Ottawa Shooter Identified

A sight in the parliament, attempting to re secure the premises

       After two shooting incidents, one at the Canadian War Memorial and the other inside the parliament in Ottawa, the gunman has been identified as Michael Zehad-Bibeau.  Bibeau was born in 1982, converted to Islam and had a history of drug use before converting.  Bibeau also had a record of drug arrests going back 10 years, the man has left a soldier dead and a city on lock down.  Police have not eliminated the possibility of a second shooter however it is known that a man shot a Canadian guard soldier in the back.  Three people have been hospitalized, including one with a gunshot-wound.  The hero of the day is Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers who shot the gunman right outside the MP's caucus rooms.  The possibility of a connection to terrorism hasn't been ruld out yet.  On Monday, a man who was "radicalised" killed a Canadian soldier with his car, the man was then shot and killed.  The man behind the vehicle attack, Marin Rouleau Couture reportedly converted to Islam a year ago, and was stopped from leaving for Turkey because of suspected terrorist actions.  However, there is yet no information saying that the two attacks were linked.

       This was definitely a very horrible situation that had to be dealt with immediately, and I think that it was dealt with effectively.  The gunman was shot and killed before he could cause more damage than he had already.  Bibeau however, who had converted to Islam, I do not is a member of IS or any Jihadi supremacist group.  I do believe though that he is what is being referred to as a lone-wolf sympathizer.  Men who are carrying out distant attacks sympathizing with the cause around the world.  I myself do think that the two episodes of combined violence killed two men, were planned together.  These radicalised men were facing problems in their young adult lives, therefore they turned to something extreme.  Islamic supremacy groups.  I don't think that these men are carrying out the true religion of Islam, either in Canada or across in Syria and Iraq.  Islam is a religion that preaches progression, man cannot go back to fighting wars like these, for these have already been fought.  This is reverting to the past, what has already been done.  
 William Deo

Adapted from :
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/world/americas/canada-ottawa-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Search for Surviving Trekkers Concludes

       There are no remaining trekkers left stranded after the Nepalese government has completed their search for survivors after the devastating Himalayan storm.  The main focus is to now recover bodies, however it is unclear how many are dead in the country's worst-ever trekking disaster.  At least 39 are known to be dead after nearly 400 people were rescued.  The fifth day of the search by army and private helicopters has concluded over the 241 km circuit which roughly takes three weeks to complete.  However conditions are worsening which only adds to the difficulties of the mission.  Nepalese, Japanese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak, Vietnamese and Polish trekkers were among those said to be dead.  The storm, the worst in a decade, poured up to 1.8m of snowfall in 12 hours.

The Annapurna Circuit passes Mount Annapurna, the worlds
10th highest mountain

        I believe that the search was a relative success for the Nepalese military and government.  Well over the anticipated quota in such a disaster have survived.  Though, many survivors have been left with severe frostbite which will ultimately lead to amputation of limbs, the search was successful as they managed to recover all of the remaining survivors.  The Annapoura circuit is amongst the most dangerous and most beautiful in the world.  However, I think that there should be more supervision and contact on the trek.  Many have died without notice on the track since it opened in 1977 to tourists.  However, they are not discovered dead until nearby store owners or future trekkers discover the horrible sight.  This was an unfortunate even determinately, however it is excellent that the government was able to have such immediate response.  Still though, even with excellent response, there must be pro activity so that in a future such situation the large amount of casualties are minimized.  

 William Deo

Adapted from:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29679773 

Britain Commences Ebola Screenings

       "A few passengers" had their temperatures checked and filled out a health questionnaire at Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 today.  Screenings will be extended to other terminals, Gatwick and Eurostar airport by next week.  The preventative measures are set to cost ₤ 9 million over the next six months.  Both the UK and US have introduced screening measures in response to the virus which has killed over 4,000.  Through this procedure, high risk passengers will be flagged up at border control and Public Health England will carry out the actual screening.  Although there are no direct flights from the UK to Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea, 85% of arrivals to the UK through connections will enter through Heathrow.  Somarious Samura had been in Liberia filming a documentary about the outbreak was not impressed by the system.  "Most of the people just left the airport, didn't go into the screening room" he confessed.  However, he felt a sense of responsibility to go through the screening, having seen the effects of Ebola in West Africa.  

      I believe that David Cameron has the right mentality in going through with his preventative measures.  The US and the UK have both been keen in trying to implement their systems to combat and prevent the virus from entering their countries.  However, I think that there should still be more strict rules and regulations on these measures being implemented.  Samura said that fellow members of his flight origin had just left the airport without being screened, this cannot happen.  The virus spreads exponentially, therefore if one person is affected, hundreds will be immediately affected.  This is why I think the issue is as serious as I present it.  However, Britain is on the right track to preventing the disease from entering its country and many should follow.  Countries that have currently infected people include Spain, USA, Germany, Norway, France and the UK.  Those who haven't made efforts to try to prevent Ebola from infiltrating their country should before the effects become irreversible.  

 William Deo

Adapted from: 
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29616724

How Can Obama prevent Ebola from Contaminating the US?

     The American government has commenced planning measures to screen incoming air passengers for Ebola according to Mr. Obama.  Though the likelihood of an Ebola outbreak in the US is extremely low, there is little margin for error, Obama reiterates.  Thomas Eric Duncan, the first case of Ebola on US soil, is in critical condition travelling to the US from Liberia.  Over 3,400 people have died in West Africa in the deadliest outbreak of the disease ever.  Meanwhile, an American journalist has arrived back in Nebraska after being diagnosed with Ebola in Liberia.  The family says that he is looking strong and was enormously relieved to be back home.   Obama says the plan is to work out additional protocols to do passenger screening both in Africa and in the United States.  

