Week #34 Articles {August 9 '21}
- The Bulletin Buzz
- Aug 23, 2021
- 9 min read
Articles by Ananya Nayar and Misaki Tomiyama
Order of Articles-
Kid's Articles-
Other-
Articles
The Taliban in Afghanistan (Long Piece)
Article by Ananya Nayar & Misaki Tomiyama
Have you heard of the 9-11 attacks? They were attacks on the 11th of September, 2001 in the United States by a terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden.
Months after the attacks, the U.S. asked the Taliban who had been in power in Afghanistan for a decade to hand in Bin Laden, since they were protecting him. The Taliban are a social, religious and political group that is ultraconservative and whose rules are detrimental to women and children.
Well, the Taliban refused to hand over those accused of participating in the attack, so the U.S. decided to launch airstrikes against Afghanistan around October 2001. Soon after, the Taliban was removed from power around 2001. In 2002, the U.S. invested $38 billion to reconstruct Afghanistan and help the people after the war. The reconstruction assistance period was only supposed to last till 2009 but the U.S. troops ended up staying in Afghanistan until around last year.
In February 2021, Trump signed an agreement with the Taliban and has said all the American military will be taken out by May 1, 2021. President Biden however, said that the May deadline would be difficult to meet amid the covid situation, and changed the deadline to September 11, which is also the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the US in 2001.
‘We did not go to Afghanistan to Nation-Build’ - American President Joe Biden
Not long ago (merely two three months,) American troops removed themselves from Afghanistan and in an interview on July 9th 2021, President Biden said that if the Taliban return, the Afghan army is much bigger (has 300,000 men) than the Taliban (75,000 men) and the Taliban won’t be able to grasp power again.
Yet the big question today is how did the Taliban get through and seize an entire country in merely weeks despite there being an army almost 4 times its size?
The Taliban have now re-entered and dominated the entire nation, in a matter of a few weeks. Chances of the group fostering terrorists increases and areas of West Asia and the U.S. may be in danger if the possibility is true. The comfort that was built for families in Afghanistan suddenly went away as the Taliban returned and now the lives of women and children are at stake.
Even now, the Taliban are allegedly going from door to door to enforce child marriage for girls as young as 10 years old, pictures of women are being torn down as well.
The U.S. now faces pressure as they had all the power to stop the Taliban but chose not to, how many people are wanting them to evacuate those in danger in Afghanistan but nothing of the sort is happening right now. However, it is guaranteed that many people will attempt to flee to neighbouring countries and so the refugee pressures will surely increase.
Read our info post on Instagram @the_bulletin_buzz for more!
The Haiti Earthquake
By Misaki Tomiyama
On August 14, a huge earthquake hit Haiti, a country in the Caribbean Sea. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.2, and it is estimated that around 1400 have died, and 1200 have been injured because of the earthquake. The most impacted cities were Le Cayes and Jeremic.
Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry stated that Haiti is "physically and mentally devastated". Because of the earthquake, thousands of houses, buildings, roads have been destroyed, and also because of the ongoing pandemic, organisations are finding it difficult to effectively deliver aid. Efforts are also being made to evacuate people.
The earthquake struck about 10 kilometres deep and its epicentre around 12 kilometres northeast of the southwest part of Haiti. There was a massive earthquake in 2010 in Haiti, and just when Haiti was recovering from the devastation caused by that disaster, the earthquake struck again last week, making situations worse.
In addition to the earthquake, Haiti is expecting to experience heavy rains and winds from tropical storms. These storms can cause floods and mudslides and more catastrophes. In another article below, we have compiled a few ways you can help the situation in Haiti.
Ways to Help In Haiti
By Misaki Tomiyama
According to investigations, around 60,000 people in Haiti are in the need of emergency. More than 2000 people have died, more than 2000 injured, and many more are missing. Around 500,000 children are currently struggling to find safe shelter, food and water, according to UNICEF. Many people are angry about the slow arrival of aid in many areas requiring assistance, and many are struggling to find a place to sleep at night. In this article, we have compiled a list of websites you can make donations to help with the situation in Haiti.
Airlink
Airlink is an organisation that helps to provide transportation, evacuation, medical assistance and more to ones in need in Haiti. They are working with other NGOs and airline partners to transport relief workers and emergency supplies for reputable NGOs.
You can visit their website and donate by clicking here.
Americares
Americares is an organisation that helps save lives and improve the health of those who have been impacted by poverty or natural disasters. The impact of one’s donation is multiplied many times over in Americares, for example, if you donate $1, Americares will provide care that is worth $20. This is because they deliver donated medical supplies to networks of locally-based providers in the region. You can visit their website and donate by clicking here.
Project Hope
Project Hope is a humanitarian relief organization that has been working on the front lines of the world’s health challenges and partnering with many other organisations and communities to provide healthcare services and help save the lives of people who are suffering for 60 years. They are using the donated money to deliver medicines and medical aid supplies to help wounded citizens in Haiti. You can visit their website and donate by clicking here.
BBC News
A great way to show support for those suffering because of the earthquake is also by knowing what is going on, and being updated. BBC has a page for News of Latin America, where they post frequent updates of the situation in Haiti (and of other countries as well). You can visit the page and read more about updates by clicking here.
India’s DNA Vaccine
Article by Ananya Nayar
India gave emergency approval for the Corona Virus DNA Vaccine. This three-dose ZyCoV-D vaccine uses genetic materials from the virus to make a protein that our immune systems respond to. This is the world’s first DNA vaccine against Covid. This approval will accelerate the vaccination programme and all eligible adults are on track to be fully vaccinated by December, this new vaccine will be administered to children aged 12 and over.
