Stuff You Should Know
New Premier of China
On March 15, Li Keqiang became China’s new premier. Like in England, the premier acts as the head of the government, while the Chinese president functions mainly as a figurehead, similar to Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Unlike Great Britain or other countries that have democratic elections, China has only one ruling political party–the Communist Party of China. The premier is selected by the National People’s Congress. This group has 3,000 delegates. In theory, the delegates are granted lawmaking powers, but it has been largely reported that the Congress mostly approves decisions that have already been made by the Communist Party leadership. Chinese premiers are elected for one five-year term and usually hold the office for two terms, a total of ten years.
China and the United States have the two largest economies in the world. Li Keqiang said he is committed to maintaining strong ties with the U.S. regarding trade and investment, despite fundamental political differences. Keqiang gave his first official speech as premier on March 17th, addressing the National People’s Congress. He called for continued economic reform as well as a fairer distribution of income.
Dig Deeper–Li Keqiang faces considerable challenges as reports of government corruption and a shifting economy that depends less on exports. Find three articles that lay out what kinds of commitments and promises this Premier has made on record about how he plans to lead.
SXSW
Perhaps you noticed the acronym SXSW splashed across your social media throughout the month of March. It stands for the South by Southwest music and media conference that happens each year in Austin, Texas. SXSW is actually three separate but overlapping festivals and conferences: Music, Film and Interactive. Attendees attend panel discussions and sessions during the day, where industry experts discuss relevant issues or provide insight based on their experiences. At night, there are parties and concerts featuring up to 2,200 different bands. The first SXSW was held in 1992. Organizers expected around 150 people and over 700 showed up. In 2013, the crowd has grown to nearly 20,000.
Artists typically go to SXSW to get a deal–a record contract, a distribution deal, or to sell an app. The festival has a strong history of launching careers. In 1994, the band Hanson, John Mayer and James Blunt were all signed to major labels after performing at SXSW. Twitter credits the convention for its popularity. At this year’s conference, Dave Grohl, former drummer for the band Nirvana and founder of Foo Fighters, was the keynote speaker. Keynote speeches are usually given by famous people and attract a large number of participants. Grohl talked about his experiences and the importance of maintaining an individual voice.
Dig Deeper–Take a look at the SXSW website. Does it make you interested in attending one day? Why or why not?
Continued Tensions with North Korea
The social and economic problems in North Korea continue, as the country’s government keep it isolated from the rest of the global community.
The government of North Korea is determined to improve its nuclear weapons program. This news is troubling to the leaders of Japan, China, South Korea and the United States, countries who share a history or strained relationships with the northeast Asian country. In February, North Korea conducted its third nuclear test since 2006, which is in direct violation with the United Nations. While the country has threatened to attack the United States, the bigger threat seems to be North Korea’s willingness to sell nuclear weapons and materials to nations that the U.S. sees as rogue nations, such as Iran and Syria. North Korea says that it has the right to arm itself against what it sees as a hostile U.S. policy.
Japan held an emergency security meeting to assess the radiation effects of the latest North Korean nuclear tests. The United States recently added 14 ground-based defense missiles to the 30 already in place in Alaska and California. Newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that this action was necessary given North Korea’s actions. The South Korean military has also raised it’s military alertness level.
What Do You Think? Do you think North Korea should be allowed to continue with its plan to create a fully functional nuclear weapon? Why or why not? Find out what sanctions have been placed against the country and why.
One Step Closer to a Cure for HIV
Researchers in France have a “functional cure” for HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that can lead to AIDS, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This means that while the HIV virus is still detectable in the body, it is at such low levels that it doesn’t require treatment. Scientists started their experiment three years ago, gathering fourteen people who had then been recently diagnosed with HIV. This group (now called the Visconti Cohort) were given antiretroviral drugs for three years and then told to stop taking them. Usually, when HIV patients stop taking their drugs, the effects of the virus return right away. That did not happen with these patients. Researchers believe it is because they were given the drugs so early. This is good news for newly diagnosed persons.
The exact origin of AIDS and HIV is complicated, but is said to have started in Africa in the late 19th century. The AIDS epidemic in the United States officially began in 1981. The drug azidothymidine (AZT) was introduced in 1987 and was considered the first breakthrough in treating HIV and AIDS. A few years later the “AIDS cocktail,” a mixture of different drugs designed to prevent drug resistance, became a very effective treatment. Researchers are hoping this new early intervention will be a significant step toward finding a complete cure.