World News Week of Feb. 24

26

Kiev.
A day after being appointed interim president, Oleksandr Turchynov declared on Sunday that the country would take steps toward European integration. Taking the “European choice” will be a victory for protesters who were originally incited by the former President Viktor Yanukovych’s spurning an important deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties to Russia. Months of protests have shaken and divided the country. The true political results of the toppling of Yanukovych will not be clear until after elections, scheduled for May 25.

BBC

Uganda.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a controversial bill introducing harsher sentencing for those found guilty of homosexual acts. The law states that citizens could face jail time for homosexual acts, and criminalizes the failure to report those suspected of being homosexual. Opponents of the law, including many Western nations, claim it is a human rights violation and a step backward for the country. Proponents urge other nations to not attempt to interfere.

Los Angeles Times

Washington, D.C.
With the arrest of Mexican drug-lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman last week, Mexican and U.S. officials must answer the difficult question of where the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel should stand trial. Several U.S. federal district courts have indictments against Guzman for his role in trafficking cocaine and heroin across the border. Mexico has not yet decided if it will extradite Guzman or try him in his home country.

Washington Post

Sochi.
In the wake of the Olympics closing ceremony, officials within the Russian government must decide what to do with the facilities built for the games. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Olympic organizers have proposed the idea of using the Olympic facilities as a resort. Environmental activist Vladimir Kimayev, who criticized the environmental impact of building the Olympic facilities, does not want to see them go to waste now. However, with roughly $2.26 billion needed annually to maintain roads and city infrastructure, it is unlikely that a resort company will be able to afford to maintain the former Olympic village.

NPR News

San Francisco.
Federal officials announced on Friday that for the first time, farmers in California’s Central Valley will not receive any irrigation support from the government. The unprecedented step is a response to California’s driest year on record and will exacerbate its effects on farmers. With the nation’s biggest agricultural economy, the weather in California will affect both national and international food prices.

San Fransisco Chronicle

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