Week #16 Articles {March 1, '21}

Articles Written By Ananya Nayar and Misaki Tomiyama, Website edited by Misaki Tomiyama

Articles for this week-

World News-

• The US Says the Prince of Saudi ignited Jamal Khashoggi’s killing

• UK Covid Restrictions Relaxing

• Texas Storms Follow Up

• Daniel Prude’s Killers Won’t Be Charged

• Boeing 777 Failures

• Angelo Quinto Death

• The Environmental Effects on Tigers

India News-

• Is China and India’s Trade Condition Affected by the Border Dispute?

• Disha Ravi Granted Temporary Bail from Court

Other Articles-

• Do Moon Phases Affect our Mental State?

• This Week in History

• This Day Signifies

The US Says the Prince of Saudi ignited Jamal Khashoggi’s killing

Article By Ananya Nayar

A declassified US intelligence report stated that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder of US Journalist Jamal Kashoggi in 2018.

On the 2nd of October 2018, a US-based Journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia’s government walked into the Saudi embassy in Turkey to pick up a document for his wife, and he was executed. Saudi officials asserted that Kashoggi was killed in a “rogue operation” by a crew of the country’s agents that wanted him to return to the kingdom. On the other hand, Turkish officials disclosed that the Saudi agents simply proceeded to do what was commanded by the most supreme levels of the Saudi government.

On Friday, the US Intelligence report made it to the press and revealed that Prince Mohammed Bin Laden (who is effectively the country’s ruler) certainly sanctioned or supported either the killing or abduction of the journalist.

Nevertheless, the Saudi Arabian government denied the accusations of having the Prince involved in the killing, and also repudiated the report, describing it as ‘negative, false and unacceptable.’

The report found that Mr Kashoggi had been cut up when he visited the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Although the Prince was not directly accused- he is still held responsible after the review stated that the Prince was probably involved with the decision after...

• His control of decision-making in the kingdom since 2017.

• The direct involvement in the operation of one of his advisers as well as members of his protective detail.

• His “support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad.”

The report made it clear there was no logical reasoning for Mohammed bin Salman to be exempted from the decision making of what should be done with Kashoggi, and with his power and position, the prince could have exerted the plan.

Jamal Khashoggi was a journalist who covered major stories that were prominently Saudi and Middle East-based. The 59-year-old was close to the Saudi royal family and served as an advisor for a few decades. In 2017, he was exiled and moved to America where he proceeded to write columns in The Washington Post about the policies of the Royal Family and criticized the government in Saudi Arabia. In October 2018, he went to the Turkish Consulate to obtain Saudi papers that would allow him to remarry. In addition to this, the Crown Prince’s brother (Prince Khalid bin Salman) had allegedly assured him that it would be safe to visit the consulate, however, Prince Khalid rejected the accusations and said that there had been no communication between him and the journalist. We won’t get into the harsh details, but Kashoggi’s body was mutilated after being restrained and poisoned and then disposed of.

In late 2019, five individuals were sentenced to death for charges against ‘committing and directly participating in the murder of the victim.’ Three others were given 24 years of jail time for covering the crime and violating the law.

To summarise, the Crown Prince and the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia are not guilty until proven, there is not enough evidence for the UN or any Government to do anything as of yet- however, people are undoubted that the Prince had a role in orchestrating the death of Jamal Kashoggi.

UK Covid Restrictions Relaxing

Article By Misaki Tomiyama

Boris Johnson recently announced that he is aiming to implement a gradual and phased relaxation of Covid restrictions in the UK at the beginning of March. He has recently released a detailed roadmap and plans for relaxing the covid restrictions, He has mentioned the plans might change depending on the factors of the covid situation like deaths and hospitalisation numbers and the progress of the vaccine. The plan included 4 stages.

The government has announced a roadmap for covid restriction which includes the opening of schools and colleges on 8th March, which will involve precautions such as facemasks for teachers and students, all listed under stage one.

The roadmap also included allowing exercise outdoors once a day in the local area, two people to meet outside to socialise, but also announced that pubs and restaurants to be closed, only permitting takeaway food, and most of the leisure shops/stores/venues to be closed.

By 29 March, the government is aiming to relax covid restrictions, even more, allowing people to meet outside while keeping in mind the rule of six, opening outdoor facilities, etc. -Stage two

In stage three, no earlier than 17 May, UK is aiming to allow people to meet outdoors along with 30 people, open museums, theatres and children areas, etc.

In stage four, no earlier than 21 June, the government is aiming to remove all limits on social contacts. The government will go by this plan if the covid vaccination programmes go properly, and the covid cases go down.

