WALES'S BEAUTIFUL CARDIFF

OCTOBER is pre-winter in the United Kingdom and so, was quiet an unpopular choice to be visiting the island nation in. Also, being a Lahori, choosing Wales to be having a winter vacations in added to the unpopularity of my preferences.

''It will be quite, dreary and melancholic,'' people told me. Even going by the weather reports for the  15 days I was to spend there, I figured the atmosphere would not entirely be all that  uplifting.

But I wasn't the one to revise my plans based on the assumptions and hearsay. I was to spend every single day in Cardiff, Wales, to its fullest; doing justice to every penny I spent in going there.

And so my trip began on Oct 29, 2018. It was a Monday and I took the 3am flight to Cardiff via Doha.

It was 11 am by the time I landed in Cardiff, Wales, but my energy was sunk and shrunk, and all I needed was to stretch my legs and catch up on at least six hours of sleep.

Immigration and customs was harder and gruelling but once outside the airport, the cool and chilly breeze with a light sun welcomes with open arms.

I got a taxi from the airport which cost me Pound 39 to get me to Lisvane. The drive gave views of beautiful parks, mountain ranges, small towns and lush greenery. I had arrived!

But my tiredness was getting to me and eyes were closing shut. After all, I had hopped three continents and time zones and relaxation was important in that case.

If I were to explore all the fantastical sites and learn about them, an active mind was important, so I dozed off in the room I was given by my Airbnb host and drifted off to sleep.

It was 7pm when I woke up. And the excitement to move out and see Cardiff was like an  itch. And so began my exploration  journey from there.

PIERHEAD BUILDING : I will advise everyone visiting Cardiff to see the Pierhead Building  during the daytime as its colour and unique shade is such that only the sunlight can do justice to it.

I on the other hand visited it at night but even then, the light winter moon's reflection glared on the historic site, making it a site to behold. I stood there frozen as before this, I had only seen it in films or read about it online.

The crowd was scant. There were some children playing right outside the space allotted for visitors and some women could be seen jogging around.

The red bricks and the humongous clock dome stood ahead like a rock. The Pierhead Building is a  Grade 1  listed building of the national Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay.

The honor and serving of the latest operational research on great countries and cities continues. The World Students Society thanks author Saira Agha.  

''MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH''

ON JUNE 27, 1839 Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the last great ruler of Punjab died.

The following day, his body was accompanied by four of his wives and seven slave girls to a funeral pyre where they to the accompaniment of prayers read by Sikh, Hindu and Muslim priests immolated themselves with the deceased king.

About two weeks later, his successor Kharak Singh ordered that a monument be made to commemorate his father at the site of cremation in front of the Lahore Fort.

The ensuing bloodshed for succession meant that monument would also be used for to commemorate Kharak Singh and his son Nau Nihal Singh.

The monument was still partly unfinished in 1849 when Punjab was annexed by the British. Surprisingly, the new rulers sought to complete the building motivated by an effort to assuage the local population.

Today, the funerary monument or samadhi of Ranjit Singh survives and although overshadowed by the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque, it has remained a prominent feature in this landscape for over 150 years.

Despite this and the enduring popularity of Ranjit Singh within the Sikh diaspora, samadhi has largely been dismissed as unworthy of any serious attention.

In 2004, writer Nadhra Shahbaz Khan as a PhD student visited the Lahore Fort, looking for an inspiration for a research paper.

It was only due to the approach of an old tour guide that she learnt of the existence of Ranjit Singh's  marhi or samadhi.

In one respect, this is hardly surprising as the building remains out of bounds for the majority of local visitors.

On that winter morning, she stepped through the threshold and rather like Howard Carter entering the tomb of Tutankhamun, for the first time, made discoveries that now enrich our world.

Over a decade later, the result is a meticulously researched book of great significance.

It is at once an in depth tour guide, a commentary on Sikh architecture and an analysis of the art and religious outlook of the Lahore Darbar.

