5 headlines not involving Trump, sort of
What else is going on in the World
1. UK leaders call for no Brexit punishment
There is a growing divide between UK leaders on whether the upcoming split from the EU will drive the UK to be a global leader in trade, or merely an off-shore tax haven for existing EU members. Britain's PM Thersea May shared at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that the UK is now “open for business”. Will this mentality lead to other European nations to follow the british example and split from the political-economic union leading to an overall meltdown of the European Union?
2. Senegalese troops massing at the Gambian border
Thousands of European tourists have fled the beautiful beaches of The Gambia in the wake of politcal unrest in the smallest country on mainland Africa. The deadline for outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to give up power has come on gone, causing Sengal to threaten intervention as a last resort, in the country which it nearly completely surrounds. The transfering of power has been a constant hot-bed issue throughout Africa, as a peaceful transfer of power has led to political growth in many nations on the continent. Mr Jammeh declared a state of emergency on his penultimate day in office causing the start of a 90 day stand off while the winner of the recent election, Adama Barrow, waits in Senegal as tensions rise in the Gambian capital of Banjul. There has even been talks of Barrow being sworn into office while in Senegal leading to an inevitable power struggle.
3. Iran, China to sign $3 billion contract to upgrade Iranian oil refining capacity
Iran’s deputy oil minister Abbas Kazemi told the Mehr News agency that the deal with China will focus on upgrading the Abadan oil refinery. Years of sactions have left Iranian refineries in disarray with very meager output in production. However China is seizing the oppurtunity to invest in Iranian oil ouput which is now able to have profitable business discussions due to the sanctions lifted in the recent nuclear deal with the US. Is this merely the first step in a new economic friendship between these two nations that share a precatious relationship with the US.
4. George Soros to partner with Mastercard in aiding migrants and refugees worldwide
Billionaire and long-time liberal political activist George Soros is teaming up with MasterCard to improve the economic and social statuses of migrant communities worldwide. In September, Soros pledged a $500 Million investment to start addressing issues that face refugees in their day to day lives.
In a joint statement with MasterCard, Soros stated “Migrants are often forced into lives of despair in their host communities because they cannot gain access to financial, healthcare and government services,” He went on to say, “Our potential investment in this social enterprise, coupled with Mastercard’s ability to create products that serve vulnerable communities, can show how private capital can play a constructive role in solving social problems,” Soros, who himself is a migrant from Hungary, is a power player within American politics and has contributed millions of dollars to the democratic party. This venture is aimed at providing an equal oppurtunity for migrants and asylum seekers starting lives in new communities both in the US and abroad.
5. New NASA study in a Hawaiian volcano is preparation for Mars mission
Six NASA-funded research scientists will spend eight months inside an isolated geodesic dome on a remote Hawaii volcano, Mauna Loa, to study human behavior in long-term space travel. The project is designed to help NASA find the best way to send humans on long space voyages in the hopes of reaching Mars by the 2030’s. A trip to Mars would take upwards of eight months, an environment and timeframe that humans have never dealt with. It is also thought that an extesnive stay on the planet would be necessary once Mars is reached in order to properly study the Martian land.
Space exploration has changed dramatically over the last four decades as NASA has not funded a moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. The astronaut who led that mission, Eugene Cernan, died on Monday in Houston, Texas at the age of 82. He was the last astronaut to walk on the moon.
