By Truman Ruberti ’16, Staff Writer

1. Anti-Islam sentiment rises in Europe

In light of the recent attacks by Muslim extremists on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo where 12 were left dead, Anti-Islam sentiment has seen a recurrence across Europe. Though there were peaceful rallies in Paris to show support for Hebdo and the French government, which were attended by millions and many major world political powers, less-than peaceful Anti-Islam organizations have gained momentum thanks to this attack, and will likely continue with this trend.

http://news.yahoo.com/german-anti-islam-group-vows-wont-silenced-114444633.html

2. Albany assemblyman arrested in allegations over corruption scandal

Sheldon Silver had humble beginnings as a soft-spoken Albany lawyer turned assemblyman in 1976. He was described as incredibly quiet, rarely raising his voice during meetings and discussions. Rather than intervening when arguments became heated, he remained a listener and observer, content to take in what others had to say. However, it has come to light that for years now, this unassuming, friendly politician has been part of a massive corruption ring. Among his exploits are the allegations that he would bribe doctors that treated patients with asbestos poisoning in order to receive referrals to his law firm, which would handle the patients’ cases. He would wind up receiving millions of dollars in kickback from these patients, which would in turn help him to bribe more doctors. This is only one example of his many exploits, which were both numerous and incredibly lucrative. “I always underestimated him” said former Assemblyman Jerry Kramer, “but he proved me wrong.

3. Oscar Nominations accused of “Whitewashing”

For only the second time in a decade, the nominees for the Academy Award for best actor and actress are 100% white. People have been outraged over the snubbing of the movie “Selma” in the acting (David Oyelowo) and directing (Ava DuVernay) categories, despite a “best picture” nomination. The movie details the the historic Selma, Alabama march during the Civil Rights Movement. People cited the voting committee for the Oscar nominations being nearly all white as a source of bias against the African American community, and have taken to Twitter with the hashtag: #OscarSoWhite.

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/579483/20150118/2015-oscar-nominations-accused-whitewashing-hashtag-oscarsowhite.htm#.VL6PlUfF9Dw

4. Controversy Over “American Sniper”

Clint Eastwood’s biopic “American Sniper”, shows the exploits of the deadliest sniper in American history, Chris Kyle, and is based off of his autobiography. It depicts him fighting insurgents in the Iraq war, and focuses on how the conflict affected him personally. Actor/director Seth Rogen tweeted: “American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that’s showing in the third act of Inglorious Basterds,” bluntly comparing it to Nazi propaganda. Still, despite the controversy, the movie has performed record-settingly well, earning $105 million in its opening weekend and 6 Oscar nominations.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2015/01/19/american-sniper-billboard-defaced-with-word-murder/

5. Foul Play Suspected in Argentinean Prosecutor’s Death

A prosecutor that accused the president of Argentina, Cristina Kircher, of covering up a 1994 terrorist bombing of a Jewish Center in Buenos Aires was found dead in his apartment. The prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, died of a gunshot wound to the temple at point-blank range, and a .22 caliber pistol beside him on the floor. The timing of his death was untimely, as he was set to deliver an exposition on his accusations the next day. That, combined with the lack of a suicide note, has led many Argentineans to grow suspicious of whether or not foul-play was involved, with rallies of people in the thousands showing support for Nisman’s cause.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/prosecutor-who-accused-argentinas-president-of-iran-cover-up-found-dead-1421673152

6. ISIS kidnaps Japanese citizens

ISIS has once again kidnapped more people. This time, however, these citizens are from Japan – a country that has so far had no direct involvement with ISIS. Typically, ISIS captives have been British or American—from countries that have been actively assisting in the suppression of ISIS via airstrikes—not Japan, which has had almost no involvement with the Middle East, thanks to the World War II-era stipulation that its army may only be used for self-defense. The two Japanese men that have been kidnapped were given a ransom of $200 million. Whether or not the Japanese government will pay this ransom remains to be seen. These actions highlight ISIS’ aggression towards the international, capitalist community in general.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/20/middleeast/isis-japan-hostages/

7. Oil prices continues to decline

The price of oil has been on a downward trend for a while now, with the price per gallon dropping below $2 per gallon in many parts of the United States. The lower prices of petroleum have had repercussions the world over. Most notably is the effect that this has had on the Russian economy. Russia is highly reliant on its export of oil for both monetary and political influence. However, both of these have taken severe hits, with the Russian currency, the kopeck, dropping to the lowest it has been in several years.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/20/us-markets-oil-idUSKBN0KT02Y20150120

8. Obama’s State of the Union Address highlights tension in Washington

President Obama made the traditional State of the Union address, before the whole of Congress and a large audience of people watching at home. He touched on important issues, such as climate change and education reform, but his speech received heavy, but expected, criticism from Republican senators and pundits alike. Right-wing Texas senator Ted Cruz in particular criticized Obama for not approaching the new Congress “with contrition”, referencing the potshots that the president took during the speech in regards to succeeding in his two presidential campaigns.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/20/obama-calls-civility-then-immediately-taunts-repub/

9. Cubans optimistic about normalization with U.S.

President Obama announced late last year that he would look favorably upon normalizing relations with Cuba, a country that the U.S. government has had a strict embargo on for decades. The embargo was in reaction to Cuba’s adopting a Communist government, as well as the Cuban Missile Crisis – an event in 1962 where the U.S.S.R. stationed nuclear warheads in Cuba. Since then, trade with Cuba has been forbidden, which has wreaked havoc on the Cuban economy. Now, after over five decades, Cuban citizens are eagerly awaiting normalization with America, despite some resentment that still exists towards U.S. policies.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/21/us-cuba-usa-mood-idUSKBN0KU1ZX20150121

      10. Russian aggression in Ukraine continues

After a year filled with conflict, Russia is once again making moves towards its neighboring country of Ukraine. Already having annexed part of Ukraine, Russian President Vladmir Putin is clearly not content, and has authorized more troop movement towards Ukraine. Whether or not this will devolve into another conflict still remains to be seen – but for the time, the world must wait in anticipation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/us-ukraine-crisis-davos-poroshenko-idUSKBN0KU1TX20150122