Saturday, February 28, 2015

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: FEBRUARY 22-28, 2015

TODAY IS KALEVALA DAY IN FINLAND.
MARCH 1st IS THE 65th ANNIVERSARY OF CRUSADER RABBIT.
THE FILM ADAPTION OF THE SOUND OF MUSIC CELEBRATES
IT'S 50th ANNIVERSARY MARCH 2nd.
FLORIDA'S 170th ANNIVERSARY OF JOINING
THE UNITED STATES IS MARCH 3rd.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*Everyone trapped within the Harmony Gold Kusasalethu mine of South Africa has been successfully rescued!
*While not yet officially law, Britain's House of Lords has passed the "3 person" method of in vitro fertilization if medically necessary.

CONCERNING NORTH KOREA...
*North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered his military forces to prepare for war, but he hasn't said when or against who yet; although South Korea will be holding joint military exercises with the United States soon.
*Meanwhile, the United Nations reports that a North Korean shipping company has been disguising (renaming and reflagging) its vessels in an attempt to avoid an arms embargo.

BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE...
*Boris Nemtsov, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and a known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was assassinated in Moscow February 27th.
*Pro-Russian separatists have finally started honoring the current cease fire and are removing heavy weapons from the front lines. No word on whether or not those weapons have actually left the Ukraine, but their military says they cannot remove Ukrainian heavy weapons since they are still under attack.
*Russian President Vladimir Putin claims war with the Ukraine is "unlikely", but refuses to participate in any further cease fire or peace talks.
*Britain plans to send advisers to consult with the Ukrainian army.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*Avijit Roy, an activist for peace and free speech, was publicly attacked and
hacked to death by several sword wielding men February 26th.
*ISIS/ISIL forces destroyed the contents of a public library in Mosul, Iraq while forcing everyone nearby to witness their actions at gunpoint. The terrorists later repeated such actions at the Mosul Museum, although how much was lost has yet to be determined.
*ISIS/ISIL forces are also claiming responsibility for bombing the Iranian ambassador's home in Tripoli and a rocket attack on Al Abraq International Airport.
*al-Shabab terrorists claim they will soon be attacking shopping malls in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
*After escaping from the Houthis, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi says he is still President of Yemen.
*An ISIS/ISIL terrorist using the alias "Jihadi John" has been identified as Mohammed Emwazi, with fresh warrants issued for his arrest.

PASSING PARADE...
*Leonard Nimoy (actor, director, writer, photographer, etc) has taken his final bow on life's stage.
*Boris Nemtsov and Avijit Roy, as mentioned above.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*US President Barack Obama officially vetoed the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline for economic (lack of it creating permanent jobs) and ecological reasons, despite it being passed by the Republican dominated Congress.
*For whatever reason(s), Speaker of the House John Boehner totally stopped proceedings on Wednesday to remind everyone present of the Congressional dress code.
*Although Congress has threatened another government shutdown unless President Obama agrees with their views on Immigration and other issues, they have passed an emergency funding bill that will keep the Department of Homeland Security and others operating for an additional week.
*The Federal Communications Commission has declared the Internet a public utility, thus establishing net neutrality.
*Republican Robert A. McDonald, the current Secretary of Veteran Affairs, has admitted he lied about serving in the Army Special Forces.
*Recreational marijuana is now legal in Washington, DC.
ELSEWHERE...
*South Korea and the United States are preparing for a joint military exercise, while North Korea's military has been ordered "to prepare for war".
*Eddie Ray Routh has been found guilty and sentenced to life without parole in the 2013 death of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who the book and movie American Sniper are based on.
*Amongst the winners at the 87th annual Academy Awards are Birdman (Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Original Screenplay), Julianne Moore for Best Actress (Still Alice), Eddie Redmayne for Best Actor (The Theory of Everything), J. K. Simmons for Best Supporting Actor (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette for Best Supporting Actress (Boyhood).
*Saving Christmas was the big "winner" of the 35th annual Razzie Awards for Worst Movie, Worst Actor (Kirk Cameron), Worst Screen Combo (Cameron and his ego), and Worst Screenplay.
*Joey Logano won the Daytona 500 of NASCAR.
*James Hahn won the 2015 Northern Trust Open of professional golf.
*Spring training is well underway in preparation for the 2015 Major League Baseball season.
*March 4th marks the 65th anniversary of The Scarlet Pumpernickel, the very first Looney Tunes short to use just about the entire cast of characters.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen, or visit any other reputable news source.

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