IcelandOne of Iceland’s largest volcanoes, the Eyjafjallajokull, had been dormant for two centuries before returning to life last week. An explosion sent clouds of ash soaring as high as 11,000 meters, disrupting air travel throughout northern Europe. The eruption led to the evacuation of hundreds of rural Icelanders, many of whom have been anticipating this eruption for many years. According to The New York Times, more than 24,000 flights have been cancelled every day throughout Europe, causing huge economic losses to airline companies and major disruptions in peoples’ travel plans. According to the Washington Post European flights are expected to resume soon, as an increasing number of airline tests have proven the decrease of volcanic ash in the atmosphere.

United States

According to a BBC World Service Poll, global views of the United States have improved sharply over the past year. Having fallen to a low international approval rate of 28% in 2007, the sentiments of the 14 countries included in the census have risen to 40 percent in this year’s poll. For the first time since 2005, this poll has shown that more countries see the United States’ influence on the rest of the world as positive rather than negative. Analysts do not hesitate to point out that this rise in United States popularity has coincided with the election of President Obama in 2009.

Venezuela

This week Venezuela celebrated its 200th year as an independent country. The festivities have inspired people from every sector of Venezuelan society to come out and show pride in their country. Olympic athletes, indigenous leaders, and afro-caribbean descendants all joined together to march past socialist President Hugo Chavez, who was joined by President of Cuba Raul Castro and Bolivian President Evo Morales for the occasion. According to BBC, Chavez took the opportunity to speak to his supporters, drawing parallels between Simon Bolivar and Venezuela’s liberation and his own socialist ideal of Latin American unity and independence from the West.

China

On April 14 China fell victim to the latest earthquake, a 7.1 magnitude which shook the Qinghai region in the Tibetan plateau. Today, the death toll is reported at over 500. While the Qinghai region is not as densely populated as much of China, the Washington Post has reported at least 589 dead and over 10,000 injured. According to the CNM News Network, 90 percent of the homes in the area were leveled, leaving most of the population homeless. The earthquake is the most damaging since the devastating earthquake that took place in Chile in February.