Tag: USA

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Weekly Summaries

1st of November – 7th of November

Elections in Japan

The governing Liberal Democrats won the elections, but it was closer than usual. The new prime minister, Fumio Kishida, was chosen by his party, the Liberal Democrats, only last month but was still able to lead them to a victory. The other candidate for the representative of the Liberal Democrats was Sanae Takaichi, who would have become Japan’s first female leader. In the end, the Liberal Democrats won 261 seats, easily making the 233 seats necessary to have a majority, but lost 23 seats compared to the 2017 elections. Interestingly, the Liberal Democrats’ main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, also lost seats, according to the New York Times. Prime minister Kishida is a former foreign minister but faces some charisma in the issues and is in fact often said to be “boring” by the Japanese press.

Other News

  • In pro-democracy protests after the coup in Sudan last week, three people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
  • 4 countries, the U.A.E., Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait called back their diplomats from Lebanon’s capital city, Beirut. The move comes after Lebanon’s information minister referred to the Yemen war as a “Saudi and Emirati aggression,” according to the New York Times.
  • The chief executive of the British bank Barclays stepped down after there was an inquiry by regulators into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
  • A building collapsed at a construction site in Lagos, Nigeria, killing at least four people and trapping more than 100.
  • In Virginia, USA, a Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, was elected last week. He is the first Republican governor to be elected in Virginia in more than a decade.
Categories
Weekly Summaries

5th of April – 11th of April

Israel’s Prime Minister attempts to form a government

The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, is giving Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a chance to remain in office. Mr. Netanyahu is currently facing a trial on charges of corruption, which makes for an unusual situation. Israel has held four elections in only two years, and Mr. Netanyahu has not achieved a majority at any of them. Now, however, there is a chance for him to form a government with the support of another party, although his political enemies are also in the process of forming a coalition.

Other news:

  • Just weeks before the planned withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan, officials are negotiating with the Taliban in the attempt of making a deal
  • A train derailed in Taiwan, killing at least 50 people. So far it is still unclear what caused the incident to happen.
  • Talks between the USA and Iran are currently taking place in Vienna regarding the 2015 nuclear deal.
Categories
Weekly Summaries

26th of October – 1st of November

Judge Amy Coney Barrett confirmed by the Senate

On Monday night the Senate confirmed – with 52 to 48 votes – Amy Barrett’s position of justice of the Supreme Court. She is the fifth woman in the history of the USA to hold that position.

What happened to the protests in Belarus?

After the protests in Belaurs against the President Lukashenko’s fraud win in this year’s elections first started three months ago, the Belarusians have continued protesting. There have been arrests and police violence against the protestors, but people still continue to protest every Sunday in the ten thousands.

Poland’s new abortion law

The high court of Poland recently introduced a new law which bans abortion in the case of fetal abnormalities, and this in a country which was already known to have one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. This ruling has resulted in the largest demonstrations since the fall of Communism in 1989. The protestors not only chanted anti-government slogans, but also effectively blocked major roads and bridges. 

Categories
University Information

Undergraduate Economics Education in the USA

Introduction

Over the past years, the USA has been a dominant destination for international students, as well as the principal choice for American high school students. According to the latest report by the ‘QS university rankings’, the USA is a leading country in the quality of education. If you want to receive valuable experiences and opportunities relevant to your academic and cultural preferences, while pursuing an Economics degree, the USA is a perfect fit.

Reasons to study Economics and Econometrics in the USA:
A high percentage of international students and no national discrimination
Flexibility, as the timetable and courses can be modified
Possibility to pursue Major and Minor degrees at the same time
Smart technology and developed classroom facilities
Research and internships opportunities
Globally recognised academic excellence

Requirements to enter Economics Undergraduate studies*:
TOEFL score 70 and higher or IELTS 6.0 and higher (only if you are not a native speaker)
SAT score of 1250 and higher or ACT score of 17 and higher
Analysing, writing and maths skills (vary from Statistics to calculus)
Additionally:
AP in Microeconomics/Macroeconomics, Statistics, Calculus
SAT subject tests(1 or 2) – Math level 2, History, Sciences
Extracurriculars:
Research or projects
Internships/summer job
Volunteering
Sports/Music/Performance Arts


*Depending on the ranking and level of the University, requirements will vary

Top 5 universities in Economics and Econometrics in the USA are:
1. Harvard University – Cambridge, MA
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Cambridge, MA
3. Stanford University – Stanford, CA
4. University of California-Berkeley(UCB)
5 and 6. Yale University – New Haven, CT and Princeton University – Princeton, NJ

A further list of top economics universities in the USA:
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/economics-rankings

P.S. About which region would you like to hear next?

Categories
Weekly Summaries

19th of October – 25th of October

U.S. Justice Department files lawsuit against Google

The anti-trust lawsuit against Google, which was filed by the U.S. Justice Department this past week, has become known to be the most confrontational motion against a tech giant in decades. Google was accused of illegally maintaining its monopoly in the search sector. 

Nigerian security forces open fire

During the night of Tuesday the 20th of October, the Nigerian security forces opened fire against the participants of a demonstration against police brutality from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos. At least 12 people were killed. Furthermore, tear gas was also used against protestors in Abuja. 

Elections in New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern was elected prime minister with her Labour Party for the second time in row last week. Since then, people have called her “New Zealand’s most popular prime minister in generations.”

Other news: first official visit of the U.A.E. to Israel after the countries agreed to normalize their relations earlier on in the year

Categories
Weekly Summaries

14th of September – 20th of September

Signing of the Abraham Accords

This Tuesday, President Trump, the Israelian Prime Minister, and the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain gathered to sign agreements – the “Abraham Accords” – which will normalize the diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE and Israel and Bahrain. This will include the establishment of embassies.

Protests in Belarus

Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people gathered not only in the capital city  Minsk but also in other cities throughout the country. Just like on the past few Sundays, there was a heavy police presence, and possibly even soldiers. Then, on Monday the 14th of September President Putin and President Lukashenko met for the first time since the protests in Belarus first started. President Putin of Russia later said that the goal at the meetings was to establish a “strategic partnership and alliance” between the two countries.