Texas Storms Follow Up

Article By Misaki Tomiyama

After a huge storm in Texas, approximately 100 million Americans’ homes were left without electricity. As a result, many Texans didn’t have heat and had to cope with the frigid temperatures. Texans also had a lack of water due to dry water pipes, and there was a food shortage in grocery stores etc.

Many houses’ electricity was restored, but still, thousands of houses remain without it. Approximately 8 million people still have water disruptions. This is especially hard for the Texans, as the temperatures are extremely low, and many are facing problems with employment as well.

The government has ordered more plumbers to meet the high demands of water disruptions, and food trucks to provide food for the people. Another issue to consider is coronavirus cases. Since many people are huddled together for warmth amid this cold and frigid power outage in many accommodations, many expect the covid cases to go high in this area. Even though the cases drastically dropped for a week in Texas, they soon increased again, so the prediction of the cases is difficult at this stage.

Thousands were forced to seek shelter and move into hotels and accommodations with electricity. Approximately 200 people took refuge at a convention centre, and many more living in emergency shelters.

Schools and work are cancelled, and many are finding it difficult to even buy essential goods since thousands have not been able to work during this time.

It is not only the social problems that are brought up because of the Texan storms, but also the economic ones as well. According to a texas-based economic research firm, the Texan storm could cost more than $195 billion and even might cost more than the aftermath of Harvey.

Furthermore, industrial plants and oil refineries in Texas reported releasing approximately 3.5m pounds of extra pollutants because of the storm. This was mainly due to the extreme weather and electrical failure.

Daniel Prude’s Killers Won’t Be Charged

Article By Ananya Nayar

Mr Daniel Prude was a black man who was experiencing a mental health crisis earlier last year and was killed by the police and at the beginning of last week, it was revealed that the white police officers responsible for the distressing and blatant murder will not be charged.

Last year in March, Daniel Prude was going through a psychotic episode and sprinted out of his brother's home. Desperate and distressed, his brother called the police for assistance thinking that they would calm his brother down and bring him home, safely.

On the contrary, the police officers handcuffed him and placed a mesh hood over his head- then proceeded to press him on the pavement (to calm him down) but it resulted in Daniel Prude losing consciousness. He was admitted to the hospital and passed away a few days later.

The cover-up of the situation ignited nationwide outcry and objection against the undoubted homicide was made known.

The NY Attorney General, Letitia James made a statement to the press saying “My office concluded that there was sufficient evidence surrounding Mr Prude’s death to present the case to a grand jury, and we presented the most comprehensive case possible. While I know that the Prude family, the Rochester (New York) community, and communities across the country will rightfully be devastated, we have to respect this decision.” She continued to say “that current laws on the deadly force have created a system that utterly failed Mr Prude and so many others before him. Daniel Prude was in the throes of a mental health crisis, and what he needed was compassion, care, and help from trained professionals. Serious reform is needed in the Rochester Police Department and our criminal justice system as a whole.”

This statement concluded the case for many, but for others, not so much, they wanted the officers to be held guilty- after all, you shouldn’t be killed for experiencing something humane and for requiring help.

Boeing 777 Failures

Article by Misaki Tomiyama

Boeing, one of the largest aerospace company, has recommended not using 777 of its model-aircrafts which has the same engine as the one that dropped engine parts. Air safety officials are currently investigating the cause of the engine failure that occurred in Denver.

The first engine failure occurred on United Airlines Flight 328, right after it left Denver airport, heading to Honolulu. Many passengers recorded this incident, and some of the engine pieces dropped and landed on someone’s front lawn. The aircraft then returned and safely returned to Denver. Another Boeing aircraft was reported for having an engine failure on the same day. The aircraft was equipped with Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines.

Several airlines in the U.S., South Korea and Japan have stopped the use of Boeing aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines. No one was injured because of the incident.

Angelo Quinto Death

Article by Misaki Tomiyama

Angelo Quinto, a navy veteran was killed after being knelt on the neck by police officers. This incident occurred on December 23rd, but a law case was filed on 18th February and has recently gained a lot of attention. This is mainly thought to be because the incident was somewhat similar to the death of George Floyd.

Maria Quinto-Collins, mother of Anglo Quinto had filmed the incident, and in the footage, Angelo Quinto was on the floor unconscious, along with two police officers by his side rolling him from side to side. His family filed a wrongful death claim against the city.

The Environmental Effects on Tigers

Article By Ananya Nayar

A study in the Journal of Molecular Biology and Evolution talked about how the evolution and adaptations of tigers are being impacted by inbreeding, climate change, and most importantly- habitat loss.

The research paper affirmed that tiger’s evolutionary process- the results in changes of their genes, population and adaptations to the environment. This will lead to a lower survival rate and higher inbreeding- which as it does with humans, cause recessive rates and inbreeding depression, where the tiger offspring won’t have the same bodily functions due to the same gene being cloned during inbreeding.

