A WEEK IN BRIEF
A Week in Brief: Volume IV
A Week in Brief: Sunday, 8 May to Saturday, 14 May 2022
Saturday, 14 May 2022
The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest has a winning song. Kalush Orchestra, representing Ukraine, wins the Grand Final with the song “Stefania”.
Kalush Orchestra, a popular Ukrainian folk-rap group, saw its performance pick up 631 points. “Stefania”, at Eurovision, is only the third song to have been performed entirely in Ukrainian.
People siding with Russia will question Kalush Orchestra’s win. President Vladimir Putin, with Russia not being allowed to compete, could be experiencing sour grapes.
Alina Pash, not Kalush Orchestra, was originally going to represent Ukraine. Pash, with the song “Tini zabutykh predkiv” (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors), won Vidbir 2022. This victory gave the rap singer the right to represent her country at Eurovision. Controversy forced Pash to pull out of the competition.
Friday, 13 May 2022
Russian forces, seeking to cross the Donets River, soon found the attempt blocked by the Ukrainian military. The attempt, in Luhansk Oblast, was made near Sievierodonetsk. Read More…
Thursday, 12 May 2022
Finland leaders, despite threats from Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has announced a NATO membership application is in the works. The historical significance, especially considering Finland is a Nordic country, can’t be understated. NATO membership would end Finland’s military neutrality. The policy has existed for decades. Read more…
Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, on Wednesday, 11 May 2022, announced that New Zealand will fully reopen its borders on Sunday, 31 July 2022. New Zealand, whilst borders will be open, will still have government mandated restrictions in place for a least a further two months.
Ardern, serving as New Zealand’s prime minister since 2017, has maintained a level-headed approach to the pandemic since it first started. New Zealand, because of the prime minister’s leadership style, has not suffered as greatly as other countries.
Many people, noting certain countries, have been more concerned with themselves than they have with the greater good. New Zealand, with a distinct approach to the pandemic, implemented the most severe travel restrictions.
New Zealand has been luckier than most countries. Several countries, including the United States, India, Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom, have seen significant case numbers. The United States, with over 78,556,713 cases, has reported at least 937,380 deaths due to the pandemic.
Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Apple Inc, on Tuesday, 10 May 2022, announced the company will be discontinuing sale of the iPod Touch. The device, from today, will only be available while supplies last.
The portable music playing device could be confused for Apple’s iPhone. The aesthetic similarities between the two devices, especially the sixth and seventh generation iPod Touch devices, are readily apparent.
No one can say Apple Inc’s iPod line, with 20 years under its metaphorical belt, hasn’t had a good run. More than 390 iPod devices, between 2001 and 2014, were sold globally. Read More…
Monday, 9 May 2022
Monday, 9 May 2022 sees Filipinos vote in the presidential election. It looks like, based on published polls, Bongbong Marcos could be elected president.
Marcos has held office since 1980. Serving as Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte, 1980 to 1983, Governor of Ilocos Norte twice, 1983 to 1986 and 1998 to 2007, Marcos went on to the Philippine House of Representatives.
Marcos, between 1992 and 1995, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Ilocos Norte’s 2nd. Between 2007 and 2010, returning to the House of Representatives, Marcos occupied the same seat. Marcos also served as Senator of the Philippines from 2010 until 2016.
Leni Robredo, the current president, holds a marginal lead in the polls. Robredo, given the current political climate, is unlikely to hold on to that lead. The Philippines, on Tuesday, 10 May 2022, will see a new day and a new president.
The Philippines, further to the presidential election, will also see people seeking office in the Philippine Senate and the Philippine House of Representatives.
Sunday, 8 May 2022
A recommendation from the European Union, if implemented, would see the Biden Administration remove from the terrorist organization blacklist the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
It was President Donald J. Trump, on Monday, 8 April 2019, that moved forwards with designating Iran’s IRGC a ‘terrorist organization’. Then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, when making the announcement, appeared gleeful. Read more…
