Japan

The first instance of cancer linked to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan has been diagnosed in a man who spent a year rebuilding the nuclear power plant. Since the magnitude-9 earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated the power plant in March 2011, at least three other people who worked on the plant have been diagnosed with cancer but are waiting to hear whether or not their illnesses are as a result of the Fukushima disaster.

Kenya

Economic growth in Kenya has increased by five percent in the last 10 years, and it has more ambitious goals for 2017. In the next two years, the country hopes to expand economically by at least 10 percent.  For Kenya, a country that primarily depends on farming, this means the population will have to diversify.  At the very least the economy is expected to expand by at least six and a half percent by 2018.

United States

The great debt debate will begin this Wednesday in the House of Representatives. The debt ceiling at this point could cause worldwide effects if Congress cannot agree on how high they want to raise it. As of now, the limit stands at $18.1 trillion, while Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in an article by the Huffington Post that we only have about $30 billion remaining in cash. At the same time, failure to pay off debts could result in a default, which would mean consequences for all.

United Kingdom

Andrea Leadsom, energy minister for the United Kingdom, spoke to The Guardian this past week about the government-planned changes regarding solar and energy efficient companies in the U.K. that would effectively slash jobs at said companies. Although she insists that this does not mean the government is refraining from sustainable practices, although 32 jobs have already been cut among 25 companies that specialize in renewable energy. The solar industry argues that 27,000 are at risk at the moment.