BackMint Lite | New covid strain, Trump faces veto override, 2021 challenges & more
Stories, opinions, news and views that matter, from around the world
PremiumThe US is slashing foreign military aid to El Salvador despite staunchly pro-American President Nayib Bukele's intense lobbying in Washington to counter criticism he has taken his country down an authoritarian path, reports AP. Tucked into the omnibus spending bill signed on Sunday by President Donald Trump was a provision barring access for El Salvador to a State Department program that finances the purchase of US defense equipment. The ban is part of an initiative by House Democrats to strengthen anti-corruption efforts in Central America
New covid strain spotted in India
One person returning to Tamil Nadu from the UK has tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus, a top health department official told the Press Trust of India on Tuesday. Meanwhile, according to health officials, the new strain of the virus has been in Germany since at least November. This has been declared after officials detected the variant in a patient who died in the north of the country. With the latest virus flareup sweeping almost two-thirds of Thailand, authorities are tightening measures to contain infection risks ahead of the New Year holiday. Bangkok, the nation’s largest city, ordered sports and entertainment venues to close from Tuesday through Jan 4, with a possible extension in the event of the situation not improving in the next one week. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization urged better pandemic preparation to face outbreaks that could be “even more severe in the future."
Trump faces first veto override
American President Donald Trump may be embarrassed once again in the final days of his presidency. The US House of Representatives rejected his veto of a defense bill, setting the stage for the Senate to deliver a humiliating first veto override on Monday, reports the AFP. The Democratic-controlled House voted 322 to 87 to override Trump's veto of the $740.5 billion defense bill, with 109 members of the president's own Republican Party siding with Democrats. A similar motion will be introduced in the Republican-majority Senate, where it will also have to gain two-thirds support to override the president's veto. The House vote came a day after Trump caved to pressure from both Republicans and Democrats and reluctantly signed a $900 billion coronavirus relief and stimulus package that he had threatened to veto. Experts view these as signs of his waning powers as he prepares to leave the White House on January 20.
UN predicts 2021 challenges
The year has been devastating for many—from mass job losses to domestic violence—but now, experts at the United Nations have predicted the gender poverty gap will widen in 2021 amid the economic downturn. Women will face an increased burden of unpaid labour as they take on the lion’s share of caring for sick family members and children off school. Job losses were also noticed more in sectors employing high numbers of women including hospitality, retail and tourism. The pandemic has had a particularly devastating impact on migrant workers. Another factor that has come into focus is of Female Genital Mutilation. The UN has predicted 2 million more girls than previously predicted could undergo FGM in the next decade as covid-19 disrupts efforts to end the practice. The pandemic could also lead to an extra 13 million child marriages over the next decade.
Japan’s bid to cut space junk
A Japanese company and Kyoto University have joined forces to develop what they hope will be the world's first satellites made out of wood by 2023, reports BBC. Sumitomo Forestry said it has started research on tree growth and the use of wood materials in space. The partnership will begin experimenting with different types of wood in extreme environments on Earth. Space junk is becoming an increasing problem as more satellites are launched into the atmosphere. Wooden satellites would burn up without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or raining debris on the ground when they plunge back to Earth. Experts have warned of the increasing threat of space junk falling to Earth, as more spacecraft and satellites are launched. Satellites are increasingly being used for communication, television, navigation and weather forecasting. Space experts and researchers have been investigating different options to remove and reduce the space junk.
New species in Atlantic already at risk
Twelve new species has been discovered after almost five years of studying the deep Atlantic. The sea mosses, molluscs and corals had eluded discovery because the sea floor is so unexplored. However, researchers warn that the newly discovered animals could already be under threat from climate change. Carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean is making it more acidic, causing coral skeletons in particular to corrode. Prof George Wolff, an ocean chemist from the University of Liverpool told the BBC that‘"we can still say we have better maps of the surface of the Moon and Mars than of the sea floor." The Atlas Project, as it is called, involved researchers from 13 countries around the Atlantic—combining ocean chemistry and physics, as well as biological discovery, to work out how the ocean environment is changing as the world warms and as humans exploit more of the deep sea for fishing and mineral extraction.
Curated by Sohini Sen. Have something to share with us? Write to us at feedback@livemint or tweet to @shohinisen
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