HOW FEASIBLE IS AN ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR SITES? Iran's nuclear facilities are too dispersed that one attack or so cannot neutralise them. Also Fordow and Natanz uranium enrichment sites and others are underground and insulated against attacks by dozens of metres of rock and concrete. The only weapon that can penetrate that kind of resistance in the world is only the US' GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator. It is 12 metric tons and 6 metres long. Only large US bombers like the B-2 Spirit can deliver it. Yet is it possible to hit so many targets dispersed across Iran, and 2,000 km away from Israel, simultaneously? Even the US will find it difficult. Will Israel take the foolhardy plunge even as the US seeks to limit its involvement in an escalation of the conflict? Easier said than done!

TEHRAN, Oct 9: A 4.6 magnitude earthquake in Iran’s Semnan province in the north on October 5 is suspected to have been caused by a secret nuclear test. The tremor was felt in Tehran, 100 km away, and recorded at a shallow depth of 10 km. It could as well be an underground explosion.

It is reported Iran has weapon-grade uranium to make nuclear bombs which can be readied at short notice, but it denies. It has the “near-threshold” capability to assemble them on-demand!

There is a possibility of Israeli attack on Iran's oil fields or nuclear sites in retaliation for the Islamic Republic's direct missile barrage across Israel last week in response to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's killing in Lebanon. Each of the 181 warheads carried a payload of 1000 kg but were intercepted by Israeli defence except for two. One killed a Palestinian of Gaza and the other dug up open space around Mossad headquarters.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had said with its response the chapter may be treated as closed and warned Israel will not exist if it retaliates. Was he hinting at a nuclear option? The ball is in Israel's court.

Following the Iranian barrage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned that “it (Tehran) will pay for it.” A strike on Iranian oil assets will cripple Iran's economy. And the global oil prices will shoot through the roof.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday, “Any attack against infrastructure in Iran will provoke an even stronger response.”

Therefore it all depends on Israel's next move. President Biden has warned them against attacking nuclear or oil assets. He indicated that an attack could only be “proportionate” and not more.

Attacks by Hamas on October 7 and Iran on April 13 against Israel in a way exposed the latter's vulnerability although Israel claims to possess the world's best defence and crippled the S-300 air defence system (April 19 Isfahan attack) in the Eighth Shekari Air Base that protects Iran's nearby nuclear sites. Last week Israel intercepted all the 181 Iranian missiles but two. The direct attacks thus started in April.

If the plan is to damage Iran's nuclear facilities and keep Iran under check, just that will be counter-productive because what will emerge from the ashes will only a power more terrible. That is why the US had dragged Iran to the nuclear talks long ago. A non-military solution is the ideal way forward.

US' GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator

On the other hand, Iran's nuclear complexes are too dispersed that one attack or so cannot neutralise them. Also Fordow and Natanz uranium enrichment facilities and other sites are underground and insulated against attacks by dozens of metres of rock and concrete. The only weapon that can penetrate that kind of resistance in the world is only the US' GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator. It is 12 metric tons and 6 metres long. Only large US bombers like the B-2 Spirit can deliver it. Yet is it possible to hit so many targets dispersed across Iran simultaneously?

Now Iran and Israel, though far separated, are openly striking each other’s territory. Israel can target Iran’s nuclear sites directly but without much result. Events are invariably leading Iran to an inflection point. Meanwhile, the US seeks to limit its involvement in an escalation of the conflict.

IAEA inspectors continue to monitor Iranian nuclear programme although they have been restricted. If Iran quits NPT and forges ahead with its n-programme that may only spawn a nuclear race in the region.

There have been only two instances of nuclear bomb attacks so far in the world - in 1945 in World War II. On August 6, “Little Boy” was dropped over Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, “Fat Man” was detonated above Nagasaki.

Since the October 7 Hamas attack, Israel’s military action has claimed the lives of 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

OPPOSITION WAKES UP ! The Opposition accused the Prime Minister, who seems to insist he alone will inaugurate everything in the country, of "hurriedly inaugurating" an "incomplete terminal" in March last for publicity on the eve of the general elections. At that time he had also laid the foundation stone for 15 other airport projects across the country. He was also accused of inaugurating an incomplete Ram temple in Ayodhya in January which started leaking in the first downpour last weekend.

