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Keeping up with the news can be overwhelming. So, we’ve decided to do the hard work for you by curating the most significant, bizarre, or downright unbelievable stories from this week.
This was the week when the US, France, and Britain took decisive action against Syria, launching missile strikes on regime targets in response to last week's chemical attack. While it briefly seemed like this could spiral into a larger conflict, we haven’t yet seen Russia retaliating by bombing Western targets. The good news? World War III hasn’t started yet. The even better news? You’re still here to read about all the other wild events that took place. Lucky you.
10. The US, UK, and France Struck Syria with Airstrikes
On Saturday morning, over 100 missiles struck key sites in Syria, tearing down buildings and sending flames into the sky. This attack was a joint operation by the US, UK, and France aimed at preventing Bashar al-Assad's regime from using chemical weapons in the ongoing Syrian civil war. It was only the second time that Western forces directly targeted government institutions in Syria’s seven-year conflict.
The Pentagon confirmed that the buildings hit were linked to the production of chemical weapons. This is significant because Assad has a history of using chlorine gas, mustard gas, and nerve agents like sarin on his own citizens. The objective of Trump, Macron, and Theresa May was to destroy Syrian chemical weapon production capabilities and deter future use of such weapons by regime forces.
Before the airstrike, there were warnings that Russia, an ally of Assad, might retaliate by shooting down missiles or targeting US assets. However, it seems that Russia's only action was to alert Assad, advising him to evacuate the buildings set to be targeted.
9. NASA Unveiled a New Telescope to Search for Planets
If everything goes according to plan, we could be on the brink of discovering up to 3,000 Earth-like, potentially habitable planets in our galaxy. This is the mission of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a remarkable new telescope launched into space on Wednesday. Launched atop one of Elon Musk's Falcon 9 rockets, TESS follows a unique orbit that brings it around Earth twice for every orbit the Moon completes.
Thanks to its distinctive orbit, TESS will be able to capture deep space images free from interference. Here’s where it gets even more exciting: the satellite is equipped with four wide-field cameras, enabling it to view almost the entire night sky. TESS is expected to survey and catalog around half a million stars, many of which are likely to have planets in their habitable zones.
The goal is for TESS to identify exoplanets that may warrant further observation for signs of life, with the much more powerful James Webb telescope set to launch next year for a closer investigation.
8. Former First Lady Barbara Bush Passed Away
In the 1990s, Barbara Bush might have seemed like the reserved First Lady who wouldn’t leave a lasting impression. Compared to the more prominent figures like Nancy Reagan or Hillary Clinton, she came across as old-fashioned. But in hindsight, it’s clear that this view underestimated her. As the wife of President George H.W. Bush and the mother of President George W. Bush, Barbara Bush could lay claim to being one of the most influential women in U.S. politics.
On Tuesday, the Republican matriarch passed away after choosing to forgo further medical treatment for an illness, just a day before. She was 92.
Her legacy is a compelling one. Barbara Bush is one of only two women in history to have served as both First Lady and mother of a president. (The other is Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams, trivia fans!) She was also an outspoken advocate for children’s literacy and played a significant behind-the-scenes role in shaping the Republican Party for decades. While the family’s political influence may have diminished in recent years, there’s no doubt she made her mark on American history.
7. Scientists Accidentally Created a Plastic-Eating Mutant Enzyme
Each minute, one million plastic bottles are bought, but less than 20% of them get recycled. As a result, we now face a world overrun by plastic waste. If only we could invent an enzyme to break down that plastic and eliminate it in no time.
Well, guess what? It’s now possible. This week, a global team of scientists announced that they’ve accidentally developed an enzyme capable of breaking down plastic waste with remarkable efficiency. This could mark the start of solving the plastics crisis.
The enzyme is a modified version of one found naturally in a Japanese waste site back in 2016. The team unintentionally triggered a mutation that sped up its ability to process plastic by 20%. While that may seem minor, the exciting part is what this could lead to. Scientists now believe we could eventually develop a super-fast enzyme that would break down plastic for recycling on a large, industrial scale.
6. The Commonwealth Of Nations Gears Up to Choose Its Next Leader
The Commonwealth of Nations stands as one of the largest global associations, made up of 53 countries, most of which have historical ties to the British Empire (with Rwanda and Mozambique being notable exceptions). The group includes major nations like the UK, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as influential regional players like Nigeria and Kenya.
Since its formation in 1949, the Commonwealth has been led ceremonially by the British monarch, starting with George VI and then Queen Elizabeth II. However, the Commonwealth’s rules do not require the British monarch to hold the leadership role. This is what makes this Friday’s meeting so intriguing. Rumors suggest that the Commonwealth will begin discussions on selecting its next leader, and it’s highly likely that Prince Charles won’t be the one.
