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Weekly Summaries

15th of November – 22nd of November

Tensions at the Poland-Belarus border

Thousands of migrants were trapped at the border between Belarus and Poland for weeks. Poland, a member of the European Union, refused to open the border. Now, an increasing number of migrants have decided to seek asylum in Belarus instead. This could cause many problems for Belarus, a country that has few jobs and other opportunities. Towards the end of the week, Belarusian authorities then cleared the camps at the border and moved the migrants to a warehouse instead. The question of what will happen to the migrants now remains unanswered.

Other News

  • Sudan’s prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, was reinstated on Sunday after being in house arrest for four weeks
  • A new Portuguese law is considered revolutionary in its efforts to regulate remote work conditions. The law effectively prevents employers from contacting their employees outside of working hours and from monitoring their work.
  • President Biden of the U.S. and President Xi of China met virtually in a three-hour long summit to keep “communication lines open”
  • Germany “suspended approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline,” according to the New York Times. The move cause gas prices in Europe to rapidly increase
  • An explosion in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, killed at least three civilians. The explosion was later described as an “extremist attack” with three suicide bombers also dying. 
  • A self-portrait of Frida Kahlo sold for $34.9 million last week, setting a new record for the most expensive artwork by a Latin American artist at the auction Sotheby’s
Categories
Weekly Summaries

11th of January – 17th of January

President Trump’s Second Impeachment

On Wednesday night, the House voted to charge President Trump with inciting insurrection over the breach of the Capitol just last week. This means that President Trump has now become the first President in the history of the United States to be impeached twice. The vote was 237 to 197, with 10 Republicans voting for his impeachment along with the Democrats.

Russian Opposition Leader Aleksei Navalny Returns to Russia

Aleksei Navalny returned to Moscow on Sunday and was arrested shortly after his arrival. He has accused the Kremlin for trying to murder him. Previously, he had been treated in Germany after suffering a near deadly nerve-agent attack in August. 

Navalny was detained at a passport control and — according to Russia’s penitentiary service — is waiting for a court hearing. He is wanted for “violating the terms of a prior suspended sentence.”

Other News

  • China’s currency, the yuan, reached its strongest level against the US dollar in more than two years
  • President-elect Joe Biden announced plans for a rescue package worth $1.9 trillion for the US 
  • Elections in Uganda. Read our detailed article here: https://econir-web.com/2021/01/17/elections-in-uganda/
Categories
News

Elections in Uganda

Electoral officials declared on the 16th of January that Yoweri Museveni has been re-elected as President of Uganda in an election with almost 18 million people who registered to vote. Receiving almost 57% of the votes with his main rival Bobi Wine receiving 35% of the votes, he is due to start his sixth term as President of Uganda. Changes had to be made to allow him to continue running for office. Museveni has been in power since 1986, the same year an armed uprising took place after decades of civil war. He claims to represent security and economic stability and has also been portrayed as a liberator, which helps him win votes.

Bobi Wine is a former pop star and with just 38 years of age is a lot younger than 76-year-old President Museveni. He says that he represents the younger generation. After the results were announced, he accused Museveni of cheating. This may sound like he is just a bad loser, but the Ugandan government did shut down the internet ahead of the voting day, an action which was condemned by election monitors. As the results started coming in on Friday, Bobi Wine claims that Ugandan soldiers surrounded his home, a statement which a government spokesman described as “dramatized.” Furthermore, a lot of Wine’s key advisers had either been arrested or are in hiding. There was also a lot of violence leading up to the election. Dozens of people were killed, and opposition politicians accused the government of harassment.

Meanwhile Museveni said that the vote had been peaceful and described the election as possibly being the “most cheating free” in the history of the continent of Africa. He also declared that “foreign meddling will not be tolerated” as the EU, the UN and several other rights groups raised concerns.

Bobi Wine announced that he rejects the results and will continue to present evidence of voter intimidation and rigging. His party — the National Unity Platform (NUP) — is expected to be the biggest opposition party in parliament, campaigning for basic needs such as access to healthcare, clean water, and education. Since then, another opposition party (Forum for Democratic Change) has also called the election “fraudulent.”

Sources

“Uganda: Veteran Leader Yoweri Museveni Declared Election Winner.” BBC News, BBC, 16 Jan. 2021, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55689665.

Kiruga, Morris. “Uganda Elections: Museveni Wins, Bobi Wine the Rising Power in Parliament.” The Africa Report.com, The Africa Report, 17 Jan. 2021, http://www.theafricareport.com/59593/uganda-elections-museveni-wins-bobi-wine-the-new-power-in-parliament/.