The week in pictures: May 12 – May 18, 2015

There was no shortage of big news stories last week so lets take the time to review some of the biggest to hit the headlines in the last seven days

Nepal suffered another earthquake on Tuesday causing further landslides and damage in the small mountainous country still reeling from the 7.8 magnitude quake that struck less than three weeks ago. Whilst the latest quake only registered 7.3 on the Richter scale it has added to the over 8,000 killed in the original disaster and hampered aid efforts especially in rural areas. A US Marine Corps helicopter involved in the relief operation was lost along with its six man crew and two Nepalese soldiers.

An Amtrak train derailed outside Philadelphia killing 8 and injuring over 200. The train was reported to have been traveling at 106 miles per hour on a stretch of track with a limit of less than half that, 50 mph. The train was carrying 238 passengers and five crew when it crashed. The driver, Brandon Bostian is said to have suffered numerous head injuries and claims to have no memory of the accident. A National Transport Safety Board investigation continues.

US special forces undertook a rare raid in Syria last week killing a senior member of Islamic State and capturing his wife. Abu Sayyaf, a Tunisian is said to have been instrumental in their financial operations. The mission was to capture the target however he was killed having engaged the raid team on the ground although “reams of data” was said by US sources to have been collected during the operation on “how ISIS operates, communicates and earns its money.”

In sport Argentinian club Boca Juniors have been ejected from the Copa Libertadores after their fans attacked the players of rivals River Plate were attacked with an irritant on Thursday. The spray caused inflammation of the cornea after the incident with several requiring a few days to fully recover from the effects. Boca Juniors have also been fined but will their fans moderate their behavior? You’ll have to read our daily news pages to find out. In the meantime let’s look at the stories that hit our headlines last week.

1. Gaming Zion reported on how Indiana governor Mike Pence vetoed the bill intended to legalize online horse race betting in his state.

2. It happened somewhat earlier, but new information got out how a failed app grounded American Airlines’ fleet.

3. Australia’s rich man James Packer just got richer, as he approved the sale of takeaway giants MenuLog for AUD 855 million’ to British rival Just Eat.

4. Facebook announced their new e-Business function to FB Messenger hoping to attract small retailers worldwide.

5. Great 19th century mogul Sheldon Adelson just might get out of another lawsuit as his former employee’s claims start to crumble.

6. Temporary Alabama Senate president Del Marsh reinvented the wheel, suggesting revenues from legalized gambling could balance Alabama’s budget.

7. Verizon to acquire agonizing AOL only to get CEO Tim Armstrong on their own payroll.

Meanwhile in a bizarre moment of television silliness the Fox News channel, well known for its lack of actual news and a tendency to spread alarmist xenophobia whenever possible, decided that coverage of the sale of Picasso’s “Women of Algiers” required a blurring out of the breasts therein depicted. That Picasso had already rendered them in such a anatomically dubious manner apparently not enough to allow their broadcast by the right-wing mouthpiece.