It is also puzzling why every few years airport buildings are demolished in Delhi and new plans are made for new constructions and nobody seems to take notice! (Because the airport itself is tucked away in a far corner, not easily accessible to the discerning, with a web of roads going only round and round like a tape around a spool, as if not reaching anywhere!)

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi Government of "corruption and criminal negligence" in the name of infrastructure projects (launched every other day) in the last 10 years. Kharge also said Modi has been keen on indulging in ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale asked, "Why shouldn't PM Modi be charged with culpable homicide?"

COMMENT: A simple question but difficult to understand is why the people should be concerned about whether an NTA director is sacked for paper leakage or a DGP is removed for law and order breakdown. The people have nothing to do with the elite appointments nor their conduct. They are the cousin-brothers of the political dispensation. If not barred by fixation, kindly take a look at other countries!

“What I want to do and what I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma (two-year programs or doctoral degrees) a green card to be able to stay in this country” permanently, the presidential candidate said. Asked if he would promise to allow the “best and the brightest around the world to (come to) America,” Trump firmly replied: “I do promise.”

COMMENT: Could Biden visualise a better immigration formula to build a still stronger America? Will Kamala Harris, in charge of migration, and struggling for ideas, take note?

Delhi has recorded the hottest night (35+ deg C), unheard of since the beginning of time! For 30 consecutive days the maximum temp is above 40 deg C and in the nights too the mercury stayed high as there is hardly any earth around to absorb and dissipate the day's heat. Add on to the nightmare the acute water shortage in the national Capital due to the power-hungry, low-grade politicians squabbling for one-upmanship. More than 200 people died in Delhi-NCR in the past two days. Most of them are poor people, labourers, the homeless, beggars.

An anatomy of NEET 2024: From the start till finish NEET will stay put as a conundrum jinxed as it is. What if it was thought angels would come down from the heaven to conduct the entrance exam if done at the Centre and if in the States, they would be conducted by the corrupt mortals. So NEET was born... It's 'guaranteed' that no party will ever be able to do what is required to be done in the country. Because of their genetics. Frauds will only multiply. Is there anything worse? Yes. Shoot the messenger!

A video shows the terrifying scene of the chopper swirling and dropping nose down mid-air around the helipad. In fact, the rear rotor had gone for a toss and the pilot was performing autorotation for a crash-landing. He pulled it off! Congrats!

True or false, Savitri claimed her husband had told her to throw Vinod into the canal as all that he does is eat. "How much torture can my son endure?" She picked him up when he was asleep.

Marking a decisive stage in the ongoing tussle between Governors and the Governments in some States, the Governor of Bengal has thrown down the gauntlet to the State police, asking the Raj Bhavan staff to refuse any enquiry from the cops in the sexual harassment case filed by a woman employee against him.

COMMENT: In many a case complaints can be frivolous, made under certain circumstances. So it is more in the interest of the accused that there is an investigation to clear his name. Denial may only mean acceptance of the guilt. Besides, quoting Constitutional immunity in sexual harassment cases is nothing short of a vulgarity of the feudal landlord. Nobody is above the law.

While the universal apprentice scheme will enable the educated youth to stand up (literally) in a country where the people are trampled by wretched politicians, and look about for avenues to earn a living confidently, the provision of student credit cards of up to Rs 10 lakh will ensure each and every student of this country receives equal opportunities to fulfil their aspirations of higher education irrespective of their financial conditions. It will be a game changer. These are on the lines of what US Vice-President Kamala Harris visualised to be happening to the Third World when she hailed Ajay Banga as a transformative World Bank President.

Peter Higgs is the father of the mysterious Higgs boson, otherwise called 'God Particle', which gives mass to all elementary particles, and created our universe. His contribution helped other scientists understand how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.8 billion years ago. The equations of particle physicists which did not have a leg to stand on till then, the 'God Particle' came as a Godsend. The theories so far to describe the universe did not hold water.

