Manhunt comes to an end

Earlier this week, Montgomery County was on heightened alert because of the manhunt for an Iraq War veteran Bradley Stone. On Monday, Stone killed a total of six people at three different locations including Lansdale, Souderton, and Harleysville. Those people he killed were all family members of his ex-wife, whom he had domestic problems with.

After the killings, Stone disappeared and police began a county wide search. Schools went on lockdown, while some closed in caution of the possibility of an encounter.

On Tuesday morning however, Stone was found dead in the woods near his home in Pennsburg with self-inflicted stabbing wounds.

The community is mourning over the loss of those killed in an act of violent and unnecessary anger.

Relations with Cuba begin to relax after US prisoner released

After a multi-decade period of non-communication caused by the events of the Cold War, the United States and Cuba are beginning to thaw relations. Following the release of 65 year old prisoner Alan Gross, Cuba took the first step in reaching out, olive branch in hand. This move could be the start of a relaxation of the 53 year old embargo placed on Cuba by the United States.

The US plans to open an embassy on the once isolated island, intending to normalize diplomacy.

President Obama addressed the nation about the humanitarian victory saying, “Neither the American nor Cuban people are served by a rigid policy that’s rooted in events that took place before most of us were born… I believe we can do more to support the Cuban people and our values through engagement. After all, these 50 years have shown the isolation has not worked. It’s time for a new approach.”

Sony’s ‘fallout’

In recent weeks, Sony entertainment group has been hacked by a group going by the name of the ‘Guardians of Peace’.

The past few days however revealed that these hackers have escalated the danger of their message compared to the previous weeks; the group has threatened moviegoers with the intimidation of terrorist action, such as similar events to 9/11.

The hackers have targeted the movie’ The Interview’ as the main scapegoat for their motives. As a result, the movie, portraying Seth Rogan and James Franco as undercover spies trying to assassinate Kim Jung Un, has lost much publicity by theaters and viewers alike.

Sony has yet to deal with the increasingly severe problems that face the company, such as leaked employee emails and lawsuits that could cost Sony millions.

Pakistan school brutally attacked by Taliban forces

141 teenagers and children of a Pakistani school were violently massacred on Tuesday due to an attack carried out by the militant group known formally as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The death toll is expected to rise however since the injuries some students received will be fatal.

This is the largest terrorist attack in Pakistan’s history, proving that other groups such as ISIS aren’t the only terrorist organization fighting for supremacy in the Middle East. The TTP is based out of North Waziristan, one of the ungoverned tribal areas that borders Afghanistan and has caused some of Pakistan’s worst violence in the past years.

Australia hostage incident leaves two dead including gunman

This past Monday morning, police surrounded the Lindt Café in Sydney Australia after an armed man took hostages in the building. Chilling images were released showing people inside holding their hand sup against the windows of the store. Inside the café, the gunman was displaying a flag saying “There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God.” Despie some hostages managing to escape on Monday, the struggle plunged into darkness Tuesday night.

On Tuesday morning, the police acted and sent in officers with flash grenades. After a brief flurry of gunfire, the situation was neutralized.

The man was named Man Haron Monis, and is believed to be tied to a radical form of Islam, however acting alone. Also known as Sheikh Haron, he pleaded guilty in 2013 to writing letters to Australian service members saying they were “Hitler’s soldiers,” according to Australian media reports. The man was believed to be tied to a radical form of Islam.