The week in pictures: October 14th – 20th, 2014

Brush off your hazmat suit, vent your buoyancy aids, set your riot gear on stun and let’s check out last weeks highlights from around the world  

Last week we all thought we were going to die from Ebola as several healthcare workers in a Dallas hospital, at which an infected patient was being treated, contracted the disease…and then, if you listen to the media, drove/flew/sailed across the country spitting on people. The hysteria was as palpable as it was pathetic and seems set to continue despite the appointment of an Ebola Tsar by President Obama.

Meanwhile the Pope ran into a few political difficulties after the Catholic Synod refused to back his softer stance on gays and divorcees, seen by many as the way to retain the church’s relevance in an age of changing social norms and attitudes. He failed to win the two-thirds of votes necessary, but doubtless will turn the other cheek and try again soon to drag the Catholic Church kicking and screaming into the twenty first century.

Talking of trying again, we saw the protests in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district ebb and flow with police and protestors seemingly taking it in turns to come out on top, with authorities forcefully removing barricades from main roads only to see them return a few hours later. This has the authorities so worried they’ve begun blaming outside influences for the protests, a sure sign they’ve no clue what to do except use force.

And when it comes to force there’s nothing like mother nature as the poor people in Nepal found out when a series of deadly avalanche struck the mountainous kingdom killing 39 and leaving 400 in need of rescue, unlike the kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria who are set to be released after the Nigerian government and Boko Haram hammered out a truce between themselves. The girls may be home as soon as Tuesday.

The week brought its share of interesting gambling news as well. Lets look at some of the iconic images that flashed around the world last week on GamingZion.

1. Hong Kong protest have affected the gambling industry. In a good way, that is. Can you believe the latest stats on Macau gambling?

2. GamingZion discovered some cards cheating techniques. They say that ‘cheats never prosper’ but there are some very successful gambling pros that played crooked and got away with it.

3. The laws allowing betting in the US took one step further and it looks like that by the end of this year Americans could wager online on their favorite teams.

4. The New Zealand Racing Board is flaunting its 0.2% profit increase. The billion dollar online gambling industry is 0.2% impressed.

5. Sporting fans will have a chance to play both free and entry-fee fantasy games that will feature the New Jersey Devils, thanks to Hotbox Sports Ventures.

6. GamingZion presented the latest odds and in-depth analysis of the most exciting prop bets to make on the upcoming NBA season.

7. Betting on politics and on country’s elections proved to be very lucrative for some UK residents in the past. It’s all in the odds.