Timeframe: March 5th to March 11th, 2022
Contributors: Anika Bushra, Redwan Reham, and Farhan Uddin Ahmed.
To read the Bangla version, click here.
1. Politics
Turkey-brokered talks between Lavrov and Kuleba begin, no progress
Ukraine’s foreign minister said he discussed a 24-hour ceasefire with his Russian counterpart but no progress was made as Moscow’s representative defended its invasion and said it was going as planned.
The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine met for face-to-face talks in Turkey on Thursday in the first high-level contact between the two sides since Moscow invaded its ex-Soviet neighbor last month.
Source: Al Jazeera
India’s assembly polls: BJP consolidating power with a spectacular win
Breaking a 37-year-old jinx, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — was today poised to storm back to power for a second successive tenure in the most populous and politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. Sonia Gandhi-led Congress was voted out of power in Punjab by AAP reinforcing that India’s oldest party is at its lowest point since independence. AAP becomes the first regional party to hold power in two states — Delhi and Punjab — giving a big boost to the party and Kejriwal’s hopes of becoming a key player in India’s national politics. By contrast, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s national aspirations took a body blow today as her party put up a flop show in the coastal state of Goa where it appears set to fail to win a single seat in the 40-member legislative assembly there. With the counting of votes in assembly elections in UP, Punjab, and three other smaller states Goa, Manipur, and Uttarakhand nearing completion, it is now crystal clear that the BJP is going to retain power in four of the five states. Saffron-robed Adityanath, whom many consider Modi’s heir apparent as PM, is set to become the first Chief Minister of UP to return to power with a decisive mandate after serving a full five-year term as BJP overcame anti-incumbency and a spirited challenge from Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. The results of the 2022 assembly elections in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur have led to further marginalization of Congress in India’s electoral politics. Having lost the elections in the five states, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted “We accept the people’s verdict” and the party will learn from these election results.
Source: The Daily Star
2. Economics & Business
Saudi Arabia and UAE leaders ‘decline calls with Biden’ amid fears of oil price spike
The de-facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined to arrange calls with US president Joe Biden in recent weeks as the US and its allies have sought to contain a surge in energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Source: The Guardian
The stock market of Asia dips to a 16-month low
Reports of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant being on fire shook the Asian stock market, and it suffered a huge loss; the Euro suffered a huge loss as well. Investors are worried about the market as oil prices surge.
Source: Al Jazeera
3. Science & Technology
70% of female-led Facebook businesses in Bangladesh set up since pandemic: Meta
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, also informed that, since 2021, 40% of Facebook groups about entrepreneurship in Bangladesh had been created by women. #SheMeansBusiness is a training event that provides women entrepreneurs with the digital skills to grow their audience and business. Over the last year, Meta has partnered with 18 community organizations and government partners to conduct more than 275 training sessions for over 20,000 women entrepreneurs in the Asia Pacific. Meta also encourages people in Bangladesh to participate in the #BuyFromHer campaign on Facebook and Instagram to inspire others to shop from local women-owned businesses.
Source: The Daily Star
4. COVID News
South Korea reports record 90443 new Covid-19 cases in one day
Amid the presidential election of South Korea, Covid-19 cases surged in the country. Reuters reported that the country reported 90443 new cases in only a single day.
Source: Channel News Asia
Disclaimer: The information provided here is obtained solely from the aforementioned third parties. Youth Policy Forum (YPF) is not responsible for any misinformation or misrepresentation.