Queen Elizabeth is now 91. Despite her enduring strength, it’s probable that her time won’t last much longer. While Britain will likely see King Charles III ascend to the throne, the Commonwealth may take a different direction. If this split does happen, it will be fascinating to see who is chosen as the next leader.
5. Hip-Hop Earned Its First Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is quite an esteemed honor. It sits just below the Nobel Prize in terms of sheer prestige, but still far above awards like the Oscars or Grammys, symbolizing tremendous significance on a global scale.
It’s also emblematic of the kind of elitism that would make many people frustrated. Since its inception in 1943, the Pulitzer for music has typically been given to contemporary classical works. The only other genre the board has touched was jazz, but only after it had lost its social relevance. (The first Pulitzer for jazz wasn’t awarded until 1997, 32 years after the board rejected a recommendation to give one to Duke Ellington.)
But that’s all changed. In a surprising move this week, the Pulitzer for music went to Kendrick Lamar for his hip-hop album DAMN. This marks hip-hop’s definitive leap from being a marginalized genre to a mainstream one.
In addition to Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, this marks a significant shift in prestigious awards, moving away from exclusive, niche forms of art and embracing more widely recognized genres.
4. The End Could Be Near for Shinzo Abe
Take this with a grain of salt. Over the past year or so, this column has covered various scandals, social shifts, and rumors all pointing to the potential end of Japan’s long-standing PM Shinzo Abe. Yet, each time, he’s clung to his position like an unshakeable political barnacle, unaffected by the rising tides of controversy.
Nonetheless, a recent report on Monday was dark enough to raise serious concerns. With a string of cronyism scandals, a sexual harassment scandal that recently brought down a finance minister, and polls showing his support in freefall, Abe’s former mentor Junichiro Koizumi made a public plea: Step down by June, or your party will oust you.
Even though Abe managed to survive a general election last October, his Liberal Democratic Party is set to hold internal leadership elections in September. If he loses, he would also lose the title of Prime Minister. Koizumi believes Abe will voluntarily resign to avoid being forced out.
That said, none of this is guaranteed. There’s still a chance that we’ll be writing premature pieces on Abe’s political downfall as late as 2064.
3. Cuba Prepares for Life Beyond the Castro Era
This is a historic moment, marking one of the most significant shifts of power since Robert Mugabe was ousted from his leadership in Zimbabwe. This Thursday, Raul Castro stepped down as Cuba's leader, a role he took on after his brother Fidel in 2008. For the first time since 1959, Cuba will have a leader outside the Castro family.
The fact that the Castro family has governed Cuba for almost six decades is nothing short of remarkable. Most Cubans today don’t recall the revolution that toppled the Batista regime, backed by the Mafia. The new leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel, was born after Fidel had already assumed power. A fresh generation is now taking charge of the island nation.
However, don’t expect sweeping reforms. Diaz-Canel is aligned with Raul on most matters, although he has shown some leniency on issues like LGBT rights. Young Cubans are now placing their hopes on him to introduce reforms and open up the state-controlled economy. Whether their expectations are fulfilled remains to be seen.
2. Mass Protests Erupt in Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan is the epitome of a political opportunist. The former Armenian president held office for two terms, from 2008 until April of this year. In 2015, he led a referendum that shifted Armenia from a presidential system to a parliamentary one, effectively reducing the president's power and shifting it to the prime minister.
At the time, Sargsyan vowed not to seek the prime minister’s role after his presidential tenure ended. But, surprise, surprise, his promise didn’t last long. After stepping down as president on April 9, this week, Armenia’s legislature voted to make him the new prime minister. The country erupted in mass protests.
As of now, the protests have been ongoing for nearly a week and show no sign of stopping. The youth of Armenia are demanding real change, and nearly everyone is exhausted by Sargsyan’s enduring grip on power. Whether these protests will lead to real change remains uncertain. Back in 2008, when Sargsyan was elected through widespread voter manipulation, Armenians took to the streets, resulting in eight deaths, yet Sargsyan has remained in power ever since.
1. A Surprising Asteroid Came Within Striking Distance Of Earth
While you were asleep early on Sunday morning, an asteroid larger than a football field quietly passed Earth, coming within half the distance of the Moon. This asteroid, named 2018 GE3, ranks among the largest to ever pass near our planet. Had it struck, the impact would have been impossible to miss. 2018 GE3 is about the same size as the asteroid that caused the Tunguska event in 1908. A direct collision with a city could have wiped it off the map.
Asteroids like 2018 GE3 don’t pass by Earth as infrequently as we might hope. Similar-sized rocks passed close by in 2001 and 2002, with another one expected in 2029. What was truly unsettling about Sunday’s flyby, however, was how little we knew in advance. Scientists were only notified of this possible city-destroyer just 21 hours before it passed by Earth.
This close shave highlights our current limitations in tracking asteroids. While we’ve got most of the big ones capable of causing Armageddon on our radar, smaller asteroids that could still cause devastating loss of life often go unnoticed.
