As busy college students it is all too easy to shut out the world outside of our college campuses, but now you can finally keep up with breaking stories from around the world. Here you can get a sharp and easy-to-digest weekly roundup on what is going on in the news – and even better, you can read it in 5 minutes or less.
1. Russian Airplane Crashed, Killing 224 Passengers on Board
Just 30 minutes after departing from an airport in Egypt, Russian Airbus A321 crashed into the desert of the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, October 31. The mysterious crash killed all 224 people on board; 25 of them were children coming back from an Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Causes of the crash remain unknown, but the possibility of a midair explosion due to a previous accident involving the aircraft exists. ISIS militants claimed responsibility in a statement that night, but both the Egyptian and Russian governments have refuted this claim due to a lack of evidence.
2. Schools Hesistate Over Transgender Bathroom Policies
Teachers and school administrators are unsure about how to handle bathroom policies involving transgender students. This made national headlines this week as the Education Department in a suburban Chicago school district gave officials 30 days to resolve a dispute involving a transgender student who identifies as a girl and wants the right to shower and change in the girls locker room. Many states, including California, New York and Connecticut, have adopted policies that force schools to allow transgender students to have access to whichever bathroom they identify with.
3. China and Taiwan Will Have Their First Meeting in Over 66 Years
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan’s leader Ma Ying-jeou will sit down for dinner in Singapore on Saturday for the first time since Chairman Mao’s communist reign in 1949. The two are meeting to discuss cross-strait issues and how to keep peace between the two ends which have previously been the center of military conflicts and political tensions. Many expect that even though the meeting is historic, it will yield no results and will be nothing more than a good photo opportunity.
4. NYC Marathon Boasts Over 50,000 Runners
On Sunday, November 1, people from all around the world competed in the 45th annual New York City Marathon. The top finisher for the men was Stanley Biwott from Kenya with a time of 02:10:34. For the women, Mary Keitany from Kenya with a time of 02:24:25. While no results were officially recorded after 7:30 p.m., many people afterward crossed the finish line and completed the marathon.
5. Hunger Games Theme Park Coming to U.S.
It looks like the odds are in Georgia’s favor. Atlanta will become the new home of a theme park based on the blockbuster hit The Hunger Games in 2019. Lionsgate Entertainment Corp. confirmed Monday that the $625 million AVATRON Park will be located in Bartow County, located about 45 minutes from the city. Not only will the park feature The Hunger Games but also Step Up and Now You See Me, which are other Lionsgate productions.