Africa
South Africa petition to ban pit bulls gains momentum – After an eight-year-old child was mauled to death by a pit bull this month, a South Africa Foundation petition has gained 50,000 signatures to ban the animals as pets. South Africa has one of the highest incidents of deaths related to dog attacks in the world. Last month, a 10-year-old boy in the country was also mauled to death by two pit bulls owned by the family.
Nigeria electoral commission issues violence warning – Nigeria’s electoral com- mission warned that attacks could intensify as the country prepares for its February presidential elections. So far, the commission has already tracked 50 attacks related to the polls in the first month of campaigning. Threats like Islamist insurgency, criminal gangs and separatist groups have threatened the country recently.
Asia
Taliban orders Sharia law pun- ishments in Afghanistan – Haibatullah Akhundzada, a political and religious Taliban leader, ordered Afghan judges to impose punishments for certain crimes like public amputations and stoning. Those type of punishments can be enforced on people guilty of crimes like robbery, kidnapping and sedition. When the Taliban regained power last year, they promised to rule more moderately. Exact crimes and punishments have not been defined by the Taliban.
New tulip discovered in Kyrgyzstan – Scientists from Cambridge University dis- covered a new species of tulip during an expedition to Kyrgyzstan in central Asia. The tulip ranges in size from 3.9 inches to 7.4 inches and was discovered as part of a project to understand how to conserve wild tulips in their natural habitat. The tulip has a bright yellow flower with red-streaked outer petals.
Europe
Slovenia elects first woman president – Natasa Pirc Musar will become the first woman president in Slovenia. She is a journalist and lawyer who was hired to protect the interest of former U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Pirc Musar was backed by Slovenia’s centre-left government and won nearly 54 percent of the vote in a victory over former Foreign Minister Anze Logar.
Six killed in explosion in Turkey – At least six people were killed while 81 others were injured because of an explosion that took place at a shopping avenue in Turkey. Authorities arrested a Syrian woman in connection to the attack and blamed Kurdish rebels for carrying out the blast. The woman allegedly sat on a bench in the area for more than 40 minutes and left minutes before the blast took place. She is suspected of having left the bomb and was among 47 people detained by police.
Latin America
Prosecutors accused of covering up murder in Mexico – Anti-corruption officials in Mexico are investigating the attorney-general’s office in Morelos, Mexico. The office is accused of covering up the murder of 27-year- old Ariadna López, whose body was found last week. The attorney-general’s office said she was choked while drunk, but an autopsy revealed she died of multiple force trauma. Mexico City’s mayor said the attorney-general’s office “wanted to hide the femicide.” Murders in which women or girls are killed because of their gender, known as femicides, have increased in recent years in Mexico.
Gas stations in Haiti reopen after being closed for months – For the first time in two months, gas stations opened across Haiti after a gang lifted a fuel blockade. The gang, known as G9, took control of an area surrounding a key fuel terminal in mid-September. Millions of people were temporarily left out of work because of the fuel blockade. The blockade occurred after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced a rise in gas prices.
North America
Top U.S. border official told to leave position – Chris Magnus, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said he was asked to resign or be fired. He refused to do so and defended his work. Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border reached an all time high this year. Most of the people crossing the border arrived from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua.
Three football players killed at the University of Virginia – Three football players were shot and killed on campus at the University of Virginia while two others were injured. The incident occurred this past Sunday when students returned from a field trip. The suspect, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr, a student on campus, was arrested. The University of Virginia is ranked third in public universities in the United States.
