Year in Review: World News
We continue our look back at 2014 with a focus on events that happened around the world.
In Ukraine, it was a time of excitement followed by a time of turmoil. Russia entered the news in 2014 by way of the Sochi Winter Olympic Gamess in February. By March, however, the attention on the country had shifted. What began as a protest calling for reforms in the Ukraine, turned into government-sponsored violence against its citizens and the removal of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovyoch from power. Russia responded by moving troops into and eventually occupying the city of Crimea (also called an annexation). The U.S. , the European Union, and other countries responded by imposing economic penalties against Russia. The conflict continues, with a reported 4,634 dead and 10,243 injured. The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill called the Ukraine Freedom Support Act.
In global sports news, much of the focus was on the World Cup. The FIFA international soccer tournament, which occurs every four years in a rotating host city, was held this summer in Brazil. btw began its coverage of this World Cup last year when the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) qualified to play in the competition (only 32 teams play out of a possible 209). Controversy over blatant government corruption and accusations of using public funds to build new stadiums over basic public services threatened to overshadow the sport. When opening day arrived, however, more than 3 million people attended the World Cup (which ran from June 12 to July 13). Germany won, defeating Argentina. The Netherlands came in third, with host country Brazil coming in fourth.
As is often the case in global news, there was continuing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. In June, the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers and retaliatory murder of two Palestinian teens flared a centuries-old conflict. Throughout the summer, both sides engaged in counter-attacks on one another. Hamas (representing Palestine) launched rockets into Israel, who responded with a 50-day military assault. Nearly 2,300 people were killed, most of them Palestinian civilians. Attempts at outside involvement were thwarted with many failed ceasefires.
But, there was also some hope around the globe this year as well and it came from a historic Nobel Peace Prize award. With so much unrest and violence in the world, it was a privilege to report that this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was co-awarded to two people who have devoted their lives to advocating on behalf of children all over the world. Kaliash Satyarthi of India continues to fight to the end of child labor and the exploitation of children. Readers of btw will recognize the other co-recipient, Malala Yousafzai from our continual coverage of the Pakistani schoolgirl who was targeted and shot by the Taliban in 2012 for her outspoken support of the education of girls (which is strictly prohibited by the extremist group). She has made a recovery and continues to speak out for what she believes in.
CDC/Frederick Murphy
Chances are, if you paid attention to global news at all this year, you heard about Ebola. This infectious disease kills millions of people every year, especially in third world countries where access to adequate sanitation and medical care is lacking. This year, however, saw the largest outbreak of the Ebola virus ever. It occurred mostly in Liberia and its surrounding region. There were more than 18,000 reported cases of infection and nearly 7,000 deaths. Health care workers and family members who handled the bodily fluids of the infected were at great risk. While there were a few reported cases in the United States, it is unlikely to spread in places where medical facilities are well developed and equipped to handle outbreaks. As of November, the Center for Disease Control (the CDC) no longer believe the number of cases will exceed one million (as initially predicted).
In the Middle East, there was also much talk about ISIS. Terrorists threat is not uncommon for the United States. This fall, however, a group called the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) gained considerable attention by specifically targeting American journalists, kidnapping and then beheading them on camera. President Obama made a televised speech where he outlined a strategy for dealing with the Islamic state. Most recently, a gunman associated with ISIS held hostages inside a café in Australia who they see as, “a partner of the West.”
Finally, in the most expansive definition of “global news”, there were some interesting space missions accomplished this year. 2014 was a big year for space exploration around the world. India joined the United States in turning its focus to Mars by launching Mangalyaan (or Mars Orbiter Mission – nicknamed MOM) to orbit the Red Planet. Later in the fall, the Europe’s ESA successfully landed a robotic space probe onto a comet (no easy feat!) Both missions will continue to seek answers to our endless questions about “what lies beyond.”