Jan 15: Around the world

Iceland: In the fury of Mother Nature, we witness the untamed heartbeat of the Earth

After an eruption just last month, the small fishing town of Grindavík (home to 4,000 people) in southwest Iceland has been hit hard by another volcanic eruption, setting houses on fire. The entire population was forced to evacuate. This is notably the 5th eruption in this area since 2021.

Walls built after the last eruption didn't stop the fiery flow this time. The highest alert level is now in place for Iceland. The nation sits between two giant moving plates, making it a hot spot for earthquakes and volcanoes. This eruption shows how powerful nature can be.

Taiwan: True test of democracy is not when people are content, but when they are discontent

On Saturday, 64-year-old Lai Ching-te, the current VP of Taiwan from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), emerged victorious in the presidential election. Lai, a long-time advocate for Taiwan's sovereignty, has faced strong opposition from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. Despite warnings from Beijing that his election would bring "war and decline" to Taiwan, he secured a comfortable win.

He has also broken the "eight-year curse," a trend in which no political party has secured more than two consecutive terms since Taiwan's democratization. Democracy: 1; China: 0

Global: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

According to a report by Oxfam, the world's five wealthiest men - Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Mark Zuckerberg - have more than doubled their fortunes since 2020, now exceeding $869 billion. This surge contrasts sharply with the decline experienced by the world's poorest 60%, encompassing ~5 billion people.

The report predicts a further widening of this gap, and that the world's first trillionaire will emerge within a decade. And, current trends could also mean global poverty will not be eradicated for another 229 years.

What else is making news?

• Chinese health authorities have warned of a potential resurgence of COVID-19 in January, citing the high likelihood of the JN.1 sub-variant becoming the dominant strain in the country.
• Delhi is freezing and covered with fog. And who is bearing the brunt of it? Well, IndiGo. Two recent incidents involving IndiGo flights have sparked concerns about passenger dissatisfaction. A passenger upon boarding a flight found that there wasn't an actual seat! Yes, the seat where he was supposed to sit was missing. Separately, a passenger today physically assaulted the pilot on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Goa due to flight delays caused by fog. He may be put on the no-fly list.
• Amid the ongoing political diplomatic crisis between India and Maldives, the Indian film body has urged filmmakers to halt movie shoots there. And, Maldivian President has asked India to remove its troops before March 15. These personnel are mainly tasked with assisting in maritime security as Maldives and India have a long history of cooperation in several fields including defense. The situation has changed drastically over the last couple of weeks.

For the complete newsletter on WhatsApp, join this group (women-only): https://chat.whatsapp.com/IfOS5644PpsGyH0bCs1TNp

#whatsapp #community #onlywomen #worldnews #newsletter