Africa
Al-Shabaab militants release hostages – The militant group Al-Shabaab released fourteen Iranian fishermen who were held hostage for years. The hostages were flown back to Iran and were welcomed back in a ceremony at an airport. The group was freed after negotiations with government officials, tribal chiefs, and Somali elders, according to an Iranian news agency.
Ethiopia targets hyenas – Ethiopia is planning to track down deadly hyenas because of a spike in hyena attacks on humans in the country’s capital of Addis Ababa. Over the past two years, eight people have been killed in the city by the animals, including children and older adults. The expansion of housing and logging has led to the increase in attacks.
Asia
North Korean drone reaches across border – South Korean military officials announced that five North Korea drones flew over the two countries’ shared border. In the past, North Korean drones have crossed the border. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased recently. North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year. South Korea said the drones vio- lated its airspace.
China stages military incursion – At least 71 Chinese air force planes entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. It is one of China’s biggest incursions so far around seas and skies near Taiwan. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that it will eventually reunite, despite Taiwan being self-ruled. The two countries have seen ten- sions increase in recent months. China said it flew its air force planes in response to “provocation” from the United States and Taiwan.
Europe
Pub shooting leaves one dead in England – Police are searching for a gunman who is accused of fatally shooting a woman at a pub on Christmas Eve. Numerous others were also injured in the incident, according to local police. The pub was described as busy at the time of the incident and full of young people. Police described the incident as “despicable” and “heartbreaking.”
Pope says world suffering a “famine of peace” – During his annual Christmas day message at the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an end to the “senseless war” in Ukraine. He said the world is suffering from a “famine of peace” and also discussed other conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East, Myanmar, Haiti, and the Sahel region of Africa. The Pope’s message marked his 10th Christmas Day address since he assumed the position.
Latin America
Bombing plot stopped at inauguration in Brazil – Police in Brazil arrested a man who was planning to detonate an explosive device ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The suspect said he planned the bombing with other supports of Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro. The device was planted in a fuel truck near an airport, but it didn’t go off.
Argentina torturer sentenced to jail – Mario Sandoval, a former policeman in Argentina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role at one of the country’s most notorious torture centers. He was found guilty of abducting and torturing a student named Hernán Abriata, who disappeared in the 1970’s and is presumed dead. Sandoval fled Argentina after the military rule and was working as a professor at a university in France before being extradited in 2019.
North America
Decline in Canadian polar bears – Canada’s polar bear population dropped by 27 percent in five years, according to a government report. Around 618 animals lived in the western Hudson Bay area last year. That number is down from the 842 animals who lived in the area in 2016. By 2050, scientists believe the length of the season when there is no ice could push polar bears to starvation.
Native Americans in South Dakota snowed in – Native American tribal leaders are asking for vital supplies needed for snowed-in communities at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The area is buried in more than 30 inches of snow, and winds have stacked snow drifts 12 feet high. The state is planning to deploy the National Guard. An attorney for the reservation told the Darsha Dodge Rapid City Journal that she’s seen some residents burning clothes in their wood stove because they couldn’t access wood.