“Tigers will continue to lose genetic variation. Further, inbreeding due to living in small and isolated populations could result in inbreeding, which could cause inbreeding depression or lowered survival. We do not have any evidence for inbreeding depression yet, but it is something we should study,” an environmentalist told people.

Is China and India’s Trade Condition Affected by the Border Dispute?

Article By Ananya Nayar

As we know, the two bordering Asian countries have been locked in conflict over the Sino-Indian border since last year, and actually for the last 45 years. and India proceeded to ban almost 250 Chinese media and entertainment apps or websites. Despite the tensions, China recently regained its spot as India’s No. 1 trade partner, meaning the international relations aren’t incredibly damaged, and there is large scope to continue recovery.

In 2020, China surpassed the US, and the two-way trade deal stood at almost $78 billion last year. Of course, due to the situation, the number was less than what 2019 stood at- $85.5 billion.

Disha Ravi Granted Temporary Bail from Court

Article By Ananya Nayar

Following up on last week’s article about Miss Ravi, the 22-year-old Indian activist who was arrested for editing a toolkit to help farmers during the farmer protests. Disha Ravi was granted bail from court after she spent 10 days in custody in Delhi after being detained in Bangalore for being a ‘key conspirator in the formula and dissemination of a protest toolkit.’ (Visit Last week's article)

This Week’s Topic: Do Moon Phases Affect our Mental State?

Article By Ananya Nayar

For this Week’s Topic, we’ll look into whether the moon phases affect our mental state and wellbeing. It sounds completely ridiculous, but the science behind the ideology is that on a full moon, the sun, earth, and moon arrange in a more or less line across space, and the gravity of the sun reinforces the gravity of the moon. This increases the tides as they get pulled, meaning that on a full moon- there is a higher gravitational force.

Now, how does this affect humans exactly?

Isaac Newton's theories proposed that the gravitational pull of the Moon affects fluids within the human body, aggravating conditions such as epilepsy and kidney stones as well as menstrual cycles. Scientists have viewed records and conducted studies to reach the mutual conclusion that the phases of a moon have an effect on the human body and our brains- and it doesn’t matter how sensitive you are because you may not know it, but the moon does play a toll on us.

So on a full moon what happens to our brains?

In theory, the light and tides of a full moon disrupt sleep- Alex Dimitri who’s a double-board certified in sleep medicine & is a psychiatrist said that ‘the moon most likely exerts its effect by an increase in the evening or daytime light.’ The moon may also trigger subtle fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field. It stirs up emotions, can give you migraines, provoke bizarre behaviour and even cause a slight physical health problem. 81% of psychologists think that the moon’s behaviour makes you ill.

Also, other events caused by humans occur on a full moon- traffic incidents, crimes, and suicide rates allegedly go up when there’s a full moon and depending on the lunar phase.

Theories say that the release of neurohormones may be triggered by electromagnetic radiation and the gravitational pull of the moon. The moon’s energy amplifies our emotions, there’s no denying it sometimes, but for some people- they don’t feel the tides of gravity. For example, as powerful as this ancient belief appears to be, there's little science to back up the theory that a full moon causes a swift uptick in emergency room visits or mental health unit admissions.

Do you say this is spiritual in a way?

Well, no, not exactly. However, it can be seen that way! People who believe in divination, magic and even that the lunar cycle affects us to believe that there is magic behind each phase of the cycle.

This Week in History: 21st - 28th February

Article By Ananya Nayar

On the 25th of February 1964, Muhammad Ali (age 22 at the time) earned his place for the first world title in heavyweight boxing after ejecting Sonny Liston on the seventh round of knockouts. Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.) was born in 1942 and started boxing when he 12 years old. By the time Cassius Clay was 18, he had swept 100 wins in amateur competition and tournaments, and in 1959 and ‘60, he took International Golden Glove and Olympic titles.

At Cambridge University on the 28th of February 1953, Watson and Crick discovered the chemical DNA structure. DNA had been discovered in 1869, but the vital role in genetics wasn’t exhibited until 1943. Later, Watson and Crick figured the structure of DNA. The structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (we know it as DNA) was discovered that morning.

Did You know? March 1 is World Compliment Day!

Article By Misaki Tomiyama

World Compliment day is celebrated each year on the 1st of March to spread positivity and joy through verbal communication. This day was created by Hans Poortvliet, from the Netherlands. He initiated World Compliment day in his country, and after it was a great success, he decided to make it a worldwide celebration and aiming to make it the most positive day in the world. On this day, people are advised to give a genuine compliment to at least three people. You could also send a card or note to say something nice to someone, thanking a person who has helped you in the past and telling them how they are very important to you and so much more. Complimenting someone is a very small action, but a very important one as well.