The 5 most important news of the last 15 days

1. The Qatar World Cup has started

We suppose you must be living under a rock if you didn't notice this fact, but what is probably the most important sporting event in the world (rivaled only by the Olympics) has kicked off.
Surrounded by controversy, the World Cup will be played for the first time in its history in the winter months, away from the traditional summer dates. The lack of LGBT and women's rights in the country of Qatar, as well as the labor situation of the workers who have built the infrastructure for this World Cup to take place, have made this World Cup surrounded by controversy.
On the more sporting side, there are several attractions:
- On the one hand, to see the (more than likely) last World Cup of two legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and to see if either of them can become champions for the first time.
- On the other hand, we must keep a close eye on the most powerful teams competing for the championship: Brazil is the favorite in South America, while in Europe we could highlight the reigning champions, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, the French team, and the French team.
- Finally, we cannot forget the role of our players. The Spanish national team, led by Luis Enrique, arrives with a squad full of young players, who aspire to continue improving, and who have been playing well in recent months, although without sufficient quality to be classified as favorites.

2. The controversy about the law of "yes is yes".

The Law of Integral Guarantee of Sexual Freedom, better known as the "law of yes is yes" has entered into force just a few days ago, creating a situation of confusion both within the judiciary, as well as the political power. This law was formulated from the controversy with the case of the well-known "manada" that occurred in the San Fermines of 2016, with the aim of toughening the penalties in the type of crimes linked to sexual aggression.
In the judicial field, the law has left open different holes that are allowing just the opposite of what the law intended; by joining the crimes of abuse and sexual assault, the minimum penalty of the latter has decreased, generating a situation where they can ask for a retroactive review of the sentence. After numerous convicted persons wanted to use this formula to reduce their sentences, appeals to higher courts were not long in coming. At the moment, 7 provincial courts have already fixed the review of sentences, while others have rejected them, creating judicial uncertainty as to how to operate in these cases.
In the political arena, the controversy was not long in coming. From the right, the Minister of Equality is blamed for this new legislation and is accused of being responsible for the fact that sexual aggressors are on the streets. Regarding the PSOE, it seems to maintain a more neutral position, and asks for respect for the internal functioning of the judiciary. Finally, PODEMOS has gone so far as to label the judges as "sexist" and has pointed out the lack of courses on gender issues in the judiciary, as well as defending that the wording of the law has no holes or flaws, but that the controversial element is found in the profile or ideological tendencies of the magistrates themselves.

3. Protests in China due to COVID-19 restrictive measures.

Although in most Western societies, the restrictive measures derived from Covid have been gradually decreasing in recent months, the case of the Asian giant has been different.
Following the proposed "Covid 0 policy" implemented since the beginning of the pandemic, and recently defended by President Xi Jinping at the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress, the Eastern superpower continues to implement a highly restrictive policy to prevent the spread of the virus. The strictest measures range from the confinement of entire neighborhoods in the event of the appearance of a case, to restrictions on people's homes and timetables.
The protests were sparked when last Thursday, in the city of Uruqumti (population 3.5 million) a fire ended in disgrace. Due to the restrictions, the doors of the building were closed, making it difficult for people to leave the building and for firefighters to enter it. The final result was 10 dead. This event outraged the Chinese population, who coordinated through the networks to carry out protests (sometimes defying government restrictions already with the simple fact of meeting) in some cities such as Shanghai, Pekin, Nanjijng, Chengdu o Wuhán.
It should be noted that these demonstrations bring together various factors, such as demands for greater freedom, the claims of some minorities or ethnic communities, who believe that the confinement is being more restrictive in their areas, or even in some cases, the protests have taken on a clear nuance against the Communist Party itself.
These unusual demonstrations, not very typical of China, have been answered by the government with a double way of operating: Media silence to prevent their propagation and censorship of these on social networks.
Finally, it is worth noting the challenge the Chinese government may face in dealing with such protests. The inusualidad of these leaves open the question of how Beijing will respond to this issue, while also calling into question the form of policy proposed by the regime to deal with the pandemic.

4. Economic situation: Inflation stagnates, but food prices continue to rise.

While some government measures seem to have been effective in curbing inflation, especially in the area of bills (with the exception of gas, which has increased by 13%, it seems that the price of electricity has stabilized and even decreased), inflation has changed sidewalks, especially in the price of the shopping basket. Thus, in October of this year, inflation moderated by 7.3%, but food prices rose by almost 16% (15.8%). Another of the services that rose the most was lodging.
Within food prices, the following are worth mentioning:
- Sugar, which is up 42.8%.
- Flour and other cereals, which increased by 37.8%.
- Butter, which soared by 34.1 %.
- Sauces and condiments up 29.2%.
In summary, although inflation seems to be easing, this Christmas we will have to be attentive to the shopping basket, and avoid buying the foods that have increased the most in price.

5. The war in Ukraine does not stop. Russia is targeting the Ukrainian power grid.

The war in Ukraine seems to have taken a turn. After Russian troops retreated eastward, losing much of the conquered territory, the Kremlin's strategy is shifting to different terrains.
It seems that Moscow wants to play with the climatic factor; aware of the low temperatures reached during the winter in Eastern Europe, Russia is now using its war efforts to disable the Ukrainian power grid. The launching of missiles towards cities all over the Ukrainian territory (passing through the capital, Kiev. Or even reaching the most important city in the far west of Ukraine, Lvivwhich is practically on the border with Poland) have caused power outages across the whole of Ukraine. The targets are not only limited to electricity, but internet connectivity also appears to be critically affected.
Such is the intensity of the shelling that the effects have spread beyond Ukraine's borders. Blackouts have even been replicated in several cities in Moldova, such as Baltsiand even in its capital city, Chisinau.
To such an extent have the Russian attacks reached, that last Thursday, the mayor of Kiev, Vitali KlichkóThe city's electricity supply was cut off for 80% of the city, in addition to serious problems with heating and water supply.
In response to this situation, ZelenskyThe Ukrainian president has announced a nationwide campaign aimed at minimizing the effects of these bombings. The president has said he will set up improvised centers to provide shelter for people suffering from prolonged power outages.
Moreover, it seems that the low military profile adopted by the Russians is aimed at prolonging the conflict in order to wear down the strategic unity of the NATO allies; in this sense, it seems that the alliance states are gradually beginning to deplete the arms reserves destined for the Ukrainian conflict (according to a recent NY Times report, this situation is already present in 20 of the 30 alliance partners).
Russia's strategy seems clear, to tighten the rope between NATO partners, while the disabling of the power grid, coupled with the difficulty of receiving gas and other logistical difficulties, seems to augur a fatal winter for the Ukrainian population. We shall see if in the coming months the Kremlin will make another move and intensify a military campaign in a country with a critical logistical network and inoperative material resources.

Mantente informado

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