Author: Gah-Kai Leung

Argentine election results force surprise November runoff

Peronist presidential candidate Daniel Scioli has failed to win outright in Sunday’s general election, sparking the first runoff in Argentinian history. Cristina Kirchner had nominated Mr Scioli to succeed her as leader of the left-leaning Front for Victory since she is constitutionally banned from running for a third term. Despite being the favourite to win, Mr Scioli has seen a stiff challenge from centre-right rival Mauricio Macri. The opposition leader has gained sizeable support, exploiting Argentinians’ frustration at both economic mismanagement and the lack of justice for murdered federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman. With 96% of ballots counted, Mr Scioli scooped 36.7% of the vote to Mr Macri’s 34.5%.

Conservatives storm to victory in Polish elections

In another historic election night, the Polish opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party claimed victory on Sunday, heralding the first right-wing administration in Poland since 1989. Though it was not immediately clear whether this would be enough to govern alone, outgoing Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz – head of the centrist Civic Platform party – conceded defeat to PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. PiS won the election with 37.6% of the vote, running on a platform designed to appeal to those left behind by the country’s astounding economic growth in recent years.

Netanyahu criticised for claiming Palestinian mufti inspired Holocaust

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu sparked a furore earlier this week after he claimed the then Palestinian grand mufti had suggested the genocide of the Jews to the Nazis during WWII. The incendiary comments came during a speech to the World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem, drawing ire from both fellow Israelis and Palestinians alike. Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog accused Mr Netanyahu of trivialising the Holocaust, while senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the remarks absolved Hitler of responsibility. The claim is rejected by the scholarly consensus on the Holocaust.

Chile legalizes same-sex civil unions for the first time

Hundreds of same-sex couples poured into registry offices in Chile last week to exchange their vows as same-sex civil unions became legal for the first time on Thursday. Although Chile does not have full marriage equality, the new legislation is seen by activists as a milestone in one of Latin America’s more conservative countries. Only a quarter of Chileans are in favour of same-sex marriage according to recent figures, but Congress had enough cross-party support for according civil union eligibility to same-sex couples.

UK childhood obesity report ignites debate on controversial sugar tax

David Cameron faced pressure on Thursday to reverse his opposition to a tax on high-sugar foods, following the release of a long-awaited Public Health England report on childhood obesity. The research study argues that a charge of 10-20% is needed to curb the country’s growing obesity crisis. Some critics of the tax are worried about the highly regressive effects it would have on lower-income groups. Others believe it is a blunt instrument and the state should focus on alternative measures, such as promoting sport in schools and introducing more stringent food labels. Number 10 said that it was looking at the rest of the report’s recommendations, including a crackdown on advertising of sugary products and cut-price promotions of sweet food and drink.

Mark Carney speaks on Britain’s membership of the EU

Bank of England governor Mark Carney said on Wednesday that the UK is a “leading beneficiary” of European Union membership and its policies on free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. In a speech in Oxford, he also advocated reforms so that the union would continue to serve Britain’s interests in the future. Chancellor George Osborne welcomed Mr Carney’s stance, saying this is precisely why the government wants to renegotiate terms with the EU. But some critics have argued that Mr Carney needs to be less involved in matters outside the Bank’s remit, since his authority is founded on the fact that he is meant to be apolitical.

Mark Zuckerberg gives first Mandarin speech to Chinese students

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg gave his first speech entirely in Mandarin before a crowd at Tsinghua University on Saturday. At a student dialogue event, he advised budding entrepreneurs to have a strong sense of mission when starting a business and not be motivated by making a quick buck. Mr Zuckerberg cited Chinese companies including Alibaba and Xiaomi as great examples of firms that have this kind of corporate ethos. “The [speech’s] themes of believing in your mission, caring more deeply than anyone else and always looking ahead are relevant to anything you might build,” he said in a statement on Facebook. The speech went viral in the Chinese blogosphere, as Mr Zuckerberg gained widespread praise among netizens for his Mandarin abilities.