Since the start of quarantine, facing world issues has seemed harder to avoid than ever. At the same time, with Covid-19 consistently keeping the world on edge, it seems some issues have gone somewhat quiet. Though it’s important to stay updated on the effects of the virus throughout the nation, the world didn’t stop turning—and newsworthy events didn’t either.

­­ Notable issues around the world that have happened amidst the pandemic.

1. Explosions disrupted lives in Lebanon.

Most probably heard about the unexpected explosion in Beirut, Lebanon on Aug. 4, with more than 200 casualties and 5,000 injuries. The explosion was said to have been caused by a fire that arose at the Port of Beirut. According to the Lebanon Red Cross, the catastrophe affected hundreds of thousands of families across the capital, leaving many temporarily homeless. To help Lebanon in recovering, donations to the Lebanon Red Cross are widely appreciated. 

2. The United States population has slowed its growth tremendously. 

Since 2015, the U.S. has seen a steady decline in the growth of the population. Many factors play into this, including a decline in the natural increase the country normally sees, and a decrease in immigrants. The Census Bureau reports that the country’s population grew by less than 0.5% last year—the lowest rate of growth in population the nation has seen since 1919. 

3. Mexican Femicide is still prominent. 

Femicides, or the gender-charged killing of women at a disproportionate rate, in Mexico has caught news several times since it started being recorded in 2012. According to the Center For Strategic and International Studies, since the issue started receiving more coverage in 2015, the rate of femicide has increased by 145 percent. Many women in Mexico have been seen marching and protesting the issue.

 While the controversy and tragedy taking place in the middle of Covid is difficult to ignore, this is fortunately not all that the year has had to offer. 

 Many great things have occurred in these past few months as well.

1. The number of animals being adopted from shelters has gone up.

Since quarantine, many have found themselves feeling a sense of loneliness spending so much time secluded at home. Because of this, it has been an ideal time for many to adopt a pet from an animal shelter. Animal shelters across the country have reported a recent boost in the number of pet adoptions.

2. Air quality has improved greatly.

Factors that cause much of the percentage of air pollution, such as transportation vehicles and factory buildings, have been used less frequently because of CDC recommendations and government restrictions. This has led to air pollution going down and air quality improving.

3. Koalas are finally being released into the wild after the Australia wildfires.

The devastating wildfires in Australia destroyed many natural habitats for wildlife. Thousands of koalas were taken into wildlife centers to protect them from the fires, but many of the koalas have recently returned to their natural habitat.