Trump’s Impeachment
Former President Trump is charged with ‘inciting insurrection’ in his speech prior to the US Capitol riots on 6th January. The house wasted no time in impeaching Trump on 13 January 2021, one week after the violent mob stormed the Capitol. This makes him the only president in US history to be impeached twice, and one of three to have been impeached at all. If convicted, he could be stopped from ever holding office in the future. On Tuesday, the US Senate voted by a slim margin of 55-46 to carry on with the trial, deeming it to be constitutional. However, a two-thirds majority is required to convict Trump. With the Senate evenly split and Tuesday’s vote showing the high level of loyalty remaining within the Republican party towards Former President Trump, it is likely that he will be acquitted once again. A decision will be reached today.
COVID-19
International travellers will now be charged £1,750 for their 10-day quarantine in a hotel upon arrival to the UK. If they fail to quarantine, they will face fines up to £10,000. These measures apply to all Irish and UK citizens returning from any of the 33 countries on the ‘red’ list. Furthermore, if a traveller lies about visiting such a country, they will be charged with a £10,000 fine or up to 10 years in jail. In Scotland, stricter measures have been put into place with all travellers arriving in airports having to go into quarantine hotels. Meanwhile, the vaccine continues to be administered. There is a seven-day average of 430,000 being vaccinated and it is projected that 15.7 million people would be vaccinated by mid-February if it continues to roll out at the same rate.
India Glacier collapse
On 8th February, a Himalayan glacier fell into the Dhauliganga river in Uttarakhand, devastating the state. The triggered flood burst open the Rishiganga Hydroelectric Dam and destroyed the surrounding villages in a matter of seconds. Villages were evacuated but it is feared that more than 125 people may have died. 6 bodies have been recovered from the dam and 16 workers rescued from a tunnel with another 30 set to be rescued from a second tunnel. Hundreds of troops have been deployed to the state to begin looking for survivors. While the cause of the glacial burst is unclear, it is likely due to rising temperatures causing the glacier to break. This is yet another disastrous effect of the climate emergency.
Myanmar Coup
Police have fired rubber bullets against a group of protestors in Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar’s capital). On Tuesday, police used water cannons against them, but after the demonstrators withstood the water, the situation escalated, and warning shots were fired. It has been said that two protestors have been seriously injured so far. Tear gas has also been used against the demonstrators and on Monday a ban on large gatherings and a night-time curfew was issued. Military leader Min Aung Hlaing declared that ‘no one is above the law’. This comes on the 4th day of protest in defence of the elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and senior leaders of her party who were put on house arrest. The army declared a year-long state of emergency on 1st February claiming of a fraudulent election with no evidence.
Superbowl
Last Sunday saw the 55th Superbowl in Tampa Bay, Florida with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning 31-9 against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic this match was unlike any other. The game was played in a stadium with 25,000 people (including 7500 vaccinated health workers) and 30,000 cardboard cut outs to fill the crowd. Social distancing rules applied and everyone in the venue had to be masked. Additionally, this was the first Superbowl to be officiated by a woman, Sarah Thomas. It was also the first time women coached the Superbowl winners. Lori Locust and Maral Javadifer are both coaches for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are the only NFL team to have two full-time assistant female coaches.
