This Week In Explainers: Henry Kissinger’s complicated relationship with India

This week saw a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas begin and end after the terror group released a number of hostages. In the United States, three Palestinian students were senselessly shot for wearing the keffiyeh. Meanwhile, Henry Kissinger, arguably America’s most high-profile and controversial diplomat, passed away at age 100. Over in the United Kingdom, a row broke out between the UK and Greece over the fate of the Parthenon Marbles. Nepal made history by becoming the first South Asian nation to register a same-sex marriage. In China, billionaire Jack Ma finally resurfaced — with an interesting new business. And finally the tragic tale of the world’s saddest elephant finally came to an end in Manila. All this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers: 1. After 50 long days of captivity at the hands of Hamas, the Israeli hostages finally saw the light of day. Now, after spending days recuperating in hospitals and largely keeping out of the public view, details about how they were treated are finally emerging. This piece examines how the nearly five dozen hostages suffered for seven weeks of hell — sleeping in uncomfortable plastic chairs, being fed sparse meals of rice and bread and waiting for hours simply to use the bathroom. 2. While the Hamas attack has led to a spike in antisemitism all over the world, those of Palestinian descent have also suffered. In October, a six-year-old Palestinian American was the victim of a horrific crime — being stabbed 26 times by his family landlord in Chicago. Now, in Vermont, three Palestinian students were shot for speaking Arabic and donning the keffiyeh. This article takes a look at the case — and how the scarf has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance and solidarity. 3. What’s the future of the Parthenon Marbles? https://youtu.be/dX45IrRdF1k?t=6 The fate of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon Marbles, also known as Elgin Marbles, has been a sore point between Greece and the United Kingdom for several years. While Greece is insistent that the marbles should be returned, Britain has refused to concede the point — perhaps mindful of the fact that its museums are filled with countless such treasures from all over the world. This article takes a look at the Parthenon Marbles and how they ended up in the United Kingdom, why Rishi Sunak cancelled the meeting with his Greek counterpart and what both sides are saying. 4. America lost one of its icons this week. Henry Kissinger, the celebrated diplomat who served under two presidents and who served as the architect of American foreign policy for decades, passed away at the age of 100. [caption id=“attachment_13450902” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger died at the age of 100. Reuters[/caption] This piece takes a look at Kissinger's controversial and complicated legacy — specifically about India. 5. While many nations in the West have embraced same-sex marriage, South Asia has been exceedingly slow to do so. This week, same-sex marriage took its first baby step in the region when Nepal registered its first such union after a go-ahead from the country’s Supreme Court. This article takes a look at the happy couple, how Nepal made history and the status of same-sex marriage in other Asian nations such as Japan, China, Thailand, South Korea and India. 6. Where has Jack Ma been and what has he been up to? That was the question many were asking after the Chinese billionaire and founder of Alibaba basically disappeared after comments that ran afoul of Chinese authorities. Well, Ma has returned with a fascinating new venture that is focussing on the sale of pre-packaged food and selling “edible agricultural products.” This piece gives you a whiff of Ma has been stirring up for the past year. 7. Mali, the pachyderm that hit headlines after being dubbed the world’s saddest elephant, passed away in a Philippine zoo. To the end, Mali remained the main attraction at the Manila Zoo. [caption id=“attachment_13446752” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A zoo worker scrubs the body of elephant Mali inside an enclosure at Manila zoo on 14 January 2013. The animal was dubbed the ‘world’s saddest elephant’ by activists. Reuters[/caption] This article gives you a peek at Mali’s early years in Sri Lanka, traces her journey to the Philippines and examines the allegations of mistreatment at the hands of the zoo authorities in Manila and protests from some of her famous friends.  If you’ve been too busy to keep an eye on the news lately, this list will come in handy in catching you up. Watch this space for more.