Timeframe: 3rd April-9th April 2021
Contributors:
Sabyasachi Karmaker, Musarrat Sarwar Chowdhury and Mahin Abrar Rahman.
1. Economics & Business
Beijing overtakes New York City as the new billionaire capital of the world
For the first time ever, Beijing now has more billionaires than New York City, according to Forbes’ annual World’s Billionaires List for 2021. The Chinese capital added 33 new billionaires in 2020, bringing its total to 100 billionaires and just edging out New York City’s 99 billionaires, per Forbes. China’s swift containment of Covid-19, as well as the growth of its technology firms and stock markets, all contributed to the country’s rise to the top.
Source: Forbes
2. Politics
US gun violence: Joe Biden to target ‘ghost guns’
US President Joe Biden is to target homemade “ghost guns” as part of a new set of measures to tackle gun violence, a White House official has said. Ghost guns have no serial numbers, making them difficult to trace. They can be bought by minors and people who would not pass background checks. Mr Biden will enact the measures through an executive order, meaning he will not need approval from Congress. The move comes after high-profile mass shootings last month. A total of 18 people died in two mass shootings, one in Boulder, Colorado and the other in Atlanta Georgia.
Source: BBC
3. Significant Corona Update
India surpasses US to become the fastest Covid-19 vaccinating country in world
India has surpassed the United States to become the fastest Covid-19 vaccinating country in the world with an average daily rate of 30,93,861 vaccine doses, the Union Health Ministry said. According to the ministry, the cumulative number of coronavirus vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 8.70 crores on April 7.
Source: Live Mint
4. Science & Technology
Facebook Portal TV now supports Zoom, GoToMeeting Video Calls
Facebook has added Zoom and GoToMeeting support to its Portal TV product in an effort to make working from home more comfortable in the face of the pandemic. The new additions to the Portal TV should make it much more useful as a work webcam, as well as make virtual gatherings in the Covid-era more fun.
Source: The Verge
5. RMG/ Agriculture
Global rainforest destruction saw a surge in 2020, study finds
A new study published Wednesday found that the destruction of primary forest increased by 12% in 2020, impacting ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and shelter abundant biodiversity. Brazil saw the worst losses, three times higher than the next highest country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the report from Global Forest Watch (GFW) citing satellite data. The driving factor of deforestation has been a combination of a demand for commodities, increased agriculture, and climate change.
Source: DW
6. Social and Education
Palestinian refugees welcome U.S. decision to restart aid
President Joe Biden’s administration said on Wednesday that it will provide $235 million to the Palestinians and restart funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which assists 5.7 million registered Palestinian refugees.
Source: Reuters
7. Environment
Bitcoin could derail China’s climate change targets, study says
China accounts for more than 75% of global bitcoin mining, researchers said. China aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, with a peak in emissions in 2030. Without adequate interventions and policies, China’s intensive bitcoin blockchain activity could rapidly escalate into a threat, jeopardizing the country’s ongoing emission reduction efforts.
Source: Yahoo Finance
Disclaimer: The information provided here is obtained solely from the third parties mentioned above. Youth Policy Forum (YPF) is not responsible for any misinformation or misrepresentation.