The Liberian community in New York held a fundraising concert

       The American president also criticizes foreign governments for their lack of aggressive action against the deadly virus.  I completely agree that this cannot be the way that we will conquer the virus.  Countries cannot just sit on the sidelines and wait for the United States to take action, this will result in a less effective response and a slower one, which ultimately leads to more deaths.  I do not think that banning all flights to infected countries will be a smart idea, because isolation will only lead to worsening the outbreak.  Not only will there be a lack of personnel, but this will mentally shift country authorities, thinking that they are just in this fight by themselves.  I believe that it is still possible to stop the virus in its tracks, but it must be done immediately and with cooperation from all countries that are called upon.  This cannot be just a fight which the United States leads, there must be global participation in defeating the outbreak.  

 William Deo


Adapted From:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29510173

Hong Kong Protests Persist

The protest is being led by students and youth groups

       As they did a week ago, thousands crammed into the streets of Hong Kong's business district as pro-democracy protests stretched to one week.  An order has finally arrived: Clear out before Monday, or else.  Many swarmed in the Admiralty district to hear the evening speeches.  Many also barrelled into a secondary protesting area in the Mong Kok.   Chief Executive of the city C.Y. Leung is under pressure from protesters demanding his resignation.  "The government will take all necessary actions to restore social order" echoed Leung in a TV appearance.  The protesters blocked a 3000 group of government employees from entering government buildings on Friday.  At least 19 people have been arrested, 150 injured and 12 still hospitalized due to the protests.  

       The US Consulate in Hong Kong has warned all US citizens to avoid the protest areas due to the risk of escalating violence.  Many are not opposed to the cause that the protesters are fighting for, it is the violence that they are opposed to.  Peter Bentley, a retiree said "It's anarchy.  These are ours streets.  What I oppose is anarchy.".  What the demonstrators are upset about is the recently enacted policy giving Beijing power on who can run as a candidate for the chief executive (CE) roll in the 2017 election.  While this may sound like an improvement from the previous 1200-member committee comprised of Beijing loyalists choosing the CE many argue that it is not.  They argue that the right to vote is useless if the candidates are hand-picked by the capital.

       I believe that the Chinese government is encroaching too much on the affairs of Hong Kong.  Ever since the "one country, two systems" policy was enacted in 1997 when Hong Kong was handed over to China from Great Britain, I think that this problem was eminent.  I don't think that one capital can successfully rule two essentially different situations without corruption.  This seems to be growingly apparent with every turn we seen in this case.  Basically Beijing has tried to change the people of Hong Kong's perspectives by allowing them to vote for their chief executive.  However, the fact is that all of the candidates must be approved by the capital.  I think that the situation needs to be one of two things.  Either, Beijing allows Hong Kong to select their own candidates for chief executive or, the Hong Kong people are absorbed into China, and there are no more two systems.  I do not think China can continue to operate smoothly with the existing one country, two systems mentality.  

 William Deo

Adapted from:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/04/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Ebola Reaches the United States

       It was not a question of "if", it was just a question of when.  A man in Dallas is the first person to be diagnosed with the Ebola virus on American soil.  The man flew the final two legs of his journey from Monrovia, Liberia to Dallas on Continental Airlines.  The man first arrived at the hospital last Thursday night, at the time he had a low-grade fever and abdominal pain.  No symptoms that indicate a potential isolation situation.  The Liberian National, Thomas Eric Duncan, is 42 years old and was on his first trip to the United States where he is visiting family and friends.  He was formerly sent home with antibiotics, however two days later he returned to the facility where he tested positive for the virus.  A key fault was that no travel history was communicated on the man's first visit to the emergency.  

Texas Health Presbyterian - Dallas, the hospital where
 the victim is contained currently

       Symptoms of the virus include high fever, headache, vomiting amongst others.  However, unlike the flu the virus cannot be spread before symptoms show up, additionally the virus does not spread through the air.  Typically symptoms appear 2 to 21 days after contracting the virus, and the virus is spread by the transmission of bodily fluid, most commonly sweat.  Two American healthcare workers were hospitalized after contracting Ebola in West Africa and were treated with the experimental drug ZMapp.  Since, they have both recovered.  

       Every person who travels by air is screened before departure and arrival in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.  However, since the man began feeling ill days after he arrived in the US, it is unlikely that these tests would have turned up anything.  Additionally, the paramedics who transported the patient to the hospital have been isolated and yet have not shown any symptoms of the disease.  The ambulance which the patient was transported in has also been quarantined however not until after another two days of operation.  A disease control team is on the ground in Dallas, identifying whoever was in direct contact with Duncan and monitoring them twice per day for 21 days.  

       It was bound to happen, we all knew that.  However, the fact that a victim of the virus had been denied entry the first time while trying to be admitted to the hospital is frightening.  It is only when he returned showing more symptoms of Ebola that he was admitted.  Though he was only showing minor symptoms they were still symptoms.  The biggest fault, I believe, is that nobody along his encounters with medical personnel asked him of any recent travels.  This put the community at risk for another two days until he returned.  In the United States, where the healthcare is privatized, I think that there are certain things that should be uniform amongst all hospitals and that includes foreign travel histories.  Luckily, Ebola is transmitted not by air, but by fluids which most would think makes it much more difficult to contract the disease.  But sweat is exchanged all the time, even in a simple gesture of a hug or handshake, sweat is transferred.  In such a climate like that of Coastal West Africa with hot and humid weather, I believe that disease is just as bad being transmitted this way.  How they isolate victims is important, and that is why the virus is not being contained, the containment facilities need to be improved.  Until this happens, Ebola will not be contained, and time is running out.  

 William Deo

Adapted From: 
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/01/health/ebola-us/index.html?hpt=us_c2