Oil spill in China kills 35

A Sinopec Corp oil pipeline exploded Nov. 22 in Qingdao, China, killing 35 people. A fire began soon afterward which took several hours to contain. The pipeline started leaking early on Friday, and later the oil caught fire and caused it to explode. Oil spilled into the streets as well as into the nearby ocean. Operations at a nearby oil port were brought to a standstill.  It is estimated that 166 people were injured. Qingdao is one of China’s largest crude oil import terminals.

Volcano erupts in Indonesia

On Nov. 24 the status of Mount Sinabung, an active volcano in Indonesia, was raised to “caution,” the highest alert for volcanic activity. People have been warned to stay at least three miles from the volcano and airlines have been advised not to fly near the area. In September, the volcano started showing signs of activity after being dormant for three years, and over the weekend, it started shooting rocks and ash into the air.. More than 15,000 people have been evacuated from 17 villages within the danger zone.

Date set for peace talks in Syria

Syria’s government will hold its first peace talks Jan. 22 in Geneva. The goal is to end the civil war that has been going on for more than three years, and killed more than 100,000 people. It had been difficult to set a date beforehand, mainly because of disputes over who should represent the Syrian opposition and the government, as well as whether Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other powers should be present.

Egypt bans public gatherings of more than 10 people

Egypt’s interim president, Adly, Mansour, banned Nov. 24 any public gatherings of more than ten people without the government’s prior approval in an attempt to lessen protests. Large fines and or prison time will be imposed on anyone who breaks the new law.

Controversy over allowing phone calls on airplanes

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said that passengers should be allowed to make phone calls after airplanes have reached 10,000 feet, but not during take-off or landing. Some people agree with this statement, but others are starting a petition against the usage of mobile phones on airplanes because it would disrupt other passengers.