Joe Biden Inaugurated
US President Joseph R. Biden was sworn in earlier this week as the United States 46th President. The inauguration saw a smaller crowd that what would have been anticipated in pre-Covid times, but President Biden wasted no time, already rolling back and reimplementing policies that had been scrapped under the Trump administration. These include the first steps taken for the US to re-join the Paris Climate Agreement, asking the Department of Education to extend student loan relief, rescind keystone XL pipeline permit, re-joining the World Health Organization, asking the CDC to extend eviction restrictions, reversing Trumps travel ban and overturning Trumps order to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census count.
Explosion in Madrid Kills Three and Injures Six
Locals near Calle Toledo were this week subject to a horrific explosion which is has led to the death of at least three people and injure of six more after a central building owned by the Catholic Church was blow apart. According to Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida the explosion was believed to have been a result of a major gas leak from a boiler being worked on along Calle Toledo. Two of the injured have been transported to hospital with one suffering from a serious head injury.
Baghdad Market Blast Claims the Lives of 32 People
Earlier in the week the market in al-Tayaran Square in the heart of Baghdad was attacked by two suicide bombers. The blast claimed the lives of 32 people and wounded 110. President Barham Saleh quickly condemned the attacks stating that the government “stand firmly against these rogue attempts to destabilise our country.” This is unfortunately not the first time the market has been the target of a major attack with it being the epicentre of the cities last big attack back in 2018 claiming the lives of 27 people.
43 Migrants Die off the Coast of Libya
Libya reported its first major shipwreck off the year which claimed the lives of 43 migrants with the United Nations adding that the rescued 10 people. In a statement the UN reiterated their deep sadness at the tragedy. The UN also added that "The situation for migrants and refugees in Libya remains extremely precarious," and that "arbitrary arrests and arbitrary detention in the direst of conditions continue. Many [migrants] are victimised and exploited by traffickers and smugglers, held for ransom, tortured, and abused." The UN acknowledged efforts made by the Libyan government but ended by saying "Should inaction and impunity prevail; more avoidable and tragic loss of life can be expected."
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