politicodiary

 Sri Lankan economic crises is not getting any better by the passing day. Residents are now reeling under severe power cuts, shortage of medical equipment and medicines to name a few issues facing the country. What has led to this mayhem is a critical lack of foreign currency that has crippled their economy, forcing them to miss out of payments for vital imports, leading to dire shortages in everything from life-saving medicines to cement. Troubled over long lines for fuel that start forming before dawn, Sri Lankans are now complaining bitterly about government mismanagement and are fretting over how to feed their families as food prices skyrocket. Meanwhile, India has come to their rescue, as hospitals are going without medicines and facing medical crises. Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs are already reached out to Sri Lankan government offering help in life saving surgeries. Many hospitals have suspended surgeries due to lack of medicines in Sri Lanka. Trucks at the por...

A secret blanket policy of seizing phones of those entering Britain through the English Channel has been exposed in the judicial courts recently. Home Secretary Priti Patel, has been pulled up for explanation as to why this is being done, an act that can be seen as a human riot’s violation. In a particular incident, three such individuals were caught on the channel. Out of them, one who was a victim of human trafficking and had escaped through this clandestine method reported the same to the courts, also disclosing how this method was used to extract data off her phone as well. All three complaint of the inability to contact their families back home. Their lawyers also claimed that thousands of others arriving to the UK in small boats had their phones confiscated, and hundreds of others had their data cloned. Phone of these three were confiscated between April and September of 2020.  They were also given no access to emergency contacts or other numbers of their phones. Ms. Pa...

NATO has made it clear to China that there is just no need to support Russia in its war with Ukraine. This has been suggested by the head of the Western military alliance, adding that the 30 member nations has plans to discuss Beijing's role in the war Moscow is waging on its neighbour. The discussion has happened in Brussels.   As world leaders meet today in Brussels, the G7, NATO and European Union participants are expected to approve major increases in its forces in Eastern Europe at an emergency move as Ukrainian President seeks support. This has been confirmed by NATO’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. It is also confirmed that as of now, four new battlegroups will be sent to Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. US President Joe Biden is already in Brussels for the special NATO summit today. It is now been said that indeed Russia is responsible for carrying out war crimes in Ukraine. Ahead of the summits, Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky has warned Western leader...

A man with a golden heart, David Beckham has done it yet again as he has handed over his plush and plum social media accounts to a Ukrainian doctor who is trying to save lives in a prenatal hospital in war torn Ukraine. It’s a harrowing time for the Ukrainians, especially expecting mothers as the Russian forces have left no stone unturned to destroy hospitals and medical facilities. The accounts are now being run by Irina Kondratova, head of Kharkiv's Regional Perinatal Center. She describes the plight of saving lives amidst bombing and constant sounds of shelling. Beckham — who has 71.5 million followers on Instagram and 56 million on Facebook — passed the social-media reins to a woman named Iryna, a child anesthesiologist and head of the city's perinatal center. Several outlets, including the Belarusian TV channel Nexta TV, already know the doctor as Irina Kondratova. Showing her grit and determination to save lives, she takes viewers through a 24/7 job and journey wher...

As anticipated, the Houthis have rejected to participate in the proposed GCC peace talks in Riyadh, a confirmed report has said. The talks are to fall between end of March and beginning of April. Mediated by Jordon, this is the latest Gulf Cooperation Council offer to broker comprehensive peace talks between the warring factions. But as anticipated, the Houthis are not interested in ending the war in Yemen, Middle East’s most poor country at the moment. Hundreds of Yemeni politicians, activists, civil society leaders, and even outspoken politicians have been invited to the conference with the single aim of brokering a peaceful resolution to the whole problem. Apparently, Houthis already have preset demands to be met. They have asked the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen should first look at easing alleged restrictions on Sanaa airport and Hodeidah seaport. Till then, they intend to reject holding peace talks in Riyadh.    Meanwhile, the government has positive...

As war wages on and people try and look for shelter, Ukraine is getting drone support from America, that were apparently used in Afghanistan too. There are 100 armed drones being sent to meet the onslaught that has seen merciless attacks on a theatre and school where civilians were taking refuge.     The decision comes after America refused to declare area over Ukraine as a no flight zone, that would pit it directly against Russia and participant to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Over the weekend, the US said it was in discussions with Poland about a potential deal in which Poland would supply Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets that Ukraine has requested, and the US would then provide Poland with American F-16s.   If a Russian attack extends into one of the bordering NATO countries, it could trigger Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty, which is the principle that an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack on all members. If Article 5 is i...

Fukushima has been rocked again by a powerful earthquake, something that happened a decade ago and had led to a nuclear disaster then. The recent earthquake has been at a 7.3 rector scale and left the country without power. As of now, there are thoughts about re-starting the dormant nuclear power plants and some ruling party lawmakers have urged the government to hasten the restart. But safety concerns continue to reel the options of not going ahead with it as of now. The Fukushima nuclear power plant faced a big mishap in 2011, when Japan was rocked by a massive earthquake. Since then, the nuclear power plants have been kept out of commission. As of now, there is a reeling tsunami concern over the country as well, as the country struggles with a no power situation. Power from nuclear plants slid to almost zero by 2014 in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, but now stands at about 3% of total energy production. The government wants to expand that to 20%-22% by 2030. But people ...