It really, really is just awful. There are trigger warnings for violence below, so proceed with caution.
The big story that’s been all over the news is the attack at a school in the Peshawar region of Pakistan. There were 140 people killed, almost all of them children. This article from the BBC has a timeline of the events as we learned of the attack and the aftermath. This region of Pakistan has been through a lot in the last few years between US drone strikes, the presence of the Taliban, and a military insurgency by the Pakistani government.
After the attack, the ban on the death penalty in Pakistan was lifted and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged to end terrorism in the country.
World leaders came out in droves to condemn the attack, including India’s Narendra Modi.
Modi has also officially banned the Islamic State from India.
In more terrible things in the world, a cafe in the heart of Sydney was taken over by a gunman, leading to a 16 hour siege. In the end, three people were killed including the gunman. While he happened to be a Muslim, he had no links to any terror groups despite what had been previously reported.
In things that give me hope for humanity: the Twitter hashtag #Illridewithyou to show support for Muslim Australians who might be leery of taking public transport while the siege was taking place.
I think we here in America and Europe take for granted the availability of Wi-Fi hotspots. The Indian government plans to establish Wi-Fi networks in the top 25 cities in the country and at major historical sites like the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Delhi.
So the Sony hack is causing a big to-do and the US government has come out and said that the attack originated from North Korea in retaliation for the release of The Interview. The release has been cancelled because of threats, and some theaters are showing Team America: World Police in place of The Interview because mocking North Korean leaders has apparently always been a thing.
While the US has asked China to help reign in North Korean hackers, foreign journalists in the country report that they’re facing an increasingly hostile environment.
The Dalai Lama has admitted recently that he may be the last to hold the title.
Indonesia has started sinking foreign vessels found illegally fishing in their waters. Local fishing industries lose millions to foreign vessels operating within their waters.
In kick-ass news (literally) for the first time, female karate students have been awarded yellow belts by the Ghazni Olympic Department.
Finally, because I love looking at beautiful things and they make me feel better, check out the Tumblr tag for Jakarta Fashion Week 2014, which took place back in November.
Have a happy holiday if you celebrate at all. If you work retail, stay strong.
