World AM News Briefs For Friday, 26 January 2018

Good Morning Australia!! - Meet the new Australian of the Year - Malala talks about where Trump is going wrong - Did Argentina's president hang up a "Whites Only" sign? - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

Quantum physicist Professor Michelle Yvonne Simmons of the University of New South Wales is this year's "Australian of the Year".  Her work at the University of NSW quantum physics department has helped develop leading technology on a global scale, launching Australia into "the space race of the computing era". 

Her research has the potential to lead to tiny computers that would solve complex problems in seconds rather than the years it takes the current generation - in short, revolutionizing everything that uses computers.  She's also a major advocate of encouraging girls to take up science in their studies:  "Throughout my career, I found people often underestimate female scientists," she said.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and girls' education advocate Malala Yousafzai spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland of the necessity of educating boys about feminism, which she no longer describes as a "tricky" word:  "It's just another word for equality," she said, "No one should object to it, because of course women should have the same rights as men."

Malala also expressed her disappointment in Donald Trump (join the worldwide club, kid).  The orange clown reportedly had an affair with a porn star after marrying his third wife Melania, and has a history of belching out the most idiotic sexism.  "I just get so disappointed to see that people are in these high positions when they talk about women in unequal terms and do not accept them as equals," Yousafzai told the audience, "And that when people are involved in such shameful things they think about their daughters and their mothers.  Would they let it happen to them?" 

Actually, yeah Trump probably would:


So, that's what we're dealing with.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and the orange clown Donald Trump had a really, really forced meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.  Smiling through grinding teeth, the two tried to put differences behind them - such as Trump's undermining of the Israel-Palestine peace process by moving the US Embassy to the disputed city of Jerusalem, and Trump's retweeting of British racist extremist groups.  Trump told reporters he wanted to correct a "false rumor" of a rift between them, while May spoke of "that really special relationship".  The two also claimed that Trump's planned visit to the UK - cancelled because of security concerns - was back on later this year.  Afterwards, BBC anchor Simon McCoy deadpanned, "Well, that was comfortable."

Trump at Davos also threatened to hold US aid from the Palestinians if they didn't agree to pursue peace with Israel.  The clown was apparently angered by the Palestinian Authority's refusal to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence during his recent Mideast visit, which was basically because the clown surrendered US impartiality by recognizing the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  Palestinian diplomat Dr. Saeb Erekat said, "Trump's statement only reaffirms that the US has disqualified itself from playing a role in achieving peace."  Both Israel and the Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capitals.

But Trump wasn't the only world leader saying stunningly AWFUL things at the World Economic Forum in Davos:  Argentinian President Mauricio Macri endorsed a trade agreement with the European Union "because in South America, we are all descendants from Europe" - denying the existence of more than thirty Indigenous nationalities in Argentina that account for more than one million people, not to mention Asian and African immigrants.  The comments can't be written off to ignorance, because the conservative Macri has been criticized about these sort of statements in the past. 

Myanmar is accusing veteran US Diplomat Bill Richardson of pursuing a "personal agenda" when he bailed out of an international advisory board on the plight of the Rohingya minority.  Richardson yesterday quit the panel, accusing it of cheerleading for Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who critics say hasn't done a thing to protect the Rohingya from the military and nationalist mob violence.  Richardson told the Reuters news agency the panel was trying to "whitewash" the role of Suu Kyi who lacked "moral leadership".  Myanmar without corroboration now claims Richardson was asked to step down from the panel.

Thousands flee the Mount Mayon volcano in the Philippines.