Africa
Mali army accused of abuse – Mali’s armed forces and foreign fighters believed to be from Russia’s Wagner Group have been accused of widespread abuses by Human Rights Watch. Those abuses include executing dozens of civilians and torturing detainees. Mali’s foreign minister said he isn’t aware of any abuses and denied any foreign forces being involved in military operations.
Bank of Zambia hacked on Facebook – Hackers targeted the Bank of Zambia’s Facebook page and changed its profile and cover pictures to an image of an unknown man and woman in a romantic embrace. The bank said it is conducting a thorough review of the incident and working with law enforcement to address the manner. Customers and the public were urged to be cautious and vigilant about potential phishing attempts or other suspicious activities.
Asia
China school roof collapses, kills 11 people – The roof of a school gymnasium in China collapsed while the building was being used by a girls’ volleyball team. At least 11 people died, and many of the victims are believed to have been children. Officials at a local construction company were detained by police. They are accused of dumping perlite, or a form of volcanic glass, on the roof while working on another building project.
New Zealand justice minister resigns – New Zealand Justice Minister Kirk Allan resigned from her position after failing an alcohol breath test following a car crash. She was charged with careless driving and resisting arrest. Allan will remain as a member of parliament for now and is due to appear in court at a later date. She apologized for her actions and said she will consider her future in politics.
Europe
Wildfires sweep through Greek island – Residents in Corfu, a Greek island, were told to evacuate the area because of wildfires. The island is popular among British tourists and is the latest Greek island to deal with wildfires. Rhodes, another Greek island, also told its residents to evacuate recently because of wildfires. Fires have blazed for nearly a week in some areas of Greece as the country deals with sweltering heat.
Putin critic detained – Igor Girkin, an outspoken pro-war blogger, was detained last Friday and is accused of extremism. He could face up to five years in jail. Girkin has criticized Russia’s military and President Vladimir Putin. It is unclear what led Russia’s Investigative Committee to charge him. Girkin is a former FSB intelligence colonel and played a key role in Russia’s 2014 landgrab of Crimea.
Latin America
Ecuadorean mayor killed – Agustín Intriago, an Ecuadorean mayor, was shot and killed while he toured his city. He was shot several times by a gunman who arrived in a stolen pick-up truck. Attacks on elected officials had been rare in Ecuador up until this point. Recently, a mayoral candidate in Salinas, a Ecuadorean costal town, was also shot and killed. No motives for the attack on Intriago have been confirmed by police.
Brazil tightens gun control laws – Brazil introduced limits on stockpiles of guns and ammunition and prohibited certain weapons like nine millimeter handguns. Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had promised new gun control laws during election season. He blamed a rise in political violence on loose gun control laws. Brazil has nearly 800,000 registered gun owners.
North America
Woman found dead near Yellowstone National Park – Officials in Montana believe a woman that was found dead had likely come into contact with a grizzly bear. Tracks from a grizzly were discovered close to the woman’s body near the town of West Yellowstone in Montana. Days before the woman’s body was found, Montana warned residents of the increased danger from grizzlies and urged people to carry bear spray.
Twitter rebrands as X – Twitter has changed its logo from its famous blue bird to “X.” The new logo is white and appears on a black background. Tweets will now be called “x’s,” according to Twitter owner Elon Musk. He said he wants to create a super app and changed his profile picture to the new logo and added “X.com” to his Twitter bio. The new logo has yet to appear on the mobile app as of Monday morning.
