The Heat explores international stories of 2014, outlook for 2015

The Heat

From ISIL to Ebola, 2014 has been a busy year for international news. So, as we ring in the New Year, what can we expect in 2015? The Heat has delved into some of the biggest trending stories of the year.

Protests in Ukraine came to a head in early 2014 when clashes between police and protesters left more than 100 dead. The parliament quickly ousted the prime minister and opened the door to new leadership and a separatist movement that swept the country. Russian loyalty in the eastern part of Ukraine hit an all-time high, and by spring, Crimea had voted to join Russia.

While Ukraine faced a civil war, Islamic militants, known as ISIL, captured territory in Iraq and Syria and began a campaign for a so-called “Islamic state.” Their violent tactics and brutal beheadings quickly stole the attention of the international community, many of whom denounced these acts as terrorism.

Another conflict in the Middle East began when Israeli- Palestinian peace talks broke down over the unity government between the two Palestinian political factions, Fatah and Hamas. The Israeli-Palestinian relationship deteriorated until daily rocket strikes left thousands of Palestinians dead, most of them civilians.

While civil wars raged in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, people in West Africa were fighting a much different battle against the Ebola virus. The deadly disease struck Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, and has killed thousands. Public health officials fought to get it under control, while cases popped up in the United States and Spain.

2014 has been a banner year for economic recovery and development from Wall Street to the streets of India. Governments renewed a commitment to combat climate change, capping the year in a groundbreaking deal between the U.S. and China. The year ended on a low note with a hostage crisis in Australia and a school-shooting massacre by the Taliban in Pakistan.

The year ended with the historic rapprochement between Cuba and the U.S., as the two countries work to restore diplomatic ties which ended more than five decades ago.

These stories left the world looking forward to the future and wondering will be part of the global conversation in 2015.

The Heat interviewed a panel about expectations for 2015:

  • Simon Marks, president and chief correspondent for the international broadcast news agency, Feature Story News
  • Cenk Uygur, host and co-founder of the online news show “The Young Turks.”

The Heat also spoke to a panel about the upcoming trends in technology:

  • Sramana Mitra, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and tech blogger
  • Jason Silva. a futurist and creator of “Shots of Awe,” a short film series highlighting innovation, technology and futurism