5 of the most important global news stories this week.
- Israel attacks Iran – Geopolitics
After Saturday, when Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel, the world has been waiting for the Israeli response. Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel was a retaliation to the strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria, which killed two top generals. The US and other countries urged PM Netanyahu not to respond, but early on Friday Israel launched a missile into central Iran. Now we wait for Iran’s response to see if direct conflict will escalate further.
- Indian elections – Elections 2024
The world’s largest elections kicked off in India this week, with almost 1 billion people eligible to cast a ballot. Friday was the first of seven voting days which will conclude in June. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is running for reelection, which would be his third term in power – a rare event. The main issues on the ballot include: inflation, unemployment, a crackdown on political dissent, and the politics of religion.
- Trump trial – US News
Former US President Donald Trump is standing trial in New York for the hush-money payments made during the 2016 election cycle. He is the first ex-president to stand criminal trial, but this is just one of four criminal indictments he will face in the coming months. A jury of 12 New York residents was selected this week, and the judge suggests that opening statements could begin as soon as Monday next week.
- Hottest temps on record – Climate
From a combination of human-caused warming and the El Niño climate pattern, the past 10 months have each been the hottest on record by air and ocean temperatures. This not only will cause the typical complications of extreme heat, but also contribute to more severe storms, hurricanes, and flooding. Scientists expect the record-breaking heat to continue even past the El Niño climate pattern which peaked in February – summer 2024 will be the hottest one ever.
- Taylor Swift – Pop Culture
International pop sensation Taylor Swift released a long awaited album at midnight on Friday: “The Tortured Poets Department.” Two hours later, she surprisingly released 15 extra songs, shocking fans. The album is her 15th studio album, including rerecordings.
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