The Weekly Focus Edition 100
BLR Initiative by China
The Belt and Road Initiative was a project launched by China to connect mainland China to various ports and trade hubs in Southeast Asia in the Indian Ocean. The initiative was launched to assert dominance over other countries and surpass the USA to be the world superpower in trade. The countries involved are LEDCs and China offered attractive loans to them with rates which could not be paid back allegedly, known as debt traps. These countries include Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Djibouti and more. If we analyze the map above, we can see that these areas can create choke points that could affect oil supply and more trade to western countries. However, the USA, India, Japan, and Australia have formed the Quad alliance. India is getting access to a port in the straight of Malacca near Indonesia and Malaysia to ensure its own safety, and PM Modi is travelling abroad to better relations with countries like UAE and more. We still do not know what will happen and how successful this initiative will be but we at The Weekly Focus hope for peace.
School Shootings in the USA
A country with such vast economic and military expanse has a terrible flaw in its system: guns are extremely easy to obtain. School shootings have been common in the US over the past few years, and earlier this week another shooting with 17 casualties took place in Texas. Almost all shooters in the US have a history of bullying or a mental health disorder. The fact that guns are so easily available to these people is all the more worrying. Parents and students alike worry each day and aren’t safe in school because of these laws. In Texas, the 18-year-old suspect is said to have shot his grandmother before entering the school with a handgun, dodging two guards and opening fire in a 4th-grade classroom. 2 teachers along with 19 young students were killed, along with the gunman. The reason America doesn’t have stricter gun laws is due to the politics between the Republicans and the Democrats. The Republicans remain strong in their stance that guns are needed for self-defense and refer to the American constitution, while the Democrats have tried many times to stricken gun laws but it has borne no fruit due to the political divide. The Weekly Focus feels great agony after hearing about the shootings and hopes something is done to prevent these shootings.
The UEFA Champions League
As Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League, let’s talk about some of the ups and downs of the season, and some of the thrillers. We began the season with the group stage, with some of the strongest teams looking to chase down a victory. At the top of the list was Manchester City who had lost out on the win last year by only one goal after Kai Havertz of Chelsea scored a late winner. The giants are looking to win their first UCL title in more than a decade. Big names like Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Kevin de Bruyne, and Mohammed Salah all looked to be at their peak and just showed us what a treat we were in for. Fast forward to the Round of 16 with Bayern Munich, Sporting, Villareal, Manchester United, and a few others all making the cut. One of the biggest shocks was the game between Salzburg and Bayern, where Bayern won the first leg 1-1 but thrashed the Red Bull-sponsored team 7-1 in the second leg, securing their place in the quarters. Real Madrid faced last year's champions, Chelsea, in the quarter-finals and won the first game 3-1.
However, in the second game, Chelsea was able to score 3 and all hopes were gone for Los Blancos. However, Rodrygo and Benzema came to the rescue, scoring goals in the 80th and 96th minutes respectively, letting the world know that they were there to stay. The 13-time champions Real Madrid faced Manchester City and Liverpool faced Villareal in the semi-finals. The first game was won by Real Madrid 3-1 with Rodrygo and Benzema scoring for them towards the end of the game and giving them a 2-goal lead. Villareal was winning 2-0 against Liverpool in the first half but Luis Diaz, Fabinhno, and Sadio Mane scored for them making it 3-2 and winning them the game. In the second leg Manchester City beat Los Blancos 4-3, but Benzema’s 82nd-minute penalty is what won the 13-time champions the game and helped them advance to the finals. Liverpool beat Villareal 2-0 in the second leg; the underdogs of the tournament, Villareal, gave all the teams they faced a very tough fight. Liverpool dominated the finals, with more possession, shots, shots on target and chances, but a goal from Vinicius Jr. ensured Madrid lift their 14th Champions league title.
Best Player-
By far the best player of the tournament is Karim Benzema from Real Madrid who has a G/A of 16 in 12 appearances this season. Karim Benzema has scored the winning goal for Real Madrid multiple times which helped them go through to the next stage of the tournament.
Other News
Russia successfully tests a Zircon missile with 1000 kilometres of range in the white sea.
Founder of Japanese terrorist group Red Army released from jail after 20 years.
Japan to restart currently dormant Nuclear Power Plants, and plans to use nuclear energy in the future
Imran Khan gives an ultimatum to the Pakistan government, demanding new polls with the threat that he will return to Islamabad to protest.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was re-elected as the head of the organization for the second term in a row.
Charles Leclerc takes pole in the Monaco Grand Prix
Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals to meet in the Final of the IPl 2022
Manchester City win the Premier League again, beat Liverpool in the race for the title
Jos Buttler hits his 4th century in this IPL season, which equals Kohli’s record for centuries in a season and all-time in the IPL
Djokovic and Nadal entered the pre-quarters of the French Open with ease.
Fact or Fiction
Dead skin cells are the main ingredient in household dust.
