Here’s a round up of the world’s news for the past week…

EUROPE:

– In a plan that aims to save 65 billion euros (roughly $80 billion), Spain’s Prime Minister has introduced drastic new austerity measures.  These measures include an increase in sales tax and a decrease in industry subsidies (which instigated a large rally and clashes with police), among other things.

Courtesy of BBC

MIDDLE EAST

– In Syria a former senior political official and recent defector from that country has confirmed that the Assad regime will not hesitate to use chemical weapons if it finds it necessary.  He also mentioned that the Assad regime had collaborated with Al Qaeda in the past.

– The Red Cross has declared that violence in Syria is so rampant that the situation is now effectively a civil war.

AFRICA:

– For the first time since South Sudan’s secession, the presidents of both Sudan and South Sudan sat down in a meeting; the UN deadline for the two countries to redress their grievances is August 2nd.

South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit.

– What positive effects could social media have in containing conflicts in Africa and other developing regions?  A CNN article addressed just that.

ASIA:

– A Taliban-imposed ban will prevent nearly 250,000 children in mostly rural areas from receiving polio vaccines in Pakistan.  The BBC reports that Pakistan is one of three countries in the world where polio still presents a substantial problem.

– A new vice marshal (army chief), Hyon Yong-Chol, was appointed in North Korea after the former one, Ri Yong Ho, was supposedly “relieved of his duties due to illness”.  Many are skeptical as to whether it is actually true, considering the strict censorship customary of the North Korean press.

LATIN AMERICA:

– A U.S. ship carrying medical supplies and food arrived on the shores of Havana, marking the first time in 50 years an American cargo ship has docked in Cuba.

– Marcos Yules, an indigenous Colombian leader, has pressed Farc, the largest Colombian rebel group, and the Colombian government to take their ongoing fight elsewhere, citing the damage the fight has done to the community.

NORTH AMERICA:

 – It has been a tough week on the campaign trail for Mitt Romney, as he was met with boos at an NAACP speech, was attacked by conservatives telling him to release his tax returns, and became the focus of incumbent Barack Obama’s harsh new campaign ad.

Stay informed!