Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the most admired actors of his generation, died Sunday of an apparent heroin overdose. Though the actor had struggled with addiction for years, he was thought to be clean. His death came as an enormous shock to friends and fans.
The drought that has wracked California and the rest of the American West Coast for the past three years is reaching emergency conditions. It’s thought that tens of thousands of people will run out of water entirely within the next two months as the region’s water reserves continue to dwindle.
In a raid that began on Friday and stretched into Tuesday, Syrian military helicopters dropped barrel bombs on Aleppo in an attempt to destroy the rebel stronghold. The death toll reached more than 80 — the majority, civilians from the city’s eastern districts.
An unexpected eruption of the Mount Sinabung volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on Saturday killed at least 14 people, and potentially more. Rescue operations were hampered by toxic ash clouds. Officials continue to worry that the volcano may erupt again without warning, putting rescuers and nearby residents at risk.
Amid unease over unemployment, corruption and crime, El Salvador and Costa Rica both held close presidential elections Sunday. Due to the close nature of the races, both countries will have to hold run-off elections.
As political upheaval continued in Thailand, protestors disrupted the general election on Sunday in an attempt to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Street demonstrations in Bangkok stopped the distribution of ballot boxes and voting was called off in a number of districts.
Families separated by the 1950-1953 Korean War have hope, as North Korea has finally agreed to resume talks with South Korea regarding family reunions for the first time in three years. This is thought to be an attempt by the north to attract foreign investment and aid.
The International Committee of the Red Cross received a letter from the Sudanese government citing “technical issues relating to its humanitarian plans for this year,” and forcing them to halt their activities for the upcoming year. The ICRC is now working to reform its plan to restart humanitarian work.
A U.S.-backed campaign in the works for the past three months to destroy the chemical weapons stash kept by Moammar Gadhafi was concluded. Hundreds of bombs filled with a toxic mustard agent were dismantled by transportable oven technology in order to ensure they were kept out of the hands of terrorists.
Russia has been under fire for months for its anti-gay legislation, and Winter Olympics athletes and fans have spoken out against the country. Russia banned protestors not only from gathering on the streets, but from attending the actual sporting events by refusing to give then Olympic passports, also known as fan passes, needed to gain access to the venues.
