Kiev, Ukraine
This Friday marks the one-year anniversary of the Euromaidan movement, which started in the center of Kiev and resulted in the ousting of Prime Minister Yanukovych. The past year has seen not only a new Ukrainian government, but the annexing of Crimea by Russia, the downing of flight MH17, and the recent war between pro-Russian separatists in the east and the Ukrainian government in the west. Russian President Putin was heavily criticized at the recent G20 summit meeting for his aid to the eastern rebels and left the meeting early.
Buffalo, New York
The southern area of Buffalo was buried in up to five feet of snow. Erie County, which contains Buffalo and the surrounding area, declared a state of emergency, according to The Weather Channel. The nearby town of West Seneca had 10 of its 22 snowplows stuck in the unseasonably bad snow, and over a hundred miles of the interstate I-90 was shut down. Governor Cuomo sent the National Guard to assist in rescue efforts. Buffalo is just one of a number of sites bordering the Great Lakes hit in this week’s cold front.
Tokyo, Japan
Prime Minister Abe has announced a December election, two years ahead of schedule, according to the BBC. He has been pushing his system of economic reform and government spending, known as Abenomics, and claims that this vote is his way of requesting a mandate for his bold reforms. Abe’s popularity has been slipping recently, and some see this election as a way to lock in his position as PM for the next four years now, rather than waiting until 2016 and losing in a possibly much more difficult election.
Nairobi, Kenya
A woman was assaulted and stripped naked for appearing “indecent” in Kenya’s capital on Monday, according to The Guardian. She was rescued by patrolling police and taken to a hospital for treatment. The police have arrested about 100 people in connection to the assault. The attack occurred shortly after a protest against a spate of similar attacks. Almost 1,000 people, both men and women, had marched in the protest. Such an outcry is relatively rare, as most sexual assault in Kenya goes un-prosecuted.
