Timeframe: 29th May – 4th June 2021
Contributors:
Sabyasachi Karmaker, Musarrat Sarwar Chowdhury, Farhan Uddin Ahmed, and Mahin Abrar Rahman.
1. Economics & Business
eBay sellers can no longer use PayPal under new terms
eBay has updated its terms of use, with new rules meaning that sellers will be paid directly by the company rather than through PayPal. However, the move does not appear to have gone down well with many eBay sellers, with some threatening to boycott the service or stop using it altogether.
Source: Daily Record
2. Politics
Naftali Bennett: Israel’s far-right prime minister in waiting
Naftali Bennett does not believe in a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. His aim instead is to “manage” it in perpetuity and always from a position of ultimate Israeli control over Palestinians. The hardline religious-nationalist, once the head of a prominent Jewish settler group and now expected to become Israel’s next prime minister, is open about his plans for millions living under occupation.
Source: The Guardian
3. Significant Corona Update
India orders 300 mln COVID-19 shots before approval
India’s government signed its first purchase order for unapproved COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, a day after it faced criticism from the top judiciary about a bungled vaccine rollout that has left millions of people vulnerable. After a devastating second wave of infections that killed tens of thousands in April-May, the focus has shifted to urgently inoculating India’s vast adult population to curb infections later this year.
Source: Reuters
4. Science & Technology
Beyond wearable tech: Injectable chip tracks health from inside your body
Engineers at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science have created an ultrasound-powered, injectable, fully functioning single-chip system that’s so tiny it could one day enter the human body by way of a hypodermic needle. Once there, it could then be utilized for in-body monitoring, ushering in an age of health tech that goes way beyond the current functionality offered by a health-tracking device like the Apple Watch.
Source: Digital Trends
5. RMG/ Agriculture
Global food prices rise at a rapid pace: World Agriculture Body
Global food prices rose in May at their fastest monthly rate in more than a decade even as world cereal production is on course to reach a new record high, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations reported on Thursday. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 127.1 points in May, 4.8 percent higher than in April and 39.7 percent higher than in May 2020. A surge in the international prices of vegetable oils, sugar, and cereals led to an increase in the index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, to its highest value since September 2011 and only 7.6 percent below its all-time peak in nominal terms.
Source: NDTV
6. Social and Education
Syrian refugees protest Denmark’s attempt to return them
Hundreds of Syrian refugees have extended their sit-in demonstration in front of the Danish parliament into a third week, protesting measures aimed at returning them to the war-ravaged nation. In April, Denmark – which does not formally recognize the government of Bashar al-Assad – became Europe’s first country to cancel the residency permits of Syrians who hail from the wider Damascus region, which was declared “safe” by Danish authorities.
Source: Aljazeera
7. Environment
Fears of environmental disaster as oil-laden ship sinks off Sri Lanka
A chemical-laden cargo ship has sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka, causing environmental concerns. The X-Press Pearl, which was registered in Singapore, had been on fire for about two weeks when it was extinguished this week. Hundreds of tonnes of oil from fuel tanks might spill into the water, wreaking havoc on the aquatic life in the area.
Source: BBC
8. Expert Opinion
Why the next stage of capitalism is coming?- Matthew Wilburn King
It’s done so much for human well-being, but it’s far from perfect. Will capitalism as we know it evolves into something new? Answers Matthew Wilburn King of the Common Foundation
Source: BBC
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.