January 2nd 2018
In 2017, the wealth of the world’s 500 richest people rose by $1 trillion, or 23%. World income inequality is now at its highest for 100 years.
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The cost of global natural disasters in 2017 is estimated at $306 billion – almost double that of 2016.
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The temperature in the Arctic circle is currently rising three times faster than the rest of the world.
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New research by the University of Arizona estimates that US nuclear testing between 1951 and 1973 killed up to 690,000 Americans.
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30 years after Prozac was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, we still don’t know how it works and rates of depression are higher than ever.
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New species discovered in 2017 include an electric blue tarantula, a grass that tastes like salt and vinegar crisps and an orchid that smells like champagne.