Microplastics in drinking water deemed safe by WHO In recent United Nations health reports, the World Health Organization claimed that the amounts of microplastic, plastic particles smaller than one-fifth of an inch, are not a public health hazard. According to the Associated Press, “the U.N. health agency said the minuscule plastics are ‘ubiquitous in the […]

Coup in Sudan Last Thursday, the President of Uganda, Sudan Omar al-Bashir was removed from power through popular protest. According to the New York Times, anti-government sentiment had started to intensify in December of 2018 due to protests targeting high food costs. However, soon the protests began to target the authoritative regime led by former […]

Australia passes law to punish companies for violent posts on social media Last Thursday, the Austrailan government passed sweeping legislation which threatens social media companies with massive fines for failure to rapidly remove “abhorrent violent material” from their platforms. According to the NY Times, the law follows up less than month after after a gunman, […]

Quebec bill called out for breaching religious freedom The government of Quebec has proposed a bill that bans public employees from wearing religious symbols at work. According to the New York Times, “The Quebec premier, François Legault, has said the bill, which also applies to Catholic crosses, Jewish skull caps and Sikh turbans, was necessary […]

Bus driver kidnaps students and sets bus on fire Last Wednesday, 51 seventh-graders were kidnapped by a bus driver in Italy. According to the New York Times, “The driver, Osseynou Sy, an Italian of Senegalese origin, said that ‘he wanted to vindicate the deaf of the Mediterranean,’ according to Warrant Officer Marco Palmieri, a spokesman […]

Congolese president pardons 700 political prisoners Last Wednesday, Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, pardoned 700 political prisoners jailed under the previous political administration. According to the Associated Press, “Mr. Tshisekedi signed the decree Wednesday, fulfilling a promise he made this month to do so during his first 100 days in […]

Massive power outage in Venezuela leaves leaders blaming each other The two competing leaders of Venezuela are blaming each other for a massive blackout. The power outage began Mach 7 following rush hour traffic, leaving many commuters walk home on foot with little to no light. President Madura quickly blamed the United States for the […]

Rare black panther spotted in Kenya Panthera pardus, or the black panther, was spotted in Kenya. This was the first verified sighting of the black panther in close to a century. The black panther is commonly found in Southeast Asia, but it is rarely found in Africa. According to the New York Times, “A team […]

El Chapo Found Guilty Last Tuesday, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, better known as El Chapo was found guilty on all 10 counts of his indictment. The three-month drug trial, which took place in New York, revealed the inner workings of decades of violence, prison escapes and his control of an expansive drug cartel responsible for smuggling […]

Pope Acknowledges History of Sexual Abuse Within the Church For the first time, the Pope publicly acknowledged the persistent problem of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church, highlighting the pervasive nature of sexual violence even among religious leaders. In recent year, countless nuns in various European countries have accused clerics of sexual abuse, citing […]