The Issue: Ukraine
Another deadline has passed in the ongoing Ukrainian crisis. The Ukrainian government wanted pro-Russian militants out of the country’s east. The deadline was set for Monday, April 14, but nothing was done to reinforce it.
According to the New York Times, the government in Kiev threatened to use force in order to restore its authority in the eastern part of the Ukraine, but the Russian government warned against it.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on Sunday, April 13, and the US warned it was likely to impose further sanctions against Russia if nothing is done about the occupation of the east, according to Al Jazeera. According to the Associated Press (AP), Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov asked for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east.
However, “peacekeepers would have to be authorized by the U.N. Security Council, in which Russia holds a veto,” AP said.
The Issue: Nigeria
A homegrown Islamist extremist group is being blamed for an explosion that occurred at a crowded bus station in Nigeria, according to the New York Times.
The explosion happened in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, during the morning rush hour on Monday, April 14. Al Jazeera said at least 71 people are dead and as many as 124 are wounded.
Boko Haram, the terrorist organization, “has been attacking schools, government sites and civilians for years,” the New York Times said.
According to AP, “One official said he believed the bomb buried in the earth while emergency management agency said the explosives were apparently hidden in a vehicle.”
Boko Haram’s goal is to make Nigeria an Islamic state with Sharia, which is Islamic law, according to AP.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was quick to blame the attack on Boko Haram, however, a police spokesman said “no one has claimed immediate responsibility for the explosion, and that an investigation was underway,” the New York Times said.
The Issue: Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is a part of the United Nations, warned that governments are not doing enough to “avert profound risks in coming decades,” the New York Times said.
This report has signaled that the Earth is in a critical position, according to the New York Times, with greenhouse emissions rising faster than ever, and an intensive push over the next 15 years is the only way to bring those emissions under control.
According to the BBC, “scientists will also cautiously endorse a shift to natural gas [as] an alternative to carbon intensive sources.”
The BBC also reports that, “…if significant action isn’t taken by 2030, global temperatures could rise by more than 2 degrees C.”