Each week, NBN Politics recaps the top five news stories from the past week and brings you a look at the week ahead. Welcome to the Fast Five.
EU court orders Google to respect requests to delete links
The Court of Justice of the European Union decided on Tuesday that Google must allow people to delete links about themselves from search results. The case was brought to court by a Spanish man who was upset when he Googled himself and came upon a link to a 1998 article about the repossession of his home. The decision marks a shift that will force Google to work differently in the European Union than it does in the United States. It might also set precedent for future cases brought against other tech giants that deal with private information.
Nigeria rejects exchange of prisoners for abducted girls
The Nigerian government has rejected the proposal from Boko Haram to exchange militant prisoners for the more than 200 girls that were abducted by the terrorist group. A video released Monday shows the girls who were abducted from their school a month ago. The United States is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria and sharing commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerian government in an effort to locate and rescue the abducted girls. Several other nations have also offered to help the Nigerian government locate the girls.
Hundreds trapped and many missing in Turkish coal mine
An explosion and a fire triggered a collapse at a coal mine in western Turkey that has left at least 300 miners trapped and 17 dead as of Wednesday afternoon. The accident occurred during a shift change making it harder to give an exact number of people trapped. Rescue teams have rushed into the area and evacuation efforts have begun with rescuers pumping fresh air into the mine. Turkey has a history of mining accidents with about 60 workers killed in a six-month period between 2009 and 2010.
Six Ukrainian soldiers killed in ambush
Six Ukranian soldiers were killed on Tuesday when antigovernment forces ambushed their convoy near Kramatorsk. The attack signals the pro-Russian militia's escalation of power and willingness to venture outside of its territorial strongholds. The ambush was the first skirmish outside of Kramatorsk or Slovyansk since the referendum held on Friday led to the region’s declaration of independence. Ukraine continues to become more divided as the turmoil in its eastern region continues and as those seeking independence appeal to Russia for incorporation.
U.S. officers kill Yemeni attackers
Two U.S. officers in Yemen killed two armed civilians who tried to kidnap them at a barbershop two weeks ago, the State Department said Friday. The two officials left Yemen within a few days with the approval of the Yemeni government. American officials have withheld the identities of the two officers. The U.S. has waged a heavy drone campaign in Yemen against Al-Qaida. Many times the drone strikes have killed nearby civilians triggering resentment and anger towards the U.S. in Yemen.
The week ahead
Michael Sam became the first openly gay man to be drafted into the NFL on Sunday. After his selection and his now-famous celebratory kiss with another man, now the question is how he will perform on the field and if his selection leads to more acceptance in major league sports. In more international news, in India, the opposition Bharatiya Janata party and its allies are predicted to have gained enough votes to run a coalition government. The predicted outcome would put BJP leader, Narendra Modi, as Prime Minister of India. Voter turnout was at a record high of over 66 percent.