International News in Brief

Cantania, Italy

With deaths of Libyan migrants totaling over 1,200 in the last few weeks in the Mediterranean, European Union foreign and Interior ministers proposed a change in immigration policy. These suggestions have been met with much opposition, yet garner support from those who wish to combat human trafficking.

Source: WSJ

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Six men were arrested and detained by FBI agents as they attempted to travel to Syria on Monday. Their plan was to join the Islamic State, which recently pushed toward the Iraqi city of Ramadi.

Source: Duluth News Tribune

Brussels, Belgium

Amid charges against Google Inc., the European Union’s competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has also filed antitrust charges against Russian oil behemoth Gazprom Tuesday. Gazprom is a government-run organization that has played an overwhelming part in Eastern Europe’s gasoline market, the EU claims.

Source: New York Times

Istanbul, Turkey

There’s been good news amid several aviation disasters around the world in recent months: A Turkish Airlines plane, afire from technical difficulties, successfully conducted an emergency landing at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport Saturday afternoon.

Source: The Daily Mail

Kathmandu, Nepal

The Himalayas were struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake Saturday. Nepal was hit the hardest, with aftershocks along the highest peak, Everest, occurring. The death toll is currently over 2,500 and many more are still missing. A 6.7-magnitude aftershock hit Sunday morning.

Source: NPR

Astana, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan approaches a presidential election. Outspoken public opinion is in favor of the current president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been president since before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. There are fears on the lack of a successor for Nazarbayev, though.

Source: Le Monde

Nusakambangan, Indonesia

Three drug traffickers convicted ten years ago in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta have been sentenced to death. Their executions by firing squad were confirmed on Saturday.

Source: NPR