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Staying informed can feel impossible. That's why we've made it easier for you by curating the most mind-blowing events from the past month. January 2017 brought a whirlwind of chaos, some violence... and a few hopeful moments.
After a frightening conclusion to 2016, things may finally be looking up. January saw at least two major scientific breakthroughs. A corrupt leader was overthrown. A regional conflict was averted. While doom and gloom still loomed, last month was arguably one of the least horrifying in recent memory. Here's what went down:
10. President Trump Kicked Off His Term With A Bang
Let’s get this out of the way. On January 20, Donald Trump took office as the 45th president of the United States. Right from the start, he made waves in Washington, earning cheers from his supporters and raising concerns among his critics.
There’s not enough room to cover every controversy, so we’ll just give you a glimpse of what happened. First, a dispute over inauguration crowd sizes led to a clash between the White House and the press. Just a day later, women’s rights activists held protests in multiple cities, marking the largest demonstrations since the 2003 Iraq War protests. In rapid succession, Trump canceled the unpopular TPP trade agreement, defunded pro-choice organizations, imposed a federal hiring freeze, restarted the contentious Dakota Access Pipeline, signed an executive order to build a wall along the Mexican border, claimed millions had voted illegally, and enacted a travel ban targeting individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries while halting the Syrian refugee program. Quite the whirlwind.
The international response to Trump’s actions was, to say the least, intriguing. For each policy he pulled, another nation seemed eager to fill the gap. The Netherlands pledged to support defunded pro-life groups. Canada offered to take in America’s Syrian refugees. Australia revived the TPP deal, but now it’s “TPP minus one.” It will be fascinating to see how these developments shape global relations with the 45th US president.
9. Scientists Successfully Created Synthetic DNA
Since the beginning of life, every organism has relied on DNA made up of four letters: G, A, T, and C (guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine). You, your cat, your cat’s fleas, the bugs living in your cat’s fleas—all of them have been built from this finite code... until now. On January 24, scientists from the Scripps Research Institute revealed they had created cells with two additional letters: X and Y.
This isn’t the first time the team has added extra letters to DNA. However, it’s the first time the resulting microbes didn’t perish before you could say “Gattaca.” The new cells can sustain the synthetic DNA indefinitely and live just as long as their natural counterparts. While they can’t reproduce in the wild, they’re virtually identical to cells with just the original four letters. The era of synthetic DNA has arrived.
This breakthrough marks the starting point for what’s to come. In the near future, we could potentially create synthetic organisms with specific functions. The possibilities of where this research could take us are endless.
8. Scientists Also Created Viable Pig-Human Hybrids
Just two days after the synthetic DNA breakthrough, scientists revealed the creation of the world’s first animal-human hybrids. Researchers at the Salk Institute successfully developed a pig embryo containing living, growing human cells.
Although such chimeras have been created before, they’ve never involved human cells. This research pushes the limits of ethical boundaries, with public funding for it banned globally. Yet, aside from serving as a source of nightmare fuel for many, these pig-human hybrids also present something unexpected: hope.
The goal of the Salk Institute is to one day use this method to grow human organs. Currently, a person is added to the organ donor waiting list every ten minutes. Every 24 hours, 22 people die while waiting for a donated organ. The aim is to create life-saving spare organs from scratch for these individuals, saving thousands of lives. Despite how disturbing it may seem in theory, this research represents a crucial first step toward that goal.
7. Cyprus Reunification Talks Reached Their Final Phase
For those unfamiliar with Cyprus’s history, here’s a quick summary: Once a British colony, Cyprus gained independence from the UK in the 1960s. However, not long after, ethnic conflict broke out between the Greek and Turkish communities, leading to a decade-long war that claimed 10,000 lives and split the island into a Turkish-controlled north and a Greek-majority south.
Fast forward to 2017, where South Cyprus is now a member of the EU, while North Cyprus is a self-governing state recognized only by Turkey. Around 30,000 Turkish soldiers still patrol the northern region, while British forces remain stationed in the south. For years, the situation resembled the deadlock between North and South Korea—except without a dictator making nuclear threats. Then, in January, the unimaginable occurred: Reunification talks between the two sides entered their final stages.
If this proceeds, it will be the largest such event since the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. While Cyprus has seen similar negotiations before, only to watch them fail, there’s an air of optimism this time that a deal could finally be reached.
6. The Philippine Drug War Took A Deadly New Turn
Seven months ago, Rodrigo Duterte was elected in the Philippines with a pledge to execute drug dealers and users. Since then, 7,000 people have been killed by police and paramilitary forces, all without trial. Last month, the situation took an even darker turn. It was revealed that police officers had kidnapped and killed a South Korean businessman.
The killing took place in October, but the disturbing details have only recently come to light. Jee Ick Joo was abducted in broad daylight, tortured, and murdered at the National Police Headquarters. Officers issued a warrant for a fabricated drugs case and extorted $100,000 from his wife, promising his release in exchange.
In response, Duterte has been forced to disband the country’s anti-drug units while an investigation is underway. However, those expecting an end to the random killings were in for disappointment. The president announced that the crackdown, originally set to last six months, would now be extended to five years.
