Lalu Prasad Yadav's son. But  their competition is neither with NDA nor with BJP but their competition is with the most powerful person of the politics – MODI. The Modi effect has already been witnessed as most of the opinion polls gave NDA two third majority.

When people are interviewed, they say that they are going to vote for DEVELOPMENT. They want their and their state's  condition to be uplifted. “Desh ka ek hi jantantra…..aur Modi ka ek hi mantra…..VIKAS” are the slogans which people chant on the streets of Bihar. As a result of the growing MODI WAVE in Bihar the regional parties along with Congress have come together to fight the Bihar elections in hope of majority

Though the thing which is questionable is that since all these years leaders like Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sonia Gandhi haven’t certainly shared cordial relations, then why are they collaborating for this election? Well what can be inferred from this is that they have come together to stop Modi. But the nation knows that Modi has been synonymous to DEVELOPMENT. The MAHAGHATBANDHAN ( a large association which includes parties like JDU , RJD and Congress ) is using all its power to curb Modi from winning the elections. But the people of Bihar are intelligent and they know that the promises made by the current Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were all false and illusionary. The 25 years of so called JUNGLE RAAJ   have put the Biharis in a state of despair and sorrow. The youth of Bihar is forced to leave their native places and migrate to big cities in search of jobs and employment because all these years the government was self centered and selfish which just catered to its needs. Bihar has many resources but their proper usage has not been done for the common man of Bihar. The government just played politics in the arena of RELIGION. MODI always mentions in his speeches.

The MAHAGATHBANDHAN is blaming the Modi Government for increase in the prices of pulses. But the Modi Government has issued orders to the state government to conduct raids where the pulses are stored in bulk and would be sold in black. Just in the city of Mumbai, 22000 tones of pulses have been seized which is approximately worth 240 crore  rupees. This has led to a dip in the price of pulses in Mumbai. But the Bihar Government has not taken up any such raids and are busy in their merry making and money making business.

The war of words between the parties has increased as the result date is coming nearer. The politicians have started playing with the people’s mind with their personal issues. Sometimes the opposing parties make a sullen matter so huge that it takes the shape of a  communal riot. Then the State Government starts blaming the Centre and the Centre starts accusing the State. The voting turnout at the poll booths have increased, in comparision to the last Assembly elections.

People of Bihar say that this election is between Mahaghatbandhan and Modi. This election is against the people who show the face of development and the MAN who is a living example of Development. Bihar election is also crucial for Modi because these results will have an impact on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal elections.

Thus, people of Bihar do need a leader who caters to the interests of his masses more profoundly than any other leader in the past. Development is what Bihar lacks and not resources. So the fate of this state has been no less than a rollercoaster ride, but the fact that everyone is eager to unveil the new face of Bihar soon after they have a so called ‘New Leader'

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Gone With the Wind: Runaway US military blimp

When you have a military blimp in a volatile area like Pennsylvania, you know it’s for your protection. But what if this savior creates havoc in your life? It’s hysterical isn’t it? Well something like this was recorded in Pennsylvania on the 28th of October 2015.

This high tech military blimp which was used to detect missile attacks came loose and well as they say flew away with the wind. But the reason this became a matter of concern for all the civilians since it dragged miles of cables with it knocking down the power supply of more than a thousand. Unfortunately the Pentagon had no answers to the questions about the causes of this disaster but they put all their affordable power into bringing the blimp down but failed as the blimp deflated on its own.

The Anatomy:
The blimp was a part of the 2.8 billion dollar army program. The blimp's travel over miles caused widespread damage. At a particular point, more than 30,000 houses were without power. This huge mammoth was found lying deflated in a rural , wooded area in exchange Pennsylvania, travelling more than 150 miles! Fortunately there were no human casualties but still no report on its landing was found. Pennsylvania Police and military guarded this blimp in a perimeter of the farm amid settlers of this isolated area. This blimp was kept in observation even under some furious rains at Pennsylvania.

A program called Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) was reconstructed after it exceeded the cost estimates. The program comprises of two blimps each 242 ft long. The second one will be grounded until it is investigated thoroughly. The whole system right now is in a testing phase. Manufacturer Rayhteon and Co's website promised it to be a part of defense for the metropolitans but fate had some other plans.

The manufacturers claimed that the blimp should be untethered at an altitude of 11/8 inches giving it a speed of nearly 100 mph. But soon after it was rendered to the winds. It flew faster than 160mph, thus satisfying all the conditions of a disaster.

The blimp was claimed to be untethered at an altitude of nearly 60,000 ft into the state of Pennsylvania causing massive destruction of cables cutting power supply sky high.
Thus this is actually one of those ironies that put you in a doubtful situation that if a security equipment can cause tremors in your lives then safety is nothing but a hyperbole in the context of humanity.

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