Timeframe: April 2nd to April 8th, 2022
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1. Politics
In major setback to Imran Khan, Pak SC restores parliament, orders no trust vote on Saturday
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has set aside the deputy speaker’s ruling to dismiss the no-trust resolution against Prime Minister Imran and the president’s subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly on the PM’s advice, with all five judges unanimously voting 5-0 against it. The apex court ruled that President Dr Arif Alvi’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly was “illegal” and restored Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet. “…the prime minister did not have the right to advise the president to dissolve the assembly […] all the decisions made till date have been nullified,” the top court’s ruling said, reports The News. Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, had said that the court would move forward only after seeing national interest and practical possibilities. The chief justice noted that the deputy speaker’s ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95, as the apex court resumed deliberation over the “unconstitutional” act by Suri for the fifth consecutive day today.
Source: TBS
EU takes sanctions to aim at Russia’s fossil fuel exports
As Moscow was blamed for conducting ‘war crimes’ in Ukraine, EU leaders want to impose sanctions on Russias’s hydrocarbon exports soon. EU countries are the main customers of Russia’s oil, gas and coal exports; they earn their foreign income but, following the reports of Russian brutality on the Ukrain EU, deemed it necessary to take action against them.
Source: The Daily Star
2. Economics & Business
Sri Lanka central bank to get new governor amid economic crisis
Sri Lanka’s central bank is set to name a new chief, as the nation faces its worst economic crisis in over 70 years. The bank has also postponed an interest rate decision as policy makers try to stabilise the country’s currency.
Source: BBC
Biden orders ‘unprecedented’ release of oil reserves
US President Joe Biden has ordered a major release of oil from America’s reserves in an effort to bring down high fuel costs. He called for companies to pay extra if they choose not to use oil wells on land they lease from the government, as well as investments to speed up the adoption of greener energy sources. Mr Biden promised further action to boost US output, saying the release would “serve as [a] bridge until the end of the year when domestic production ramps up”.
Source: BBC
3. Science & Technology
Elon Musk buys large stake in Twitter
Twitter’s shares soared after Tesla CEO Elon Musk disclosed a significant stake in the social media company, which he has criticised for its approach to speech rights. According to a securities filing, Musk, who has more than 80 million followers on the microblogging platform, became its largest shareholder following the purchase of 73.5 million shares or 9.2 per cent of common stock. He has also sparred repeatedly with federal securities regulators, who cracked down on his social media use after a purported effort to take Tesla private in 2018 fell apart. Saying “free speech is essential to a functioning democracy,” Musk, who has discussed possibly launching his own social media company on March 25, launched a survey on Twitter that asked: “Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?” Greene welcomed Musk’s investment on Twitter, tweeting, “freedom of speech restored will enable us all to defeat them.” Musk has cited the right to freedom of speech as a driver of his efforts to undo an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that tightened his use of the social media platform following his August 2018 tweet that funding was “secured” to take Tesla private. The following month, Musk agreed to pay $20 million to settle SEC charges of securities fraud over the claim and institute new controls and procedures to oversee his communications. But Musk’s attorneys have asked a federal court to cancel the agreement, saying the agency has pursued “endless unfounded investigations” into the Tesla boss and his company because Musk “remains an outspoken critic of the government.” Musk has also used Twitter to court controversy away from the business world: in March, he challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to a fight following the invasion of Ukraine, and in February, Musk drew condemnation for a tweet comparing Canadian leader Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler.
Source: Prothom Alo
Microplastics found in human lungs for the first time
Microplastics were found in the deepest section of the lung in research conducted by the University of Hull York Medical School. They were shocked by the revelation as the airways in the lower part lungs are narrow. It was not the first time evidence of microplastic in the human body was discovered, but it was the first time microplastics were found in live people.
Source: The Daily Star
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.