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world news Diahuebs 22 aPRiL 2021

First woman ever applies to run for president of Syria

(AP) — A woman from Arab Spring-inspired protests
the capital Damascus has against the Assad family rule
applied to run for presi- turned into an armed insur-
dent of Syria, the parlia- gence in response to a brutal
ment speaker said Tues- military crackdown.
day, making her the first
female to make a bid for Separately, Assad appointed a
the country's top job. The new governor to the Central
largely symbolic election Bank on Tuesday days after
is certain to be won by sacking his predecessor amid
President Bashar Assad. a crushing currency crisis.

The presidential election, the Mohammad Issam Hazimeh
second since the country’s was named the bank's new
civil war broke out 10 years governor, replacing Hazem
ago, is to be held May 26. Qarfoul, who has been in the
Syrians abroad will vote on post since 2018. Hazimeh
May 20. was Qarfoul's deputy and is
a graduate of economic law
Speaker Hammoud Sab- from a French university.
bagh said Faten Ali Nahar, a
50-year-old Damascus resi- The Syrian pound set a re-
dent, has nominated herself cord in March trading on the
for the post. Little is known black market at 4,600 pounds
about her. The parliament to the dollar. At the start of
speaker provided her age, the conflict, the U.S. dollar
place of birth and her moth- ed to run and win a fourth macy. ing committee and Assad was worth 47 Syrian pounds.
er’s name in the announce- seven-year term. He has held continues to have the backing Last week, the central back
ment. There were no reports power since 2000, when he The international communi- of Russia and Iran. set the official rate at 2,512
on who she is on social me- took over after the death of ty is unlikely to recognize the pounds, down from 1,256
dia. his father, who ran the coun- legitimacy of the upcoming Last month, the Biden ad- since June, to the dollar.
try for 30 years. elections. According to the ministration said it will not
Two other candidates have U.N. resolution for a politi- recognize the result of Syria's Years of corruption and mis-
submitted their names, in- Syria only began allowing cal resolution of the conflict presidential election unless management, followed by
cluding a businessman who multi-candidate voting in in Syria, a new constitution the voting is free, fair, super- a decade of war and escalat-
ran against Assad in 2014. the 2014 elections. Competi- is supposed to be drafted and vised by the United Nations ing Western sanctions against
Assad won nearly 90% of the tion with Assad was symbolic approved in a public referen- and represents all of Syrian Assad's government have
votes in that contest. and seen by opposition and dum before U.N.-monitored society. deepened the hardship for
Western countries as a sham presidential elections are to Syrians. The U.N. estimates
Although Assad has not yet aimed to give the incumbent take place. But little progress Syria has been in the throes that 80% of Syrians live in
applied, he is widely expect- president a veneer of legiti- has been made on the draft- of civil war since 2011, when poverty.

India being overrun by its massive virus surge

India has been overwhelmed by Religious leaders and hundreds of thou-
hundreds of thousands of new coro- sands of devout Hindus descended on
navirus cases daily, bringing pain, the banks of the Ganges River in the
fear and agony to many lives as northern Indian city of Haridwar last
lockdowns have been placed in Del- month for a major Kumbh festival. They
hi and other cities. believe that a dip in holy water will wash
away their sins and prevent rebirth. One
India's Health Ministry reported prominent Hindu religious leader died
295,041 new cases on Wednesday with of COVID-19 shortly after.
2,023 deaths, taking total fatalities to
182,553. India has since the start of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home
pandemic recorded 15.6 million cases, Minister Amit Shah as well as opposi-
the second highest behind the United tion politicians took part in mass elec-
States. tion rallies in five populous states with
with tens of thousands of supporters not
Newly reported cases have exceeded wearing masks or social distancing.
200,000 each day for a week — with
people being infected faster than they Tens of thousands of farmers protesting
can be tested. new agricultural reform laws have been
camping on the outskirts of the Indian
"This time, infection is spreading so fast capital in crowded tents and makeshift
that people are not getting time to get townships since November.
medicines. Many people are dying be-
fore we can get a test report," said Dr. Modi tried to boost spirits in a nation-
S K Pandey of Ram Manohar Lohia In- wide address on Tuesday night by saying
stitute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, the government and the pharmaceuti-
capital of the northern state of Uttar cal industry were stepping up efforts
Pradesh. to meet the shortages of hospital beds,
oxygen, tests and vaccines.
Many have blamed politicians for allow-
ing super-spreader events such as mass But, he admitted, the "surge in infec-
gatherings to take place. tions has come like a storm and a big
battle lies ahead."