The author's style is detailed to say the least. No source or event related to the Samadhi is left out. The book begins by describing the events immediately after the cremation.

The Maharaja's remains together with the ashes of his wives and slave girls were taken to the Ganges by city of Haridwar to be immersed in water.

At one point during this two month journey the British provided an escort for the procession partly put of respect but perhaps a diplomatic necessity too.

The World Students Society thanks Kanwal Madra, a trustee of the United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Organisation which is a charity dedicated to promoting awareness and learning in the field of  Punjab heritage.

DEMOCRATS CONGRESS DEMEANOR

ROBERT REICH :  Democrats have congress. Here's what you can do to make sure it's not wasted.

DEMOCRATS are now firmly in control of the House of representatives, under speaker Nancy Pelosi. I know and have worked with many of them.

They are people of integrity who will strive to do what what's right for America.

Pelosi is tough and courageous. Were it not for her insistence, Obama would not have pushed for the Affordable Care Act.

But they are not miracle workers. Republicans still control the Senate.

They will make life harder for Trump, to be sure. They will investigate. They have the power of subpoena. The House Ways and Means Committee is specifically authorized to subpoena trump's tax returns.

They might even move to impeach Trump, if Mueller reports what I expect him to.

But they will do little change the growing imbalance of wealth and power in this country unless they are pushed to do so. Do not underestimate the influence of Wall Street Democrats, corporate Democrats, and the Democrat's biggest funders. I know. I've been there.

This is where you come in. Million of us worked hard to create a ''blue wave'' and put Democrats in control of the House.

But our work is not over by any stretch. Nothing good happens in Washington unless good people outside Washington are organized and mobilized to make it happen.

We must support Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats when they need our support to do the right things. We also need to push them when they need pushing. And we must fight them when they begin to cave.

So keep vigilant and active. Stay involved in the grassroots organizations that spearheaded the democrat's victory in November  groups like Indivisible.org, Moveon.org, aficio.org, blacklivesmatter'org, swingleft.org, face2face-action.org, commoncause.org, friendsoftheearth.org, greenpeace.org, ourrevolution.org,publiccitzen.org, and workingfamilies.org to name only a few.

And if you're not yet activist members, join them. [Courtesy Newsweek]. 

DEFENSIVE -EUROPE'S- DREAMZONE

BERLIN - From a European perspective, 2019 promised to be another difficult year, dominated by a large challenges that could easily turn into menacing crises.

Barring a major reversal, the United Kingdom will withdraw from the European Union on March 29. A brewing economic and financial crisis in Italy will intensify, threatening the stability of eurozone.

And France will likely remain beset by populist protests, diminishing its potential to take a lead role in the pursuit of  EU-level reforms.

Moreover, the European parliament election in May could deliver a nationalist majority or near-majority, which would then determine the next members of the European Commission, the leaders of the Council and European Central Bank and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy,.

Needless to say, a nationalist victory would be a disaster for the EU, because it would derail necessary reforms and further divide member states.

Whatever happens, Europe's internal political drama will play out against a backdrop of international turmoil.

At the same time that Russia is stepping up its aggression in eastern Ukraine, US President Donald Trump is waging a trade war against China, and could expand it to the EU, which he has deemed a ''foe''.

And more broadly, the global economy is weakening, and growth will continue to slow in the months ahead.

In the face of these foreseeable challenges, the survival of the European project itself is at stake. As far as Brexit is concerned, much will depend on whether the UK's withdrawal occurs in an orderly or chaotic fashion

In the latter case, there would be losers all around, and UK - EU relations could be poisoned for a long time to come.

No one other side of the English Channel should wish for this outcome. Life goes on after divorce, and it is generally in the interest of both sides to maintain a healthy relationship.

One hopes that common sense prevails.

The honor and serving of the latest Operational Research on Europe's year of living defensively,  continues. The World Students Society thanks author and researcher Joschka Fischer.