Timeframe: 1st May – 7th May 2021
Contributors:
Sabyasachi Karmaker, Musarrat Sarwar Chowdhury, and Mahin Abrar Rahman.
1. Economics & Business
Bill and Melinda Gates to divorce, but the charitable foundation to remain intact
After 27 years of marriage, billionaire benefactors Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founders of one of the world’s largest private charitable foundations, filed for divorce on Monday (4th May, 2021), but pledged to continue their philanthropic work together. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has grown to be one of the most strong and successful forces in global public health, having spent more than $50 billion over the last two decades to introduce a business approach to tackling poverty and disease.
Source: Reuters
2. Politics
China ‘indefinitely’ suspends key economic dialogue with Australia
China has “indefinitely” suspended key economic dialogue with Australia, the latest in a growing diplomatic rift between both countries. Relations have been on the decline since Australia called for a probe into the origins of the virus and banned Huawei from building its 5G network. Last year, China imposed sanctions on Australian goods like wine and beef. In a statement on Thursday, a Chinese government commission accused Australia of having a “Cold War mindset”.
Source: BBC
3. Significant Corona Update
U.S. reverses stance, backs giving poorer countries access to COVID vaccine patents
President Joe Biden on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, bowing to mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers and more than 100 other countries, but angering pharmaceutical companies.
Biden voiced his support for a waiver – a sharp reversal of the previous U.S. position – in remarks to reporters, followed swiftly by a statement from his top trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, who backed negotiations at the World Trade Organization.
Source: Reuters
4. Science & Technology
Sony’s PlayStation to integrate Discord chat for gamers
Sony plans to incorporate the popular online chat platform Discord into its PlayStation Network by 2022. The electronics giant has invested in the app and now owns a minority stake in the company. Experts in the gaming industry hope that the collaboration will make it easier for players to communicate through consoles and platforms.
Source: BBC
5. RMG/ Agriculture
Faced with climate challenges, Vietnamese rice farmers switch to shrimp
For years, Ta Thi Thanh Thuy toiled on a sliver of land sandwiched between the Mekong River and the South China Sea, a region widely known as Vietnam’s rice bowl, to grow the prized grain. As rising seawaters bring significantly increased salination levels in the Mekong Delta region, the trend toward cultivating shrimp ponds is expected to supercharge the country’s seafood industry. The government has set an ambitious target to more than double shrimp exports from current levels to $10 billion by 2025 and Delta farmers have benefited from local authority training sessions and other measures, including some soft loans.
Source: Reuters
6. Social and Education
Gridlock in Athens as transport staff strike over labour reform
Traffic was gridlocked in parts of Athens and some flights disrupted on Thursday as Greek transport workers joined a 24-hour public sector strike to protest over planned labour legislation. Unions in Greece say they oppose the government labour bill because it restricts employee rights at a time when workers risk job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. The government says the changes would give workers more flexibility.
Source: Reuters
7. Environment
Dinosaur bones dating back to 100 million years found in Meghalaya
Researchers from the Geological Survey of India’s Palaeontology division in North-East have discovered fossil bone fragments of sauropod dinosaurs dating back to about 100 million years from an area around West Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya.
Source: Times Now
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.