Brief Concerns: Sri Lanka Attacks, Ukrainian Election, and a Malaria Vaccine
May 1, 2019
https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/sri-lanka-easter-sunday-explosions-dle-intl/index.html
The Attacks on Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka was attacked by multiple suicide bombings on Easter Sunday. The attacks targeted many of the churches and hotels. The radical organization, National Thowheeth Jama’ath, a group that came from the Islamist group in Sri Lanka, is being blamed by Sri Lanka for the horrendous attacks. There were 290 deaths and 500 wounded by these bombings. So far, 24 people have been arrested for being connected to the bombing. There was an intelligence memo warning of an attack that was received by the Sri Lankan government 10 days prior to the bombing. Many people are wondering if Sri Lanka could have stopped the attacks.
The Presidential Election in Ukraine:
Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian, actor and businessman, won the presidential election in Ukraine on April 21. Before becoming president, Zelensky acted as the nation’s leader in a Ukraine comedy series, “Servant of the People”. The Ukrainians decided to support the comedian rather than their past president, Petro Poroshenko. Many of the citizens in Ukraine are against Poroshenko because he involved the country in a 5-year proxy war with Russia. In fact, the votes for Zelensky were originally protests votes against Poroshenko. Zelensky received 73.2% of the votes, crushing his competition. His past acting role is now his reality.
Yellow Vest protestors upset over the Notre Dame Fund:
The famous Gothic cathedral, Notre Dame, recently caught on fire. France has been working to raise money to help rebuild the cathedral. The Yellow Vests, a protesting group in France, however, are not happy that France was able to raise over a billion dollars for the Notre Dame yet still overlook the wealth inequality issue. The Yellow Vests decided to take action and protest. The protest turned violent as fires were started and tear gas was used. A car, motorbikes and barricades were destroyed in the blaze. Amidst the chaos, 189 people were detained and 110 people were taken into custody.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/23/health/malaria-africa-worlds-first-vaccine-intl/index.html
Malaria Vaccine goes to Africa:
In Malawi, Kenya and Ghana, 360,000 children will be receiving the world’s first malaria vaccine. This vaccine is expected to save thousands of children’s lives. Children have a higher risk of being infected with this disease so the vaccine is usually given to infants. The first three doses are given when the child is around five to nine months old and the fourth dose is given around the time when the child turns two. Malaria is especially prominent in Africa. 250,000 of the 435,000 annual deaths occur in Africa. During the clinical trials, the vaccine only helped four out of 10 people. While the vaccine isn’t perfect yet, it still provides partial protection.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/23/health/sitting-tv-computers-study/index.html
Computers increase US sitting time:
Computers seem to be the culprit for Americans sitting for hours on end. It was originally thought that TVs were responsible, but a new study shows that it’s the computers. On average, a teen spends around 8.2 hours a day sitting. This can increase one’s risk of getting obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Luckily, there is a cure. The risks can be lowered by taking breaks from sitting. It doesn’t have to be anything strenuous, even walking around for a couple minutes could help.
