Indonesian submarines and Pakistan
May 11, 2021
An Indonesian submarine that went missing has been found broken into at least three parts, deep in the Bali Sea and all 53 crew members inside the missing KRI Nanggala-402 submarine have died. Death of a human is a heart shattering event and the loss of so many precious lives in a world already beset by a pandemic is soul numbing to say the least. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has rightly described the sailors as Indonesia’s ‘best patriots.’
Pakistan too is full of grief for this tragedy of a brotherly Muslim nation but the tragedy of the submarine has hit close to the nation as it has had a special relation with the Indonesian submarine fleet. Many remember the help Indonesia once gave to Pakistan in the wake of the 1965 war by sending submarines and naval boats to Karachi. While they had reached Karachi after the end of hostilities but the generosity of the gesture cannot be denied.
Thames island boatyard fire: Huge blaze destroys historic boathouses and vessels at Platt’s Eyot in Hampton Barney Davis UP NEXT
A special message from Microsoft News: India is currently being devastated by a deadly second wave of Covid. You can support Oxfam s Covid relief efforts in India, including reaching out to the most affected and vulnerable communities, distributing and installing medical equipment and accessories, and supporting the most marginalised households. You can donate here.
A huge blaze has destroyed two Grade-II listed boatyards and vessels on a Thames island in south-west London.
One of the the historic “little ships” that rescued WW2 soldiers during the evacuation of Dunkirk is said to be among those lost in the fire.
WWII steam Alice Springs
General Douglas MacArthur arrival in Australia began with his railway journey - the brief back-story is explaining the three different rail gauges (widths between the tracks) used in Australia.
In the 1940s, different states used one or more of three different gauges for a variety of political, economic and historical reasons. South Australia used all three. They were narrow gauge (3ft 6ins or 1067 mm), broad gauge (5 3 or 1600 mm) and standard gauge (4 8.5 or 1435 mm).
Since the 1990s, most of the long distance trains have been converted to standard gauge, so passengers can now traverse the country more conveniently. But this isn t universal, and there are still some areas where the gauges vary, for one practical reason or another.