Africa

KAMPALA, Uganda—A group of about 100 gays and lesbians met in secret to discuss their response to a pending Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which calls for the death penalty for some gay acts, according to GlobalPost.com. The event was organized by Rev. Mark Kiyimba of the Uganda Unitarian Universalist Church. “Our conference showed that religion does not need to be an enemy to the cause of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] concerns. What is at stake here is religious freedom, human rights and minority protections,” he told GlobalPost. Kiyimba is married, but declares himself as bisexual. The participants resolved to petition the parliament to reject the current bill and instead move to decriminalize homosexuality

South America

CONCEPCION, Chile – A massive 8.8 earthquake wreaked havoc and destruction Saturday, killing over 700 people. The earthquake was quoted by CNN to have been “the fifth strongest earthquake in some 100 years.” The quake even caused panic in Hawaii, where locals were alerted to tsunamis. Hawaii, however, was spared. Since Saturday, Chile has battled lawlessness. Looting has ravished shops and supermarkets, leaving many without electricity, food or water. The coastal communities have suffered the most, with devastation not only from the quake, but also the meter high waves that came afterwards, washing homes out to sea. President Michelle Bachelet continues to ask for international aid for temporary bridges, electric generators, water purification units and medical help.

Europe

VENDEE, France – A crippling storm, now being named Xynthia, hit the west coasts of France and Spain, causing major flooding and damage. The severe weather also stretched to hit Portugal and the Netherlands. France, however, was hit the hardest,with at least 45 people dead. The flooding and violent winds have taken out electricity to millions of households. The winds were clocked at 150km/h, knocking down the power lines linked to a 500 kilometer stretch in France. It will take several days to restore power. France has declared the storm a national disaster and emergency services have picked families from rooftops by helicopter. Hundreds of refugees seek temporary accommodation and shelter as communities rebuild.