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13 News Articles To Read That Aren't About Trump

by Lani Seelinger

It's been a tough week for a lot of Americans who are following the latest election news. With less than four weeks until the big day, the distressing, and sometimes triggering, news is coming pretty much a mile a minute. Thankfully, though, it's a big world out there, and there are always important news stories that aren't about Donald Trump if you're totally sick of reading about the Republican nominee's latest antics.

This week alone, the world has witnessed big news on the Nobel Prize front, the death of a world leader, some really crazy discoveries in science, and huge developments in the world of medicine and public health. It's not all good news, but it's worth knowing what's going on in the world, good or bad. It might have all flown under the radar until now, but no longer. Everyone needs a break from election coverage, and this is where you can find it. So the next time you go out for a drink with your friends and the conversation starts getting stressful, you'll immediately be able to pull out a different direction to take it.

From Brexit to Boko Haram to brain implants to Bob Dylan, here are 13 news stories that you can follow if you're sick and tired of reading about Donald Trump.

1. The Nobel Prize In Literature Goes To Bob Dylan

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The Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to American rock legend Bob Dylan, recognizing him for his poetic achievements put to music. Some, including Barack Obama and Salman Rushdie, commended the pick; others, like writer Gary Shteyngart, felt that it was an insult to those who write more traditional literature.

2. Thai King Dies After 70-Year Reign

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The king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, passed away at age 88, after ruling the country for 70 years. Thailand is now in a state of mourning, as the king was well loved and revered by many as almost a god. The country has witnessed some instability in recent years, and there are fears that the king's death will exacerbate that.

3. New Rogue One Trailer Brings Questions And Excitement

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The release of Rogue One, the latest film in the Star Wars franchise, is just about two months away — and the new trailer has raised questions and speculation about how the movie will go. At the very least, it will definitely tell the story of the rebels who stole the plans for the Death Star that Luke Skywalker would eventually use to destroy it.

4. Boko Haram Releases 21 Chibok Girls

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The world reacted with horror when the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapped over 250 16- to 18-year-old girls from their boarding school in the town of Chibok over two years ago; now, 21 of them have been released. Almost 60 girls managed to escape soon after capture, so that plus the girls just released now means that just under 200 have still not been accounted for.

5. There Are 10 Times As Many Galaxies In Our Universe Than Previously Thought

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After completing a survey of galaxies in the observable universe, researchers concluded that there must be about 10 times as many galaxies than they thought earlier. They gathered this information by studying images from the Hubble Space Telescope's Deep Field series, which looks out to the areas of the universe most distant from us in both space and time.

6. Things Are Getting Tense In Yemen For U.S. Forces

SALEH AL-OBEIDI/AFP/Getty Images

The civil war in Yemen raging between several different groups has now threatened to put the United States directly at odds with Iran, as American forces reacted to a missile strike on the USS Mason by hitting radar sites on the coast of the Red Sea. Intelligence reports say that the missile strikes were carried out by the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, and Iranian warships have been coming closer into the fray.

7. Lego Fuels Beatlemania With A Yellow Submarine Set

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Want to instill a love of the Beatles into your children, or spend an afternoon playing with Legos yourself? Lego has just released a Yellow Submarine set, including blocks for the vessel itself and figurines of each of the Beatles.

8. Brexit Is Not Going Smoothly

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In possibly the least surprising news of the week, British Prime Minister Theresa May is running into problems with Brexit. The Pound is still weakening, EU officials have made it clear that they won't give the United Kingdom any special treatment, and Scotland is seriously thinking about another referendum on independence — among other issues.

9. A Paralyzed Man Feels Again After Brain Implant

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In a major breakthrough for the field of neuroscience, scientists have replicated the sense of touch for a paralyzed man by inserting tiny electrodes into his brain by connecting them directly to a prosthetic arm.

10. Antonio Guterres Is The New U.N. Secretary-General

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After serving as the prime minister of Portugal and the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, António Guterres has now been appointed to be the next U.N. secretary general, the top diplomatic position in the world. He will assume this new position on Dec. 31 when Ban Ki-Moon steps down. The U.N. is now receiving some criticism, however, for not picking one of the many qualified female candidates for the role.

11. New Zika Outbreak In Miami

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Zika has appeared in Miami's Little River neighborhood, which is the third outbreak the city has witnessed. Officials have warned pregnant women to stay out of the area, and called on the federal government to provide funding to combat the spread of the virus.

12. A Comet Impact Might Have Led To The Human Race

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Following new research into core samples drilled from around the coast of New Jersey, a team of American scientists has now theorized that a comet might have hit the Atlantic Ocean 55 million years ago, starting a period of intense global warming that helped to lead to the rise of mammals. While many questions still remain, what is sure is that that period of warming was a large part of how mammals came to play the role on the globe that they do now — and that includes humans.

13. The Election Is Actually Toxic

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It's official — even the American Psychological Association says that the election is stressing everyone out. The never-ending news coverage is taking its toll on millions of people, and the APA suggests that people stop reading election news or spend time with family and friends outside in order to alleviate it. There is another way to save yourself from the stress, however: Go vote.