Roxy Neset
Staff Reporter
Russia Banned from the Olympics
The WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has banned Russia from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This means that Olympic athletes from Russia will compete under a neutral flag, and the Russian national anthem will not be played at the opening ceremony. Russia’s flag will not be displayed. These consequences are due to Russia initiating state-run doping for Olympic athletes, and suspected tampering with WADA test results.
Immigration-A Problem Seen Around the World
Immigration reform has not just been in the US. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, found that 70.8 million people had been driven from their homes worldwide in 2019. Some countries have willingly opened their borders, while others have taken measures to prevent immigrants from coming in.
Iran
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have risen in the past weeks, tracing back to when the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was stormed by Iranian protestors, escalating to a U.S. drone strike killing an influential Iranian commander. In retaliation to the drone strike, Iran fired missiles at two military bases with U.S. personnel, but whether or not there have been any casualties is unclear. Iran’s anti-aircraft missiles shot down a passenger plane, but it is claimed to be an accident unrelated to the struggle with the United States.
Australian Wildfires
In Australia, wildfires are ravaging homes and habitats alike. Over 17 million acres have been burned already, which is about six times the acres burned in California’s worst fire. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and millions of animals have perished in the blaze. Australia’s fire season typically ends in May, meaning that there’s a long way to go until the size of the fires decreases.
Taiwanese Election
The President of Taiwan was re-elected for her second term. Tsai Ing-wen was the first woman elected to office in Taiwan. Her reelection on Jan11 came as no surprise to the people of Taiwan, with 57.1% of votes. Her competitors, Han Kuo-yu and James Soon, had only 38.6% and 4.3%.