As of now, 100 million- 120 million doses of ZyCoV-D are going to be manufactured annually.
This inoculation uses rings of DNA/plasmids which transfer into the cells and signals to make a ‘spike protein.’ This will trigger our immune systems and produce antibodies to resist the virus faster and more effectively. Zydus Cadila (the pharmaceutical company that produced this vaccine) says that it’ll be more effective against mutations of the virus-like the highly infectious Delta variant.
These DNA vaccines are proven to be cheaper and more stable, they can be stored at higher temperatures as well and they are the first needle-free CoronaVirus jab.
Kids' Articles
Kid’s Corner: July Hottest Month on Earth
Article by Ananya Nayar
Last month, July 2021, was the hottest month ever recorded in human history. The temperature last month was 1.67 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the past century’s average temperature.
Asia especially experienced the hottest month, and countries across Europe like Greece and Italy faced wildfires. The effects of climate change are obvious here and the threats of droughts, wildfires, heatwaves and hurricanes made a lot of us realise that it’s important to take action against global warming.
A Noaa climate report (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) also found that the Arctic ice amount was over 18% less than what the average amount of ice was in 1980-2010. Meaning that the ice caps in polar regions are melting extremely fast and dangerously, and it was estimated that by 2100 over a third of the world’s remaining glaciers will melt if we don’t take steps to preserve our planet. A 2019 study revealed that sea levels will rise by at least 1 foot to 3 feet by 2100.
Why is Biodiversity Important?
By Misaki Tomiyama
You have probably heard the term ‘biodiversity’ before, either in school, in an encyclopedia or on the news. Biodiversity is also called biological diversity and it refers to the variety of all living organisms on Earth and the way they are interconnected.
Biodiversity is mainly built from three features- ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. Ecosystem diversity is the variety of ecosystems (an ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. -definition by the National geographic). Species diversity is the variety of species, and genetic diversity is the variety of genes.
Biodiversity is very important because it plays a large role in maintaining a healthy and high-functioning ecosystem. Having a variety of species is important because each species plays a large role in its ecosystem. Biodiversity also stabilises our ecosystems as it reduces the dependence of one species on another for food, shelter etc. For example, if a certain animal of the food chain, such as wolves become extinct in a certain area, dears will increase, as there will be fewer animals that will hunt on them. If the numbers of dears increase, the amount of vegetation they eat will also increase, which can negatively harm our vegetation and ecosystem.
It not only impacts our environment but the way humans live too. Biodiversity plays a large role in supporting human needs such as food, shelter, the development of medicines and so on. Without certain species, and the other species they depend on, we humans might not be able to survive. Biodiversity also helps water resources such as rivers, as it cleans and controls the route it takes. Biodiversity also strengthens our soil and makes sure we are able to produce food on it.
Biodiversity is extremely important, and we humans also have to protect them, as it impacts our environment and our society.
Other Articles
This Week in History
By Ananya Nayar
On the 16th August 2009, athlete Usain Bolt set the 100-metre sprint world record. 22-year-old Bolt broke the world record in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium as he finished the race in 9.58 seconds- being the first athlete to finish under 9.6 seconds.
In 1227, on August 18th, Ancient Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan passed away. He had conquered huge parts of China and Asia and established the largest land empire in history. Although he was a brutal killer, he was known as one of the greatest conquerors the world has known, he dedicated trade routes and evolved the Silk routes.
On August 20, 1619, around 20 Angolans kidnapped by the Portuguese arrived in Virginia (a British Colony at the time) and were bought by the English colonists. This arrival of the enslaved African men marked the beginning of the two and a half horrible centuries of black slavery in North America. Many cases of slavery were sold as indentured slaves, where slaves were usually forced to continue working until or after the end of their contract.
On the 21st of August 1949, Hawaii became the 50th state of America, during the second world war, Hawaii became part of the American national identity following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
On the same date but in 1980 animal rights advocates Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco founded the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,) later on, it became the most controversial animal rights organisation.
The non-profit group’s main principles were that animals are not our property to experiment on, wear, abuse or use for entertainment in any way. PETA shone a light on animal cruelty worldwide and distributed images of animals being kept in horrible situations, but lots of people found their methods of spreading awareness and more triggering and often vile.
Book and Movie Reviews
By Ananya Nayar
Book of the Week: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
No spoiler review!
I enjoyed reading this book for multiple reasons- not only does it include very realistic and relevant topics like a mix of cultures, relationships, pressure, teenage angst, coming of age, pregnancy at a young age but the way the author brought all those topics together in a really good and thought-out way and crafted very well-written story out of them was amazing. I appreciated the plot a lot and I liked how she broke the stereotype that we have in our minds for a teen mother. We usually think that the mother’s life is a mess and full of regret, but this story proved that teenage mothers can be so much more than that and they aren’t just broken. It did justice to many struggles women face. I liked Emoni’s character and her growth and I loved her passion for cooking.
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating out of Five Stars: 4.7/5
Movie of the Week: Karate Kid 2010
No spoilers review!
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie because the production, writing, plot and characters are very well-developed and interesting. It teaches you about perseverance and that when you are knocked down it’s simply up to you to get back on your feet stronger. I like the relationships the characters have with each other- like Mr Han (played by Jackie Chan) and Dre (played by Jaden Smith) work together in training so well. The stunts, dances etc are incredible as well. Usually, I don’t like a film with an abrupt ending, but it didn’t seem rushed and turned out quite well. Although many people prefer the previous version I liked this one more because it was more realistic and interesting. I’d watch this again for sure.
Age Recommendation: All ages
Rating out of Five Stars: 5/5
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