The teenage scientist tracking a sea of

Space junk26 February 2018
Every spacecraft or satellite launched has to contend with a vast belt of debris left in orbit. One teenage scientist has worked out a way to keep it out of harm’s way.
When Amber Yang watched the film Gravity – which features a cataclysmic collision which destroys the International Space Station – it gave her an idea.She knew that hundreds and thousands of miles above Earth, pieces of wreckage were whizzing around our planet – some of them big enough to cause billions of dollars worth of damage to precious satellites and spacecraft.So Yang, bored by her schoolwork, decided to try and find a way of tracking it, and ensuring cosmic debris doesn’t become a danger to the next generation of humans venturing into space.
My Response:I personally don't know all too much about space junk and the potential threat that he may hold. Besides that I think that it is quite interesting how this ordinary student thought about what should be done with space junk and it threat that it may hold in terms of destructive properties upon impact on the earth's surface and danger to any space operation. Just because of these things that crossed her mind from watching a movie she has been globally recognized on the news media.
Author bias:I don't necessarily think that there is any particular bias it doesn't shoot down Amber's efforts to deal with space junk, but it also doesn't "worship" her over it either.
Audience:I think this could be article for space junk awareness, but personally I think that it's main purpose is to inspire other young individuals to also do their "part" for coming up with innovative ideas to help the planet.

Jacob Zuma resigns as South Africa's president

Embattled South African president announces decision to step down before scheduled no-confidence vote against him

Durban, South Africa - Jacob Zuma, South Africa's embattled and controversial president, has announced his resignation in a televised address to the nation. 

"I have to come to a decision to resign with immediate effect," he said late on Wednesday in Pretoria.

Zuma's resignation followed weeks of intense public pressure to step down amid long-standing corruption allegations.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) formally asked Zuma, 75, to resign on Tuesday. He initially refused, saying he did not understand why he was being told to step down.

The party later announced plans to hold a vote of no confidence against him on Thursday in parliament.

"It is my party that placed me the representative of the people. It is my party that availed me," Zuma said in his speech from Union Buildings.

"Make no mistake, no leader should stay beyond the time the people they serve. No leader should seek an easy way out because they could face a life without the perks of political office."

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the newly elected head of ANC, is expected to become acting president on Thursday.

A new president must be elected within 30 days but the cabinet and presidency continues.

Corruption allegations

Zuma, who served as the country's president since 2009, joined the ANC in 1958.

He is considered one of the party stalwarts, having served for 10 years on the Robben Island prison alongside freedom fighter Nelson Mandela and living in exile before returning to South Africa in 1990. 

Despite being known for being an astute political operator, Zuma's presidency was characterised by scandal and corruption allegations, making him the most controversial president since the end of apartheid.

South Africa will look back and wonder how we allowed a president so reprehensible to last so long in office.

SIZWE MPOFU-WALSH, AUTHOR

"South Africa will look back and wonder how we allowed a president so reprehensible to last so long in office," Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, author of Democracy and Delusion: 10 Myths in South African Politics, told Al Jazeera.

South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled last December that parliament had failed to hold Zuma accountable over the alleged use of state funds to upgrade his rural home in Nkandla.

That followed an earlier court decision in April 2016 that found Zuma had "failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution".

It resulted in an impeachment vote that same month, but the motion failed to pass when parliament, where the ANC holds a majority, voted 233 to 143 in Zuma's favour.

Zuma was also found to have given favour to an Indian immigrant family known as the Guptas, in what became known as the state capture scandal.

It was reported that the family wielded such influence over Zuma that they were able to decide who got appointed to the cabinet.

Zuma has always claimed his innocence and some South Africans still defend him, saying he was targeted unfairly in a system that is underpinned by corruption.

"When it comes to the allegations of state capture, the state was captured a long time ago. And here we are focusing only on Zuma. There is a broader perspective one needs to take when looking at state capture," Wandile Giwa, a 26-year-old student, told Al Jazeera.

Joyful response expected

But most South Africans are expected to be overjoyed by Zuma's resignation.

The call for Zuma to step down reached a crescendo in early February when the Nelson Mandela Foundation released a statement calling for him to go immediately. 

