Good morning. Here’s your Daily Situational Awareness for Friday, 19 August 2022.
TODAY’S BRIEFING:
- READ TIME: 1 min 58 seconds
DAILYSA
ARGENTINA HIT BY STREET PROTESTS OVER DETERIORATING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS: Argentinians took to the streets today by the thousands to protest poor economic conditions that are gutting its working class. Inflation rose 7.4% in the last month to a high of 70%, and 40% of the population lives below the poverty level without steady employment. Protest leaders from local unions and political opposition groups called for government action to control prices on food, fuel, and essential consumer items as skyrocketing inflation are weakening the peso currency. Prices at grocery stores are increasing daily, and many working-class Argentinians are losing confidence in President Albert Fernandez’s government to improve economic conditions. – M.M.
RUSSIA REJECTS UNITED NATIONS CARETAKER FORCE AT UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR PLANT: Russian foreign ministry officials rejected a proposal by the United Nations to demilitarize the area around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine today. Moscow accused Kyiv of daily artillery and rocket attacks on the plant in an effort to introduce foreign military forces under the pretext of a demilitarized exclusion zone. Russian officials said they are following all safety protocols to keep the plant operating but may need to shut down plant numbers 5 and 6 power units due to the Ukrainian shelling. – M.M.
NEPAL NEXT TO EXPERIENCE FOOD SHORTAGES: According to agricultural officials, only 75% of Nepal’s rice paddy areas were planted this year. Lack of monsoon rains this year and extreme fertilizer shortages will further decrease yields. While India provided an emergency shipment of fertilizer, the country still faces a food shortage. – M.S.
BARRASSO ACCUSES BIDEN ADMIN OF SUBVERTING FEDERAL LAW: Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) accused the Biden administration of subverting the law on oil and gas lease sales. “Federal law is clear as day: the Secretary of the Interior is required to hold quarterly lease sales in states with federal oil and gas resources,” Barrasso said in a statement, adding that the Biden administration’s policy on curbing lease sales ‘subverts federal law.’ – M.S.
IN TODAY’S EARLY WARNING: The team looks at midterm expectations. You can get access to the daily Early Warning report here: https://forwardobserver.com/subscribe
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