Round Up | Top five International Stories for August 2022
From US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan to the death of Mikhail Gorbachev the last Soviet ruler, and the Taliban’s national holiday celebration, here’s a round-up of the top five international stories for August.
- Pelosi tours Asia visits Taiwan
- Ruto wins Kenyan Presidential election
- Israeli bombardment of Gaza
- Transition of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet ruler
- Taliban celebrates anniversary of foreign troop departure
Let’s take a deep dive;
Pelosi tours Asia, visits Taiwan
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a five-day tour led a congressional delegation to four Asian nations, including a controversial stop in Taiwan.
Despite stern disapproval from China, Pelosi met with Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan on the second and third day of the month.
Consequently, the high-profile diplomatic contact infuriated the Chinese.
In response, China inter alia launched unprecedented military drills around Taiwan, halted important communication channels with the US, and sanctioned Pelosi.
The Chinese leadership considers Taiwan as an inalienable part of its territory and has not ruled out military action to annex the island nation if need be.
Ruto wins Kenyan Presidential election
Held on August 9, the Kenyan Presidential election saw the emergence of Williams Ruto as president-elect of the East African nation.
Ruto was declared winner after he garnered 50.5 per cent of the votes to emerge against opposition leader and closest rival Railia Odinga, who polled 48.8 per cent.
Unsatisfied with the outcome of the polls, Odinga filed a court petition on August 22.
The Supreme Court has 14 days which runs till September 5 to hear the petition and issue a verdict.
If the court upholds the results, Ruto will become the fifth President of Kenya since independence from Britain in 1963.
Israeli bombardment of Gaza
Israel carried out three-day air strikes on Gaza last month, and according to the Israeli military: the operation targeted members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement.
The operation, which prompted a military response from the PIJ, saw the death of over 40 Palestinians with no recorded casualities on the Israel side.
Satisfactorily, both sides claimed victory and consented to a truce on August 8.
The ceasefire which was mediated by Cairo with help from the United Nations and Doha halted the conflict – the deadliest in Gaza since May 2021.
Transition of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet ruler
Born in March 1931, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet President, died at the age of 91 on August 30.
He was iconic and at the same time seen as a controversial leader.
Hailed in the West as a man that brought the Cold War to a peaceful end, he is widely despised at home as the cause behind the fall of the Soviet Union.
On September 3, the Soviet statesman will be laid to rest in Moscow, the Russian state capital.
Taliban celebrates anniversary of foreign troop departure
Taliban alias the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on August 31 celebrated a year since the last American plane departed the country after a 20-year war.
In celebration, the authorities declared a national holiday, set off fireworks and held a military parade at Bagram Airbase, the nerve centre of US operations during the war.
Since making a return to power, the Taliban-run administration remains in diplomatic isolation and has no formal recognition on the world stage.
Read Also: Round Up | Top five international stories for July
