Our Top Stories for the Week of May 16, 2022

Updated May 20, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

It's been a busy week, from international tensions to political and legal advances. Who has time to keep track of it all? That's why we've boiled it all down to our top stories of the week.

US International Politics Involvements Gain Momentum

Photo Source: AP Images/Efrem Lukatsky

Biden Approves Redeployment Of US Troops To Somalia: President Biden has overturned various policies of former President Trump, including the withdrawal of US soldiers from Somalia. In discussions with the Somali administration, Biden has ordered the transfer of fewer than 500 troops back to the East African country to reestablish the US military presence. President Biden believes that al-Shabaab is a significant threat and that US soldiers will be able to control the group.^[1]
$40 Billion US Aid To Ukraine Passed: The aid was approved with 86 votes in favor and 11 votes against. All 50 Democrats in the Senate voted for it, as did all but 11 Republicans. Earlier planned $33 billion program paled in comparison to the approved aid. The measure is expected to be signed into law as soon as possible by US President.^[2]

Sources: [1] CNN [2] The Guardian

Africa Battles Disease And Disaster

Photo Source: AP Images/Str

Wild Polio Confirmed In Mozambique: A polio case was discovered in a northern area of Mozambique for the first time since 1992, with the afflicted youngster already showing signs of paralysis. According to the World Health Organization, Africa has been proclaimed polio-free since 2020, and the current results will have no impact on that status. The strain detected using genetic sequencing, on the other hand, is connected to a virus isolated in Malawi in 2022 and reported in Pakistan in 2019.^[1]
One Month Since Burkina Faso’s Zinc Mine Trap: Since the catastrophe, a 24-hour-a-day rescue operation has been ongoing, with specialist equipment brought in from Ghana and South Africa. It took almost four weeks to reach the first rescue chambers, which may provide a safe haven for the trapped miners. However, no miner was discovered in the chamber, which is around 560 meters below ground level.^[2]

Sources: [1] The Guardian [2] BBC

Global Shootouts Killing Ethnic Minorities

Photo Source: AP Images/Joshua Bessex

Buffalo Shooting, Another Racially Motivated Attack: Payton Gendron, an 18-year-old teenager, shot and killed ten people in a racially motivated attack, according to investigators. The assailant was said to have yelled racist obscenities while firing, had racial slurs on his weapon, and most of his victims were black. This heinous act has been labeled a hate crime by the police, and it is the worst mass shooting in the United States thus far in 2022.^[1]
The killing of Al-Jazeera Reporter Stands Condemned By The UN: Shireen Abu Akleh’s death drew a lot of attention worldwide. During an Israeli raid on the Jenin Refugee Camp, the 51-year-old reporter was slain. He had been a field agent for Al-Jazeera for the last two decades. Following the interruption of her burial on Friday— a rare show of solidarity in the Israel-Palestine conflict – the United Nations has denounced her killing.^[2]

Sources: [1] BBC [2] BBC

Political Decisions and Legal Battles

Image Source: iStock

France Elects its First Prime Minister in Decades: President Macron has named Elizabeth Borne the new Prime Minister of France ahead of a crucial Parliamentary Election. She becomes the first woman to hold the position since Edith Cresson, 30 years ago. Borne is a vocal Macron Supporter and led three key ministerial jobs during Macron’s first term. Borne, while taking office, dedicated her appointment to little girls in France, urging them to follow their dreams.^[1]
Johnny Depp And Amber Heard In The Courts: Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s lawsuit case of harassment and assault has been ongoing for weeks. He’s suing her for $50 million for claiming she was a victim of domestic abuse in an essay. Mr. Depp has supplied the court with a variety of counter-arguments, including films and recordings of physical assault.^[2]
Turkey Moves To Block Finland And Sweden NATO Bid: The Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Finland’s attempt to join NATO, the world’s greatest military alliance, can only be fulfilled if all present members of the organization agree unanimously. Because Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is opposed to the move, Sweden and Finland’s attempts to join may be refused. Finland’s foreign minister made it plain that the country would not engage in any negotiations with Turkey.^[3]
The Taliban Government Of Afghanistan Promises More Rights For Women: Girls up to grade 6 are permitted to attend school, according to Afghanistan’s acting interior minister. But, above all, a system must be devised to allow females to return to school in accordance with Islamic law and Afghan tradition. The international world has little faith in the Taliban’s commitment to women’s rights.^[4]
US Soccer Agrees To Equal Pay For Men’s And Women’s Teams: Six years have passed since USWNT stars started a crusade to reverse what they alleged was years of wage discrimination against female players. The women’s squad had to forego a guaranteed salary. A new collective bargaining agreement has to be reached by both teams. The new deal also allows the team to profit from each other’s accomplishments.^[5]
Drug-Releasing Contact Lens To Treat Glaucoma: Chinese researchers developed a contact lens that can detect an increase in intraocular pressure and release an anti-glaucoma drug if the pressure climbs over a certain level. The pressure sensor detects pressure using a cantilever, then sends a signal to the wireless system, causing the drug to be released. The distance between the upper and lower lenses narrows as the pressure inside the eye rises.^[6]