It was only by 2012, after 50 years of the boson discovery, that scientists at CERN could make the big announcement that they had finally found a Higgs boson using the Large Hadron Collider.

Higgs instantly broke into tears, tears of profound satisfaction, in the lecture hall where the announcement was made.

LEGAL REMEDIES: Last year, on the directive of the Supreme Court, the Governor granted assent to one Bill, and referred seven Bills to the President. The petition against the President also challenges the Governor's action of referring the Bills to her.

The unprecedented step by the State may also establish that it always upholds the Constitution and the rule of law in order to pre-empt any eventuality of getting dismissed on flimsy grounds invoking provisions of the Constitution later on; and, also provide a thrust to an emerging platform of regional forces pitted against the ongoing centralisation of every subject and activity in the country under one umbrella where the States will ultimately 'wither' away (for some time).

OPINION: Made to happen as it does just weeks ahead of the general elections, the arrest may signal, if not the cause of, far-reaching consequences in the course of Indian politics. The Opposition charges that the ruling party at the Centre has unleashed the police to catch a leader every other day for corruption allegedly indulged in in the present or the remote past in order to incapacitate any concerted opposition to the ruling dispensation.

The “My way or the highway" man, Trump has predicted 'apocalypse' for Americans if he is not elected the President in the upcoming election. He sounds “extremism, affection for violence." As always, he is also seeing what others don't, and repetitively using words like "(2020) election was stolen"! And that's a symptom! Delivering a no-holds-barred speech at a rally in Ohio, he also predicted the US won't see another election if he did not win the November battle against the incumbent President. With his savage push against the God-fearing Catholic, and the heap of criminal cases pending in the courts, the unpredictable Trump's nomination exposes a season of drought of leadership of calibre in the United States.

The much-touted 'one-nation, one-election' argument was purportedly to prevent wasteful expenditure of the people's money, manpower and deceleration of development, but the committee report when implemented will end up paving the way for holding more elections than currently being held. Because of the logistics and democratic limitations involved, the committee was not expected by commonsense to be out of a loose end either! Those who are alive at that time, and further for ten more years thereafter, can count the rounds and compare with the present numbers. Therefore, either the agenda is different or the 8-volume presentation is faulty/made-up!!!

The manager has defended himself saying that dry ice got mixed with mouth freshener by the negligence of the staff...After taking the mouth freshener the customers felt a burning sensation and started vomiting blood. Five of them were hospitalised. Two are in critical condition.

Harmful effects of dry ice: Ingested, dry ice can burn your mouth, esophagus and stomach as it sublimates on contact with the moisture of the organs and turns into CO2, apart from other damaging physical and chemical changes it induces. The pressure building up in the stomach due to sublimation can also rupture the stomach muscles. It turns lethal. In normal direct handling it leads to frostbite due to the cold temperature.

One of them is seen in CCTV being shot at close range. The motive is suspected to be personal enmity.

TAILPIECE: Almost every other day we hear of shootings in one place or other in the country. India will very soon replace the US as the world's No 1 in the incidence of mass shooting. It will eclipse terrorism as a source of concern. Who can help? At least, has it occurred to anyone's mind?

'This Moment' of Shakti fusion won the Best Global Music Album at the Grammys. Zakir Hussain has won two other awards too. In a great victory for Indians, five of them have won the Grammys this time. In other sections, Taylor Swift got her fourth Album of the Year award and Miley Cyrus got an award for the first time.

The Government scheme provides ₹ 51,000 per wedding of which ₹ 35,000 goes to the girl, ₹ 10,000 for wedding materials and ₹ 6,000 towards expenses for the ceremony.

“Two activists from the environmental movement ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ sprayed pumpkin soup on the armoured glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10 am (4aET),” a statement from the museum said.

It is not understood how undesirable elements are allowed to get so close to her and play havoc with the artwork. Several times over this has happened in the past, deranged minds masquerading as tourists and cultists venting their frustration.

A Spicejet passenger had a harrowing experience inside a tiny claustrophobic lavatory aboard a Mumbai-Bengaluru flight when he found to his bewilderment that the door was not opening.