Captain Sir Tom Moore
Early on in the initial lockdown in April, 99 year-old Captain Sir Tom Moore made headlines in the UK for trying to raise £1,000 for the NHS by walking 100 hundred laps in his garden before his 100th birthday later in the month. By his hundredth lap he had raised £12 million. He was knighted by the Queen on the 17th of July after inspiring millions across the nation and being seen as a beacon of hope. By the end of his fundraising campaign he raised over £32 million. He died Tuesday February 3 of coronavirus in a hospital in Bedford.
Coronavirus
10 million vaccine doses have now been administered to people in the UK. Over 9 million of those were first doses and just under half a million were second doses. Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 3.85 million confirmed cases and over 108,000 deaths within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, the government have introduced targeted testing in areas of the UK such as Surrey where there are cases of the South African variant not linked to travel.
Myanmar coup
On February 1st, Myanmar’s military seized control in a coup after claiming widespread corruption during the recent election where Ms Suu Kyi (National League for Democracy party) won by a landslide. Myanmar is a country in South East Asia and has a population of 54 million. A year-long state of emergency has been declared by the military (who backed the opposition), and commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing is now in charge. Ms Suu Kyi and other officials are thought to be under house arrest.
Farmer’s protest
The farmers’ protests in India have been ongoing since late November and were brought back into global attention a few days ago after Rihanna tweeted her support for the farmers. The farmers are protesting around Delhi against three new market-friendly laws that they think will leave them vulnerable to big businesses. The Indian government has shut internet access in many districts near New Delhi, where there were violent clashes between police and protesters. The government claims these internet shutdowns are in the interest of maintaining public safety. Other activists, such as Greta Thunberg, have voiced their support for the farmers following Rihanna’s tweet, and the Indian government have accused them of sensationalising the situation.
Golden globes
The Golden Globes nominations were announced on Wednesday. History was made, as for the first time, three women were nominated in directing categories. Anya Taylor-Joy who rose to prominence this year is a double nominee for her work in The Queen’s Gambit and Emma. The late Chadwick Boseman also received a nomination for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. David Fincher’s Mank leads the award show with 6 nominations. A controversial snub this year is Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You, which was widely regarded as one of the best shows of the year. There is also the film Minari, which is only nominated in the foreign language category despite being an American production, while other films in previous years such as Inglorious Basterds (which is also mainly not in English) were not excluded.
