Typhoon Haiyan

On November 11, Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, reached Vietnam after causing massive destruction in the Philippines the week before. Over 3,000 have been found dead in the Philippines with a heavy count coming from Tacloban. The typhoon was the strongest in recorded history, with waves as tall as two-story buildings and sustained wind speeds of 150 – 170 MPH. Currently, food is being shipped and volunteers are being sent out to towns without shelter, though there are some parts of the country that remain in isolation without these necessities.

Michelle Bachelet Likely to Be Elected

Michelle Bachelet, in the lead in the Chilean presidential election, has promised to fortify labor unions and pursue an ambitious 15 billion dollar spending program.  Bachelet believes that Chile, the world’s largest copper producer, is burdened by inadequacies and inequalities. Also, protests are on the rise in Chile as citizens take their concerns to the public. There are protests among blue collar copper producers who do not feel the profit of their product trickling down to them, protests against ideas of mining and energy production, and protests among students who want higher education. Bachelet expects to use money made from tax reforms to improve education and create other proposals on energy production. She also plans on carrying out a large amount of modifications to prevent companies from limiting union power. If Bachelet is elected, as the polls suggest, the citizens of Chile would benefit greatly.

Iranian Nuclear Deal

Long story short, Iran has the technology and material to produce fuel for advanced weaponry. In fact, Iran has so much enriched uranium and centrifuges that a nuclear breakout is possible. In an estimated 11 months, a reliable nuclear weapon could be made, according to President Obama, as of April 2013. In the last few months, there have been many talks between Iran and major superpowers in an attempt to freeze Iran’s nuclear program; however, none have been successful thus far.