Tasmania, Australia
Scientists are currently trying to classify a new, giant species of jellyfish that washed belly-up on the shores of Tasmania last month. The jellyfish, about five feet wide, is one of three species of the largest kind of “jellies” and is only found off the coast of southern Tasmania. Cyanea, the genus that this jellyfish falls into, also contains the Lion’s Mane jellyfish, a creature that can reach a diameter of ten feet. According to Australian scientists, there has been an unexplained increase in the amount of jellyfish in the area in the last few years.
London, England
British Prime Minister David Cameron has begun his formal campaign to persuade Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. He chose the London 2012 Olympics as the backdrop for his campaign, citing the successes of Scottish athletes that competed for Team GB in 2012, such as gold medalists Sir Chris Hoy and Andy Murray. Scottish Independence would mean a host of economic, military, and border problems for the United Kingdom. A recent poll showed a slight increase (from 32% to 37%) of those who support Scottish independence. Scotland will vote in September on the issue.
Mogadishu, Somalia
Children that were once forced to roam the streets in Somalia are now being offered an education at the best price – free. A new government-run program called Go2School, seeking to provide free elementary school to at least one million children, has already enrolled 35,000 students in 16 schools throughout the country.
The UN has urged the country to keep the donor-funded program running to boost the extremely low school attendance rate. Currently, only about 42% of Somalian children attend school, and only a third of that population is female.
Tehran, Iran
The Iranian President’s brother, Hossein Fereydoon, walked into Iran’s only Jewish hospital on February 6th to deliver a donation of $400,000 from the government. The donation came with a promise from the Health Ministry that they would pay more attention to hospitals serving Jewish and Christian Iranians.
President Rouhani has taken a different route from his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who denied the Holocaust ever took place. Iran is currently home to the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside Israel. Rouhani, elected in 2013, has also worked to improve women’s rights and diplomatic relations with other countries.
Be First to Comment