The 10 Most Important Things In The World Right Now
Danny Moloshok/ReutersGood morning! Here's what people will be taking about on Monday.
1. The Obama administration accused Russia on Monday of testing a ground-launched missile, a violation of the 1987 nuclear treaty signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev at the end of the Cold War. The New York Times reports that "prospects for resolving the violation [are] uncertain at best."
2. The United States and Europe agreed to escalate sanctions against Russia for its continued involvement in Ukraine. The new measures will hit Russia's financial, military, and energy sectors.
3. Liberia has closed most of its border crossings in an effort to contain the worst outbreak ever of Ebola in West Africa. Lagos, Africa's largest city located in Nigeria, shut down a hospital and placed its airports on "red alert" after a Liberian man who arrived in the city by plane died from the highly-contagious virus.
4. After three weeks of fighting in Gaza, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the country should prepare for a long war against Hamas. The Israeli military said the worst is yet to come in phone messages to Gaza militants, according to The Australian. On Tuesday, the Israeli military hit a fuel tank at the Gaza's strip's only power plant, forcing the facility to shut down.
5. A judge cleared the way on Monday for the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers, despite objections from the team's co-owner, Donald Sterling, who was banned for life from the National Basketball Association for racist remarks. Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, was given authority to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
6. A federal court has ruled that Virgina's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. The Los Angeles Times reports that "same-sex marriage is legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia, and every remaining state ban faces a court challenge."
7. The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $12 million fine against Southwest Airlines for flouting safety regulations related to repairs on several of the airline's Boeing 737 jets, The New York Times reports. The airline has 30 days to respond to the government fine, the Times said.
8. Panasonic reportedly plans to invest up to $5 billion in electric automaker Tesla's first lithium-ion battery plant, or Gigafactory. The deal was first reported by Japan's Nikkei.
9. A new study from the Urban Institute shows that more than one-third of Americans are delinquent on debt, meaning a person's bills are so overdue that his or her account has been turned over to collections.
10. The Australian weather agency said that the threat of a strong El Nino event this spring is less likely than originally predicted. The El Nino phenomenon occurs every two to seven years when Pacific ocean temperatures are warmer than normal.
And finally...
A North Korean summer camp is opening its doors to foreigners for the first time, the Associated Press reports. The camp, complete with water slides, volleyball courts, and giant statues of the country's past leaders, is a place where kids spend "eight days cooking, swimming, boating and mingling with their North Korean peers," the AP said.