Supertyphoon Haiyan/Yolanda displaces thousands
According to UN reports, over 660,000 people have been displaced by Typhoon Haiyan. The death toll is currently estimated to be over 10,000 and continuing to rise. People are now struggling to find basic necessities such as food, water and blankets. The typhoon ripped through the Kabisayaans, an island group directly in the middle of the Philippines. The airport in Tacloban has been blocked with debris, hampering relief efforts, but aid officials have stated that relief organizations will soon be able to access areas in need.
US Postal Service to Deliver Amazon Packages on Sundays
Following a $16 billion budget deficit in the previous year, the United States Postal Service is partnering with Amazon to offer Sunday delivery of packages. Pilot programs will start soon in major cities, such as Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix. This will come at no extra cost to the recipient of the package.
Number of International Students in US Swells
The number of international students in American colleges is at an all-time high, with 819,644 enrolled in the past year. According to a study by the Institute of International Education, these students are an especially important source of funds and contribute approximately $24 billion to the US economy, while comprising four percent of the overall student population. The number of American students abroad has also increased to 283,332 last year, the highest number to date. The largest portion of students hail from China, making up 28.7 percent of all international students. Other countries of origin include Saudi Arabia, India and Korea.
Following Morsi Ouster, Egypt Rewrites Constitution
Delegates of Egypt’s constitutional assembly (commonly known as the “Committee of 50”) are writing an entirely new constitution. This is the second time in the past two years that a constitution has been rewritten, with the key difference between them being the ideologies of the main contributors. Secularists were kept out of the proceedings in 2012, when an emphasis was placed on sharia and unlimited funding was allocated to the Shiekh of the Azhar. With the current military government, political Islamists and Salafis (an ultraconservative branch of Sunni Islam) are not as powerful. A few members of the committee report feel that the exclusion is unfair, regardless of whether or not they have the same ideologies. Overall, the trend for Egypt’s current constitution is heading in a more secular direction.
— Valentina Nakic