5. Horrifying Riots Paralyzed Brazil’s Prison System
56 people are beheaded before horrified onlookers, their heads arranged in a row. 33 prisoners are disfigured, their bodies piled into a heap. Messages are written in human blood. Helpless men are set on fire.
It may sound like a report from within the Islamic State, but these brutal massacres didn’t take place in Syria, nor in a war zone. They occurred in a peaceful democracy, one of the US’s closest allies. Welcome to Brazil, where a series of deadly prison riots are pushing the nation toward chaos.
The massacres are the result of rival drug gangs. Most of them operate within Rio’s favelas (slums), but their members are scattered across prisons nationwide, numbering in the tens of thousands. As the situation in the prisons worsens, the risk of violence spilling into the streets grows. Already, four major prison massacres have occurred in 2017. If the crisis isn’t addressed soon, Brazil’s favelas could spiral into a conflict as deadly as Mexico’s.
4. Dylann Roof Became The First Person Sentenced To Death For A Federal Hate Crime
In the summer of 2015, Dylann Roof drove to a historic African American church in Charleston, South Carolina. He participated in a prayer meeting that lasted for two hours. At the conclusion of the meeting, he pulled out a gun and killed nine people.
This case became one of the largest federal hate crime trials in US history. It polarized the country, leading to protests over the Confederate flag. On January 10, it concluded on a grim note: Roof became the first person in US history to be sentenced to death after a federal hate crime trial.
The jury unanimously decided on the death penalty for Roof. However, it is unlikely that the federal government will carry out the execution. Roof is also facing a murder trial in South Carolina, which has executed 41 people since 1988. In contrast, the federal government has only executed three: a drug lord, a man who murdered an Army private, and Timothy McVeigh. Even if South Carolina imposes a death sentence, experts suggest that appeals could delay Roof’s execution for decades.
3. West Africa’s Last Dictator Finally Fell
For 22 years, Yahya Jammeh governed The Gambia, Africa’s smallest mainland country, with an iron grip. However, after losing an election to Adam Barrow, Jammeh refused to relinquish power. Many expected a violent crackdown and a return to the repressive rule of past decades.
Then, something unexpected occurred: As The Gambia teetered on the brink of crisis, the West African regional group (Ecowas) made a serious threat of intervention. Jammeh quickly found himself facing international pressure. In response, he did the only thing he could—he fled into exile, taking $11 million that he had stolen from the country’s treasury. Against all odds, democracy had prevailed.
This is a victory worth celebrating. Jammeh was the last of the old-school dictators in West Africa. Just as the dictators of South America faded in the 1990s, Jammeh’s departure marked the end of an era for West African strongmen. His flight into exile represented a hopeful turning point for a region long plagued by war and dictatorship. It was a sign that perhaps, just perhaps, 2017 might be a better year after all.
2. A Dispute Over A Train Brought Serbia And Kosovo To The Brink Of Conflict
In 1999, the Kosovo War concluded the violent conflict that had torn apart the former Yugoslavia. Since then, Kosovo and Serbia have coexisted under a fragile peace. However, this month, a disagreement over a train reignited tensions, pushing both nations to the brink of armed conflict once again.
The train in question was the first to travel from Belgrade into Kosovo. It was intended as a symbol of cooperation between the two countries. However, it became a point of contention when the train was painted in the colors of the Serbian flag. To make matters worse, the words “Kosovo is Serbia” were boldly displayed on the side in 20 different languages.
Serbia views Kosovo as part of its own territory, while Kosovo has declared its independence since 2008. The arrival of the train brought this long-standing tension to a breaking point. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic issued threats to invade Kosovo, and in response, Pristina began arming its citizens for potential guerrilla warfare. As of now, the situation remains unresolved, serving as a stark reminder that in the Balkans, even the smallest incident can spark a new wave of violence.
1. Three Shocking Attacks Laid Bare Society’s Divisions
It’s no secret that society is increasingly polarized. However, three shocking attacks in January made it painfully clear just how deep these divides run, and how intensely the left and right have come to oppose one another.
In the first incident, a mentally challenged white man was kidnapped by three of his black classmates. He was bound, subjected to racial slurs, and brutally tortured for 48 hours. The apparent reason for this attack was his support for Donald Trump, turning the assault into a horrific act against both humanity and democratic values.
The second case involved Canadian student Alexandre Bissonnette, who entered a busy mosque in Quebec and opened fire, killing six individuals, including a professor from his own university. Bissonnette was influenced by far-right extremist content online, the same kind of rhetoric that drove Anders Breivik and Dylann Roof to commit their crimes.
Finally, in Melbourne, Dimitrious Gargasoulas drove his car into a crowd, claiming six lives. As tragic as that was, what followed was even more repulsive. Immediately, people from opposing sides of the political spectrum began using the tragedy to push their own agendas, turning a moment of grief into a disgraceful political spectacle. It was a repugnant display, and yet those involved should be deeply ashamed of themselves—though it’s unlikely they will be.
