Summer 2014

Welcome back to school.  I can only imagine many of you feel as through the summer went by way too quickly and are stunned to think we are back in school for another 9 months.  While it may have seemed to go by at the speed of light, this has been an incredible summer for world news.  Here are some highlights:

The Ongoing Issues in Ukraine

Not a week can go by without another incident concerning the ongoing border dispute between the Russians and the Ukraine.  This dispute has not only resulted in the constant threat of military actions, but on July 17^th 283 passengers tragically lost their lives when flight MH17 was shot out of the sky.  The United States and European countries have issued numerous sanctions against Russia, but with little effect to date.

The World Cup

Brazil hosted the world’s largest sporting event.  The FIFA World Cup was held between June 12th and July 13^th.  The attendance and viewers from all over the world was phenomenal.  In the end the men from Germany defeated the Argentinians to host the cup for the fourth time in the history of the tournament.

Trouble in Israel

Beginning July 8^th, the Israeli military and the Hamas have been engaged in an ongoing conflict.  The conflict continues to escalate and the casualties continue to rise as neither side is able to find a reasonable resolution.  One of the great tragedies of the conflict is the loss of the lives of civilians caught in the middle of this war zone.  The Egyptian government has been working diligently with both sides to enact ceasefires to provide civilian aid, but with limited success.  The latest ceasefire is set to expire at midnight August 18, 2014.

Iraqi ISIS

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been working to create a militant Islamic state at the expense

of religious minority groups in the region.  ISIS has been working to rid the area of Sunni Muslims and Yazidi.  The acts committed against these minority groups have prompted the United States to attempt to provide humanitarian aid. 

Racial Tension in Missouri

On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, MO.  Michael Brown was unarmed, but according to reports Brown assaulted the officer.  The candlelight vigil held the next evening turned into a riot claiming 30 injuries.  As more information and action is taken, the community continues to struggle with the relationship between law enforcement and the people they are to protect. 

These are just a sample of the many news stories from the summer of 2014.  In your opinion what was the biggest news story from the summer and why?  You can choose from one of the items above or whatever other news stories captured your attention.  What types of news stories are you more likely to pay attention to?  What about these stories interests you?