Britain and Scotland debate over Scotland’s independence.
This September, Scotland will vote on whether or not to become independent from Great Britain. While the majority of Scots are against it, the amount of people supporting Scottish independence continues to grow. In response, Britain says if Scotland becomes independent, they will not be able to use the pound as currency. British leaders hope this will keep Scots voting to remain with Britain.
The New York Times has more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/world/europe/britain-gives-harder-warning-to-scot-secessionists.html?ref=world
The shorter you are, the harder you’ll fall…mentally.
Psychiatry Research recently published a study that linked being short, or at least feeling short, with feelings of mistrustfulness, inferiority, and paranoia. They concluded that being or feeling shorter leads to lower self-confidence, just as being or feeling taller leads to high self-confidence. Therefore, hope is not lost for the shorter than average people: the paranoia can be reduced by raising self-esteem.
Learn more from the Mother Nature Network.
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/short-people-are-more-prone-to-paranoia-study-suggests#
Ukrainian protests are ongoing.
By Valentine’s Day, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich called for the release of detained protesters and wishes the streets occupied by the protesters around a square in Kiev called EuroMaidan to be cleared by Monday. If they are, the charges against the detained protesters could be dropped. The US and Russia are both involved in the Ukraine’s politics for economic reasons.
Further coverage is available from Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/14/us-ukraine-amnesty-idUSBREA1D15D20140214
Protests in Thailand are blocking some voters from the polls.
Parts of Thailand have been unable to vote in recent elections due to protests that closed polling stations. With people unable to vote, the ability for the leaders that are elected to lead the country is gone, which would mean by-elections must be held.
There’s more on that story at the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26003995
Additionally, police on Friday, Feb 14, made an attempt to clear protest sites in Bangkok. They did not succeed in clearing them all.
Learn more from the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26184201
Same-sex marriage is now legal in Scotland.
With a 105 to 18 vote, the Scottish parliament passed a bill making same-sex marriage legal. The first marriages are expected as early as August. There is continued debate among religious groups and the public as a whole, but many are proud about the bill and what is says about Scotland.
The Guardian has more.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/04/scottish-parliament-vote-legalise-gay-marriage
Iran is ready for change.
After 35 years under the Islamic republic, Iran is looking to change, with one major influence being its economy. US relations with Iran are warming as Iranian leaders become more interested in improving their economy, lowering inflation, and decreasing their unemployment rate. Negotiations with the US over Iran’s nuclear program are moving in a positive direction, with Iran stopping some of its activities in exchange for an easing of sanctions placed against the country.
For more on Iran’s current political scene, see the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/irans-islamic-republic-at-35-poised-for-change-and-a-less-isolated-existence/2014/02/10/3394fe22-9231-11e3-b3f7-f5107432ca45_story.html
