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An End to a 15-Year-Old Battle
Simran kothari
On 14 th October 2019, WTO finally gave in to Washington who had dragged EU to the court in order to get paid for the illegal subsidies that the latter had provided to Airbus. Earlier this month, a WTO arbitrator gave Washington the green light to slap tariffs on 7.5 billion US dollar's worth of European Union imports. This judgment is considered to be one of the benchmark judgments by WTO as the final authorization to US ends a 15 year old battle between Airbus and American aircraft-maker Boeing. The arbitrator's award- the largest in the organization's history- was rubber-stamped by the WTO's Dispute Settle Body (DSB) at a special DSB meeting. The tariffs could be imposed on various consumer products, most likely on French wine, the decision will be effective from 18 thOctober 2019. According to some EU trade representatives, the EU is still trying to bring US on the negotiating table to avoid more trade war which would eventually lead to dismantling of the composed system of trade the global world. If those negotiations fail to produce a deal, Brussels will get the chance to impose its own WTO-approved tariffs on US products, after convincing WTO judges that Boeing had benefited from illegal US government subsidies. An arbitrator's award in that case is due in 2020.
Kais Saied elected as the New President of Tunisia
Ishita singh
The Republic of Tunisia welcomed its new President elect Kais Saied with a resounding victory on October 13, 2019. Saied, a 61-year-old law professor without prior background or experience in politics, defeated his rival Nabil Karoui with a clear mandate, attaining 72.71 percent of votes while 27 percent of ballots were cast for the latter. The elections were held following the death of the first democratically elected President of the country in July, Beji Caid Essebsi. Saied gained the support and faith of the masses with his endorsement of equity and openness, portrayed by his refusal to campaign while his opponent was in prison.
With the prevalence and sustenance of unethical practices and leaders, Saied harped on the need to fight corruption and promote social justice. He has been quite outspoken about the necessity for decentralization in order to strengthen local governments and bring about a more direct and representative democracy in the country. The significance of the masses getting access to water, healthcare, and education has also been recognized, which he believes the means to reduce the rising extremism amongst the youth. Saied has been open about his conservative outlook with his advocacy for the restoration of capital punishment, denunciation of homosexuality and concurrence to the notion of gender inequality in inheritance. He has also showcased his aversion to Israel through strong statements condemning relations with the state as 'high treason', which has resonated with the masses. At the same time, he has also pledged to uphold the social freedoms that have been preserved by the law of the country.
Saied appeared on the public forums initially post the popular uprising of 2011 which brought the rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to an end and sparked the Arab Spring. He has since, advocated the need for reforms to achieve stability and development. A pressing issue for Saied in the near future would be with respect to the achievement of sustained economic development to curb poverty and unemployment, while also looking at the aspect to strengthening national defense and security to resist extremist organizations and border insecurity.
World's First Female Spacewalking Team
Pranali Deshmukh
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch took a giant leap for womankind as they completed the first spacewalk with an all-woman team. The spacewalk also known as extravehicular activity (EVA) was guided by veteran astronaut Stephanie Wilson on the ground and fellow astronauts Luca Parmitano and Andrew Morgan located at the International Space Station (ISS). This was Meir's first spacewalk and Koch's fourth. Initially NASA had planned an all-female spacewalk in March but it was postponed due to lack of availability of right size spacesuits.
Koch was the first to go out the hatch followed by Meir carrying a tool bag. The spacewalk lasted for five and half hours during which the astronauts were attached to the handrails on the exterior of the ISS using harnesses and metal carabiners, these are essential to ensure that the astronauts do not fly off into the space. Meir and Koch were cheered on by many NASA leaders around the world. America's first female spacewalker Kathy Sullivan was ecstatic stating that its good to have enough women astronauts trained for this to happen. Many hope that this will become a routine in the future. At the end of the spacewalk Meir said that this spacewalk was a tribute to all those who have paved the way for women to be there. The astronauts received a call from the White House,
US House Passes Hong Kong 'Democracy Act'
Reyna Daniel
The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed three pieces of legislation supporting the pro-democracy protests that have engulfed Hong Kong for more than four months. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, the most consequential of the bills, would put the former British colony's special treatment by the United States under tighter scrutiny. The Protect Hong Kong Act, also passed on Tuesday, seeks to block the sale to Hong Kong of tear gas and other crowd control items, while a non-binding resolution condemns Beijing's "interference" in Hong Kong affairs. The new Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is seen as a largely symbolic amendment but it could potentially alter the nature of relations between the United States and Hong Kong.It could also exacerbate tensions between Washington and Beijing. Beijing promised Hong Kong a "high degree of autonomy" for 50 years when it regained sovereignty over the city in 1997, but protesters say freedoms have been steadily eroded. The new act is an amendment to a 1992 law that has underpinned US relations with Hong Kong, affording the territory special status as separate from China - in trade, transport and other areas.
Protests bring Lebanon to a Standstill
Omkar mane
From the 17th of October Lebanon has transcended into chaos, which has thrown the country out of gear. The protests were against the functioning of the government and the corruption prevalent in the country. The capital of Lebanon, Beirut and many southern towns and cities witnessed protesters coming on streets, protesting against the government.
The people of Lebanon took to the streets to vent their frustration against the economic hardships Lebanon is facing and the government’s decision to raise taxes. Lebanon is also facing rising unemployment and an escalation in prices of goods. The spark that led to the protests was the decision of the government to impose a $0.2 tax on calls via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, which act as a primary method of communication among the Lebanese people.
The economic woes which the country is facing brought the people together. Lebanon's public debt stands at around $86bn - more than 150 percent of gross domestic product. Adding to these, the IMF has suggested that tough austerity measures such as tax hikes and levies on fuel are needed to let the economy grow. The Lebanese economy recorded a growth of 0.3% last year. This added to the discontent of the people, who had suffered because of the sluggish growth of the economy.
All these factors were responsible for people being out on the street, demonstrating against the government. The protests have forced the banks to remain shut for almost a week now, thus further escalating the already tense situation. Lebanese president Michael Aoun has appealed the protesters for peace coming together for a dialogue to solve the crisis. The televised address of the president didn’t go well down with the protestors, who disregarded the message and have since demanded the ‘total resignation of the Government’. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, whose government groups nearly all of the main parties in a sectarian power-sharing system, said he welcomed the call to review the current government through “constitutional mechanisms.”
The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah expressed that the protests were done by political parties to exploit the people and the protests could drag the country into a civil war. This message by Hezbollah adds another element to the already volatile situation in the country, with no signs of peace in sight.