Article: Law against gay propaganda in Russia
Synopsis: Months before the Sochi 2014 Olympics, Russia
had passed a law against Gay Propaganda which has led to uproars around the
globe including today’s ongoing 2014 Olympic Games held in Sochi Russia. Traditionally
the law was focused upon banning further influence and propaganda of pedophilia
and homosexuality but the fact that homosexuality was categorized with
pedophilia disturbed the homosexual community. It seems that the Russian
Parliament voted overwhelmingly (96%) over a controversial piece of
legislation. It imposed heavy fines on anyone who provides information to under
the age of 18 particularly described as “untraditional sexual relations”. After
a few weeks the word spread across, not only within the nation but the whole world
that Russia was against gay/lesbian citizens. Countries like America and
England have taken steps to support the gay peoples in Russia by boycotting
vodka’s and the Sochi Olympics. In fact, Obama had been reported to have sent
gay athletes to compete in the games as a way to support the homosexual
community in Russia. Putin continues to emphasize that the law does not impose
a threat to the gay community but ironically, at the same time, the series of
protests against the ban outside the Sochi Olympics were put out through
violence and harassment by the police.
"Obama Picks
Gay Athletes for Sochi Opening Ceremony." The Sydney Morning Herald.
N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.smh.com.au/sport/winter-olympics/obama-picks-gay-athletes-for-sochi-opening-ceremony-20140207-32686.html>.
"Sochi 2014:
Putin Declares Gay Athletes Welcome." BBC
News. BBC, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24708739>.
"Sochi 2014: Gay Rights Protests Target
Russia's Games." BBC News.
BBC, 02 May 2014. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26043872>.
Article: Ukraine’s Prime Minister resigns (The Economist)
Article: Ukraine’s Prime Minister resigns (The Economist)
Synopsis: During the last week of January 2014, Ukraine’s Prime
minister and government resigned after a month of protests but the protesters
are continuing the unrest because what they want is a new presidential
election. The big issue in Ukraine continues to be ‘should the country move to
Russia’s orbit or should it move towards Europe’. The president Yanukovych
wants it to go towards to Russia and he’s been pulled toward that direction
through Putin who is offering money and threats but the people of Ukraine in
the East as well in the West are telling him they want to go toward Europe. It’s
not at all clear how this is going to end but the fact that the government is
gone and that the protests are continuing suggests that Yanukovych’s grip on
the country is weakening and he may not be able to stop his country from moving
towards Europe.
Analysis: As the Ukraine protest continues to fight against the sides, between a European Ukraine and Russian Ukraine, the nation’s economy continues to plummet. As in all protests, the economy has begun to deteriorate as protest lengthened throughout the weeks. As the economy worsened, prices rose, productions dropped, demands are not met, supply quotas reduce, equilibriums are fluctuated, thus it would be only natural that protests grew wilder. Moreover the protest took place throughout the week and during the working hours which suggests that all the protest participants (approximately more than 8000 people across the country) were not at work thus production was put on halt. The only action that could ease the anger of the public was for the current holding PM to step down (one of the core reasons for the protests) but evidently the protests continued because it increased in magnitude. Acting Prime minister, Serhiy Arbuzov states, “Political instability is putting pressure on the currency market. There is tension despite a lack of economic reasons for this”
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