Thuppahi's Blog

ITEM IN 7 NEWS, 22 January 2026, ….https://7news.com.au/news/death-of-teenager-piper-james-on-kgari-still-a-mystery-as-father-receives-heartbreaking-news-c-21384658

The father of a Canadian backpacker found dead on a Queensland beach surrounded by dingoes has been advised against having an open casket at her funeral due to the condition of the 19-year-old’s body. The disturbing news comes as an autopsy has been unable to determine how Piper James died.

A coroner has said more testing would be required before Piper’s cause of death could be determined, after her body was found on K’gari earlier this week…………Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 

Piper was found dead near the surf at the Maheno Wreck about 6am on Monday. It is understood Piper left for a swim at 5am, with passers-by discovering her body about an hour later. A small group of dingoes was found around her body, with police confirming the animals had come into contact with her.

More testing is now required to determine if Piper drowned, was attacked by dingoes, or died from another cause.

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Hiran Hewavsenti in Facebook

TENNIS’ GOAT    If ever there was a night when the idiom ‘separate the men from the boys’ meant what it means, it was played out in Melbourne till long after midnight. That was when even Rafa fans like myself who are inspired by the undisputed GOAT of world tennis (38) blazed his way to yet another grand slam final on Sunday night by outplaying the 22-year-old world No. 2 [SINNER]

Novak’s serves were on average 20 km/h more powerful than his opponent’s and he won almost twice as many pressure points over five gruelling sets of pulsating tennis.

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Temba  Bavuma in ESPNcricinfo, 30 January 2026

After our ODI and T20I series defeats against India in December, it’s clear that the Indians are a different kettle of fish when it comes to white-ball cricket.

You saw how India performed in the ODI space with their two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, versus in the Test game, where those two weren’t available for selection. When it comes to the red-ball stuff, India are definitely a team in transition. If I think of the Proteas Test team in 2019 – which is already seven years ago – we went through the same type of process or phase when we lost some of our big guns. So there is nothing unique about where India find themselves in Test cricket. India coach Gautam Gambhir has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, and I think he is going to have to take it as it comes. He is going to have to find a way to buy himself time in the red-ball game, and I’m of the view that the performances in white-ball cricket may assist him.

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“Extra! Extra! Read All About it!” was Once a Powerful Sales Pitch. Just as Appropriate Now …

Bookshelf After the success of our first “bookshelf” earlier this month, we will repeat this round-up of new(-ish) books by Scholars every 4-6 weeks. Please let us know about your new books! We are particularly grateful to Lyndall, Wieland and Gareth for donating copies of their books to the Rhodes House library. Books that we have a copy of in the Rosebery Room are marked [R] below.

> T.S. Eliot: An Imperfect Life L

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Prasad Fonseka, in web-memo entitled “Vinod Wickremeratne: A Life of Scholarship, Service, and Courage”

Vinod Wickremeratne is widely recognised for his remarkable contributions to scholarship, public service, and community upliftment in Sri Lanka. His work reflects not only intellectual depth but also a rare commitment to guiding others, particularly those who are underprivileged or disadvantaged.

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DEAR FRIENDS,  RELATIVES AND WELL WISHERS, …. “The Reason Someone Smiles Today” ………….. Water for Life Appeal for Drinking Water   for 15 Families in Keeri Village Mannar District.

Please find attached the project proposal titled “Providing Potable Water Supply Connections to the Targeted Households (15 Families)” for your kind review and consideration.

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Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne, in The Island, 22 Jan 2026, where the title runs thus:  “Remembering Cedric, who helped neutralise LTTE terrorism”

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Andrew  Fidel Fernando  in ESPNcricinfo, 27 January 2026, where  the headlines run thus “Harry Brook blasts England to 2-1 series victory …..Joe Root ton bolsters team-mate’s quickfire effort as Pavan Rathnayake’s century goes in vain

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Observer in a Black Sea Resort, whose preferred title is  “Malignant Narcissism and the Mental Illness of Power”

Donald Trump has turned the United States into a Nazi state. He is a dictator, the Supreme Leader, who has established his own personal Gestapo, who are authorised to shoot any American at will. It started as his deportation and border security campaign but is now out of control as White people are people killed for no reason—and not White people in the White House—but ordinary White people.

  Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a gentle soul, slaughtered by US Government Ice-Gestapo officers.

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