Timeframe: 5th June – 10th June 2021
Contributors:
Sabyasachi Karmaker, Musarrat Sarwar Chowdhury, Farhan Uddin Ahmed, and Mahin Abrar Rahman.
1. Economics & Business
Facebook extends its work-at-home policy to most employees
Facebook Inc. is providing most of its employees the option of working from home or going to work at least half of the time. The social media giant informed its 60,000 employees on Wednesday that remote work will be made available to all levels of the organization, including early-career staff and entry-level engineers.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
2. Politics
Biden to warn PM not to risk NI peace over Brexit
US President Joe Biden will later tell PM Boris Johnson not to let the row over post-Brexit trading in Northern Ireland affect the peace process. The two leaders will have their first face-to-face talks in Cornwall at 15:00 BST on the eve of the G7 summit. Mr. Biden will stress the need to “stand behind” the Northern Ireland protocol. They will also discuss transatlantic travel and a new “Atlantic Charter” aimed at refreshing the relationship between the UK and the US.
Source: BBC
3. Significant Corona Update
U.S. to donate 500 million Pfizer doses to poor nations
The United States will spend $3.5 billion to buy and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer (PFE.N) coronavirus vaccine to some of the world’s poorest countries, it said on Thursday, urging other G7 nations to follow suit. The vaccine donation – the largest ever by a single country – was announced before U.S. President Joe Biden meets leaders of the Group of Seven advanced economies in western England. The 500 million doses are destined for the world’s 100 poorest countries. A senior Biden administration official described the gesture as a “major step forward that will supercharge the global effort” with the aim of “bringing hope to every corner of the world.”
Source: Reuters
4. Science & Technology
Apple Unveils New Privacy and Work Features at WWDC
Apple just wrapped up its WWDC 2021 keynote, and it was jam-packed with news and announcements, including the first looks at iOS 15, the new macOS Monterey, big improvements to FaceTime, and more. Apple announced iOS 15, which brings improvements to FaceTime such as spatial audio, a new “SharePlay” feature, updates to Messages, a new look for notifications, the ability to set different “Focus” statuses, updates to Memories in Photos, a redesign to the weather app, and much more.
Source: The Verge
5. RMG/ Agriculture
India’s agriculture exports jump to $ 41 billion despite COVID disruptions
India’s agriculture exports (including marine and plantation products) have beaten the pandemic registering a growth of 17.34 percent to $ 41.25 billion in 2020-21, a top commerce ministry official said on Thursday. Speaking to the media, commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan said that excellent growth of Agri exports in FY21 has come after it remained stagnant for the past three years (USD 38.43 billion in 2017-18, USD 38.74 billion in 2018-19 and USD 35.16 billion 2019-20).
Source: Economic Times
6. Social and Education
Child labour on the rise for the first time since 2000: UN
Child labour has increased to 160 million – the first rise in two decades – and that number could swell by millions more because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the UN said on Thursday. A report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and International Labour Organization (ILO) found 8.4 million children were pushed into child labour over the last four years and nine million more are at risk of a similar path by the end of 2022 as a result of COVID-19.
Source: Aljazeera
7. Environment
Halogen lightbulb sales to be banned in UK under climate change plans
Halogen lightbulbs will be banned in the UK starting in September, with fluorescent lights following suit, as part of the government’s climate change policies. Officials estimate that the measure will save consumers money and reduce carbon emissions by 1.26 million tonnes per year.
Source: BBC
8. Expert Opinion
Joe Manchin: Why I’m voting against the For the People Act
In an op-ed published Sunday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) again signaled his opposition to eliminating the Senate filibuster and said he would not vote to pass S 1, Democrats’ landmark voting rights reform bill. “Today’s debate about how to best protect our right to vote and to hold elections, however, is not about finding common ground, but seeking partisan advantage,” Manchin wrote in the op-ed.
Source: Gazette-Mail
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.