If you’ve either had a busy weekend or haven’t had the chance to follow news updates, here’s a wrap of the five stories that made headlines that you may have missed.
1. Mass protests took place in Beirut after last week’s deadly explosion
Thousands gathered in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square on Saturday and Sunday to protest the government’s corruption and negligence that has said to have triggered Beirut’s deadly explosion. Demonstrators faced rubber bullets and tear gas in clashes with security forces and police.
The catastrophe that happened last Tuesday killed more than 200 people and left around 300,000 people without homes, according to the latest government figures provided by the BBC.
Lebanon’s Environment Minister Kattar Damianos and Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad have now announced resignations in light of the devastating explosion and protests.
2. Home Office asked for military help to tackle migrant crossings
Home Office submitted a formal request for naval support to help deal with migrants attempting to cross the English Channel. The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that it was “working hard to identify how it can most effectively assist.”
The request came after an increasing number of people were trying to make the dangerous journey. The Home Office said that at least 15 boats and 151 people in total arrived in the UK on Saturday.
3. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake rocked North Carolina
Early Sunday, just after 8:00 AM Eastern Time, North Carolina was hit by the strongest earthquake to take place in the state in 94 years, according to the report by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The 5.1 magnitude earthquake could be felt along the state’s border with Virginia.
“The information centre received more than 6,000 reports of the earthquake in a 200-mile radius that touches seven states,” the National Earthquake Information Center of USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin told the News & Observer.
The damage is still being evaluated. As of today, there have been reports of damage to residential structure, chimneys or water main break.
4. Air India Express plane crashed in two and killed 18
The Air India Express plane carrying 184 passengers, including 10 infants, crashed in the southern India state of Kerala on Friday, killing at least 18 people, and leaving many injured.
READ MORE: Oil Spill on Mauritius Coast Causes Environmental Concern
The plane, en route from Dubai, skidded off the runway due to bad weather before breaking in two while landing at Kozhikode airport. According to the Economic Times, the plane was flying home Indians stranded overseas due to pandemic.
5. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko election victory caused riots
Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled for a quarter of a century, was re-elected as a President with an electoral victory of roughly 80% vote in Sunday’s election. The result sparked riots in Belarus’ capital Minsk and other cities. According to Reuters, voters said this is “an electoral farce”.
“It’s certainly the biggest protest I’ve ever seen in Belarus since Lukashenko came to power,” the University of Alberta professor and Belarus expert David Marples told the Guardian.
Later on Sunday, dozens of arrests were made, and many were left injured because of the force, rubber bullets, flash grenades and water cannons that were used by riot police, reported the Guardian.
Berta believes that oftentimes the most compelling stories do not receive enough media coverage, and she is committed to uncovering it. Her interest mainly focuses on the global issues concerning society, science, and the environment.
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