An island’s view of the news this week.

1st January

Japan was greeted into the new year by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that brought terrifying videos circulating around the internet showing the true power of these natural events. Tsunami warnings were sent across Japan’s northern coast but were later removed. The epicentre of the quake was close to the small town of Noto, some 179 miles from Tokyo. It is believed that four people have died and dozens have been injured.

Israel’s military has said that it expects the war in Gaza to continue throughout 2024.

2nd January

A Japan Airline passenger plane was set ablaze after striking a coastguard plane, which killed five of the six crew members on board. All 379 passengers and crew on board survived the collision. Firefighters rushed to the scene and spent many hours trying to put out the blaze, which by this time had engulfed the whole plane.

3rd January

A Hamas leader, Saleh al-Arouri, has been assassinated in a blast in Beirut. Israel has neither confirmed it was responsible for the assassination nor denied involvement. Hamas has called this a terrorist attack while fear in the region grows of the war spreading to neighbouring countries. The United States has said that Israel was the cause of the attack.

Current statistics in the area suggest that 85% of the region’s 2.2 million people have been displaced since Israel launched its counterassault, which has, according to Gaza’s health authorities, killed more than 20,000 people so far.

The documents from the court that dealt with Jeffery Epstein have been released to the public, showcasing lots of names of people who were affiliated with the registered sex offender. Some of the notable names are Bill Clinton (who strongly denied he had any knowledge of his crimes), Donald J. Trump, and Michael Jackson (no wrongdoing is alleged for either).

Doctors in England launched their longest strikes in NHS history as they look for a larger pay increase on top of the 9% this fiscal year.

The death toll in Japan has risen to 55, with reports that over 57,000 people have fled their homes.

4th January

Rishi Sunak has suggested that the next general election will take place in the second half of the year, giving him and his party a clearer picture of their time left in government.

This also signals the time when the BS metre begins to increase as we get closer and closer to the day. I hope you are all ready for the many months of grand promises that will be quietly dropped by whoever the next leader will be (they won’t be the conservatives, that is for sure).

Thursday also brought major flooding across the UK, with 287 flood warnings and 330 flood alerts in England alone. This has followed multiple storms that have battered the UK for the past few weeks. The latest, Storm Henk, has seen its rainfall on already saturated ground increase the risk of flash flooding in the south of England, which has kept a yellow warning for rain in that region for Friday.

Democrats in Congress have found that Donald Trump’s hotels accepted more than $7.8 million (£6.1 million) from foreign governments during his term. What was most surprising was which country was at the top of that list: China. China was responsible for $5.5 million (70.5%) of the total sum. For a man who has constantly badmouthed China, this does not sit right. This is the reason Donald Trump is getting accused of violating the US Constitution in his long battle with the American courts, which has seen his name echoed in courtrooms in more than five states already. Others on this list included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and India (in order of the amount spent in Trump’s hotels).

On the first day back to school, the members of Perry High School saw a student open fire. Dylan Butler, aged 17, carried a pump-action shotgun and a small-calibre handgun. It is being reported that he fatally injured one and left five others injured. The Florida Governor said, in response to the shooting, that he would still not back policy changes on gun violence.

5th January

Reports are coming out of Ukraine saying that Russia is using North Korean ballistic missiles in its war against Ukraine. This follows the September meeting between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, where they were believed to discuss military corporations. The US says it will raise the issue with the UN Security Council.

Flooding continued to plague the UK as rain continued to fall on the nation.

6th January

171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes have been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration so they can inspect each one of them after an Alaska Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after reaching only 16,000 feet, according to flight tracking data. This came after part of the plane’s fuselage blew off on its way up to its cruising altitude. The plane landed safely, and no one was hurt.

The 6^th of January 2024 marks three years since the attack on the US Capitol building with the notion that the election was stone from them and they were taking their country back. In Biden’s first campaign speech of 2024, he said, “Trump’s mob wasn’t a peaceful protest, it was a violent assault.” Trump naturally hit back, calling Biden a threat to democracy.

Israel’s army is reporting that Hamas’s northern command in Gaza has been destroyed.

7^th January

A Russian missile strike close to the eastern frontline has claimed the lives of 11 people and injured 10. This strike, which was launched at a city and village, trapped residents under rubble and caused increased misery. The S-300 missiles that have been used to attack are mainly used to shoot down aircraft, but they are becoming a frequent sight over Ukraine, demonstrating that Putin may be starting to run low on equipment.

South Korean intelligence told lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter is the dictator’s likely successor to rule over the country. North Korean media is increasing its propaganda towards the leader’s child, Kim Ju-ae, calling her the “most beloved,” which clearly lines her up for a lifetime of ruling or high governmental positions.