There is no shortage of newsworthy topics here in the United States. At times it is easy to get lost in it all, but equally crucial things happen all over the world.

They can shed light on political relationships, on humanitarian issues and keep you up to date on global events.

These global headlines are complex. It is highly encouraged to follow the links to the stories provided and read the story in its entirety. 

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Here is a quick look at some global events that made the news last week.

Russia-Ukraine tensions continue to rise amid scare of invasion

Officials, both from the U.S.and Ukrainian, are concerned over Russian troop buildup on the Ukraine border, according to an NPR article.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any intent to invade their ex-Soviet neighbor and said Western countries are using the tensions to hide their own “aggressive designs,” NPR reports.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov warned of a “bloody Massacre” if Russia should invade the country, according to a CNN article.

“Russian guys will also come back in coffins,” he said in a CNN interview. 

Reznikov has urged U.S. President Joe Biden to stand firm against Moscow as well, CNN reports.

“If I can advise President Biden, I would like him to articulate to Mr. Putin that no red lines from the Kremlin side should be here. The red line is here in Ukraine and the civilized world will react without hesitation,” Reznikov told CNN in an exclusive interview on Monday. “The idea of not provoking Russia will not work.”

It is estimated that roughly 95,000 Russian troops are within striking distance of Ukraine, according to CNN.

Russian President Vladamir Putin has repeatedly pushed for a guarantee that NATO will not expand into Ukraine, and, according to NPR, this could be Putin backing up his claim.

To read how tensions between Russia and Ukraine came to this point click here. 

Chile passes a law that allows same-sex marriage in historic vote

Chile approved a law that allowed same-sex marriages on Tuesday with overwhelming approval, according to BBC news. The bill also allowed same-sex couples to adopt.

The bill was backed and signed into law by President Sebastián Piñera, who shocked conservatives with his support, BBC reports.

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This bill finishes a process that started in 2017 that had gotten stalled in the Chilean Parliament, according to a similar Reuters article.

The vote in the lower parliament was 82-20 in favor with 2 votes not cast, BBC reports.

“I think we should deepen the value of freedom, including the freedom to love and to form a family with a loved one. Also the value of the dignity of all relationships of love and affection between two people,” the right-wing leader Piñera said in the BBC article.

According to Reuters, same-sex civil unions have been allowed since 2015, but this law give them benefits of a married couple, such as the ability to adopt.

Not everyone in parliament is in favor of the law, particularly the conservitive party has been shocked by the president’s backing, BBC reports.

Evangelical lawmaker Leonidas Romero of the National Renewal Party called the law “a tremendous betrayal for the Christian world”, according to the BBC article.

U.S. billionaire surrendered over 100 stolen antiquities from 11 countries

Michael H. Steinhardt, a billionaire hedge fund pioneer, surrendered 180 stolen objects valued at $70 million, according to a New York Times article.

Steinhardt has also agreed to a lifelong ban on acquiring any new relics, the article stated.

The objects were stolen and smuggled from 11 countries and trafficked by 12 illicit networks, the New York Times reports.

“For decades, Michael Steinhardt displayed a rapacious appetite for plundered artifacts without concern for the legality of his actions, the legitimacy of the pieces he bought and sold, or the grievous cultural damage he wrought across the globe,” District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said. “This agreement establishes that Steinhardt will be subject to an unprecedented lifetime ban on acquiring antiquities.”

Steinhardt agreed to return all the artifacts back to their rightful owners, stated a similar CNN article. Steinhardt’s lawyer said he was pleased to reach an agreement without going to trial.

“He failed to respect that these treasures represent the heritage of cultures around the world from which these items were looted, often during times of strife and unrest,” New York Special Agent Ricky Patel said.

German Man kills family then himself after fears of losing his children

A man killed his family, then himself, after fears his children would be taken away from him after his fake vaccination card was discovered, according to a Reuters article.

The bodies of the family, two adults and three children, were discovered Saturday by police in their home south of Berlin, Reuters stated.

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In his suicide note he said he forged a vaccination certificate for his wife, when her employers found out the couple began to worry their three girls would be taken away and they would be arrested, Reuters reports.

This occurred as Germany is tightening their COVID restrictions, the New York Post stated.

Last month, the country required some workers to have a COVID-19 certificate or show their employers a negative test, according to the New York Post.

The German government is planning to make vaccinations mandatory for some jobs.

News reporter Michael Crimmins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @michael_crimm