Timeframe: August 13 to August 19, 2022
Contributors: Affan Bin Saber, G.M. Sifat Iqbal, and Mansib Khan
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1. Politics
Kenya election 2022: Raila Odinga rejects William Ruto’s victory
Raila Odinga has rejected the results of Kenya’s presidential election saying that the figures announced on Monday were “null and void”.
According to the official results, Mr Odinga narrowly lost to Deputy President William Ruto. This time round, the chairman of the electoral body Wafula Chebukati said he got 48.8% of the vote in last Tuesday’s election compared to Mr Ruto’s 50.5%.
Mr Odinga said that Mr Chebukati went against the law by announcing the result without the backing of his fellow commissioners. But an ally of Mr Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi, told BBC Focus on Africa radio that commissioners are required to collate the results but do not determine the result.
Source: BBC
Chinese Navy ship anchored in Sri Lankan port amid India’s security concerns
Chinese Navy ship “The Yuan Wang 5” has arrived at Hambantota port in Southern Sri Lanka. India has expressed security concerns about this ship.Last Tuesday, the ship sailed to the port of Hambantota with the consent of the Sri Lankan and Chinese officials.
According to the Indian Express newspaper, “Yuan Wang 5 is a powerful tracking vessel whose radar range – about 750 km – means that several ports in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh could be under Chinese surveillance.”Time will tell if the arrival of these new ships will destabilize the Indian Ocean region or not.
Source: TRT World
2. Economics & Business
Beirut bank hostage taker emerges as a national hero, reflects Lebanon’s economic woes
A Lebanese gunman became an overnight hero after he took hostages in a central Beirut bank and demanded access to his own money.
Carrying a rifle and threatening to douse himself with petrol, Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered a Federal Bank branch on Thursday afternoon and demanded to withdraw $210,000 (£172,000) of his frozen savings to pay his father’s hospital bills.
The hostage situation is only a reflection of Lebanon’s fragile economic system. Banks, stricken by an economic crisis, have allowed depositors only token withdrawals of dollars each month that are insufficient to meet the most basic of needs.
Source: The Guardian
Rise in India-Bangladesh Cargo movement through waterways
A rise is cargo movement through waterways between Bangladesh and India can be seen in the fiscal year 2021-2022. This rise makes it the third consecutive year for the growth of cargo movement throughout waterways on Bangladesh and India.
The root of this lies mostly in the cement industries which find it easier to transport raw material through waterways. The outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, convenience and relatively lower cost than road encouraged many businesses to prefer waterways to transport their goods, mainly imports from India.
Protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade between Bangladesh and India (PIWT&T), a protocol signed in 1972 for imports through waterways, plans for the import of other various goods via waterway to lower cost of imports in the country.
Source: The Daily Star
3. Science & Technology
Irish health firm become the victim of cyber attack
The Health system’s access to IT company’s services was shut down by Northern Ireland’s health officials after it suffered a cyber-attack. The company provides services like patient check-ins.
Ransomware hackers take control of IT systems, steal data, and demand payment from victims to recover. While, luckily, there is no direct effect on services, including patient records or payroll, access to its services was denied by NI heath officials to prevent any future damage.
Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said that contingency measures have been instigated, including for all health trusts. Alternative processes have been implemented to ensure minimal impact
Source: BBC
China inducing rainfall to combat severe drought
Chinese authorities are attempting to induce rainfall in parts of central and southwest China amid a severe drought and record-breaking heatwave.
The two-month-long heatwave is the longest on record in China, the National Climate Centre said.
Provinces around the drought-stricken Yangtze river have turned to cloud seeding operations to combat the lack of rain, with Hubei and a number of other provinces launching rockets carrying chemicals into the sky, according to local media.
Source: BBC
4. Society
Scotland to become first country in world to provide free period products
Scotland is to become the first country in the world to introduce a law to protect the right to free period products.
On Monday, when the Period Products Act comes into force, councils and education providers in Scotland will be legally required to ensure free sanitary products are available to anyone who needs them.
The legislation, which was originally proposed by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, was unanimously approved by the Scottish Parliament back in 2020.
Source: Sky News
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.