Here’s what’s going on in the world for the week of Jan. 16, 2022.
Global News
Scientists discovered a new metal where the electrical charge is carried by Cooper pairs rather than electrons. The Cooper pair belong to a class of particles called Bosons and looks more like a wave.
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Changes in the Antarctic are unique compared to prior periods. A new model on ice sheet changes in the southern most continent show how the last decade differs from the last century.
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The condition Space Anemia, where an astronaut’s red blood cell count drops dramatically while in micro-gravity, has been shown to continue for months while in space. The loss of red blood cells can be as great as 54% and it takes months for red blood cell levels to return to normal.
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Americas
Argentine towns are experiencing the hottest days ever recorded as many South American countries are experiencing a heatwave. The year 2021 has been one of the hottest on record due to climate change.
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According to the Pan American Health Organization, nearly every country in the Americas have cases of Omicron variant COVID-19. Most of the rising cases are in the East and Mid-Western United States, but cases in much of the Americas are rising and the rise will likely make the Omicron variant the dominant strain of the virus in months.
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One America News, a major right-wing news outlet and promoter of election conspiracy claims in the 2020 United States presidential race, has been dropped from DirecTV programming and will not be renewed by the company after their contract, with DirecTV owner AT&T, expires in April 2022. This is a massive financial hit to the outlet as allegedly 90% of their revenue comes from the contract.
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Africa
Tesla signed a deal to source graphite from mines in Balama, Mozambique. The move is part of the company’s efforts to diversify their supply chain.
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India is sending an infantry battalion to the Abyei region, between Sudan and South Sudan, as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the region.
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Ghanaian startup Float wants to solve financial access issues for small and medium sized businesses in Africa. The Ghanaian company is one step closer to that goal after raising 17 million USD seed capital, though they are not the only company to focus on small and medium sized businesses.
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Europe
Sweden sent additional military personnel to Gotland in response to increased Russian naval activity in the Baltic.
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Ukraine was hit by malware attacks that disrupted more than a dozen government websites.
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Serbia held a referendum to change how judges and prosecutors as part of judicial reforms. Supporters say the referendum will increase judicial independence, as part of Serbia’s goal to eventually join the European Union.
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Middle East
Kuwait is at risk of being unlivable due to growing excessive heat. Political inaction and lack of will by the government are hobbling climate action.
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A funerary route lined with tombs have been discovered in Saudi Arabia, many of which are more than 4,500 years old.
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The United Arab Emirates and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding on a deal for the Gulf kingdom to purchase a missile defense system worth an estimated 3.5 billion USD. The two nations are also working on renewable energy projects and deepening economic and cultural ties.
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Asia
The future of the CCP is looking younger and more likely to have a college degree. They’re also more likely to be nationalistic.
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Some in China’s Gen Z view the West as “evil” and growing levels of overconfidence according to the director of International Studies Institute program at Tsinghua University.
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New Zealand and Australia are working on sending aid and support to Tonga after an underwater volcano eruption damaged the nation’s Internet and phone lines.
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Global Affairs Weekly 