In case you’ve been living under a rock, there are some pressing international events occurring that you should know about. The Zika virus has spread from Africa to Brazil, and now there are reported outbreaks in the United States. North Korea has shown its strong capability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles with its recent satellite launching. The high courts have ruled that Australia can deport all current and future asylum seekers to a pacific island called Nauru.

The Zika virus is spread through mosquito bites. However, there have been two reported cases of males passing on the virus to their partners through intercourse, and reports of the virus being passed on through blood transfusion. There has also been live Zika virus found in saliva samples. The virus had been passed around Africa since 1947 according to Vox News, but the real worrying started when the first instance of Zika was reported from Brazil in May 2015, where people had no immunity. People who are infected with Zika virus may experience fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, or pinkeye. The types of mosquitoes that are thought to spread Zika, the Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus, can be found in the United States between the southeast coast and the southern midwest.

“We can just hope for the best and for that virus to not spread,” sophomore Flor Cáceres Godoy said.

There are no vaccines to treat Zika virus, and the only treatments are over the counter medicines like Tylenol, rest, and plenty of fluids. Birth defects including Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly which causes shrunken heads in children are caused by the virus, and have become the main source of worry.

“It might be a small disadvantage [to be affected by the virus]… it shouldn’t be too bad,” sophomore Cameron Williams said.

North Korea has threatened to launch a long-range missile at the United States for years. However, North Korea has now sent a satellite into orbit, which shows that it has the technology needed to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a direct violation of the U.N. resolution. Some have argued that the newly estimated range of a nuclear missile from North Korea has expanded from 10,000 km to 13,000 km, which means that North Korea could launch a nuclear missile and hit any part of the United States, so many more United States citizens are in danger.

“There is a tiny bit of fear in me, but… my advice would be to have faith; to hope that everything will turn out for the better, not the worst,” Cáceres Godoy said.

China and Russia are backing up North Korea against the United Nations’ desire to deal more harshly with the country’s violation of the U.N. resolution by exhibiting ICBM technology. Seeing this launching as an impending threat, many believe that the United States should increase sanctions and security against North Korea.

“Don’t create another nuclear bomb or missile because look what happened to Japan: a lot of innocent lives were [lost],” Cáceres Godoy said.

The high court of Australia has confirmed that Australia has the right to deport people to other countries for detention. The 267 people that the Australian government wants to deport to Pacific island country Nauru are called asylum seekers: people who have left their home country for fear of prosecution for any number of reasons, and want to become refugees. The most concern is for the 37 babies who are being deported to Nauru, which many claim does not have appropriate or safe conditions for the babies to grow up in as many adults and children have reported being sexually assaulted on Nauru and are traumatized by their experiences, according to Dr. Josh Francis, who discourages deportation to Nauru for the babies.

“They can’t send… 37 [babies] to an asylum, that’s just not right. These kids, they have no choice of where they are in life,” Williams said.

The conditions in the camps in Nauru are apparently so terrible that people are even committing suicide and starving themselves to keep from going back, which is also an unsafe and traumatizing environment for the children.

“They’re human beings….They deserve to be treated the way everyone else should be treated: with respect and dignity and kindness,” Cáceres Godoy said.

Nauru takes in asylum seekers in exchange for Australia’s payment of aid to Nauru and the expenses for the asylum seeker’s visas. On the bright side, the high court’s decision cuts out the job of people smugglers who the asylum seekers are paying to smuggle them into Australia by boat. Hundreds die just making the journey, so Australia can put people smugglers out of business and save lives by taking them to Nauru. However, there has been many protests against the conditions facing asylum seekers on Nauru. Whether Nauru’s conditions are improved or the asylum seekers are brought into Australia, the protests of the people will probably spark change for 267 plus lives.