Accidents and Natural Disasters

The week wasn't particularly pleasant with misfortune playing a large role in many tragedies.

Accidents

We begin the week with the world looking on as it was feared nearly 700 people had drowned off the coast of Libya after a human smuggling vessel sunk with the only progress being the captain and his crew being arrested. The EU held an emergency meeting regarding the tragedy however the outcome has been criticized as been inadequate. Elsewhere in the world 7 people were reported dead and 17 trapped in a flooded coal mine in China.

Older tragedies made news with robot's at the Fukushima nuclear power plant capturing images of a strange green glow and even further back to one of histories most notorious accidents one of the remnants, a deckchair from the Titanic, was sold for $190,000.

Natural Disasters

Mother nature proved a destructive force earlier in the week with Tsunami warnings raised for Japan's southern Okinawa island after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the Easter Taiwan. Another earthquake, 6.3 magnitude, was recorded between Nelson and Kaikoura in New Zealand's south island. However nature wasn't done with the Calbuco volcano erupting and sending plumes of smoke and ash into the atmosphere in southern Chile forcing evacuations of surrounding areas.

On the biological front new warnings were raised after it was discovered that Ebola, now thought to be under control, could still be spread by sex with the CDC asking previous victims to abstain from sex. Good news also followed on the Ebola front when a monkey was cured with a new experimental drug along with more good news of a clinical trial coming to an end offering a malaria vaccine. Meanwhile in Iowa 5 million hens are to be euthanized after a bird flu outbreak. We end the week with man doing as much damage to nature with the deteriorating quality of air in China under more scrutiny over the last few months as the second largest economy continues to plow ahead but it's not alone with growing economy Delhi claiming the most polluted air.

Conflicts Turn Into Catastrophe

This week has revealed a world in turmoil with futures uncertain for many in and around hotbeds of violence.

Russia and Ukraine

The US imposed further unilateral sanctions on Russia striking another blow to Russia's economy who were not happy with the newly imposed sanctions and threatened retaliation.

While politicians continued to argue blood was shed with the Ukraine army pushing back on the rebel-held Donetsk. However the world stood up and took notice when commercial flight MH17 was shot down by pro Russian militants killing 298 people on board. Among the passengers were 100 AIDS researchers on a trip to a conference in Melbourne, Australia. Since the shooting down of Flight MH17 the UN Security Council has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the growing problems.

Israel and Gaza

After the kidnapping and murder of several teenagers Israel forces retaliated by sending in troops to the north of Gaza and later bombing Hamas targets hitting a Mosque and clinic. Hamas countered taking aim at Tel Aviv with casualties beginning to grow on both sides of the conflict. As the conflict escalated the number of casualties rose further as both sides fought tit for tat.

There was a brief seize fire organized by Egypt which Israel accepted in return for militants stopping rocket fire, however, it did not last long with Hamas armed wing vowing to intensify the conflict and Israel targeting top Hamas leaders in return. As the conflict continued more innocents paid the price with an Israeli airstrike killing four children on a Gaza beach. Israel claimed a small victory when it stopped 13 men tunneling in from Gaza. There was momentary peace when another seize fire was agreed for 5 hours for humanitarian aid with fighting continuing soon after.

Libya

Fighting at Tripoli's international airport escalated with clashes between Zintan and Islamist Militia killing 7 people with fighting continuing when days after the initial attacks the airport was hit by rockets. With unrest threatening to spiral out of control the UN withdrew all it's staff from Libya and Libyan airspace was closed.

A suspect in the 2012 attack on the US embassy in Benghazi was found dead in his prison cell after only 2 days in custody.

Iraq

The US and Iraqi government have tried to use growing tension between the extremists groups against each other. However the US see's risks in assisting Iraq directly with many units are deeply infiltrated by either Sunni extremist informants or Shiite personnel. With fighting Kurdish women battled jihadist-led rebels in Iraq and lastly 29 people were killed in Baghdad when Militia stormed an apartment building in the east.