-
The Story of Liza and James

James Webb died on the 27th of March 1992 at the ripe old age of 85. He was an American marine and a lawyer in his time, but most famously he was the 2nd Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Liza Dmytrieva died last Thursday when Russian missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia in Ukraine, she was four.
The paths of James and Liza’s lives never crossed of course in space, but they did cross in time this week providing a powerful reminder of what humanity is capable of at its best and at its worst. The James Webb Space Telescope is a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror named after NASA’s former Administrator. The telescope was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in 2021 and this week published photos of the galaxy taken from a million miles away from the Earth.
The Webb telescope didn’t come cheap at an estimated cost of some eight billion dollars, but its images of far-flung galaxies as they were 13bn years ago, are mind boggling. They are the first glimpse from the most powerful telescope ever launched into space, which promises to reshape our understanding of the dawn of the universe.
However, whilst a manmade invention of incredible ingenuity and design was taking these images some million miles away from Earth, back on the planet a little girl pushing her own pram, was happily walking through her home city, wearing a denim jacket and white trousers. This scene of absolute normality was shattered, as shown in CCTV footage and images that have since gone viral, when a series of cruise missiles launched from a submarine hit the town.
Liza will never have the same illustrious Wikipedia page that James Webb has, she was never given the chance. Her mother lost a leg in the strike and remains in a coma in hospital, unaware that she has lost the daughter whose name she has tattooed on her arm. The horror of Liza’s death has brought with it attention denied many of the hundreds of children that have already died or the thousands that have been injured since the Russian invasion began in February. We know that Liza was no stranger to adversity, she was born with Down Syndrome and had to have a heart operation when she was only seven months old.
Humanity is able to direct targeted missiles onto the heads of toddlers whilst sending giant telescopes into deep space to take pictures of historic galaxies of the past. That is the dilemma of our species, to possess both incredible creativity and knowledge applied with focus and determination to push the frontier of science and human understanding, or to destroy the lives of those most vulnerable with our weapons of war.
With no military targets in the vicinity questions have immediately been asked as to the purpose of this Russian attack. Russian President Putin warned last week that his country’s operations in Ukraine had not “"started in earnest" in a speech that seemed to promise an expansion of attacks in and on the country. With the main operation slowly taking territory in the east, these seemingly random sporadic attacks are a reminder to Ukrainians that the war could be everywhere and that nobody is truly safe.
In recent months residents in western cities, including Kiev and Lviv, have become increasingly relaxed to the constant air raid sirens warning of imminent attacks. Unlike at the start of the war where people would rush to basements or shelters, people have adjusted, and the noise has almost become a constant background noise rather than a harbinger of death. This may have to change if the Vinnytsia attack becomes the new normal.
Already Ukrainian schools preparing for the September term are being told that they must have air raid shelters in place to be able to open. Practically speaking having millions of civilians constantly moving in and out of shelters and unable to work will mean more pain for the Ukrainian economy, let alone the impacts it will have on society if the months of war extend into years.
What a week in which Liza Dmytrieva died and the James Webb telescope captured the images it did reminds us, is that there is another way, another choice to focus a country’s energy and ambitions. Whether President Putin saw both of theses images is unknown, but for humanities sake we can only hope he did.
BY: James Denselow
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!