The Weekly Focus Edition 63
Taliban in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, the beautiful war-torn country, is now in Taliban control. Taliban, an extremist organization, has swiftly reached the capital, Kabul, after capturing most of the state following the departure of all US troops. Around the globe, leaders and citizens are shocked by how fast they took power. The government of Afghanistan has fallen as ex-president Ashraf Ghani has fled his country justifying himself by not wanting to cause bloodshed.
Additionally, people are trying to find out how the Afghan military force was defeated so easily as the United States of America has invested tons of money into equipment and more in the army. Sources suggest that the Taliban walked the victory because military operatives surrendered in many areas. Many diplomatic conferences and talks are being held between the Taliban and the Afghan government and other countries are looking to help. Both the US and the UK sent troops and transport to evacuate Afghan citizens and embassy workers hoping to escape, causing huge crowds and some deaths. Social media has gone viral with videos of Taliban fighters patrolling the street.
The Taliban was in control in the late ’90s and early ’00s but many are saying that the “new” Taliban is slightly more lenient and has reduced brutality. On the contrary, some believe that the Taliban is oppressing women, forcing marriage and banning education and jobs. We hope that a stable government can come in place and Afghanistan can finally strive for peace and development.
Wind-generated sand waves on Mars?
The Curiosity rover captured these panoramas on July 3, 2021, which is the 3167th Mars day on its mission. The rover has now been on the planet for nine years and seems likely to continue indefinitely. Although NASA needs to manoeuvre its trips around the real dunes. As is the case with Earth and Tatooine, the sand on Mars is very coarse and certainly permeable. Seriously, this could spell disaster for the mission.
As the narrator notes, the dark ripples are sand made up of broken pieces of volcanic rock. The winds on Mars, despite their low density - Mars' atmosphere is super thin - have speeds high enough to play with the particles, shaping them like small dunes like those on Earth. For reference, the winds on Mars can blow up to 70 miles per hour. Although, again, the low density of the atmosphere means that the winds are particularly weak.
Other News
The first vaccine in the world based on DNA ZyCoV-D is cleared for emergency use in India.
The US seized three thousand fake COVID-19 vaccination cards that were sent from China.
Donald Trump criticized US president Biden saying that they should bomb the military bases in Afghanistan.
Apple has delayed its employees’ office return to January from October.
Tech News
Amitabh Bachchan becomes India's first Alexa voice.
Mi band 6 is to be launched on 26th August.
Microsoft has announced the new Xbox stereo wired headset.
Whatsapp has a feature that disappears messages after 90 minutes.
India beat England in a historic win at Lord's thanks to the effort of Shami and Bumrah with the bat and ball
Manchester City start the Premier League with a loss against Tottenham Hotspur FC
Manchester United beat Leeds 5-1 at the start of their Premier League Campaign
Roger Federer opts out of the US Open after consultations with his doctor about his knee.
On 15th August 1947, India became an independent country after the British left.
On 16th August 2008, Usain Bolt won his first Olympic gold in the 100m race setting a new world record of 9.69 seconds.
On 17th August 1945, Korea was divided into North and South.
On 18th August 1868, Pierre Janssen, a French Astronomer, discovered helium in the solar spectrum.
On 19th August 1900, the first and also last Olympic cricket match was played between Great Britain and France.
On 20th August 1888, the longest men’s singles US tournament match which lasted 80 games occurred.
On 21st August 1911, the Mona Lisa painting was stolen from the Louvre.
Written by Vivaan Dharamshi
Edited by Nirvaan Zaveri
Article 1 by Arhaan Zaveri
Article 2 by Krishnav Bubna
This Week in History by Nirvaan Zaveri