Welcome to Essex Girl's weekly Current Events Explainers
Stay up to date with the latest news and political developments with quick explainers and insights from a Politics and International Relations student. Each week there will be new sections on the biggest stories that week.
Key Events this Week
Ukraine attacks Russian airbases
Ukraine has reportedly successfully taken out 40 Russian aircraft bombers, following Russia’s biggest campaign of drone strikes since the start of the invasion. Russia has accused Ukraine of ‘terrorist attacks’ against some of its largest airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions. These attacks have reportedly resulted in over £2 billion worth of damages on Russian military aircraft. Moscow has declared some of the ‘participants’ in this have been detained. This heightened violence comes ahead of peace talks in Istanbul, Monday 2 June. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation, accompanied by a deputy foreign minister as well as military and intelligence officials. The Ukraine delegation is set to request a 30-day ceasefire. However, the outcome of the talks may turn sour as the conflict continually heats up over the coming days.
Polish presidential election
Once again, Poland is in the grips of political battle between pro-EU and populist forces. Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski is facing off against conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who takes inspiration from Donald Trump’s populist style and policy platform. Poles are currently casting their ballots, with the result expecting to be incredibly close. The outcome of this election is a crucial indicator for the potential future of Ukraine, as well as Europe at large. As of the evening of 1 June, Trzaskowski is marginally leading the polls. However, whilst Trzaskowski has the backing of Brussels and some Washington DC circles, Nawrocki’s support form the MAGA White House could be the deciding factor. Currently, the presidency of Poland sits of the knife edge of what are increasingly the defining political factions in European politics- liberal EU-supporting figures vs Nationalist right-wing populists.
IDF denies yet another deadly attack in Rafah
There are conflicting reports regarding the number of fatalities and whether the deaths were caused by an airstrike or gunfire from Israeli forces, following the deaths of dozens of Palestinians in Rafah. The Hamas- run Palestinian Health Ministry has declared 31 people dead near an aid distribution centre following an Israeli airstrike, something the IDF denies. However, other reports have declared these deaths occurred when Israeli soldiers open fired near a roundabout close to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation hub, a new aid organisation backed by Israel and the US. Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, suggested that reports of the attack might be "Hamas propaganda”, whilst the IDF warns of ‘misinformation’ surrounding this. However, despite this confusion, and the new aid distribution system implemented, Palestinian people still face ongoing bombardment by Israeli missiles and drones, as well as the increasing threat of starvation. There remains insufficient aid flowing into Gaza, with death and tragedy becoming consistent realities in the lives of displaced Palestinians.
About Me
Hi there! My name is Lois Blackmore. I decided to create 'In The Loop with An Essex Girl' as an outlet for practicing my journalistic skills. I am very passionate about politics and have been since I was about 12 or 13. I am currently studying Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath. With this blog, I hope to cultivate a portfolio of opinion pieces, analysis and commentary that will help me in my future search for work in the industry of journalism and news media. In the process, I hope to help others to make some sense of the chaotic world of politics and global events.
Email lois.blackmore@outlook.com
LinkedIn (3) Lois Blackmore | LinkedIn
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