Trump’s Mideast Peace Plan Upsets Palestinians
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump released a plan that he says is meant to bring peace between Israel and Palestine. But Mr. Trump’s deal appears to be slanted heavily in favor of Israel, and Palestine has already rejected the plan.
The problems in and around Israel are very old and complicated. Most of the problems are about religion and different groups wanting the same land. As Israel has expanded, Palestinians have lost land. Palestinians have long wanted to start their own country.
(Source: US Government [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
In the past, the US tried to find a middle path that supported both Israel and the Palestinians. Mr. Trump’s plan, which was developed by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, takes a different position.
Though the plan gives more land to Palestinians and offers the possibility of forming a country, the plan takes away almost everything else that’s important to Palestine.
Many people see the plan as an excuse to allow Israel to take more land. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who joined Mr. Trump on Tuesday, welcomed the plan.
(Source: The White House [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
As a result of Mr. Trump’s plan, the Palestinian Authority, which acts as the government for Palestinians, has cut all connections with both the US and Israel.
Sofia Kenin Is Surprise Winner of Australian Open
Sofia Kenin became the youngest person to win the Australian Open since 2008. It was the first time Ms. Kenin had ever made it to the finals in a Major tennis tournament.
Though the 21-year-old wasn’t expected to win the contest, she moved steadily through with confidence and skill, defeating talented players, one after another. In the semifinals, she beat Ash Barty, who’s ranked number one in the world.
Saturday’s match against Garbiñe Muguruza wasn’t an easy one. Ms. Muguruza was the world’s top female player in 2017.
(Source: si.robi [CC BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons.)
Ms. Kenin lost the first set, but managed to fight back. In the final set, she turned things around, hitting five great shots in a row. From that point on, everything changed. “I was on fire,” Ms. Kenin said.
Ms. Kenin is now ranked number seven in the world, and number one in the US.
Nike’s Vaporfly Shoes Are Approved for the Olympics
World Athletics, the group that makes rules for international running contests, has agreed to allow Nike’s Vaporfly shoes in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The shoes have upset many athletes who believe they give an unfair advantage to runners wearing them. The shoes are designed with a thick, light sole that bounces back after the runner lands. Inside, there’s a special springy “plate” made of a material called “carbon fiber”.
(Source: Nike.)
The shoes were worn by Eliud Kipchoge in 2018 when he set the world marathon record of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds.
Scientists testing the shoes say that runners wearing them use about 4% less energy. That can make a big difference over a long race.
Nike claims the shoes simply save the runner’s own energy and don’t give the runner extra energy.
Though the shoes are approved for the Olympics, World Athletics says no new shoe designs will be allowed until after the Olympics. They also set guidelines for the designs for new shoes.