Government: U.S. Freezes Most Foreign Aid, Poses Threat to Public Health
United States President Donald Trump passed an executive order that put a halt to humanitarian aid overseas for 90 days, effectively dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). According to “The New York Times,” USAID is the main government organization that administers humanitarian aid such as food, disaster relief, and medical assistance to struggling countries. The Trump administration proposed plans to lay off 95 percent of USAID’s workforce, citing that they refuse to cooperate with the administration’s aim of making America “safer, stronger, or more prosperous” according to Marco Rubio, Secretary of State. Stop-work orders have been issued to many USAID employees, causing immediate disruptions to global humanitarian aid. In South Africa, a lack of USAID funding for HIV treatment and services could jeopardize the lives of over six million people, as reported by “Reuters.” Although Rubio signed a waiver granting emergency aid on behalf of the Department of State, the freeze has intensified humanitarian crises and raised concerns about the U.S.’s reliability in global affairs.
World: Sam Nujoma, First President of Namibia, Dies at 95
Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s first president and “founding father,” passed away at the age of 95 on February 8. According to “BBC News,” Nujoma was a revolutionary leader who served as president of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), an independence movement that fought for Namibia’s liberation from apartheid South Africa, and helped achieve independence on March 21, 1990. After winning vast political support for SWAPO, Nujoma returned from exile to lead the country for 16 years from 1990 through 2005 as Namibia’s first democratic president. Nujoma’s death was mourned and paid tribute to by the African Union Commission, which had supported Namibia’s liberation from South Africa, reported “Reuters.” Current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa eulogized Nujoma’s achievements, honoring him as an extraordinary freedom fighter.
Sports: Super Bowl 2025 Recap: Philadelphia Eagles Deny Kansas City Chiefs a ‘Three-Peat’
During Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the Philadelphia Eagles ended the Kansas City Chiefs’ quest for a ‘three-peat’ or three-championship streak, winning their second Super Bowl with a victory of 40-22. The Eagles made history with the second-largest halftime lead, as they scored 24 points and the Chiefs scored none by halftime, according to “The Athletic.” This game was a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, where the Chiefs defeated the Eagles by a close margin of 38-35. The NFL notes that quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggled under pressure and committed three turnovers, stalling the Chiefs’ offense and demonstrating a lackluster performance on their side. Meanwhile, the Eagles had revamped their roster into a formidable defensive line, allowing them to dominate the Chiefs for most of the game. Eagles fans celebrated their victory as quarterback Jalen Hurts earned Super Bowl MVP honors to avenge their narrow loss three years ago, reported “AP News.”
Conflict: Three Israeli Hostages Released as Ceasefire Between Israel and Palestine Continues
Last Saturday, three Israeli hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners. This marks the fifth exchange of hostages and prisoners as part of a 42-day ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, according to “The New York Times.” Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, described the three men as frail and gaunt as they gave speeches thanking the Hamas militants in a heavily staged handover. Following the exchange, the hostages expressed immense devastation at the state of their families. One of the hostages, Eli Sharabi, discovered that his wife and two daughters had been killed in a Hamas-led attack, reported “CBS News.” As of now, Israel and Hamas are scheduled to negotiate terms for the second phase of the ceasefire deal, which would end the war permanently and free the remaining hostages.
Science: Largest Radio Jet Ever Seen Provides a Glimpse of the Early Universe
As reported by “Earth.com,” the International Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope recently spotted the largest radio jet ever seen in the early universe. With a staggering width of at least 200,000 light years, twice the size of the Milky Way, the jet originates in a quasar that formed when the universe was 1.2 billion years old, less than ten percent of its current age. According to “Phys.org,” quasars are extremely luminous cores of galaxies that contain supermassive black holes. Quasars emit jets of energetic matter, or radio waves, that can be studied to understand the evolution of galaxies. Frits Sweijan, postdoctoral research associate at Durham University and co-author of the paper with their research, noted his surprise upon discovering the jet: “When we started looking at this object we were expecting the southern jet to just be an unrelated nearby source, and for most of it to be small. That made it quite surprising when the LOFAR image revealed large, detailed radio structures,” said Sweijen. This discovery marks a major step in understanding the impacts of black holes in the early universe.