Egypt has more pyramids than any country in the world.
The circulatory system is more than 60,000 miles long.
There are parts of Europe in all four hemispheres.
The world’s first animated feature film was made in Argentina
The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands.
A one-way trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway involves crossing 3,901 bridges.
There are enough fossil fuels inside Earth to coat the planet.
Human beings can use only a small fraction of Earth’s water.
It takes a drop of water 90 days to travel the entire Mississippi River.
Guest Review! Check out https://anoushkathenerd.wordpress.com for more such reviews!
Book Name: To Kill a Kingdom
Review Overlook: (Rating: 4/5 )
Writing: ⅘
Plot: 5/5
Story flow: 5/5
Characters: ⅘
Love for the book: ⅘
Review in a line – A fun read that explored characters well and had an interesting plot
Thoughts:
“Could it really be such a bad thing, to become a story whispered to children in the dead of night? “The true danger is people. They are the unpredictable. The betrayers and the liars. And on the Saad, they are a world away.” “The truth of what I am has become a nightmare.”
Plot: The plot was very well crafted, and incorporated the two POVs smoothly. Although it is presented as a “The Little Mermaid” retelling, I genuinely didn’t realise it until I finished the book. Even though there are a few similarities, Alexandra Christo makes the book completely her own with her characters, and the entire mood of the book itself. She took some elements from the original, and added in some of her own, and presented a book that was completely unique, but with a hint of the story everyone knows. While the book is plot centered and fast paced, it takes the time to explore other characters and their individual moral dilemmas are weaved in seamlessly. Overall, I thought the plot was quite fun and definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read.
Characters: The characters were so so so good. This character has quite a lot of morally grey characters, who develop and become better people through the course of the book. Lira was such an awesome character and seeing the way her past affected the person she became was fascinating. I loved her arc and enjoyed the chapters from her POV. Elian was also amazing, and I enjoyed reading about how he struggled to balance his family and his ambitions. He had some witty lines that had me laughing, and while some of his traits seemed cliché, they didn’t really bother me because I loved him. The side characters were incredible too, and I loved the dynamic the crew had with each other. It gave a hint of the found family trope, and if you know me, you know I live for that.
Writing: The writing was wonderful, with striking dialogue and beautiful descriptions. The world-building really stood out to me. The way the different kingdoms were described created vivid pictures in my head, and they were all so vastly different with their own folklores and histories. None of the settings let me down, and each one was intriguing for its own reasons. I wish we could have delved into the different kingdoms a little more, but then the book would probably be a hundred pages longer. Some of the lines in the book were so breathtakingly wonderful, and even some of the simplest lines had a lasting effect.
Overview:
I loved the concept of this book so much, and I wish we could have delved deeper into some of the kingdoms and characters, but that’s not really a negative
Pasta Recipe:
The following recipe is by Arhaan on @arhaans_food_trail on Instagram
He is an amazingly talented chef and a true food lover. He worked hard for his content, and definitely deserves a follow! Enjoy the special recipe below by Arhaan himself
If you are an aspiring home cook, then we have the perfect pasta recipe for you. The recipe is vegetarian and can be made vegan without the cheese; it is healthy and most of all super tasty so let’s dive in.
For this recipe the ingredients are as follows:
1 onion
I capsicum
4 tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Rosemary
Oregano
Cheese (Optional)
Spice of choice (Optional)
For the Instructions:
1. Dice all the veggies mentioned above.
2. Take a pan and put it on medium heat.
3. Add olive oil.
4. Add in your garlic, balsamic vinegar and salt to taste.
5. After you see the garlic starts to cook or the vinegar becomes a lighter colour, after 1-2
minutes add in your onion and capsicum.
6. When that cooks down and capsicum and onion changes shade, add your tomatoes, 1
tablespoon oregano (2 if you want additional flavor), and some rosemary if wanted.
7. While simultaneously cooking your veggies, boil any pasta of your choice (Recommended - fusilli)
8. After the veggies are cooked, mix/blend them in a blender until a sauce-like consistency is achieved
9. Add cheese and/or truffle oil if desired.
Watch the reel in the link followed to get a video description and a great look if confused:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbfKdhFFugi/
Written by Vivaan Dharamshi
Edited by Nirvaan Zaveri
Article 1 by Arhaan Zaveri
Article 3 by Krishnav Bubna & Saveer Solanki
Fact or Fiction by Nikunj Gupta
Guest Review
Recipe by Arhaan Zaveri
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Fact or Fiction Answers:
1) Fact
2) Fiction (The correct country is Sudan, even though everyone was expecting Egypt.).
3) Fact
4) Fiction (The correct continent is Africa, but Europe comes close).
5) Fact
6) Fact
7) Fact
8) Fiction (The correct material is gold because we are running out of fossil fuels and hence a conversion to electric transport and appliances is necessary).
9) Fact
10) Fact