After weeks of fighting in the city of Ramadi between Iraqi forces and ISIS; ISIS forces seized control of the city from the Iraqi government. This was a key victory for the Islamic State in Iraq. With the takeover of the city it has displaced thousands of people from their homes and many died during the fighting. ISIS has been going door to door searching for government officials and publicly executing people in the streets.
The Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi pledged that Ramadi would not fall like Tikrit, but unfortunately this statement was false. This failure shows the inability of the government to defend itself from its enemies. With this victory, the situation in Ramadi is not looking good.
In response to the change in control the Iraqi government has gone to ask Iranian Shia militias to help retake the city. With this development it creates a complicated situation for the United States. There is a conflict of interest for the United States, by spreading Iran's influence, as well as increasing tensions between the Sunnis and Shias. Regardless of the complications within the region the US is continuing to back Iraq in its fight against ISIS. A Pentagon spokesman said, "we will retake Ramadi."
One thing is certain that this will be a major topic for the presidential elections coming in 2016.
Hagle, Will. "ISIS Assumes Control Of Ramadi In Iraq." OpposingViews.com. Opposing Views, 18 May 2015. Web. 22 May 2015. <http://www.opposingviews.com/i/world/isis-assumes-control-ramadi-iraq>.
A baby no older than four months was found under a rubble pile in Nepal. This is the same earthquake that killed thousands and left many more injured or without a home. Nepal militants had initially missed the baby but found Him when they heard his cries. The child's name is Sonit Awal 22 hours after the earthquake hit on April 25, 2015.
Sonit Awal is stable and suffered no internal injuries. There are many people who were not as lucky as Awal, or another survivor who was rescued after 80 hours under rubble. Many social media sites have set up charities to help out the citizens of Nepal rebuild and restart their lives.
Kelly, Sean. "4-Month-Old Rescued In Nepal After 22 Hours Under Rubble (Photos)." OpposingViews.com. Opposing Views, 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 May 2015. <http://www.opposingviews.com/i/world/four-month-old-rescued-nepal-after-22-hours-under-rubble-photos>.
In March ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported to have been seriously wounded in an airstrike. This Airstrike was led by the US. on a convoy of cars. the attack took place in al-Baaj located near the Syrian border. Sources say al-Baghdadi chose this area due to the lack of American coverage of the area.
The airstrike and the injury of al-Baghdadi was confirmed by two sources a Iraqi official and a Westerner. It was told to the Pentagon by an Iraqi official Hisham al-Hishimi. Though the Pentagon has been unable to confirm these reports.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been the leader of ISIS since 2010 and the warriors of the organization are worried about his health. Al-Baghdadi has been a target for the United States military since he claimed Iraq and several other parts of the Middle East for the Caliphate he leads. Fogarty, Lisa. "Report: Top ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Seriously Wounded In U.S.-Led Airstrike." OpposingViews.com. Opposing Views, 21 Apr. 2105. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. <http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/foreign-policy/war-terror/top-isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-seriously-wounded-us-led-a>
ISIS publicly executed another person, the person has not yet been identified. This man was accused of practicing sorcery. He was executed somewhere in Tikrit, Iraq.
A crowd of people attended to watch the execution. There were photos that were later posted to social media. The body was surrounded by prayer beads that he might have sold. The victim was beheaded by a machete, bent over a wood block
The Australian Prime Minister plans on withholding childcare and family tax from families that don't have their children vaccinated. This is taking place after January 1st, 2016. These programs are worth up to $15,000 in Australian currency which is equivalent to $11,400 in US. currency.
The "No Jab No Play" campaign has yet to be approve but has support from many of the parties in the Australian Parliament. The number of kids who are without vaccinations went up from 24,000 to 39,000 in the past 10 years. Though 97% of parents do have their children vaccinated.
During a drug bust in Brazil police saw a dog lie down with its owners. It was a joint raid between the military and the police. During the raid there was a dog barking until its owners told it to lie down.
The dog then went to where his owners were lying and laid down on its back with its head facing away.
This is a sign of submission and it was a very interesting sight for police. Most dogs have been known to be shot during police raids.
The Turkish government enacted bans on social media websites. These sites include YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and many more. Even Google had to make changes to its look and design.
It enacted these bans due to a hostage situation that took place in Istanbul; where several people were killed including an attorney. There were images taken of this event and were then posted on to a social media site.
Many of those living within Turkey protested the ban saying that is was taking away the right of speech and the freedom to say and post what you want. And with technology these days once an image is online it is very hard to get rid of and often times is just continued to circulate. Turkey currently hold the highest rank for the number of court orders requesting the removal of twitter posts.