"President Zuma has abused the trust of South Africans. He must go, sooner rather than later. Time is of the essence," the foundation said. 

The court rulings heightened pressure on Ramaphosa, who was elected ANC leader in December 2017, to force Zuma to step down as the party looks to repair its reputation.

But Zuma had survived several no-confidence votes in parliament and until early February believed he would survive another.

The tide changed, however, and several of his allies abandoned him.

Ramaphosa has been clear that he had no intention of humiliating Zuma and the ANC itself reportedly wanted him to bow out on his own, rather than drag out the process.

Still, Zuma leaves the ANC deeply divided and analysts say the party faces a serious challenge to repair its reputation in his wake.

"Ramaphosa will have a hard time fixing a party that faces indecision and disagreement over its values at every level," said Ebrahim Fakir, an independent political analyst.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/jacob-zuma-resigns-south-africa-president-180209204724335.html

My Response:

Personally I was most definitely not apart of the Zuma fan club, and I was very pleased to find out about Jacob Zuma's resignation. My family who lives in South Africa are constantly telling our family here in Kenya how Zuma has slowly been causing South Africa to crumble. Therefore you could say that I am riding off of their bias against him, but from what I can see in the news I can agree with what they say, by how it holds up to what news agencies say.

Authors Bais:

Much of the article seems quite devoted to showing Zuma's flaws, corruption, and scandals that happened during is presidency, going so far so as to put this quote in the article  which he himself said, "South Africa will look back and wonder how we allowed a president so reprehensible to last so long in office."

Intended audience:

I think this article is most definitely directed at all South Africans, and possibly anyone outside South Africa that my be affected by Zuma's resignation.

Winter Olympics 2018: 32 Russians to appeal against Pyeongchang exclusion

Thirty-two Russian athletes have appealed against their exclusion from this month's Winter Olympics.

They include those who had their life bans lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) last week.

A hearing is set to take place on Wednesday, two days before the Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited 169 Russians to compete as independent athletes in Pyeongchang after their country was banned over the Sochi doping scandal.

Forty-three Russians were banned for life from the Olympics following the conclusion of an IOC investigation into evidence of state-sponsored Russian doping at their home Games in 2014.

On Thursday, Cas overturned the suspensions of 28 of those, and partially upheld 11 other appeals.

The IOC then turned down a request for 13 of the 28 - and two coaches - to compete.

A special IOC panel "agreed the decision of the Cas had not lifted the suspicion of doping".

IOC president Thomas Bach said: "The absence of sanctions by Cas does not mean that you are entitled to receive an invitation from the IOC because receiving this invitation is a privilege of clean Russian athletes."

However, 32 athletes are taking issue with that stance.

Among them are multiple Olympic champion speed skater Viktor Ahn and biathlon gold medallist Anton Shipulin. Neither athlete has previously served a doping ban.

IOC criticised over Russia

IOC member Dick Pound - the former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency - has criticised the IOC over its handling of Russian doping.

At a meeting in Pyeongchang on Tuesday, Pound said: "The IOC has not only failed to protect clean athletes but has made it possible for cheating athletes to prevail against the clean athletes. We talk more than we walk.

"The athletes and the public at large in my view no longer have confidence that their interests are being protected. Our commitment to both is in serious doubt.

"More attention has been paid to getting Russian athletes into the Pyeongchang Games than dealing with the Russian conduct."

However, Pound's view was not shared by the other IOC delegates at the meeting.

Only Pound and British IOC member Adam Pengilly - who last week called the decision to overturn Russian bans "craven and spineless"- abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote of confidence in how the the IOC has handled the Russian doping issue.

My Response:

Although there was a doping scandal by some Russian athletes in the past, I personally don't think that is fair that just because of those couple of athletes, all of the rest who have never been involved in such acts have lost their privilege to compete in the Olympic Games and represent their country.

Author's bias:

I would say that this article definitely brings out the more negative side of the issue, where it is not allowing the other clean Russian athletes to compete, and I think that is what the author is trying to get through to the reader.

Audience:

I think the audience could be anyone who may be involved or watches the Olympics, specifically Russians, who wish to see their athletes compete in the games