How has your week been? You have the Young World in your hands — the best way to unwind and also learn new things in a fun way. As always, there has been a lot happening in the world around you. Give this page a quick read to enhance your knowledge.
Hat Trick
Bashar al-Assad was sworn in as the President of Syria for a seven-year term on July 16. He was elected for the third consecutive term after the June elections. What is important here is that it is the first multi-candidate election conducted only in the government-controlled areas as people who were in the rebel-held zones and those who were displaced were unable to vote.
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The Telecom Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill 2014, a bill to remove obstacles in former TRAI chief Nripendra Mishra's appointment as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister has become an Act after receiving President Pranab Mukherjee’s consent on July 17. The existing law states that a former TRAI Chairman could take up a private job two years after retirement, but not a government one. There were protests from different quarters regarding the passing of the Bill.
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On July 17, Malaysian Airline Flight 17 came crashing out of the sky killing all on board. Ukraine and the U.S. have suggested that a missile ripped the plane apart. Ukraine militants have admitted their role in the attack. The violence in the region has been going on for weeks and Russia has been accused of instigating violence by supplying arms to the militants. Though peace talks are in progress, they hardly seem to have any control over the ensuing violence.
Rising above the sea
In January 2012, Costa Concordia, an Italian cruise ship struck a reef off the Italian island of Giglio, killing 32 people. Last week, the process to raise the undersea platform it had been resting on, since the accident, began. The operation is expected to take a week, and the ship will be taken back to its home port, Genoa, Italy. Locals are happy that the wreck is being moved away as it is a sad reminder of the tragedy.
Deadly Attack
Market-goers in Urgon district, Paktika Province, Afghanistan did not know that the market would soon turn into an attack site. On July 15, a sport utility vehicle packed with explosives detonated causing loss to life and property. At least 89 people were killed, and the attack has been deemed as one of the deadliest since 2001.
Challenging TIMES
The UN Millennium Development Goals report 2014 presents a not-too-pleasant picture of India. It reveals that India houses one-third of the world’s 1.2 billion extreme poor. It has the highest number of deaths, under the age of five as of 2012. This means that almost 1.4 million children die before celebrating their fifth birthday. Reacting to this report, the Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla said that it was a challenge to the government.